a hunder'd idle Stories of this Dragon and this Bridge which I omit as not becomeing this Relation This Palace takes up in length two Furlongs of China or half an Italian Mile The second is call'd Hien yam tien or the Palace of the Rising Sun. A Structure beautifull and magnificent for the Architecture and environd with nine very high Towers all of different Workmanship These nine Towers signifie the first nine Days of the Moon which are very great Holy-days especially the ninth among the Chineses They marry their Children during these Holy-days and among the several Dishes of the Feast they never fail of one which represents the Tower with nine Stories every one of which answers to one of the nine Days For say they the Number of Nine includes within it self those properties which make it more excellent than all the rest of the Numbers and render it fortunate by the Augmentation of Life Honour and Riches For this reason all the Chineses Rich and Poor get up that day upon Terrasses and Towers in the Cities and in the Countrey upon Mountains and Hills or at least upon Damms and other high rais'd places where they feast with their Relations and Friends But in regard the Kings of China seldom go out of their Palaces they caus'd these nine Towers to be built that upon the Top of them they might Celebrate this Festival so generally solemniz'd over the whole Empire The third Palace is call'd Van xeu tien or the Palace of ten thousand Lives Now you are to understand that about a hunder'd and forty years ago King Kia cim that is to say a King neat and precious began his Reign This Prince maintain'd Peace and Justice in the Empire but in regard he was flexible and superstitious one of the marry'd Bonzes beguil'd his Credulity and made him believe that he would so order it that he should live eternally or at least for several Ages by vertue of his Chymistry To bring this to pass he advis'd him to build this Palace near the Lake which we have already mention'd 'T is very true 't is less than the rest but what it wants in bigness it has in beauty It is environ'd with a high Wall with Battlements and perfectly round all the Halls and Chambers a so are round Hexagons or Octagons and the Architecture is most beautifull and magnificent Hither then the King retir'd to distill the Water of Immortality But his toil and pains were recompenc'd with a Success quite contrary to his Expectations for that instead of prolonging they shorten'd his Life For the Fire in the Furnaces having dry'd up his Bowels he fell sick in a Month or six Weeks after and dy'd within a few Days after he had reign'd five and forty years The Emperour Van lie his Grandchild reign'd eight and forty and both their Reigns are remarkable as well for the peace and prosperity which the People enjoy'd all that time as for that the Apostle of the Indians the Holy Francis Xavier arriv'd in China and dy'd upon the Frontiers during the Reign of Kia cim a little before the Portugueses built the City of Macao as also for that in the Eleventh year of the Emperour Van lie the famous Father Matthew Ricci so universally esteem'd to this day by the Chiueses for his Learning and his Vertue first set footing in the Empire The fourth is call'd Cim hiu tien or the Palace of perfect purity and was built upon this occasion The fifteenth Day of the eighth Moon is solemniz'd by the Chineses with great feasting and rejoycing For from the setting of the Sun and rising of the Moon till Midnight they are all abroad with their Friends and Kindred in the Streets in the Piazza's in their Gardens and upon the Terrasses feasting and watching to see the Hare which that Night appears in the Moon To this purpose the preceding Days they send to one another Presents of little Loaves and Sugar-Cakes which they call Yue Pim or Moon-Cakes They are round but the biggest which are about two hands breadth in diameter and represent the Full Moon have every one a Hare in the middle made of a Past of Walnuts Almonds Pine-Apple-Kernels and other Indgredients These they eat by the Light of the Moon the Richer sort having their Musick also playing about 'em which is very good But the poor in the midst of the ruder Noise of Drums Fifes and Basons loudly knockt upon with Sticks And for the solemnizing of this Feast it was that the Ancient Kings erected this Palace not very big but wonderfully delightfull more especially for its Situation upon a Mountain made by hands which is call'd Tulh Xan or the Mountain of the Hare Our Europeans perhaps will laugh at the Chineses for imagining the Spots in the Body of the Moon to be a Hare But beside that among us the People are no less fond of many idle Opinions no less ridiculous let me tell our Europeans that the Chineses laugh as much at us when they find in our Books that we paint the Sun and Moon with humane Faces The fifth Palace is call'd Ym Tai Tien or the Palace of the Flourishing Tower. It is built upon the brink of the Lake among a great number of Trees which afford both shade and coolness So that the Emperour makes it his chiefest residence during the excessive heat which the want of cooling Breezes renders almost insupportable the City of Pe Kim being equally subject to the inconveniencies of heat and cold The sixth is call'd Van Yeu Tien or the Palace of ten thousand sports and pleasures It is seated upon the Bank of the Lake on the north side and serves for the King to repose in when he goes a fishing or to delight himself by Water in his Pleasure Boats which are made either to sail or row all very lovely and very richly adorn'd There is one wich is made like one of our Brigandines by the directions of Father Iohn Adam which pleases the Emperour extreamly and wherein he always goes a fishing or to behold the Sea Fights which are many times represented upon the Lake The Seventh is a great Platform encompass'd with a square of high walls in the middle of which is a beautifull Palace call'd Hu Chim Tien or the Palace of the walls of the Tiger The Royal Hall belonging to it is round very high and Majestick Upon the top of it appear two Cupola's of of Brass guilded one above another at the distance of the length of a lance the one very large the other less in the form of a great Gourd which together with the roof cover'd over with Tiles varnish'd with Azure and embellish'd with Flowers Grotesco Borderings and other Ornaments yield a very pleasant prospect From this Hall and the Balconies belonging to it the King delights himself with the sight of the Beasts that are bread in the enclosure as Tigers Bears Leopards Wolves Monkeys of several sorts Musc-Cats and several other Kinds and with
by reason of its Antiquity and I believe that neither the Portugueses nor Castillians have in all their Voyages made a more considerable Discovery The Annals of the Chaldeans and Egyptians might perhaps have stood in Competition with those of China and perhaps those of the Tyrians also and some other Oriental Nations of which Josephus makes mention But they are lost a long time ago as well as the Histories of Berosus the Chaldean and Manathon the Egyptian of which we have no more then only some few fragments of little or no use The Greeks and Romans have left us nothing of certainty before Herodotus for that reason call'd the Father of Historians Who nevertheless did not write till about Four Hundred and Fifty Years before Christ. And if we go back to the Original of the Olympiads they did not begin till about Seven Hundred Seventy Seven Years before Christ. But the Cycles of the Chineses and their Cronologies begin Two Thousand Six Hundred Four score and Seventeen Years before Christ under the Reign of Hoam ti And two Thousand nine Hundred Fifty two Years according to the sentiments of those that stick to the second Opinion and acknowledge Fo hi for the first Emperor of China And tho' we should rest satisfi'd with the third Opinion which makes Yao the first Emperor of China their Chronology would begin two Thousand three Hundred Fifty seven Years before Christ that is to say fifteen Hundred sixty nine years before the first Olympiad And indeed I know no reason why any man should refuse to give Credit to this Chronology in regard it is well pursu'd and well circumstanc'd that it is less fabulous than the first times of the Greek and Roman History and for that there are set down therein several Eclipses and other Astronomical Observations which perfectly agree with the Computations of our most learned Astronomers in these latter Ages as I have seen in some Manuscripts written upon this Subject To which we may add that almost all the Parts of the Chinese History have been written by Authors that liv'd at the same time As for Example the Acts of King Yao are written by the Secretaries of Xun his Successor The History of Xun and his Successor Yu was compil'd by Authors then living and is contain'd together with that of King Yao in the two first Parts of the most Ancient and venerable Book among the Chineses call'd Xu Kin. It is divided into six Parts of which the four last contain one part of the History of the Second and Third Imperial Family Nor is there any doubt to be made either of the Antiquity or truth of the two first Parts of the Book Xu kin seeing that Confucius who liv'd Five Hundred and Fifty Years before Christ so often makes mention of it and has collected with great industry several authentick Pieces that contain several particulars of the Lives and Government of the first Kings Another Philosopher call'd Lao Kiun Confucius ' s Contemporary as also another Author more Ancient then He by two Hundred Years whose name was Tai su lum often quote these Ancient Histories Confucius also wrote himself a History of several Wars of China for the space of two Hundred Forty and one Years which he begin at the Forty ninth Year of the Emperor Pim â—…am the Thirteenth Prince of the Third Family call'd Cheâ—… that is to say 722 Years before the Birth of Christ since which time there have been a great Number of Historians in every Age which the Chineses still preserve and out of which they have compil'd General Histories of which there is one of several Chinese Volumes in the Kings Library To this we may add that the certainty of this Chronology is confirm'd by many circumstances conformable to the Holy Scripture which are not to be found in any other History as for Example the long life of their first Kings like to that of the Patriarchs in the time of Abraham Thus they tell us that Fo hi Reigned a Hundred and Fifty Years Xin nun his Successor a Hundred and Forty Hoam ti liv'd a Hundred and eleven Years Xao hao that succeeded him a Reigned a Hundred Ti co a Hundred and Five Yao a Hundred and Eighteen Xun his successor a Hundred and Ten Yu a Hundred Years after whom there was nothing extraordinary in the Age of the Emperors We find also that Fo-hi began to Reign in the Province of Xensi the most Westerly part of all China which shews that either he or his Father came from the West where Noah and his Children remained after the Deluge That his Kingdom was but of a narrow extent and the number of his Subjects but small so that he might seem to be rather the potent Father of a Family like Abraham then a King or an Emperor That he and his Subjects liv'd upon Herbs and wild Fruits drank the Blood of Beasts and cloathed themselves with their skins That his Successor Xin nun avented the Art of Tillage and many other such like Circumstances The greatest part of these Passages are to be found in the History of China by Martini in the Chronology and Prefaces of F. Couplet Printed at Paris with tee works of Confucius and in several parts of our Author chiefly in the Fifth and Sixth Chapters It may be objected that this Chronology does not agree with the Vulgar Translation of the Bible But besides that God has not vouchsaf'd us the Holy Scripture to make us Learned but Vertuous and so there may have happen'd some omission or mistake in the Dates it may be answer'd that the question about the Continuance of the World after the Deludge is not yet decided that their Chronology agrees with the Translation of the Septuagint which is authentick and receiv'd by the Church as well as the Vulgar But this is not a place to enlarge upon this Subject they who desire to know more may consult the Book which Father Pezeron a Barnardine has newly Printed upon this Subject Nor can it be said that the Fathers have by agreement juggl'd up this Chronology For we find they have spoken truth in the Rest of their Relations that they make no scruple to correct one another when they are mistaken as you may see by our Author in several places That the Jacobins Augustinians and Franciscans who have had several quarrels with the Iesuites in reference to their Mission agree with them in this particular and never accuse them to have err'd in their Chronology And lastly that the Hollanders who have sent several Embassies into China and who have several Thousands of Chineses at Batavia never reprov'd the Iesuits for any mistake upon this occasion On the other side they put a great value upon Martini's Works which are printe in Holland as also China illustrated by F. Kirker CHAP. IV. Of the Letters and Language of China ALtho' the Egyptians vaunt themselves to have been the first that ever made use of Letters and
to suffer whatever thy Divine Justice shall be pleas'd to ordain He had scarce concluded this Prayer before the Sky was all overcast with Clouds and pour'd down Rain in such abundance that it suffic'd to Water â—…ll the Territories of the Empire and restore them to their pristine Fertility From hence it is that when the Chineses make any scruple about the Mystery of the Incarnation we endeavour to convince them by this Example telling them that this King cover'd himself with the Skin of a Lamb and offer'd himself a Sacrifice to obtain Pardon for the Sins of the People yet thereby did nothing lessen the Lustre of his Dignity So likewise tho' God was pleased to Cloath himself with the homely Covering of our Humanity and was offer'd up as a Lamb in Sacrifice for the Sins of the People he has no way lessen'd but rather exalted his Almighty Power his Infinite Mercy and Goodness and has thereby made it so much the more clearly appear that he was infinitely above this King who was no more then a Man and a mere Creature The Chineses presently submit to this Argument as well because it seems to them to be Rational and Convincing as also for that they are very much pleas'd to hear that we make use of their Histories and Examples to prove the Verity of our Religion This Emperor had for one of his Counsellers a Holy and Famous Learned Person who liv'd several Years hid up in the Mountains among the Wild Beasts because he would not submit to the Tyrant Kie The Off-spring also of this Emperor Chim Tam Reign'd above Six Hundred Years till the Rule of King Cheu who was no less Wicked and Cruel then Kie So that when the Chineses call a Prince a Kie or a Cheu 't is the same thing as when we call such a one a Nero or a Diocâ—…esian The Fifth Emperor call'd Vù Uâm was the Son of Ven Uâm King of the Kingdom of Châ—…uÌ„ which is now a part of the Province of Xensi Who not able to endure the Wickedness and Tyranny of King Cheu set upon him Vanquish'd him in Battel and made himself Master of the Empire This Emperor Vù Uâm had a Brother highly esteem'd for his Prudence and other Vertues whom he made King of the Kingdom of Lù now a part of the Province of XaÌ„n TuÌ„m and of whom he made choice upon his Death-Bed to Govern the Empire during the Minority of his Eldest Son. He it was according to the report of the Chineses who above Two Thousand Seven Hundred Years ago first â—…ound out the Use of the Needle and Compass For the Emperor his Nephew having receiv'd the Honour of an Embassie and the acknowledgment of a Tribute from a Country call'd Tum Xim and Cochin China or Kiao chi que and all by means of the Industry and Prudent Conduct of his Protector the same Governor presented the Embassadors with a kind of Compass by the Direction of which they might return the nearest way home without exposing themselves to the Toil and Hardships of of those â—…ound about Windings and Wandrings through which they had labour'd in coming to Court. So that this Prince is one of the Heroes and Saints of the Chineses who have an extraordinary veneration for his Memory Now when the Emperor Vù Uâm return'd in Triumph from the Battel wherein the Tyrant Cheu had been defeated his two Brothers Pe y and Xeo cî famous for their Vertue and Nobility met him upon his March and after they hâ—…d stopp'd him by taking his Horse by the Bridle they boldly and in very sharp and severe Language reprov'd him for having seiz'd upon the Empire and forc'd the Emperor to burn himself in his Palace together with all his Treasures that notwithstanding he were so vicious and so cruel yet he was both his Lord and Prince ordain'd by Heaven that it was his Duty to advise him to amendment like a good Subject not like a Traytor to put him to death and lastly that he ought to surrender the Kingdom to the Children of the deceased Prince to let the World see that he had not been push'd forward by any motives of Ambition but only out of a Desire to deliver the Title from Tyranny and Oppression But when the two Brothers sound that he would not follow their Counsel they retir'd to a desert Mountain protesting they would rather chuse to die in that manner then eat of the Products of those Territories which Vù Uâm had â—…usurp'd for fear they should be thought in some measure to approve his Treason and Revolt The History of these five Kings which the Chineses look upon as so many Saints especially the four first and their Off-spring is the subject of the first Book which is in as great Reputation among these Infidels as the Books of the Kings among us Christians The Stile of it is very ancient but very exact and elegant Vice is there blam'd and Vertue applauded and the Actions of King and Subjects related with an entire sincerity And to the End the more curious Reader may see the Energy and Briefness of the Chinese Language and Letters which were at that time in use I will here set down five words taken out of the Book already mention'd in reference to the King Yáo Kin Mîm Vén Su GaÌ„n That is to say King Yao was great and venerable he was most Perspicacious and Prudent He was very Compos'd Modest and Courteous He appear'd always Pensive and Studious searching continually after the best means how to govern his People and Empire and therefore he liv'd all the time of his Reign in Comfort Quiet and Repose The second Book is call'd Li ki or the Book of Rites and Ceremonies This contains the greatest part of the Laws Customs and Ceremonies of the whole Empire The principal Author of this Book is the Brother of the Emperor Vù Uà m of whom we have spoken already He was call'd Chéu cuÌ„m and was equally venerable as well for his Vertue as for his Prudence Learning and good Conduct This Volume contains the Works of several other Authors also the Disciples of Cum fu cius and other interpreters more modern and more suspected which therefore ought to be read with so much the more Circumspection there being many things therein contain'd which are accompted Fabulous The third Volume is call'd Xi KiÌ„m containing Verses Romances and Poems all which are divided into five sorts The first of which is call'd Ya sum or Panegyricks and Encomiums sung in Honour of Men famous for their Vertue or their Endowments There are also several Gnomonics or Verses containing Precepts which are sung at their Funerals their Sacrifices the Ceremonies which the Chineses perform in honour of their Ancestors and at their most solemn Festivals The second is call'd Que fuÌ„m or the customs of the Kingdom These are Romances or Poems chosen out among those which were made by private Persons They are never sung but
only rehears'd before the Emperor and his Ministers of State. Therein are describ'd without any dissimulation the manners of the People how the Empire is govern'd and the present state of Affairs Which seems to be the same thing with the Ancient Comedies of the Greeks that spar'd neither the Vices of Private Men nor the miscarriages of the publick Magistrates The third sort is call'd Pi que that is to say Comparison For that all which is therein contain'd is explain'd by Comâ—…arisons or Similitudes The fourth sort is call'd Him que that is to say to raise or exalt Because this sort of Poetry begins with something that is curious and lofty to prepare and raise Attention to that which follows The fifth sort is call'd Ye Xi That is to say Poesies rejected or separated â—…ecause that Cum fu cius having review'd this Volume of Poems rejected those which he either mislik'd or thought to be fabulous However they are still quoted and left as they are The fourth Volume was compos'd by Cum fu cius and contains the History of the Kingdom of Lù his native Country at present comprehended within the Province of Xan â—…um The Chineses put a high value upon this Book and are all in Ecstasie when they read it He wrote this History of two Hundred years Transactions after the manner of Annals where he exposes as in a Mirrour the Examples of Princes both Vertuous and Wicked referring the â—…ents to the Times and Seasons wherein they happen'd And therefore he gives to his Book the Title of Chun cieâ—… or Spring and Autumn The fifth Volume is call'd Ye kim and is esteem'd the most ancient of all the Rest because the Chineses affirm that Fo hi their first King was the Author of it And indeed this Book is worthy to be read and esteem'd in regard of the noble Sentences and Precepts of Morality which it contains I believe truly that the good Maxims which are scatter'd up and down in this Volume might be writt'n by King Fo hi but that the rest was added by others who were desirous to give Reputation to their Visions under the name of this famous Prince Nevertheless most certain it is that the Chineses have an extraordinary veneration for this Book and look upon it to be the most profound the most learned and mysterious of any in the World and that for the same reason they believe it to be almost Impossible for them to understand it and that strangers ought neither to see or touch it The Chineses have also another Volume of equal Authority with those before-mention'd which they call Sù xu that is to say the four Books by way of Excellency This is a Volume of Extracts or Abridgments being as it were the very Marrow and Quintessence of the former Five The Mandarins â—…ull out from thence the Sentences and Texts which they propose for Themes to the Learned that are to be Examin'd before they are admitted to the degrees of Batchellors Licentiates and Doctors and upon which those Persons Write and Comment for their Reputation It is divided into four Parts The first treats of the Laws and the Doctrine of Men famous for their Knowledge and their Vertue The second discourses of the Golden Mean. The third contains a great number of Moral Sentences well express'd solid and profitable to all the Members of the State. These three Parts were writt'n by Cum fu cius the first Doctor of the Chineses and were publish'd by his Disciples The fourth Part which is as big as all the other three was writ by the Philosopher Men su who was born about a Hundred Years after Cum fu cius and is honour'd by the Chineses as a Doctor of the second Order This is a Work wherein there appears a wonderful deal of Wit subtilty and Eloquence The discourses are pertinent the Sentences grave and moral and the Stile lively bold and perswasive All the Missionaries of our Society in these Parts very industriously study the Letters and the Language of the four Parts of this Book And from thence and out of the former five it is that so many Treatises and Commentaries of various Authors as well ancient as modern of which the number is almost Infinite and give us occasion to commend and admire the Wit the Industry and Eloquence of that Nation are deriv'd as from so many Springs and Fountains Notes upon the Fifth Chapter A. P. 96. THE Subject or Ground of this Book is no more than a Table of sixty four Figures every one consisting of six Lines which are all of a Piece as thus others of two Parts as thus The Chineses attribute the Writing of this Table to their first King Fo hi but no body can divine what was the design or meaning of the Author However it is certain that about twelve Hundred Years before Christ Prince Ven Uam Father of the Emperor Vu Uam Founder of the third Royal Family and his second Son Cheu cum undertook to interpret this Enigmatical Table and that five Hundred Years afterwards the Philosopher Cum fu cius made Commentaries upon the Interpretations of those two Princes But whatever those three Authors have written upon this Subject amounts to no more then only from the agreeement and vicissitude of the Elements and other natural things to draw Politick and Moral Maxims and Conclusions and Precepts also as well for the Princes as their Subjects But that which renders this Table pernicious is this that the Idolaters call'd Tao su the Bonzes and Fortune-Tellers make a bad use of it to confirm their Superstitious Predictions forging out of that variety and many other things which they intermix therewith an infinite Number of Confederacies and vain and Impertinent allusions by vertue of which they boast themselves able to foretel whatever shall befal a Man whether Fortunate or Unfortunate Epitomes of the first Commentators of this Table of Fo hi may be seen more at large in the Prefaces of Cum fu cius which are newly Printed together with several others particulars concerning the Principal Books of the Chineses of which our Author speaks in this Chapter CHAP. VI. Of the Civility and Politeness of the Chineses and of some of their Feasts SEveral Books might be writt'n of the Civility Complements and Ceremonies of the Chineses They have a Book which gives an Accompt of above three Thousand and it is a wonderful thing to see how ready and punctual they are in those Particulars At their Marriages and Funerals in their Visits and Feasts the Master of the House tho' a Person of greater Honour and Dignity then any of his Guests always gives the chief place of Preheminence to the Eldest The eldest give place to those that come farthest off but all to Foreigners When any Embassador arrives from the very day that his Embassie is accepted of to the time of his departure the Emperor furnishes him with all manner of Provisions Horses Litters and Barks
speaks but occasionally of the Affairs of China Father Semedo indeed applies himself wholly to the Description of the Country in the First Part of his Relation wherein he has been very fortunate Father Couplet in his Chronology and Father Martini in his First Decad of the History of China and his Relation of the Tartar War has publisht almost a compleat Succession of the History of that Kingdom The same Father Martini in his Atlas has made a Geographical Description of it so compleat and full that there hardly remains any thing more for us to desire And lastly the Annual Letters and other Pieces which I have cited giving an Account of the various Successes of the Missions which they undertook inform us of several Notable and Curious Particulars But tho' these Authors are every one worthy to be esteem'd and valu'd Certain it is that we wanted still a very great number of Considerable Particulars whither it were that the Subject was too Copious to be exhausted or that those other designs which they proposed to themselves diverted their particular Industries However it were it is apparent that Father Magaillans had it in his thoughts to have supply'd all the Defects which he found in those other Pieces and whatever was wanting that might give us a perfect knowledge of China For they who read this Relation will find that the Matters therein contain'd have either been wholly omitted by all other Authors or else but very slightly touch'd and therefore in regard they are things of great Curiosity I make no question but this Translation will be grateful to the more exact Part of the Learned World. In a word it seems to me to have all those Advantages that suffice to recommend it to the Reader The Matter is of great consequence and becoming the Curiosity of all those that desire to know remote Countries since it has describ'd with an extraordinary Exactness and Part by Part what is most Considerable in that same Famous Empire of China There you shall find it determin'd by evident Proofs that the Countries of Catay and Mangi are comprehended in that Spacious Kingdom It discourses at large of the Chinese Language of the Letters and their Composition of the Words which they comprehend of the Excellency of the Language and how easie a thing it is to attain it which gives us a far different Idea of it from whatever we have had till now Of the Chinese Books and their Antiquity and the great number of them upon all sorts of Subjects Of the Antiquity of their Kingdom and their Kings Of the Certain and Successive Continuance of the Chinese Chronology from the next Ages to the Deluge It shews us the Industry of the Chineses in many things their wonderful Form of Government and all their different Tribunals with a world of other Circumstances There you find an exact Acount of all their Public Works and a particular Description of some Magnificent Bridges the Great Canal the City of Pe Kim their most Sumptuous Houses their Principal Temples and the Vast and Spacious Palace of the Emperor which comprehends within it several others sufficient to make us admire their Architecture and the Form and Contrivance of their Buildings Lastly there is a Description of a certain sort of Wax which is not any where else to be found of the Riches of China of the Emperor's Revenues of some Remarkable Ceremonies and of so many other Particulars which it would be here too tedious a trouble to repeat The Author was well inform'd of all those things of which he gives us an Account He had travell'd over all the Chiefest Parts of China from the Year 1640. to 1648. at what time he was carry'd to Pe Kim where he stay'd Nine and Twenty Years at the Court that is to say till his Death which happen'd in the Year 1677. without stirring from thence unless it were once that he was sent to Macao by the Command of the Emperor So long and constant a Residence the Knowledge of the Language and Books his Conversation with Persons the most Considerable in the Kingdom the Liberty which he had to enter into the Palace the Choice which he made of the Matters and Particulars of which he gives an Account will easily confirm us that he had a perfect Knowledge of the things of which he gives us the Relation So that altho' the Description which he gives us of the Emperor's Palace does not agree with that which we find in the Dutch Embassie to China yet there is all the Reason of the World to prefer the Testimony of this Author before that Relation The Sincerity also and Reality of Father Magaillans farther appear by this that he makes no scruple to Correct Father Martini where he knows him to be in an Error Tho in other places he confirms by his Testimony the Esteem which all Europe had for the Works of that Father and for that he speaks with Moderation of many other things where the Authors have strech'd too far in their Relations Having thus far given an Account of the Worth and Merit of this Relation it will not be improper to tell the Reader how it fell into my Hands It is now about Three Years since that F. Couplet coming to Rome in the Quality of Procurator for the Missions of China had several Occasions to wait upon Cardinal d' Estrees where I had the Honour to be at that time His Eminency ask'd him several curious Questions concerning China but chiefly concerning Pe Kim the Emperors Court and the Government and Policy of that Great Kingdom To which the Father gave His Eminency all the Satisfaction he could desire so far as he knew But in regard he had never been but once at Pe Kim when he was carry'd Prisoner thither in the time of the late Persecution he answer'd the Cardinal with his usual sincerity That he was not so well inform'd as to those other particular Questions which His Eminency put to him but that he had brought out of China a Portuguese Manuscript written by F. Gabriel de Magaillans where he would find the Plenary Satisfaction of all that he desir'd to know and at the same time presented the Manuscript to His Eminency who having read it over with great delight gave it into my Hands upon a proffer which I made him to Translate it However I found it a more Difficult Task then I imagin'd for tho Father de Magaillan's had deliver'd it fairly written yet by an Unfortunate Accident it hapn'd to be half Burnt so that I was forc'd to have recourse to the Confus'd Original which had been luckily preserv'd which being the greatest part writt'n in loose Papers it requir'd a great deal of time to place them in order and find out the connections The Author had entitl'd his Work The Twelve Excellencies of China But this Title seem'd to me to be too much affected and not answerable to the Subject for it was not limited to
As we pronounce it in Totality and Totus V Consonant as we do U Vowel as the Latin U or the French Ou except in these Words Chu Triu Xiu Yu Tiu Niu Siu c. X Is pronounc'd as in Portuguese or Ch in French as for Example Xansi Xensi as if it were written Chansi or Chensi I took those Observations upon the Pronunciation from Father Couplet from a Chinese that was brought out of China from my Author and out of Father Greslones Preface to his Relation THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. OF the Names which the Chineses and Foreigners give to China and of the Countries of Catai and Mangi p. 1 CHAP. II. Of the Extent and Division of China of the number of the Cities and other wall'd Towns and some other particulars observed by the Chinese Authors p. 31 CHAP. III. Of the Antiquity of the Kingdom of China and what a high Opinion the Chineses have of it p. 59 CHAP. IV. Of the Letters and Language of China p. 68 CHAP. V. Of the Wit of the Chineses and their principal Books p. 87 CHAP. VI. Of the Civility and Politeness of the Chineses and of some of their Feasts p. 101 CHAP. VII Of the Publick Works and Buildings of the Chineses and particularly of the Grand Canal p. 113 CHAP. VIII Of the great Industry of this Nation p. 121 CHAP. IX Of the Navigation of the Chineses p. 128 CHAP. X. Of the great Plenty of all things in China p. 133 CHAP. XI Of the Nobility of the Empire p. 145 CHAP. XII Of the wonderful Government of this Empire of the Distinctions between the Mandarins and of the Council of State p. 193 CHAP. XIII Of the eleven Supreme Tribunals or of the six Tribunals of the Mandarins for Letters and the five Tribunals of the Mandarins for Military Affairs p. 200 CHAP. XIV Of several other Tribunals of Pekim p. 218 CHAP. XV. Of several Tribunals and Mandarins of Provinces p. 241 CHAP. XVI Of the Grandeur of the Emperour of China and of his Revenues p. 250 CHAP. XVII A description of the City of Pe kim Of the Walls that inclose the Emperours Palace and the Form of the Principal Houses of China p. 265 CHAP. XVIII Of the twenty Apartments belonging to the Emperours Palace p. 281 CHAP. XIX A Description of twenty particular Palaces contained in the Inner Enclosure of the Emperours Palace p. 303 CHAP. XX. Of several other Palaces and some Temples erected within the same Enclosures p. 314 CHAP. XXI Of the Emperours seven Temples in Pekim and how the King goes abroad upon the performance of Publick Ceremonies p. 319 THE PLANE OF THE CITY OF PEKIM Y E METROPOLIS OF CHINA A Scale of 10 Chinese furlongs w ch amount to 2730 Geometrical Paces one Chinese furlong making 273 Geometrical Paces An EXPLANATION of the Plane of the City of PEKIM A The Walls of the ancient City of Pekim nere 4 leagues in Circuite B The 9 Gates of the same Wall C The Streets of the City D 1 The first Enclosure of the Palace two leagues in Circuite D 2 The second Enclosure D 3 The third Enclosure where the Emperour resides E The south and principal Gate of the City F The first street â—… ch you pass through upon youâ—… entrance into the City G A Palace encempassed with a Marble Baluâ—… trade H The second street â—… â—h two Triumphal Arches I The 〈◊〉 Apertim 1 The street of perpetual repose 2 2 d. 〈◊〉 â—… ch is the first within the outer enclosure of the Pallace 3 3 d. called the Portal of the beginning 4 4. is The second Enclosure 5 5 Called the supream Portal 6 6 Called the supream Imperial Hall 7 7 Called the Hall thrice exalted 8 8. 〈◊〉 the Supream Hall in the middle 9 9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of â—…overaigne Concord wher the Emâ—… 〈◊〉 in Councâ—…l â—… â—h his Colaos 10 10 The 〈◊〉 of Heaven 11 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Heaven in â—… â—h and y e two 〈◊〉 the Emperour lodges himself 12 12 The Beautifull House 13 13 The House which receives Heaven 14 14 〈◊〉 and Gardens 15 15 The 〈◊〉 of the Inner Enclosure 16 16 The High â—…aisd Portal on the south side with a place to manage Horses 17 17 The Park and artificial Mountaines 18 18 Consisting of three Houses 19 19 The Portal on the north side 20 20 The Enclosure called y e Portal of repose 123 to 20 Are 20 particular places belonging to the Emperour for several uses K The first Palace betwen the two Enclosures L The second Pallace M 3 Palace upon the Lake N 4 Palace upon a Mountain O 5 Palace nere the Lake P 6 Palace nere the Lake Q 7 Palace R 8 Palace of the Fortress S 1 Temple of the 4 within y e Palace T 2 Temple V 3 Temple X 4 Temple Y 24 Places for the Mandarins Z 5 Temples in y e new City mark 1 2 3 4 5 1 Temple in the Old City 2 Temple in the Old City A A The 6 Tribunals markd 1 2 3 4 5 6 â—… â—h A A B B The 5 Tribunals of y e military Mandarins A New Relation OF CHINA Containing A Description of the most considerable Particulars of that Great Empire CHAP. I. Of the Names which the Chineses and Foreigners give to China and of the Countries of Catai and Mangi IT is a Custom usual in this Empire that when any new Family ascends the Imperial Throne the Sovereign gives a new Name to his Dominions Thus under the Reign of the preceeding Family China was called Taè mim que that is to say a Kingdom of great Brightness But the Tartars who govern it at present have called it Taà cim que or a Kingdom of great Purity and this is the Appellation most common among the Chineses However in regard thâ—… formerly there have been Kingdoms in it highly famâ—…s either for their long Continuance or for the Vertues of their Princes or the number of Learned Men or for some other Advantages they have preserv'd and still make use in their Books of Names which were then in Practice 〈◊〉 as are those of Hia que Xam que Cheu que Hâ—…n que c. Which gives us to understand that although these Names signifie China yet they were rather intended to denote the Reigns of several Royal Families than to signifie the Kingdom it self In their Books and Petitions to the King they generally make use of the Word Xam que that is High and Sovereign Kingdom The Learned Men in their Writings and their Books make choice of the Word Chum que which signifies the flower of the Middle or Center And indeed the most usual and common Name for all China is Chum que or the Kingdom of the Center which name is given to it either because they believe that China lies in the middle of the World or because the first King of China establish'd his Throne in the Province of Honan which was then as it were the Center
a stranger could not understand the force of the Language but hearing the Tartars so often call the Southern Chineses Mangi believ'd it to be the Name of the Kingdom or Nation and not a name of Reproach However that there may be no farther doubt but that the Names of Catai and Mangi are quite different and do not both of them signifie China I shall here translate a piece of the forty fourth Chapter of the second Book of Marcus Paulus by which it will evidently appear that what I affirm is a constant and assured Truth For having spoken in the former Chapter of the great River which by reason of the vastness of its Stream the Chineses call â—… âm eu Kiam or the River Son of the Sea he goes on in this manner Caingui â—…s a small City upon the Banks of this River upon the South-side where they gather ever Year a great quantity of Rice the greatest part of which is carried to Cambalu to supply the Court of the great Cam. These Provisions are transported to Catai by Water over Rivers and Lakes and one large and deep Canal which the great Cam has caus'd to be made for the passage of Vessels from one River to another and to go from the Province of Mangi to Cambalu without going by Sea. This is a work of wonder for its Situation and its Length but more for the benefit which the Cities receive from it The Great Cham also caus'd to be rais'd all along the Banks of the said Rivers and Canal very strong and spacious Damms for Travellers to walk upon These are the words of M. Paulus and we shall speak of this great Work in the seventh Chapter But as for Caingui mention'd by that Author to speak properly it is neither a Town nor a City The Chineses call it Chim Kiam Keu that is the Mouth of the Son of the River in regard that an Arm of the River separates in that place and after it has run through part of the Province of Nan Kim crosses the Country of Che Kiam as far as the Capital City of it call'd Ham Cheu On both the sides of this Mouth there is one of those sort of places which the Chineses call Mâ teû that is a Place frequented for the sake of Trade Because the Barques there meet and come to an Anchor to ride secure in the Night time Now this Place of which Marcus Paulus speaks might well be call'd a Town by reason of the extraordinary number of Vessels that resort thither tho it be neither wall'd nor have buildings enow to form a City Now tho' this be perfectly known by all such as are employ'd as Missionaries into this Kingdom yet I cannot forbear to the end I may make this matter yet more evident to unfold some other passages of the same Author and to begin with the names of so many Cities of which he makes mention in his History In the twenty seventh Chapter of his second Book he speaks of the City of Tainfu which the Chineses call Tai yuen fu and which as we have said is the Capitol of the Province of Xansi In the 28th Chapter he speaks of another City of the same Province call'd by the Chineses Pim yam fu and which is a City of the second Rank as being the most Rich and Potent in the whole Empire except that of Sucheu in the Province of Nankin In the 56th Chapter he speaks of the City of Coiganzù which is called Hoaì gââ—… fû which is a Town of great Trade and very Rich by reason of the great quantity of Salt which is there made as in the Territory round about and which is thence transported into several parts of the Empire as M. Paulus observes in the same Chapter In the 65th Chapter he speaks of the City of Chian gian fu which is call'd Chim Kiam fu In his seventieth Chapter he describes the City of Tâ—…pinxu otherwise Tai 〈◊〉 fu in the Province of Namkim In the 75th he mentions the City of Fogiu otherwise Fo Cheu the Capital of the Province of Fo Kien In the 76th He has the City of Quelinfu which is called Kien nim fu He also reports that about this City there are a great number of Lions and that he repeats several times in other places which gives us to understand that he was mis-inform'd in most things since it is certain that the Chineses never saw a Lyon not so much as in Picture and therefore they paint a Lyon quite another Creature than he is For my part I am perswaded that M. Paulus is mistaken in believing those great and furious Tygres which are so common in that Empire to be Lyons And he confirms me in this Perswasion by saying in the 14th Chapter of his second Book that the Great Han has Lyons train'd up to hunt the other wild Beasts and that they are mark'd with white black and red lists or streaks and are larger then the Lyons of Babylon All which perfectly agrees with the descriptions of the Tygres or Leopards which several of the Princes of Asia make use of in their Châ—…ces but not at all with the descriptions of Lyons The same Author makes mention of several other Cities the names of which are so changed that they are so far from being Chinesie that they have no resemblance to the Language Nevertheless we clearly find that the Provinces and Cities which he places in Catai and Mangi belong all to China because they generally end with the Syllable fu which in the Chinesie Language signifies a City For example the Metropolis of the Province of Canton is Quam cheu fu Quam cheu being the proper name that distinguishes it from the rest and fu signifies a City as Polis among the Greeks and so Constantinopolis signifies the City of Constantine and Adrianopolis the City of Adrian We draw the second Proof of the Description which M. Paulus makes in the sixteenth and seven teenth Chapters of his second Book of the old and new City of Pekim and the King's Palace in regard that all that he speaks of it is conformable to what we see at this day and to what we shall describe in the Progress of this Relation The third is drawn from the Wine which is drank in that Court and the Stone-Coal which they burn there and is call'd Muy This Coal is brought from certain Mountains two Leagues distant from the City and it is a wonderful thing that the Mine has never fail'd notwithstanding that for above these four Thousand Years not only this City so large and Populous but also the greatest part of the Province has consum'd such an incredible quantity there being not any one Family tho' never so poor which has not a Stove heated with this Coal that lasts and preserves a Heat much more Violent then Charcoal These Stoves are made of Brick like a Bed or Couch three or four Hands Breadth high and broader or
Clock in the Morning of a sudden there came a Deluge that overflow'd the new City the Suburbs and the Planes adjoining Presently they shut up the Gates of the old City and stopp'd up all the holes and clefts with Chalk and Bitumen mingled together to prevent the entrance of the Water But the third part of the Houses of the new City were overturn'd and an infinite number of poor Creatures especially Women and Children were either drown'd or buried in the Ruins A great number of Villages and Houses of pleasure were carried away by the Impetuosity of the Inundation and the same thing happen'd to the Neighbouring Cities All the People fled for Refuge to the high Places or clim'd up to the tops of the Trees where several confounded with their Fears or fainting for want of Food dropt down into the Water and miserably perish'd In other Provinces their happen'd Accidents and Calamities yet more strange occasion'd by dreadful Earthquakes So that it seem'd to be the Pleasure of God to punish those Insidels for the Persecution which they had rais'd against the Christian Religion and the Preachers of the Gospel Never was â—…en the like Consternation in that Court where all Men were reduc'd to utmost despair not being able to divine the Cause of so extraordinary a Deluge At last the King having sent out certain People upon Rafts of Timber for they have no Boats at Pekim to examine the Reason they found that the troubled River of which we have already made mention had broken down the Damms and made it self a new Channel cross the Fields and Suburbs of the City which begat such an amazing Fear in the Minds of the People that the King and the Grandees were just upon the point of removing to some other place The same Fury of the Inundation carried away several Rocks which knocking against the Piles of the famous Bridge shook it in such a manner that they broke down two of the Arches The fifth Proof is that M. Paulus in the thirty second Chapter of the same Book speaks of that great River which the Tartars call Caramoran and the Chineses Hoâm Hô or the yellow River in regard that the slimy Mud which it carries with it makes the Waters to look of that Colour In the thirty sixth Chapter he makes mention of another River which he calls in the Chinese Language ô Kiam or the great River and which the Chineses as we have said already call Yam cu Kiam or the River Son of the Sea. In the thirty sixth Chapter describing the City which he calls Kimsai and which erroneously he will have to signifie the City of Heaven tho' the word as we shall shew hereafter signifies a Court he reports several Particulars concerning it for example that the City is seated between a Great Lake and a great River and that round about the Lake are to be seen several Palaces of the Grandees and divers Temples of the Bonzes and many other things which are very true only that he stretches too far where he says that the City is an hundred Miles in Circuit wherein he shews himself rather a Poet then an Historian However it be the Description which he makes of the City and Palace of Cambalu sufficiently demonstrate that Catai is a part of China and that what he says of the City of Kimsai is enough to prove that Mangi is another part of the same Empire for that the greatest part of his Relation is entirely conformable to what we our selves have seen Yet if M. Paulus had understood the Chinese Language as he says he understood that of the Tartars he had with more Exactness set down the Names of the Cities and Provinces and other particulars which he reports concerning that Empire But it is no wonder he should so often corrupt the Names since we our selves who upon our first arrival appli'd our selves with all the industry imaginable to understand the Chinese Letters and Language after the Study of several Years were frequently deceiv'd and quite mistook some part of the words So that we must not be surpriz'd if a Knight who only minded his Military Designs and to court the Favour of the great Han and only convers'd with the Tartars who for want of Politeness are the greatest Corrupters of Words above other Nations should fall into the same Inconvènience For he has corrupted Names in such a manner that they among us who have the greatest Knowledge of the Language and the Empire have much ado to pick out the meaning of many of his Mistakes Nevertheless by a strict Examination of the Situation of the Places and other Circumstances of his Relations we at length find out what he intends Father Martin Martini so famous for his Atlas of China as witty and ingenious as he was could not exempt himself from committing the like Errors Insomuch that we who have resided in this Empire for so many years have found it very difficult to understand the Persons and the Places of which he speaks especially in the Names that ought to terminate in M and which he always ends in Ng. For example instead of saying Pekim Nankim Chekîam Yûmlie Cûmchîm he always writes Peking Nanking Chekiang Yeunglie Cungching Wherein he must of necessity be deceived because that manner of writing does no ways correspond with the Chinese Pronunciation which answers to that of our M. and not of Ng Nor will it avail to say that the Germans pronounce I'm open with a soft production of the sound almost like Ng because they express it somewhat through the Nose for that the letter M whether pronunced open or close has always a much greater correspondence with the Chinese and Latin Pronunciation then the letters Ng. So much the more because the Germans pronounce I 'm final open rather like In or En then Im or Em. So that indeed this Reason might have been in some measure pardonable had the Father written in High-Dutch or only to the Germans But having writ in Latin and for the benefit of all Europe he ought to have conformed to the most exact and common Pronunciation Philip Cluverius in his sixth Chapter of his sixth Book makes a doubt whether the City of Kimsai of which M. Polo makes mention in his sixty eighth Chapter of his second Book wâ—…re the Court of the King of Tartary or the King of China He also with good reason takes notice of the Hyperboles which M. Polo makes us in describing the said City of Kimsai For the resolving of which Difficulties it will be necessary to observe that instead of Kimsai he ought to have written Kimsu the Master Court. For that Kim signifies a Court and Su a Master The Court being as it were the Model of the Rest of the Kingdom Kimsai then or Kimsu was the Court of the Princes of the Family of Sum whom the Western Tartars despoil'd of the Kingdom in the time of M. Polo A hundred years after that Nankim and
is dispatch'd away before with a little kind of a Trencher which the Chineses call Pai upon which is written the Name and Employment of the Officer with his Name and Seal at the bottom So soon as that is seen they cleanse and make ready the Palace where he is to Lodge Which preparations are more or less sumptuous according to the dignity of the Mandarin of Dyet Porters Horses Chairs Litters or Barges if he be to go by Water and in a word of whatever it be that is needfull In these Hosteries likewise are entertain'd proportionably all sorts of other Persons whether Chineses or Foreigners to whom the King is pleased to grant that favour the convenience of which I found my self when I was sent some years ago to Macao In these places the King's Couriers take what they have occasion for either for speedy hast or refreshment There they find Horses ready saddled but for fear they should not be always ready a furlong or two before the Courier arrives at the Hostery or Inn the Courier gives several loud Bangs upon a Basin call'd Lô which he carries behind his back and then they saddle a Horse for him with all the speed imaginable So that he presently Mounts and leaves his other Horse behind him without any farther trouble The Kingdom of China contains Eleven Millions Five Hundred and Two Thousand Eight Hundred Seventy Two Families not including the Women Children Poor People Mandarins employ'd Souldiers Batchelers of Art Licentiates Doctors Mandarins dispenc'd with from Service such as live upon the Rivers the Bonzes Funuchs nor any that are of the Royal Blood for they only reckon those that cultivate the Land and pay the King's Rents and Tributes So that there is in the whole Empire of China Fifty Nine Millions Seven Hundred Fourscore and Eight Thousand Three Hundred Sixty Four Males Thus much for the Civil Order of China The Military Order contains Six Hundred Twenty Nine large Fortresses of the first degree and of great Importance either upon the Frontiers as the Keys of the Empire to keep out the Tartars or upon the Consines of the Provinces against Rebels and Robbers The Chineses call them Quan and that of Xam hái of which we have spoken already is one of the Number There are Five Hundred Sixty Seven Fortresses of the Second Rank which are call'd Guéi in the Chinese Language And that same place call'd Tien â—…ìm gâ—…êi or Fortress of the Well of Heaven of which Father Martini speaks in his Atlas p. 36. is of the same number By which you may guess at the rest of the Fortresses of the second Rank They reckon Three Hundred and Eleven Fortresses of the Third Rank call'd Sò Three Hundred of the Fourth Rank call'd Chin which retain the same Name and the same signification with those of the fifth Civil Order and a Hundred and Fifty of the Fifth Rank call'd Paò. There are a Hundred Fortresses of the Sixth Rank call'd Pù and lastly Three Hundred of the Seventh Order call'd Chái These latter are of several sorts for some of them stand in the fields and serve for places of Refuge for the Country-men who retire thither with their Cattel and Goods when any Tartars Robbers or Rebels harrass the Country as also when the Emperour's Armies are upon their March. Others are seated upon the Precipices of steep Mountains to which there is no other ascent but by steps cut out of the Rock or by the help of Laâ—…ders made of Ropes or Wood which they remove as they please themselves And these Fortresses generally have no Walls because they need none Others are seated upon Mountains which are nevertheless approachable and therefore on that side where they lie open they are guarded with a double or treble Wall And both of these and of the other before recited I have seen several in the Provinces of Su-chuen and Xensi By this account it appears that the fortifi'd Places amount to the number of Two Thousand Three Hundred Fifty Seven which being added to those of the Civil Order make up Four Thousand Four Hundred and Two. Besides which there are within and without the great Walls that environ China above Three Thousand Towers or Castles call'd Tai of which every one has its proper Name In those Towers are kept Guards and Watches all the Year long which give the Alarm so soon as the Enemy appears in the Day time by Erecting a Banner upon one of the highest Towers and in the Night by setting up a Lighted Flambeau Should we reckon these Towers or Castles among the Fortifi'd Places of which these latter would make an Eighth Order there would be then in all Five Thousand Three Hundred Fifty Seven About a hundred and Fifty Years ago a certain Mandarin of the Superior Tribunal of Arms compil'd two Volumes which he Dedicated to the Emperor and which he Entitul'd Kiu pien tu uxe the Practice of the Mapps of the Nine Frontiers He meant by that the Nine Quarters into which he had divided the Great Walls that Environ a part of China for four hundred and five Portuguese Leagues together which make 23 Degrees and ten Minutes from East to West from the City of CaiÌ„ yêun seated at the Extremity of the Country call'd Leâo tuÌ„m to that of Cân so or CaÌ„n cheu seated upon the Borders of the Province of Xensi And this too must be understood of the Fortification running in a streight Line for should we take in all the Turnings and Windings of the Mountains and Walls the whole without question would amount to above five hundred Portugal Leagues In those Books he represents in three Maps all the Passages of the Mountains that are accessible and in a hundred and twenty Nine other great Maps Thirteen Hundred twenty seven Fortresses great and small which he says are all necessary to prevent the inroads of Tartars So that if the Chineses were not so Negligent so Cowardly so Covetous and persidious to their Prince as they are the Tartars could never have surmounted those Walls nor got footing within those Castles so well dispos'd in all Places requisite and so strongly Fortify'd as well by Nature as by Art. And indeed it is apparent as well by their own Histories as by what we have seen in our time that the Tartars could never enter into China but when either the Cowardice or the Treacherous Avarice of the Commanders open'd them a Passage This the Tartars knew and therefore offer'd them a Moiety of their Plunder and Booty and were no less punctual in their performances then they had been liberal in their promises upon their Return into Tartary For the continuance of which Trade they always left a Passage open for these Inroads which the Tartars fail'd not to make twice a Year nor could all the Rigorous punishments which the King inflicted upon several of those Traitors deterr the rest from their disloyal Traffick with his Enemies Or if he at any time did
Lord and Master The Friends and Favourites of Sun co vanâ—… advis'd him to put the Fugitive Emperor to Death and to maintain himself in the Sovereign Power that had been conferr'd upon him But he absolutely resus'd so unworthy an Action and more then that declar'd that he was resolv'd to acknowledge Yum Liè whose Birth had given him an undoubted Right to the Crown In short he acknowledg'd the Fugitive Emperor and all his Officers and Soldiers follow'd his Example His Forces were very numerous and well disciplin'd and there was great hopes that so brave a Captain would have resettl'd the Affairs of China and driven out the Tartars But the Vices of the Emperor who took no care of his own Affairs as being wholly addicted to Wine and Women prevented the Success For this bad Management of himself brought Yum Liè inâ—…o Contempt among his Subjects and Sun co vam repenting perhaps that he had resign'd the Empire to him left him only the Name of Emperor with whaâ—… was requisite for his own and the subsistance of his Family However this harsh Usage of the Emperor displeas'd several of the Commanders of the Army and among the rest one of the chiefest among them call'd Lì â—…im Qué before the best Friend that Sun co vam had and his Brother by Adoption as being both Adopted by the Tirant Cham hien chum Thereupon the Quarrel between these Two Great Persons grew to that height that they broke Friendship parted their Forces and fought one against the other till at last in the heat of the Combat Sun co vam's Soldiers deserted him and went over to the Enemy so that he had much ado to escape by flight with only Three Hundred Men that continu'd faithful to him Upon which despairing ever to resettle the Affairs of China he surrender'd himself to the Tartars who having his Vertues in high Esteem and Veneration advanc'd him Laden with Honors to the Dignity of a Petty King. Some time after Yum Liè bereft of the Assistance of so great a Captain was in a short time by the Tartars depriv'd both of his Empire and his Life the Prowess of Li tim not being sufficient to withstand their Power Nevertheless that the Eldest Son the Wife and Mother of the same Emperor had been Baptiz'd in the Year 1648. by Father Andrew Kassler a Iesuit the Son being nam'd Constantine Thus much I took out of the History of Father Rougemont C. P. 43. In the same Book you may see the number of Soldiers that keep Guard upon the Frontiers c. There is some difference among Authors concerning the number of Soldiers in China which nevertheless is very extraordinary Father Trigaut asserts that there are above a Million Father Martini near a Million and by the report of Father Semedo Father John Rodriquez who was a person very Curious and one that had Travel'd much in China assur'd him that by what he had met with in the Chinese Books that the number of Soldiers in the several Provinces of the Kingdom amounted to Five Hundred Fourscore and Fourteen and Six Hundred Fourscore and Two Thousand Eight Hundred Fourscore and Eight to Guard the great Wall against the Tartars not including the Soldiers which belong to their Fleets But we ought rather to give Credit to ihe Relation of Father Magaillans a more Modern Writer and who took what he asserts out of a Book presented to the Emperor himself However we are to consider that these Soldiers are not like to ours in Europe neither for Courage nor Discipline as being no other for the most part then the Country Militia For Father Semedo speaking of the Soldiers of the Provinces says they are of â—…ittle worth and that we are not to think they follow no other Employment then that of being Soldiers â—…or that they are generally Inhabitants in the places where they are Enroll'd and follow their Trades some Shooe-makers others Taylors c. And Father Trigaut in his Second Chapter tells us that to the end we may knâ—…w the number of the Soldiers to be incredible we ought to observe that almost half the People of the Three Northern Provinces are â—…oll'd iâ—…â—…he Service of the Emperor 〈◊〉 Magaillans 〈◊〉 firmâ—… the same thing wherâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…ays that the Exâ—…e of the Emperor eveâ—…y Year for Nine Hundred aâ—… Two Thousand and Fifty Four Soldiers that Guard thâ—… Wâ—… including Officers and all amounts but to 〈◊〉 Millions Thirty Four Thousand Seven Hundred and Fourteen Livres which is not above half a Pistol a Year for every Man which could never maintain them did they not follow their Trades to support themselves and their Families And for that very reason we are not to think such a number of Soldiers incredible which the Chinese Historian Cited by Father Magaillans allows as well for the defence of the Frontiers as the inner parts of the Provinces which amounts to Sixteen Hundred Seventy Thousand and Twenty Four More especially considering the vastness of the Empire numerously Peopled and that the Soldiers have neither Courage nor Discipline And therefore Father Martini tells us that the Tartars are better Soldiers then the Chineses but neither of them comparable to the Soldiers in Europe CHAP. III. Of the Antiquity of the Kingdom of China and what a high Opinion the Chineses have of it THis Kingdom is so Ancient that it has preserv'd its form of Government and has continu'd during the Reign of Twenty Two Families from whence have descended Two Hundred Thirty Six Kings for the space of Four Thousand and Twenty Five Years For it is so many Years since it began according to the Opinion which the Chineses hold for certain and unquestionable For should we rest satisfi'd with what they look upon to be very probable it would be Four Thousand Six Hundred and Twenty to this present Year 1668 since this Kingdom began The Chineses however have Three Opinions concerning this matter Some of their Books six the Original of their Kingdom some Hundreds of Thousands of Years before the Creation But tho' the Vulgar sort believe this to be true yet the Wiser and more Learned sort hold those Books for merely Fabulous and Apocryphal more especially since Consucius has condemn'd that Error The Second Opinion makes King Fohi to be the Founder of this Kingdom who was the first that Reign'd towards the Consines of the Province of Xénsi the most Western part of China and afterwards in the Province of Honan seated almost in the middle of the Empire So that according to their Books it was Two Thousand Nine Hundred Fifty Two Years before the Birth of Christ that this Prince began to Reign about Two Hundred Years after the Universal Deluge according to the Version of the Seventy Interpreters All the Learned Men hold this Opinion to be probable and many among them take it to be unquestionable The Third Opinion is that the Foundations of this Kingdom were laid about Four Thousand and Twenty
Five Years ago by a certain Prince whose Name was Yao Which last Opinion being held among them as an Article of Faith should any Chinese refuse to believe he would be lookt upon as a Heretick and as such a one be severely punish'd So that should the Preachers of the Gospel but once testifie either by Writing or by Word of Mouth that they make a doubt of it that alone would be sufficient to shut the Door upon our Sacred Religion and cause us all to be sentenc'd to Death The very bare suspicion without any Foundation of a Man's Incredulity in that point being a sufficient ground for Banishment For this reason it is that the Fathers of the Mission have obtain'd leave from the Holy See to stick to the Version of the Seventy approv'd by the Church in the Fifth General Council as well for that the Two latter Opinions are very probable as to avoid the foremention'd Inconveniences and many others which may be easily imagin'd And indeed it must be acknowledg'd that there is not any Kingdom in the World that can boast a Train of Kings so Ancient and so well continu'd Those of the Assyrians the Persians the Greeks and Romans have had their Periods whereas that of China continues still like a great River that never ceases rolling along the streams that fall from its first Fountain This long continuance and other Excellencies of China of which we have already spoken and of which we are to speak in the Progress of this Relation infuse into the Chineses a Pride most Insupportable They put the highest value imaginable upon their Empire and all that belongs to them but as for strangers they Scorn 'em to the lowest pitch of Contempt and all the advantages of their Wit and Learning tho' they themselves have little or no Knowledg Which is not so much to be wonder'd at since Pride proceeds from Blindness and Ignorance In their Maps they allow a vast Extent to China but represent all other Kingdoms round about it without any Order Position or any other Mark of good Geography small contracted and with Titles Ridiculous and Contemptible As for Example Siaò gîn que or the Kingdom the Inhabitants of which are all Dwarfs and so little that they are constrain'd to tie themselves several in a Bunch together for fear of being carry'd away by the Eâ—…gles and Kites Niù gîn que or the Kingdom where all the Inhabitants are Women who Conceive by looking upon their Shadow in a Well or in a River and bring forth none but Girls Chuen sin que or a Kingdom where the Inhabitants have all a Hole in their Breasts into which they stick a piece of Wood and so carry one another from place to place A Kingdom where the Inhabitants have Bodies like Men and Faces like Dogs A Kingdom where he Inhabitants have such long Arms that they reach down to the ground with many other such Descriptions of the same Nature In short they represent the Neighbouring Kingdoms such as are those of the Tartars the Iapanners of the Peninsula of Corea and those other that border round about upon China under the Title of the Four Barbarous Nations They say that besides China there are Seventy Two Kingdoms which they paint all very Diminutive in the middle of the Sea like so many Nutshells and their Inhabitants all Deformed and Monstrous with Gestures so ridiculous or terrible that they resemble rather Apes and Wild Beasts then Men. Of latter times having understood something of Europe they have added it to their Maps as if it were the Island of Tenariff or some Desert Island And therefore it was that the Vice-Roy of Quam tum in the Year 1668 after he had spoken of the Embassie of the Portugueses in a Memorial which he sent to the Emperor added these words We find very plainly that Europe is no more then only Two little Islands in the middle of the Sea. They divide the Heaven into Eight and Twenty Constellations and China into so many Quarters to every one of which they allow one of these Constellations and call them by their Names not leaving so much as one for the rest of the Kingdoms They give to their own most Loâ—…ty and Magnificent Titles but to Foreign Countrys most Barbarous Disagreeable and Scornful Names on purpose to Exalt their own Empire by Disgracing all other Kingdoms At what time I resided with Father Lewis Buglio in the Capital City of the Province of Su chuen there was a Persecution begun against the Christian Religion at the Instigation of several Thousands of Bonzes who assembled together from all parts of the Province and the same time accus'd us in all the Tribunals of the Province more especially before the Tribunal of Crimes which is call'd Gán chan su the President of which made answer to the Petition of the Bonzes in this manner If these Strangers remain in their Habitations without stirring forth or teaching new Inventions Chum que chi tá vû sò pù yûm that is to say This Kingdom is so vast that it is able to contain both the Natives and the Foreigners there being room enough for as many more but if they Teach any new Doctrine different from the Sacred and True Doctrines which we profess in this Great Empire or if they go about to surprize and delude the People let them be Punish'd with every one Forty Lashes and Expell'd the Province Father Nicholas Longobardo having discours'd for some time concerning the Law of God to some of the Eunuchs and with those solid Reasons and Arguments that it was apparent enough that they were inwardly convinc'd They gave no more then the following Reply Chum que chi vâi hûan yeù tao that is to say What is this that we see what is this this that we hear Is it possible that without the Limits of this Empire there should be any Rule or any Path whereby to arrive at true Vertue Is there any other Belief or any other Law And I have many times observ'd that when I have been discoursing with the Learned concerning the Christian Religion and the Sciences of Europe they ask'd me whether we had their Books To which when I answer'd No they reply'd altogether surpris'd wavering and scandaliz'd If in Europe you have not our Books and our Writings what Learning or what Sciences can you have However these Insidels deserve both to be pity'd and excus'd since it is impossible to imagine the high Idea which not only the great Lords and Learned Men but also the Vulgar People have conceiv'd of this Empire And certainly besides that our Nature enclines us always to put a Value upon our selves and all that belongs to us the extraordinary Grandeur and Advantages of this Kingdom contribute very much to puff up the Minds of the Chineses with foolish Imaginations and unparallel'd Pride Notes upon the Third Chapter A. P. 59. THE Chronology of China is of extraordinary Importance
Significancy that in some measure they equal the Greeks and Latins At the end of the Treatise of the Chinese Letters and Language which I have already mention'd I have Collected Alphabetically all the Theological and Philosophical terms which our Fathers made use of in the Books which they compos'd for the Chineses And I have observ'd that there are a great number of words that express their Signification much more happily and easily then ours so curious and eloquent is that Language It may be demanded of me perhaps how it can be that one and the same Word should have so many significations and how they who understand them can distinguish them To which I answer that the variety of Signification arises from the various couching of the Monosyllables together as we have shew'd in the Syllable Mō and the difference of the Accents and Tones as we have demonstrated in the Syllable Po. This distinction is so natural to the Chineses that without making the least reflection upon the tones or accents they readily understand all the different significations of the same Monosyllable I say without the least hesitation or reflection For that indeed the People know not what either tones or accents mean which are only understood by the Poets and our Fathers that travel into China who having acquir'd that Knowledge come to understand the Language with Ease which else they could never do without an extraordinary deal of Trouble We are beholding for this curious and profitable observation of the tones to F. Lazaro Catanco And I have endeavour'd to explain it by the Comparison of a Musician who by labour and skill has acquir'd a readiness to know and express the six tones ut re mi fa sol la which another Man born with necessary abilities naturally expresses and distingnishes without the help of Rules or Art. It does not follow nevertheless that the Chineses sing out their words when they speak as one of our Fathers of Macao imagin'd or that they carry a tablet about their Necks upon which they write down what they would say when we do not understand them as I was made believe when I first travell'd into the Empire Or that the Chineses cannot whisper a Man in the Ear as once I thought imagining it was necessary for them to exalt their Voices to express their tones and accents The contrary to which may be easily evinc'd by this Example Should I say in Europe that there was a difference of tone in the Syllable to of the Latin words totus and totaliter perhaps I should hardly be believ'd and yet there is nothing more certain For in totus to is pronounc'd with a clear and strong Voice by opening the Lips but in totaliter the same Syllable is pronounc'd with a weaker sound and with the Lips more close So likewise in the Chinese Language the Syllable to pronounc'd with an acute and elevated Accent has the same sound that to in totus and signifies slothful or to fall in regard a slothful Man seems as if he were tumbling every step he takes but to in the Chinese Language pronounc'd with a Circumflex mark'd with a Point has the same Sound with to in totaliter and signifies to study or a solitary Person because that a Man must be retired that will read or study to advantage The Chinese Language has many other Qualities and Advantages that shew the Wit and Industry of those that invented it But I pass them over in silence for brevities sake However I cannot forbear to assert that the Chinese Language is more easie then the Greek the Latin or any of the other Languages of Europe At least it cannot be deny'd me but that it is much more easie then the Languages of those other Countries where our Society is employ'd in Missions which is an Advantage not a little considerable Nor is this a thing to be question'd in regard my Sentiments are conformable both to reason and Experience for in the first place it is most certain that there is nothing which more condnces to the acquiring of a Language then the Memory and by consequence that Language must be the most easie which has fewest words in regard a small number of words is more easily retain'd then a more Copious quantity Now the Chinese Language is the most concise of all others as not being compos'd of above a hundred and twenty Monosyllables whereas the Greek and Latin contain an infinite number of words of Tenses Moods Numbers Persons c. But the Chinese Language requires only a Memory to retain the Accents which are as it were the form that distinguishes the signification of Words and to learn how to pronounce the three Hundred Monosyllables In the Second place it is most certain that he who will Industriously and under a good method apply himself to study the Chinese Language may be able in a Years time to understand and speak it very well And we find by experience that our Fathers that are at present employ'd in the Mission at the end of two Years became so perfect in the Language that they were able to Confess Catechize Preach and Compose with as much ease as in their own Native Tongue tho' there is not the least resemblance between their Language and ours and that the Fathers are generally persons far advanc'd in Years Which they could never attain to in Europe where the Languages generally have a dependance one upon another That there is no question to be made of this apparent truth when we consider the great number of Books which the Fathers have made and translated and daily make and translate into the Chinese Language which are esteem'd and admir'd by the Chineses themselves Such as are those Books which Father Matthew Riccio compos'd upon our Sacred Law and upon several other Subjects Of whom the Chineses speak to this Day as of a Prodigy of Knowledg and all sorts of Knowledg So that there is not any Person of Quality in the Empire that does not know and speak of him with Applause The Learned quote him in their Writings as one of their most famous Doctors and the Handicraft-Workmen to put off their Wares and sell them at a higher Rate assure the Buyers that they were the Inventions of that Illustrious Person Father Matthew Riccio In short they esteem'd and honour'd him to that degree that several believe that as Cum fu ci us was the Prince the Saint the Master and Doctor of the Chineses so Father Matthew Riccio was the same among the Europeans Which was the highest Praise those Idolizers of Cum fu ci us could give him Father Diego Pantoja has also compos'd several Learned Treatises of the Seven Deadly Sins of the Seven Vertues which are their Contraries upon the Pater Noster upon the Ave-Marie and the Credo The Fathers Alfonso Vanhone and Iulio Aleni wrote several Tomes upon the Christian Religion upon the Life of Christ of the Holy Virgin and the Saints
and upon several other subjects Father Manuel Dias the younger translated all the Gospels with the Commentaries and Explanations of the Fathers which makes a Work no less Large then Pious and Learned Father Francis Furtado publish'd a Treatise of Rhetorick and Logick with certain other Books de Coelo and de Mundo as also of the Soul of Man. The Fathers Iohn Terencio Iohn Roo and Iohn Adam have written a great number of other Books upon our Holy Law and upon all the parts of the Mathematicks Father Lewis Buglio who was always my chiefest Consolation and inseparable Companion in all my Travels Afflictions and Imprisonments for Thirty Years together translated the first part of St. Thomas which the more Learned Chineses esteem and admire to that degree that I heard one of them who had read the Treatise of God declare his thoughts in these words Certainly this Book is a Mirror wherein to let us see our own Ignorance The same Father Buglio wrote several other Pieces upon several other subjects among the rest that Eloquent and Learned Apology in answer to a Book which Yam quam siem that wicked Infidel publish'd both in this Court and over the whole Empire against the Christian Religion and the Preachers of it and which he Entitl'd Pu te y Because I could no longer Whereupon the Father that he might conform himself to the Stile and Language of the Country Entitl'd his Answer I have Answer'd because I could no longer forbear Both Titles are very significant in the Chinese Language But the Fathers was more highly esteem'd because it carries two significations The First I refute because I could no longer forbear the Second I have refuted a Book Entitl'd Because I could no longer forbear And which was more to be wonder'd at the Father compos'd the greatest part of these Books in the Boats upon the Roads and in the Inns under the Power of Rebels and Barbarians in Prison with Three Chains upon his Legs Three about his Neck and Six upon his Hands and in a word in the midst of continual Persecutions I could say much more in praise of that person truly Pious and oâ—… great Reputation did I not fear that the shâ—…e which I had in his Sufferings and the strict Friendship that was between Us would render me suspected of too much partiality Father Ferdinand Verâ—…st â—…t the same time wrote a Learned Answer to 〈◊〉 or rather a Satyr full of Mistakes aâ—…d Dolâ—…â—…norance which the same Yam quam siem wrote against the European Mathematicks Father Anthony Gouvea compos'd a Catechism Father Iohn Monteiro wrote two Books the one of the Law of God and the other of True Adoration Father Francis Sambiesi wrote Four Treatises Of the Immortality of the Soul Of Morals Of Painting and Sounds all very short and highly esteem'd I my self wrote a Treatise of the Resurrection of Christ and another of the Universal Resurrection Nicholas Trigaut Lazaro Cataneo Gaspar Ferreira and Alvaro Semedo all Fathers of the Society have compos'd Dictionaries very large and very exact and Gaspar Ferreira has written above Twenty Treatises upon several Subjects Father Soeiro made an Abridgment of the Christian Law and Father Nicholas Longobardo who Dy'd but a few Years ago in this Court Fourscore and Sixteen Years old has written several Godly Treatises besides a Treatise of Earth-Quakes highly esteem'd by the Learned of this Empire In short there have been a great number of other Books written concerning the Christian Religion and of all Sciences and Subjects which amount in all to above Five Hundred Tomes Printed besides Manuscripts There is Printed in China a Catalogue of all the Fathers that ever Travell'd into the Country to Preach the Gospel wherein are also the Names set of all the Books which they have written From whence I conclude that so many Books could never have been translated and written in a Foreign Language and in so short a time had not the Language been very easie So that it follows that the Chinese Language is more easie to learn then any other and that it is withal very Elegant very Copious and very Expressive since it wants for no terms to explain and unfold the Subtilties and Mysteries of Theology Philosophy and the rest of the Sciences I will conclude this Chapter with the first Paragraph of the first Article of the Commentary which I made upon the Works of Cum fu cius with which our Fathers always begin when they first set themselves to study the Chinese Letters and Language to the end that by this short Sample the Beauty of the Language and the Wit of the People may be the better display'd They read the Letters beginning from the top down to the bottom and from the right to the left but that I might the better conform to the Customs of Europe I have plac'd the first Column upon the left-hand To explain them you must put them together according to the Order of the Cyphers The Marks or Zero which are to be seen at the bottom of some Letters are the Points and Accents of the Chineses The Order of the Letters and the Explanation of the Text are taken from two Chinese Commentators of which the one who liv'd about Three Hundred Years ago was call'd ChuÌ„ hi and the other who was a Colao was nam'd ChaÌ„m Kiù Chim who Dy'd in the Year 1610 at what time Matthew Riccio arriv'd at this Court of whom I have already spoken in this Chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4 Great men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 consists in the second place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 teach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 to renew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 the People 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 the Rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4 consists in the 3d place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5 consists in the first place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5 to stop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6 to enlighten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6 at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7 reasonable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7 the Soveraign 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 8 Good The Commentary and Explanation of the Text. THE Method for Great Men to Learn consistâ—… in three things The first is to unfold the Rational Nature The Second is to reform Mankind And the Third to stop at the Soveraign Good. As to the First the Rational Nature is the Heart of Man for the Chineses make no distinct on between the Understanding and the Will but attribute to the Heart what ever we attribute to those Faculties The Heart is a substance pure and intelligent without any Darkness or Obscurity and where Man has always ready all requisite Reasonings to answer to all difficulties that present themselves But because that at the very moment of our Birth this Intelligent and Rational Nature is cag'd up and enclos'd within the Prison of the Body and for that our inordinate
Passions keep it bound and chain'd it comes to be obscur'd and troubled For this reason it is necessary that Men should apply themselves to Learning and Information by putting of Questions to the end the Rational Heart may be delivered from it's Bondage and Slavery that so it may be able to break the Chains and Fetters of the Passions and return to it's primitive Beauty light and understanding in the same manner as a Tarnish'd Mirrour being polish'd recovers it's former Luster The Second consists in Reforming the People For example I who am a King a Magistrate a Father of a Family c. If I have already purify'd my Rational Nature it is my duty to extend it to that degree that she may be able to communicate her self to other Men by causing them to abandon the Corruptions and defilements of Vice and evil Customs and I ought to deal so by my People as I do with Garments when they are spotted or besmear'd For if they are well wash'd and scour'd they become clean and handsome as they were before The third consists in attaining and stopping at the Soveraign Good. This Soveraign Good is the Soveraign Accord of things and of Reason When Great Men enlighten their Intelligent Nature and renew the Vertue of the People they do it not by hap-hazard or without design but all their end is to bring their Vertue to perfection to the end there might not be one single person among the People whose Vertue was not renewed or who was not renewed by Vertue When they are arriv'd at a degree so sublime and to such an extraordinary Excellency they may be assur'd they have attained the Soveraign Good like those who after a long and tiresom journey at length coming to their own homes may say they have attain'd the final end of their travelling These are the three most necessary and principal things in that Book and as it were the Mantle or outward Garment that Covers the Cloths or as the string that holds a row of Beads together These are the expressions of the Chinese Commentator Here by the way we may observe that possibly there can be nothing more proper then these words of Cum fu cius to explain the functions of a Minister of the Gospel who is oblig'd in the first place to perfect himself and next his Neighbour to the end we may arrive at the Soveraign Good which is God the Supream and utmost end of all things Nevertheless the Chineses being Pagans and carnally minded People have accommodated these three points to the Government of the Kingdom wherein like Politicians they place all their happiness and Ultimate End. In the second place we are to observe that the Ancient Chineses did understand there was a God. And therefore when I oppose their Learned Men in dispute I frequently make use of this Dilemma Either Cum fu cius did understand what he desin'd or he did not If he did understand what he defin'd he knew there was a God who is no Other than that Soveraign Good of which he speaks and which you also ought to know and adore as well as he If he did not understand that what he defin'd was God himself he was very Ignorant since as you your selves confess the Syllables Chi and Xen signifie that Soveraign Good which contains and comprehends all others which is an Attribute that cannot be given to any Creature what Advantages soever he may have but only to God alone Some there are who being touch'd with Heavenly Grace submit to the truth Others not knowing what to answer and unwilling to acknowledge that Cum fu cius was ignorant rather choose to abide in their Error and to follow their Pride and Passions and cry They 'll come again another time Notes upon the Fourth Chapter I shall add nothing farther to what our Author has said concerning the Chinese Language the Nature and Genius of which he has sufficiently set forth And as for those who desire to see more they may consult the sixth Chapter of the Relation of F. Semedo who fully confirms what here F. Magaillans avouches I must only observe this by the way that he gives us in this place an Idea of the Chinese Language far different from what he gave us formerly CHAP. V. Of the Wit of the Chineses and their Principal Books ONE of the Ancients has told us that Aâ—…ia was very fertile in great Wiâ—…s But he would have been more strongly confirmed in his Opinion had he had any knowledge of China For if they who best invent most suddenly and easily may be said to have more subtil and better Wits then others the Chineses ought to be preferr'd before other Nations since they were the first that invented Letters Paper Printing Ponder fine Porcelaine aâ—…d their own Characters Tho' they are ignorant of many Sciences for want of Communication with other People nevertheless they are accomplished in Moral Philosophy to which they solely bend their Studies for the most part Their Wits are so quick and apprehensive that they understand with ease when they read the Books which the Fathers of our Society have written the most subtil and difficult Questions as well in Mathematicks and Philosophy as in Theology Perhaps there may be some who will not so readily believe what I assert but I can assure them there is nothing more certain in regard that I have known some Learned Christians and Infidels also who understood without any instruction as we could find by their discourses the Questions concerning God and the Trinity which they had read in the first Part of Saint Thomas Translated by Father Buglio What Kingdom is there whatever the number of the Universities be which it contains where there are above ten Thousand Licentiates as in China of which Six or Seven Thousand meet every three Years at Pe kim where after several Examinations there are admitted three Hundred sixty five to the Degree of Doctors I do not believe there is any Kingdom where there are so many Scholars as there are Batchellors of Art in China which are said to be above Fourscore and ten Thousand nor that there is any other Country where the knowledge of Letters is so universal and so common In regard that in all the Provinces more especially the Southern there is not any Man Poor or Rich Citizen or Husbandman that cannot both Write and Read. And in short I do not beleive there is any Region unless it be 〈◊〉 that has publish'd so many Books as the Chineses have done The Chronicles of the Chineses are almost as Ancient as the Deluge as beginning not above two Hundred Years after it and being continu'd to this present time by several Authors by which a Man may guess at the number of Volumes which their History contains They have several Books of Natural Philosophy where they Treat of Nature her Properties and Accidents 'T is true they intermix mistakes and impertinences with truth but t is
for want of Art and Knowledge not for defect of Wit they have also several Books that Treat of the Mathematicks and Military Discipline and several Excellent Treatises of Physick wherein they shew the smartness of their Wits by making several solid and learned Discourses upon the Pulses or beating of Arteries of which they have a particular knowledge upon the Manner of knowing and distinguishing between Deseases and Deseases they have several Pleasant Romances and Books of Chivalrie like those of Amadis de Gaul Oâ—…lando Furioso D. Quixote c. and Volumes of Histories and Presidents of Obedience of Children toward their Parents of the Loyalty of Subjects towards their Princes of Agriculture Eloquent Discourses Pleasant Poems full of Witty Invention Tragedies and Comedies and lastly a very great Number of Treatises upon an Insinity of other Subjects besides that such is their readiness and quickness of Invention that there are very few Licentiates or Doctors that do not publish at least one or two large Volumes They have five Volumes which they call U Kim or the five Writings which among them are the same as the Holy Scriptures among us The first is call'd Xu Kim that is to say a Chronicle of five Ancient Kings which the Chineses esteem and worship for Saints The three last were the Heads of three different Families that raign'd for almost two Thousand Years that is to say almost as long as the Nineteen Families that succeeded them including also that of the Tartars that Reigns at present The first of these Emperors was call'd Yao who according to the Chinese Chronicles began his Raign four Thousand and Twenty five Years ago counting to this present year 1668. or about Five Hundred Years after the Deluge according to the Calculation of the Seventy Interpreters This Prince the Legislator of the Chineses was eminent for several Vertues more â—…specially for his extraordinary Clemency Justice and Prudence Now in regard he saw that his Son had not those Qualities which are requisite for a Good Governour for by the Report of the Chineses they put a higher value upon Vertue then upon all other Endowments he chose for his Co-partner in the Empire one of his Subjects call'd by the name of Xùn whom he declared Emperor upon his death Bed and gave him his two Daughters for his Wives This President the Chineses make use of to maintain Polygamy but the Fathers of our Society return for answer according to the Sentiments of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church that God at that time permitted plurality of Wives because it was requisite for the Multiplication of Human Kind and for peopling the Earth The Chineses are satisfy'd with this Answer because the first of their sacred Books informs them that at that time China was but very thinly inhabited Moreover they approve the Exposition which Father Iulio Aleni makes upon that passage in the Books call'd Keù to ge chao compos'd by the Learned Christians of the Province of Fo-kien from what they had heard the Learned Father discourse both in publick and private that is to say that tho' the words of the Text of that first Book are Cil Niù those two Monosyllables do not signifie two Daughters but the second Daughter of the Emperor Yao which he Marry'd to his Successor For that the Chineses as it is the Custom at present never gave no other Names for distinction's sake but only that of the Order of their Birth As for example the First the Second the Third Son. So that when they read that Yao gave to Xùn Cil Niù the meaning is that the Emperor gave him his Second Daughter the Letter Cil being no more then the Figure 2 among us That Emperor Xùn is applauded in this Book for many Vertues but more especially for his Obedience to his Father and his Affection to his Brother who both endeavour'd to have kill'd him several times but he suffer'd all their Cruelties with an extraordinary Patience Among other Examples of his Vertue there are two Philosophers who report how that one Day his Father and his Brother who were both as Wicked as he was Vertuous commanded him to go down into a Well to cleanse it Immediately he Obey'd but he was no sooner at the bottom but those Barbarians transported with Fury and Malice drew the Ladder and threw down great Stones peices of Wood and what ever they could find next at hand to destroy him in the Well However he got out through a passage which he discover'd under ground Nevertheless he was so far from seeking to revenge that excess of Fury and Inhumaniâ—…y that he repay'd them with greater Marks then ever of Respect and Love. The Third Emperor was call'd Yù who having serv'd the Emperor Xùn during his Life time with great Loyalty and Advantage the Dying Prince made choice of him for his Successor in regard that his Son besides that he was notoriously Wicked was no way endow'd with parts to Govern the Empire This Emperor Yù during the Reign of his Predecessor took care to drain away the Water of the Deluge which at that time overslow'd a great part of the Plains of China and which the Chineses call by the Name of Hûm Xùi or the Great Deluge of Water This Emperor was desirous as his Successors had done before him to choose for his Successor one of his Subjects call'd Ye who had been assistant to him in the Government of his Kingdom but the People would not permit him declaring that the Emperor's Son was a Person Endu'd with all Vertues necessary to Govern them well and so they put him in possession of the Empire The Princes that succeeded this last Emperor Reign'd by right of Succession and not of Election till the Emperor Kie a Vicious and Cruel Prince who was the last of this same first Family The Fourth Emperor call'd Chim Tam was the Founder of the Second Royal Family His Eminent Vertues had oblig'd the preceding Emperors to make him King of the Kingdom of Po which is at present comprehended within the Province of Hô nan He took up Arms against the Emperor Kie and after he had deliver'd the People from so Cruel a Tyrant made himself Master of the Empire During the Reign of this Emperor there was such a Drought that there was neither Rain nor Snow for Seven Years together as if the Heavens had been made of Brass The Fountains and Rivers were almost all dry'd up the Land became Barren and these Calamities were attended with Famine and Pestilence In the midst of these Fatal Extremities the Emperor forsook his Palace quitted his Royal Habit and covering himself with certain Skins went up to the top of a Hill call'd Sam Lin where as he lay prostrate upon the Earth he made the following Prayer Lord if thy People have offended thee punish them not because they have ignorantly transgress'd against thee Punish me rather who here present my self before Thee as a Victime ready
in pieces Which had been executed if his Chief General who was his adopted Son had not while they were leading to the place of torment by his Arguments and his Intercessions obtain'd their pardon Thereupon the Tyrant sent away with all speed to have them brought back again into his presence where after he had loaded them with ill language and Reproaches he committed them to the custody of certain Souldiers with orders to guard them day and night In which condition they remain'd for a whole month at the end of which he sent for them one morning into his presence They found him then very bloodily employ'd in giving Orders for the putting to death a great number of persons and verily believ'd that their last hour had been at hand But at the same time it was the will of God that the Scouts came in one after another bringing intelligence that some of the avant Couriers of the Tartars Vanguard were at hand But the Tyrant not giving credit to their Intelligence would needs mount without his Arms and attended onely by some of his most faithfull Friends rode forth to make a farther discovery of the Enemy himself at what time being forc'd to a Skirmish he was at the beginning of the Fight shot through the Heart with an Arrow Thus the Fathers finding themselves at liberty by the death of the Tyrant resolv'd to retire to their House But by the way they met a Troop of Tartars that shot several Arrows at them insomuch that F. Magaillans was shot quite through the Arm and F. Buglio into the Thigh where the head of the Arrow stuck very deep in the Flesh so that although F. Magaillans made use of his Teeth to pull it out he could not Till looking about him in that extremity he spy'd at last a pair of Pincers lying in a blind place to which they had retir'd for shelter by the help of which he drew the Arrow out of the wound not without great loss of blood The same Evening they were presented to the Prince who commanded the Army who being inform'd what they were entertain'd them with an extraordinary civility and order'd two Lords to take care to furnish them with all things necessary However The Fathers underwent great hardships for above a year together that they follow'd the Army till they came to Pe Kim more especially for want of Victuals of which there was great scarcity in the Army for some time so that F. Magaillans was constrain'd for three months to live upon a small quantity of Rice onely boil'd in fair water But upon their arrival at Court the Tribunal of Ceremonies which takes care of all Strangers caus'd them to be lodg'd in the Royal Hostery with a large allowance of Provision for their entertainment There they resided two years which being expir'd a Person of Quality was commanded to take care of their Entertainment During all which time they employ'd themselves in preaching the Gospel and baptiz'd several persons They continu'd seven years at Court before they were known to the King. But then the Prince understanding who they were was extreamly joyfull at their preservation and gave them a House a Church Revenues and Money to buy them Vestments Thereupon F. Magaillans in testimony of his Gratitude to the King for so many Favours employ'd himself day and night in making several curious and ingenious pieces of Art to please him yet not so but that he was no less diligent in the Conversion of Souls as well by preaching as by writing He also wrote several Relations and translated the Book of St. Thomas Aquinas concerning the Resurrection of the Body which was receiv'd with great applause After a Reign of eight years the King dy'd and because his Son who is the present Emperour was very young he appointed four Protectors to govern the Empire during the Son's minority Now at the beginning of their Regency some Footmen belonging to a Christian Mandarin to revenge themselves upon their Master against whom they were highly incens'd falsly accus'd F. Magaillans to have given Presents in favour of that Mandarin who was put out of his Employment which is a great Crime in China Thereupon the Father was carry'd before the Criminal Tribunal where he was put to the Rack two times by the squeezing of both his Feet in a Press which though it were a hideous Pain yet the Father endur'd it with a constant Resolution nor would be brought to confess a thing of which he was not guilty Nevertheless the Judges contrary to all Justice condemn'd him to be strangl'd and sent their sentence according to custom to the four Regents But they as well for that he was a stranger as because they were satisfi'd of his Innocency acquitted him and restor'd him to his Liberty Three years after in the Persecution which all the Fathers suffer'd for Religion he was apprehended with others and loaden for four whole months together with nine Chains three about his Neck three about his Arms and three about his Lggs He was also condemn'd to have forty Lashes and to be banish'd out of Tartary as long as he liv'd But a great Earth Quake that happen'd at that time at Pekim deliver'd both him and the rest of his Companions Afterwards for several years together he made it his business as well to perform the actual Functions of the Mission as to pleasure the Reigning Prince who had taken possession of the Government with his ingenious Inventions labouring like an ordinary Mechanick to the end that the favour of the Prince might be a means to maintain and augment the Faith which was the Fathers onely aim Three years before his Death the wounds which he receiv'd in his Feet when he was put upon the Rack broke out again which he endur'd with an extraordinary Patience Two Months before he dy'd these pains were accompany'd with defluxions that stopt his Respiration so that he was constrain'd to sleep sitting up in a Chair for fear of being choak'd which was the reason that many times he never shut his Eyes for several nights together He wanted for nothing during his Sickness but no Remedies could surmount the force of the Distemper which dayly encreas'd so that upon the sixth of May in the year 1677 between six and seven a Clock in the Evening as he sat in his Chair and the Distemper urging still with more violence he sent for the Fathers who gave him the Viaticum and extream Unction after he had some days before made a general Confession And so about eight a Clock he placidly surrender'd his Soul to his Creatour in the presence of all the Fathers the Servants the Neighbours and several Christian Mandarins who could not forbear weeping at his departure The next day F. Verbiest now Vice Provincial of this Mission went betimes in the Morning to give notice to the King of the Death of the Father The Prince bid him return home whither he in a very short time would send