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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	wood_n	write_v	writing_n	21	3	8.5399	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59154	The history of that great and renowned monarchy of China wherein all the particular provinces are accurately described, as also the dispositions, manners, learning, lawes, militia, government, and religion of the people : together with the traffick and commodities of that countrey / lately written in Italian by F. Alvarez Semedo ... ; now put into English by a person of quality, and illustrated with several mapps and figures ... ; to which is added the history of the late invasion and conquest of that flourishing kingdom by the Tartars ; with an exact account of the other affairs of China till these present times.; Relação da propagação da fe no reyno da China e outros adjacentes. English	Semedo, Alvaro, 1585-1658.; Martini, Martino, 1614-1661. De bello Tartarico historia. English.; Person of quality.	1655 (1655)	Wing S2490; ESTC R22006	355,366	359

have recourse to their vocabulary as we do when we meet with a Latin word that we do not understand From hence it is evident that he is most learned amongst them that knoweth most letters as amongst us he is the best Latinist that is most verst in his Calipines-Dixionary To form all these multitude of letters they use only nine strokes or touches of the pen but because these only would not be sufficient for so great a fabrique they do joine figures or perfect and significant letters one into another by which means they make other new and different ones and of a different signification So this line signifieth one crossed with another line ten and having another stroke at the bottome signifying the earth and with another stroke at the top of it it standeth for King adding a stroke on the left side of it between the two first strokes it is taken for a precious stone and by adding certaine other lines it is meant for a pearle And this last figure is every letter to have that must signify a precious stone or any other stone that is of price and esteeme although not counted precious So every letter which signifieth any tree must have joyned with it the letter which signifieth wood and the letter that signifieth mettall must be annexed to the figure which it is put to signify as Iron Copper Steel yet this is no infallible rule They have also in the composition of their Letters had respect to their significations and so that square figure which we spake of before to signifie the Sunne joyned with another very little different standing for the Moone is called Min and signifieth Brightnesse Another which hath the likenesse of a Portall called Muen signifieth a gate there is another which signifieth a heart to which it hath some resemblance Now if this letter be placed between the two perpendicular lines which form the letter that standeth for a Portall it signifieth Sadnesse and Affliction that is a heart streightened and prest in a narrow doore and every word of Sadness must have a heart annexed to it They who write well are held in great esteeme and they make more account of a good writing than of a good picture And for a set of ancient letters well shapen and formed they do not care to spend a good summe of money and letters from being first esteemed have come at length to be reverenced They cannot endure to see a written paper lying on the ground but presently take it up and in the childrens schooles there is a place appoynted for the keeping of them and afterwards they burne them at certaine times not out of religion or superstition as the Turks do but only out of the reverence they beare to Letters Their way of writing is from the top of the paper downwards to the bottome and beginning at the right hand of the paper proceed to the left as the Hebrewes and all Eastern nations do They formerly made use of the inner barkes of some trees in stead of paper as other nations have done For a stile or pen they used certaine Bodkins of Iron with which they dexterously formed their Letters They wrote also many things on Lamins or plates of mettall and also on vessels of molten mettall of which there are yet some remaining which are held in no small esteeme by the owners all that see them But it is now 1800 years since they have had the invention of paper which is there of so many sorts in so great plenty that I am perswaded that in this China exceedeth the whole world is exceeded by none in the goodnes thereof That which aboundeth most is most used for printing is made of a certaine Tree which is called in India Bombù and in China Cio the art in making of it is like ours but the best and whitest is made of Cotton-cloth In stead of pens they use pensills made of the haire of severall creatures the best are of those of a Hare They are more easie and convenient to write with than pens the ordinary ones cost three foure or five farthings the best come to six pence a piece Their standishes are made of stone of severall formes and are commonly handsomely wrought and of a small price yet they have some of thirty crownes a piece In these they dissolve the inke which is made up in little molds and dried The best is made of the smoake of oyle which they gather by art it is sold at a small price commonly the dearest being a crowne or seven and six pence the pound but the best of all from ten to twenty crownes The Artezans which make it are not held for Mechanicks so noble is this art esteemed by them They use sometimes red ink especially in their Annotations upon books and sometimes but very seldome write with it It is their greatest care and ambition to have all their instruments of writing to be of rich materials neat proper and in good order with the same pride and delight as the most accurate Captain or Souldier among us taketh in his armes In printing it seemeth that China ought to have the precedence of other nations for according to their books they have used it this 1600 years but it is not as I said before like unto ours in Europe For their Letters are engraven in Tables of wood The Authour of the book ordereth what kind of letter he will have either great little or middle-sized or rather he giveth his manuscript to the graver who maketh his Tables of the same bignesse with the sheets that are given him and pasting the leaves upon the Tables with the wrong side outwards he engraveth the letters as he findeth them with much facility and exactnesse and without making any Errata their writing not being on both sides the paper as among us but on one side only and the reason that their books seem to be written on both sides is because the white side is hidden within the fold They print likewise with Tables of stone with this difference that then the paper is made all black and the letters remain white because when they print thus they lay the ink upon the Superficies of the stone but in the Tables of wood they put it only in the hollow of the engraving This last manner of printing serveth only for Epitaphs Pictures Trees Mountains and such like things whereof they do desire to have the memories preserved and they have very many prints of this kind The stones which serve for this use are of a proper and particular kind their wooden Tables are made of the best Peare-tree So that any work which they print as they do in great numbers remaineth alwaies entire in the print of the Tables to bee reprinted as often as they please without any new expence or trouble in setting for the presse as there is in our printing Every one hath the liberty to print what he pleaseth without the

THE HISTORY OF That Great and Renowned MONARCHY OF CHINA Wherein all the particular Provinces are accurately described as also the Dispositions Manners Learning Lawes Militia Government and Religion of the People Together with the Traffick and Commodities of that Countrey Lately written in Italian by F. ALVAREZ SEMEDO a Portughess after he had resided twenty two yeares at the Court and other Famous Cities of that Kingdom Now put into English by a Person of quality and illustrated with several MAPPS and FIGURES to satisfie the curious and advance the Trade of Great BRITTAIN To which is added the History of the late Invasion and Conquest of that flourishing Kingdom by the TARTARS With an exact Account of the other affairs of CHINA till these present Times LONDON Printed by E. Tyler for Iohn Crook and are to be sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Ship in S. Pauls Church-yard 1655. The Epistle to the Reader Courteous Reader I Present thee with that long exspected most exact History of the Lawes Government Manners and present state and condition of that great Monarchy of China in its circuit little less then all Europe Heretofore as zealous of its rare treasures shut and locked up from the curious eyes of strangers so that this booke first yeilds to thee a full discovery thereof I dare say the most valuable that this our world hath been acquainted with since that of America whereby now the furthest East as well as West is disclosed and laid open to the present age For as for some former relations thou mayst have seen thereof thou wilt by this discerne them to be as fabulous as they are compendious and imperfect It was written by one who after first a strict education in all sorts of learning for two and twenty yeares space lived in that Kingdome was resident at the Court and in the greatest Cities thereof and in all that time as designing such a worke was a diligent Observator and Collector of all their manners and customs as likewise after much paines taken in the Language a great student of their Histories and Writings Whose laborious worke after it had already bin clothed in many other Languages besides the Authors and welcomly entertained in most states of Europe it was thought fit no longer to be concealed to a Nation either for curiosity of knowledge or industry of forraigne commerce no way yeilding to her neighbours The variety of the subjects handled therein is so great as comprehending the whole fabricke of that nation their Politicks Oeconomicks Sciences Mechanicks Riches Merchandise c. that those of whatsoever profession may reap no small benefit in reading the designes managements and practices therein of so ingenious a People Whose manners also as their site are so remote and different in most things from ours that I may say in this piece is happily united with the truth of History the delight of a Romance where it will be no small pleasure to thee to see their braines as well as their bodies as it were of a severall mould from the Europeans and their inventions in many things to walke antipodes to us and yet in these no way below us but in many superiour or what in them appears less compleat yet will the knowledge thereof not be ungratefull unto thee because t is new and singular As for many morall vertues thou wilt find them so far to transcend us therein that they may be proposed as an excellent patterne as also they are a shame to Christian states Lastly to correct and reforme any their defects and make the nation perfectly happy the light of Christianity hath of late visited this people who sate in darknes so that now after America also enlightned there is no end of the world left wherinto the sound of the Gospel is not gone forth The foundation of which being there already laid there is great hopes that it may sooner come to a ful purity reformation perfection the indefatigable pains undaunted courage of those laborers who cultivate it in the East provoke a greater diligence andemulation therein in our planters in the West where the Gospel as following a conquest may be advanced both with much more safety and authority To the end of this Treatise I have added the History of the Tartarian invasian of China much enlarged freed from divers Erratas of the former Edition which gives thee an account of the Chinesse affaires till the yeare 1653. Reader thus much I thought good to advertise thee in the front of this Booke that thou mayst not be so great an hinderance to thy selfe as not to be acquainted with so curious and beneficiall a discourse Farewell The Preface WHo writeth of things farre remote doth almost alwayes incurre the inconvenience of many and those no small defects hence it is that we see many Books whose Authours for their personal Qualities might deserve more credit than may justly be given to their writings As for those who have written of China I have perused some of them who leaving in oblivion almost all Truths take the liberty to wander in discourses altogether fabulous for this Kingdome being so remote and having alwayes with much Care avoided all Communication with Strangers reserving onely to themselvs the knowledge of their own Affairs with a most particular Caution hence it followes that nothing is knowne without the Confines thereof but what doth as it were overflow into the skirts of the Country of Cantone a part of this Empire whither the Portugheses have been suffered to come so that the most internall and secret knowledge thereof hath been reserved either for the Natives of the Country who know well enough how to conceale it or for those who upon a better Motive have to discover it little lesse then forgotten their own nature their language their customes and manner of living and transformed themselves into the naturall humour of that Country Now this last hath by divine dispensation fallen to the lott of the Religious of the Company of Iesus who although they came late to the Culture of the Church are notwithstanding arrived to that honour to be reckoned among the first that after Saint Thomas the Apostle did cultivate those remote Confines of the world It is now fifty eight years that they have laboured under this so distant Climate where directing all their force and endeavours to the conversion of Souls they account it a manifest Theft to employ any otherwise that time which they owe to the Service of God and is of so much importance for the Eternall Salvation of men Hence it is that never any yet did or would it have been permitted him if he had desired it to employ himselfe in writing the Relation of this Kingdome except it were Father Nicolaus Trigalzius after he had by permission with-drawn himself from the culture of Christianity among the Chineses and passed from thence into Europe Vpon the same occasion I have undertaken to give a

Kings stamp and the Founders name upon them that in case any of them be falsified they might know whom to accuse and in this forme they are returned into the Kings Exchequer The Revenue of the Province is divided into three parts one whereof is put into the Treasure of the City for extraordinary expenses the other into the Coffers of the Treasurer for to defray ordinarie expences This Treasurie beside that the doores and locks are made as secure as can be yet it is guarded every night by a constant watch of Souldiers The third is sent publickely to Court but with a strong Guard This Silver is put into round pieces of wood sawed through in the middle and hollowed within and joyned together with Iron hoops and both ends closed fast with plates of Iron Within every one of these pieces of wood is conveighed as much Silver as two men are able to carrie The revenue of the whole Kingdome according to the supputation of Father Matteo Riccius who lived many yeares in China as appeareth by his book printed in the year 1621 is said to amount to an hundred and fifty Millions of Crownes Father Iohn Rodriquez who also travailed much about China and was very curious to know the affaires of this Kingdome in a writing which he left behind him concerning the foure notable things of China faith That it doth amount but to fifty five Millions To make them both agree my opinion is that the whole Revenue is a hundred and fifty Millions as Father Riccius said that which is brought to Court is but fifty five as Father Rodriquez would have it the rest remaining as hath been said in the Provinces As I have not made any diligent enquiry concerning this matter so I will forbeare to add any thing to the Testimonie of these grave Personages The Fourth Tribunal is called Gan Cha Sci and is as it were a Tribunal Criminal it hath Assessours Councellours and Tauli And as every Province is divided into Shires and Precincts according to the number of the Cities thereof it belongeth to these Tauli to visit them and to do justice in the several places assigned them punishing Malefactours and exercising their jurisdiction which extendeth it selfe even to the Souldierie and the affaires of the Sea if the Province be maritime The Fifth Tribunall is over learning and letters to examine and confer degrees and the like and is particularly set over all them that have taken the degree of Batcheller but Doctors are exempt from their Iurisdiction There is a Chancellour over the whole Province who at set times visiteth all the Cities and Townes holding examinations and informing himself of every ones behaviour and according as he findeth it he reproveth chastiseth and sometimes depriveth them of their degree but leaving them alwayes the libertie as I have said of returning if they please to a new examination There are moreover in every City two whom they call Mandarines of the Sciences Hioquan who belong to the same Tribunall but their Iurisdiction doth not extend it self further than to the Batchelers of the same City and the territorie thereof And although they have not the power to conferre a degree or to take it away but only to punish them neverthelesse it is they that give them the most trouble by reason that living alwayes in the same City they often call them before them examine them c. They are as it were Prefects of the Classes All these offices whereof I have spoken have authoritie over the whole Province and over all the Cities Villages and Townes thereof But the Cities have moreover their particular Government as among us in Europe In every City there are foure principall Mandarines one whereof is President whom they call Chi Fu and is as it were Governour of the City the rest are Collateralls they are called Thum Chi Thum Phuon Chiu Quon Every one of these holdeth his Tribunal apart and hath greater and lesser officers belonging to him Beside these every City hath nineteen lesser Magistrates employed in severall Offices subordinate to the principall Two whereof have a President and foure Councellours the nine others have only one President and an Assistant and the other eight have only one President but they have all of them their Officers Ministers and a convenient number of Servants belonging to their Courts The Villages have a Judge and three Councellours The Judge is called Chi Hien The First Councellour Hum Chim The Second Chu Phn. The Third Tun Su. They have each of them their Palaces and Tribunals apart as also their subordinate Officers Notaries and others The Judge may give sentence of death but cannot put it in execution Besides these Mandarines which reside in the Cities and Villages there are others who have not the power either to Chastise or condemn but only to make their report and are as it were Referendaries There are also of them in Castles if they be great and farre from any City or Village these are made ordinarily out of the inferiour Notaries of Tribunals for out of the great ones are commonly made the Councellours to the Judges of Villages But it must be observed that both the greater and the lesser officers have not so much authoritie as ours in Europe Besides every Hamlet whereof there are almost Infinite in China no labourer or husbandman dwelling either in City or Village but in the Fields hath a Head or Thithing-man called Licham The houses are divided by tens like Tithings or Decuries with a Head or Tithing-man belonging to each by which meanes the Government becometh more easie and the contribution which is exacted more certaine CHAP. 27. Of the Badges of Honour or Ensignes of the Mandarines ALl Officers who either have or have had cōmand have their Ensigns by which they are distinguished not only from the people but from others as well Litterati as Noblemen of another rank These consist in five things that is the Cap the Habit the Girdle the Boots and the Gown The Cap is of black Silk lined with a certaine stiffe strong Stuffe They all of them have it made after the same fashion only in the Caps of the Colai there is some difference it is called in the Chinesse language Xamao The Habit for so they call it and we have nothing in Europe that answereth to it is a square piece which they wear on their breast richly embroydered round about in the middle wherof is the device of their Office and dignitie and as those are diverse accordingly their devices are different It is called Phizu The Magistrates of letters have an Eagle a Hearn a Bird of the Sunne or such like the Magistrates of armes have a Panther a Tiger and Unicorns a Lym c. The Girdle which is not made to Gird them withall for it is so wide that they are fain to fasten it at the sides to keep it from falling is called Quon Thai it is foure fingers broad and

and being arrived I took no thought for any thing else I saw it and read it and went often to read behold and consider it at leisure and above all I did much admire that being so ancient it should be so entire and have the letters so plainly and neatly graven On the thicknes of the sides thereof it hath many Chinesse letters which containe many names of the Priests and Bishops of that time There are also many other letters which were not then knowne for they are neither Hebrew nor Greek and for as much as I now understand they containe the same names that if peradventure some strangers might not understand the letters of the Countrie they might perhaps be better acquainted with those of a forraigne extraction Passing by Cocchine I came to Cranganor where is the Residence of the Archbishop of Costa to consult about these letters with father Antoni Fernandes one of our societie who is very skilfull in the books and writings of those ancient Christians converted by S. Thomas He told me the letters were Syriack and the very same which are used there at this day But let us come now to the inscription of our Marble which no●doubt ere this hath raised an appetite in the reader to know it Those three lines which are at the foot of the Crosse each consisting of three letters as we have said being faithfully translated as also all the rest as neere as possibly I could say thus A Relation in the Praise and eternall memorie of the law of the light of truth brought from Iudea and preached in China THe writing is graved on the plaine side of this stone in its proper letters placed in lines running from top to bottom after the Chinesse fashion The first line which is the shortest saith thus I A Prologue Made by the Priest of the Kingdom of Iudea named Kim Lim. The rest of the inscription in a magnificent Orientall stile containeth that which followeth II Oh how true and profound is the eternall and the incomprehensible most spirituall speaking of time past he is without beginning and of time to come he is without end and alwaies in the same perfection He tooke nothing and with it he made all He is a principall consisting of Trinitie and Unitie yet without any reall principle The Lord Olooyu He made the foure parts of the world in figure of a Crosse. He moved the Chaos and made the two principles There was an alteration made in the Abysse and heaven and earth appeared Nature at the beginning was pure and exempt from disordinate passions and the heart was cleane without the unrulinesse of the appetites III Man came afterward to fall into the deceits of Satan who covering with words the mischiefe he had plotted perverted the innocence of the first man From this principle sprang 365 Sects which by reason they were so many did one drive away the other and of all of them was made a net wherein the world was caught Some chose the creatures and appropriated Divinity to them others were plunged in that errour of thinking that all is nothing and ends in nothing Others make sacrifices to invite good fortun● with Others 〈…〉 deceive the world The understanding corrupted with e●rours and the will with passions are altogether obscured Men walked forwards without 〈…〉 at the end they aimed at The world was all in a miserable 〈◊〉 Man still multiplied the darknesse and loosing his way wandred long time in it without finding the truth IV. Then the Messias one of the three persons covered his true ● Ma●esty and making himself a man appeared unto the world An Angell came to manifest the Mystery and a Virgin brought forth the Holy one A Starre appeared which gave notice of his birth to those of the Kingdome of 〈◊〉 They 〈◊〉 to offer him Tribute and all was done according to what had been foretol● by the foure and twenty Saints He published to the world the most pure law He purified their customes and rectified the faith He cleansed the world He perfected vertue and therein founded the three vertues He opened the way to life and shut up that of death He manifested the bright day and banished obscure darkenesse He conquered the obscure seate at what time the devill remained wholly subdued and succoured with his mercy the sinking world that m●n might ascend to the habitations of light After he had perfected his works ●e ascended into the heavens at Midday There remained 27 books of holy Scripture There was opened the gate to Co●version by means of that water which cle●●seth and purifieth His Ministers made use of the Holy Crosse they made their abode no more in one place than in another that they might illuminate the whole world The world being thus reduced unto Union men did walke after their example and thus did they open the way of life and glory V. They suffered their beard to grow and did shew by this means that they were like other men in their externall part They out their haire even to the roots upon the top of their head and by this they shewed that they had no internall wordly affections They kept no servants the Noble and the common men were with them the same thing They tooke no riches from men They gave to the poore that which they had They fasted and watched to bring the flesh into subjection to the spirit Seaven times a day they offered sacrifices of praise by which they helped the living and the dead Every seaventh day they did offer They purified their hearts to receive the holy innocence The true law hath no name that doth well suite with it and that is able to explaine the excellency thereof therefore because it wanteth another name we will call it The law of Brightnesse The law if it be not holy cannot be called great and if holinesse be not answerable to that which the law teacheth it may not have that name But in this law the holinesse correspondeth to the law and the law to the holinesse VI. If there be not Kingly Persons to favour it the law cannot well be propagated if they receive not the law they cannot grow truly great When they and the law do agree presently the world is enlightened By this means at the time when a King named Tai Zum Ve● Hoam did governe with famous prudence and sanctitie there came from Iudea a man of high vertue by name Olopuen who being guided by the clouds brought the true doctrine And in the year Chin Quom Kieufu he arrived at the Court The King commanded the Colao Fam Kizulin that he should go and meet him as farre as the West and that he should treate him as his guest with all manner of kindnesse He caused this doctrine to be translated in his palace and seeing the law to be true he powerfully commanded it should be divulged through the Kingdome and presently after he sent forth a royall patent which contained