of wood only those of the Mandarins are made of hewed stone and also invironed with walls and ditches over which are stone bridges whereon they passe to the gates that have rich and costly arches with divers sorts of inventions upon the towers all which put together make a pleasing object to the eye and represent a certain kind of I know not what Majesty The houses of the Chaems Anchacys Aytaâ—s Tuâ—oâ—s and Chumbims which are all Goveâ—nours of Provinces or Kingdoms have stately towers six or seven stories high and guilt all â—ver wherein they have their magazines for arms their Wardrobes their treasuries and a world of rich housholdstuff as also many other things of great value together with an infinite of delicate and most fine porcelain which amongst them is prised and esteemed as much as precious stone for this sort of porcelain never goes out of the Kingdom it being expresly forbidden by the laws of the Country to be sold upon pain of death to any stranger unlesse to the Xatamaas that is the Sophyes of the Persians who by a particular permission buy of it at a very dear rate The Chineses assured us that in this City there are eight hundred thousand fires fourscore thousand Mandarins houses threescore and two great market placâ—s an hundred and thirty butchers shambles each of them containing fourscore shops and eight thousand streets whereof six hundred that are fairer and larger then the rest are compassed about with bâ—llisters of copper we were further assured that there are likewise two thousand and three hundred Pagodes a thousand of which were Monestaries of religious persons professed in their accursed Sect whose buildings were exceeding rich and sumptuous with very high steeples wherein there were between sixty and seventy such mighty huge bels that it was a dreadful thing to here them rung There are moreover in this City thirty great strong prisons each whereof hath three or four thousand prisoners and a charitable Hospital expresly established to supply the necessities of the poor with Proctors ordained for their defence both in civil and criminal causes as is before related At the entrance into every principal street there are arches and great gates which for each mans security are shut every night and in most of the streets are goodly fountains whose water is excellent to drink Besides at every full â—nd new moon open fayrs are kept in several places whither Merchants resort from all parts and where there is such abundance of all kind of victual as cannot well be exprest especially of flâ—sh and fruit It is not possible to deliver the great store of fish that is taken in this river chiefly Soles and Mullets which are all sold alive besides a world of sea-fish both fresh salted and dried we were told by certain Chineses that in this City there are ten thousand trades for the working of silks which from thence are sent all over the Kingdom The City it self is invironed with a very strong wall made of fair hewed stone The gates of it are an hundred and thirty at each of which there is a Porter and two Halberdiers who are bound to give an account every day of all that pâ—sses in and out There are also twelve Forts or Cittadels like unto ours with bulwarks and very high towers but without any ordinance at all The same Chineses also affirmed unto us that the City yeilded the King daily two thousand Taeis of silver which amount to three thousand duckats as I have delivered heretofore I will not speak of the Pallace royal because I saw it but on the outside howbeit the Chinesâ—s tell such wonders of it as would amaze a man for it is my intent to relate nothing save what we beheld here with our own eyes and that was so much as I am afraid to write it not that it would seem strange to those that have seen and read the marvels of the Kingdom of China but because I doubt that they which would compare those wondrous things that are in the countrys they have not seen with that little they have seen in their own will make some question of it or it may be give no credit at all to these truth because they are not confoâ—mable to their understanding and small experience Continuing our course up this river the first two days we saw not any remarkable town or place but only a great number of Villages and little hamlets of two or three hundred fires a piece which by their buildings seemed to be houses of fisher men and poor people that live by the labour of their hands For the rest all that was within view in the countrey was great woods of Firr Groves Forrests and Orange trees as also plains full of wheat rice beans pease millet panick barley rye flax cotton wool with great inclosures of gardens and goodly houses of pleasure belonging to the Mandarins and Lords of the Kingdom There was likewise all along the river such an infinite number of cattel of all sorts as I can assure you there is not more in Aethiopia nor in all the dominions of Prester Iohn upon the top of the mountains many houses of their Sects of Gentiles were to be seen adorned with high Steeples guilt all over the glistering whereof was such and so great that to behold them a far off was an admirable sight The fourth day of our voyage we arrived at a town called Pocasser twice as big as Cantano compassed about with strong wals of hewed stone and towers and bulwarks almost like ours together with a key on the river side twice as long as the shot of a falconet and inclosed with two rows of iron grates with very strong gates where the Junks and vessels that arrived there were unladen This place abounds with all kinds of merchandise which from thence is transported over all the Kingdom especially with copper sugar and allum whereof there is very great store Here also in the middest of a carrefour that is almost at the end of the town stands a mighty strong castle having three bulwarks and five towers in the highest of which the present Kings Father as the Chineses told us kept a King of Tartaria nine years prisoner at the end whereof he killed himself with poyson that his subjects sent him because they would not be constrained to pay that ransome which the King of China demanded for his deliverance In this town the Chifuu gave three of us leave to go up and down for to crave the alms of good people accompanied with four Hupes that are as Sergeants or Bailiffs amongst us who led us chained together as we were through six or seven streets where we got in alms to the value of above twentâ— duckats as well in clothes as mony besides flesh riceâ— meal fruit and other victuals which was â—â—stowed on us whereof we gave the one half to the Hupes that conducted us it being the custom so to do Afterwards we were
his Subject with all the purity and affection which a Vassal is obliged to carry unto his Master I Angeessiry Timorraia King of Batas desiring to insinuate my self into thy friendship that thy Subjects may be inriched with the fruits of this my Country I do offer by a new Treaty to replenish the Magazins of thy King who is also mine with Gold Pepper Camfire Benjamon and Aloes upon condition that with an entire confidence thou shalt send me a safe conduct written and assigned with thine own hand by means whereof all my Lanchares and Jurupanges may navigate in safety Furthermore in favor of this new amity I do again beseech thee to succor me with some Powder and great Shot whereof thou hast but too much in thy Store-houses and therefore mayst well spare them for I had never so great need of all kind of warlike munitions as at this present This granted I shall be much indebted to thee if by thy means I may once chastise those perjured Achems the mortal and eminent Enemies of thy Malaca with whom I swear to thee I will never have peace as long as I live until such time as I have had satisfaction for the blood of my three children which call upon me for vengeance and that therewith I may asswage the sorrow of their noble Mother who having given them suck and brought them up hath seen them since miserably butchered by that cruel Tyrant of Achem in the Towns of Jacur and Lingua as thou shalt be more particularly informed by Aquarem Dabolay the Brother of those childrens desolate Mother whom I have sent unto thee for a confirmation of our new amity to the end Signior that he may treat with thee about such things as shall seem good unto thee as well for the service of God as for the good of thy people From Paniau the fifth day of the eighth Moon This Embassador received from Pedro de Faria all the honor that he could do him after their manner and as soon as he had delivered him the Letter it was translated into the Portugal out of the Malayan Tongue wherein it was written Whereupon the Embassador by his Interpreter declared the occasion of the discord which was between the Tyrant of Achem and the King of Batas proceeding from this that the Tyrant had not long before propounded unto this King of Batas who was a Gentile the imbracing of Mahometâ— Law conditionally that he would wed him to a Sister of his for which purpose he should quit his wife that was also a Gentile and married to him six and twenty years Now because the King of Batas would by no means condescend thereunto the Tyrant incited by a Cacis of his immediately denounced War against him So each of them having raised a mighty Army they fought a most bloody Battel that continued three hours and better during the which the Tyrant perceiving the advantage the Bataes had of him after he had lost a great number of his people he made his retreat into a Mountain called Cagerrendan where the Bataes held him besieged by the space of three and twenty days but because in that time many of the Kings men fell sick and that also the Tyrants Camp began to want Victuals they concluded a Peace upon condition that the Tyrant should give the King five bars of Gold which are in value two hundred thousand crowns of our mony for to pay his Soldiers and that the King should marry his eldest son to that sister of the Tyrant who had been the cause of making that War This accord being signed by either part the King returned into his Country where he was no sooner arrived but relying on this Treaty of Peace he dismist his Army and discharged all his Forces The tranquillity of this Peace lasted not above two months and an half in which time there came to the Tyrant three hundred Turks whom he had long expected from the Straight of Mecqua and for them had sent four Vessels laden with Pepper wherein also were brought a great many Cases full of Muskets and Hargebusezes together with divers Pieces both of Brass and Iron Ordnance Whereupon the first thing the Tyrant did was to joyn those three hundred Turks to some Forces he had still afoot then making as though he would go to Pacem for to take in a Captain that was revolted against him he cunningly fell upon two places named Iacur and Lingua that appâ—rtained to the King of Batas which he suddenly surprized when they within thâ—m least thought of it for the Peace newly made between them took away all the mistrust of such an attempt so as by that means it was easie for the Tyrant to render himself Master of those Fortresses Having taken them he put three of the Kings sons to death and seven hundred Ouroballones so are the noblest and the valiantâ—st of the Kingdom called This while the King of Batas much resenting and that with good cause so great a Treachery sware by the head of his god Quiay Hocombinor the principal Idol of the Gentiles sect who hold him for their god of Justice never to eat either fruit salt or any other thing that might bring the least gust to his palate before he had revenged the death of his children and drawn reason from the Tyrant for this loss protesting further that he was resolved to dye in the maintenance of so just a War To which end and the better to bring it to pass the King of Batas straightway assembled an Army of fifteen thousand men as well natives as strangers wherewithall he was assisted by some Princes his friends and to the same effect he emplored the Forces of us Christians which was the reason why he sought to contract that new amity we have spoken of before with Pedro de Faria who was very well contented with it in regard he knew that it greatly imported both the service of the King of Portugal and the conservation of the Fortress besides that by this means he hoped very much to augment the Revenue of the Customs together with his own particular and all the rest of the Portugals profit in regard of the great Trade they had in those Countries of the South After that the King of Batas Embassador had been seventeen days with us Pedro de Faria dismissed him having first granted whatsoever the King his Master had demanded and something over and above as fire-pots darts and murdering Pieces wherewith the Embassador departed from the Fortress so contented that he shed tears for joy nay it was observed that passing by the great door of the Church he turned himself towards it with his hands and eyes lift up to Heaven and then as it were praying to God Almighty Lord said he openly that in rest and great joy livest there above seated on the Treasure of thy Riches which are the spirits formed by thy Will here I promise thee if it may be thy good pleasure to give us
men were only going forth to apprehend an offendor by the Kings commandment Having said thus with an intent to confirm me I could not for all that be satisfied but was seized with so terrible a fear as I was not able to utter a word howbeit at length recollecting my self a little I signified to them the best I could how if they would permit me to return to my Skiff for to fetch a thing which I had forgotten I would give them forty Crowns in Gold whereunto they answered that if I would give them all the Silver in Malaca they would not let me go for if they should they were sure to lose their heads This speech of theirs redoubled my fear which yet increased when I saw my self invironned with twenty more of those armed men who guarded me all that night The next morning the King being advertised that I was there commanded me to be brought unto him into the next Court where I found him mounted on an Elephant and accompanied with an hundred persons besides those of his guard which were far more in number When he saw me coming towards him much troubled and indeed more dead then alive he said twice to me Be not afraid but come nearer to me and thou shalt know the cause why I sent for thee Thereupon having made a sign to me with his hand that I should look that way he pointed me to I turned me about and beheld a great many bodies extended on the place and weltring in their own blood amongst the which I presently knew the Mahometan Coia Ale with whom I came which I no sooner perceived but like a man distraught of his wits I cast my self at the feet of the Elephant whereupon the King rode and with tears in my eyes cryed out O Sir have pity on me and take me for thy slave rather then cause me to end my days with the torments which have taken those out of the world whom I see here I swear unto thee by the faith of a Christian that I have not deserved death as having no way offended thee Consider likewise I beseech thee that I am Nephew to the Captain of Malaca who will give thee any ransom for me thou wil◠desire as also that thou hast the Iurupango wherein I came in thy Port full of goods all which thou mayst take it if thou pleasest Hearing me speak in this sort God forbid said he that ever I should do any such thing no no be not afraid but stand up and recollect thy self for I see well thou art much troubled and when thou art in better case to hear me I will tell thee wherefore I caused the Moor that came with thee to be executed and in good faith if he had been either a Portugal or a Christian I would not have put him to death no though he had killed mine own son Howbeit perceiving that all which he could say would not rid me of my fear he commanded a pot of fresh water to be brought me whereof I drunk a pretty quantity and withall made one of his followers to fan me with a ventilow for to refresh me A quarter of an hour or thereabouts was spent in this action at the end thereof finding that I was so well recovered as I was able with good sence to answer unto the questions he should ask me Portugal said he unto me I know that thou hast bern told since thy coming hither how I killed my Father as indeed I did because I was sure he would have killed me incited thereunto by the false reports of some of his slaves would have made him believe that I had gotten my mother with child whereof I had never so much as the least thought whereby thou mayst see what ill tongues can do Indeed it is true that being most assured he had without all reason given such credit to those slanderous reports as he was fully resolved to have taken away my life to decline that imminent peril I prevented him and caught him in the same snare he had layd for me But God knows how much against my mind this fell out and how I always made it my chiefest glory to render him the dutiful offices of a most obedient son as it may well appear now at this present for to keep my mother from being a sad and desolate widow as many others are seeing my self to be the cause of her misery and obliged to comfort her I have taken her to wife judg then whether I have been wrongfully blamed or no since that for her I have refused many great parties that have been propounded unto me from Patacia Berdio Tanauçarin Siaca Iamba and Andragia who were no less then Sisters and Daughters of Kings and offered unto me with very rich dowries Now being informed that such false reports had been dispersed abroad of me for to arrest the tongues of Detractors which are so audacious as to talk of any thing comes in their heads I caused it to be proclaimed that none should dare to speak of that affair But for as much as without any regard at all of this my Injunction this fellow of thine which lies there in the company of those other Dogs like unto himself spoke yesterday of me most reproachfully in publique saying I was an Hog or worse then a very Hog and my mother a salt Bitch as well to punish his slanders as to preserve my honor I was constrained to put him to death together with these other Dogs who were no less slanderous then he Wherefore I am to desire thee that as my friend thou wilt not think this procedure of mine any way strange Now if thou shouldst happen to think that I have done it on purpose to seize upon the Captain of Malaca's goods be confident that I never meant it thou mayst truly certifie him so much For I swear unto thee by my Law that I have ever been a great friend to the Portugals and so will continue all my life Hereupon being somewhat recovered from the fear I was in a little before I answered him How his Highness had much obliged his very good friend and brother the Captain of Malaca by the execution of that Mahometan who had imbezelled away a great part of the goods committed to his charge and understanding that I had discovered his knavery he had twice gone about to poyson me whereunto also I added how this Dog when he was drunk would bark at every one and speak his pleasure at large This answer made upon the sudden and not knowing well what I said very much pleased the King who commanding me to come nearer to him Verily continued he by this speech of thine I perceive thou art an honest man and my friend and being so I doubt not but thou wilt give a good interpretation to my actions contrary to those mastiff Dogs that lie there weltring in their own blood Having said so he took a purse from his girdle trimmed with gold
please God it might be brought to pass CHAP. IX The Arrival of an Embassador at Malaca from the King of Aaru to the Captain thereof his sending me to the said King my coming to Aaru and that which happend to me after my departing from thence FIve and twenty days after my coming to Malaca Dom Stephano de Gama being still Captain of the Fortress an Embassador arrived there from the King of Aaru for to demand succor of men from him and some munitions of War as Powder and Bullets for to defend himself from a great Fleet that the King of Achem was setting forth against him with an intention to deprive him of his Kingdom and so be a nearer neighbor unto us to the end that having gained that passage he might afterwards send his forces the more easily against our Fortress of Malaca whereof Pedro de Faria was no sooner advertised but representing unto himself how important this affair was for the service of the King and preservation of the Fortress he acquainted Dom Stephano de Gama with it in regard his Command of the place was to continue yet six weeks longer howbeit he excused himself from giving the succor which was required saying that the time of his Government was now expiring and that his being shortly to come in the duty of his charge did oblige him to take care of this business and to think of the danger that menaced him Hereunto Pedro de Faria made answer that if he would relinquish his Government for the time he had yet to come in it or give him full power to dispose of the publique Magazins he would provide for the succor that he thought was necessary In a word and not to stand long on that which past betwixt them it shall suffice to say that this Embassador was utterly denyed his demand by these two Captains whereof the one alledged for excuse that he was not yet entered upon his Charge and the other that he was upon the finishing of his whereupon he returned very ill satisfied with this refusal and so far resented injustice which he thought was done unto his King as the very morning wherein he imbarqued himself having met by chance with the two Captains at the gate of the Fortress he said aloud before them publiquely with the tears in his eyes O God! that with a soveraign Power and Majesty raignest in the highest of the Heavens even with deep sighs fetch'd from the bottom of my heart I take thee for Iudg of my cause and for witness of the just occasion I have to make this request to these Captains here and that in the name of my King the faithful Vassal of the great King of Portugal upon homage sworn by his Ancestors to the famous Albuqueâ—que who promised us that if the Kings of our Kingdom did always continue true and loyal Subjects to his Master that then both he and his successors would oblige themselves to defend them against all their enemies as belonged to their soveraign Lord to do wherefore since we have continued still loyal to this day what reason have you my Masters not to accomplish this obligation wherein your King and you are so deeply engaged especially seeing you know that only in respect of you this perfidious Tyrant of Achem takes our Country from us For there is nothing he so much reproacheth us withall as that my King is as good a Portugal and Christian as if he had been born in Portugal and yet now that he desires you to succor him in his need as allyes and true friends ought to do you excuse your selves with reasons that are of no validity The succor we require of you for to secure us and to keep this faithless wretch from seizing on our Kingdom is a very small matter namely forty or fifty Portugals that may instruct us in the military art together with four barrels of Powder and two hundred Bullets for field Pieces a poor thing in comparison of that you have Now if you can yet be perswaded to grant us this little ayd you shall thereby so much oblige our King as he will ever remain a faithful slave to the mighty Prince of Portugal your Master and ours in whose name I beseech you once twice nay an hundred times that you will perform that appertains unto your duty to do for this which I thus publikely demand of you is of so great importance that therein consists not so much the preservation of the Kingdom of Aaru as the safety of this your Fortress of Malaca which that Tyrant of Achem our enemy so extreamly desires to possess and to that purpose he hath gotten the assistance of divers strange Nations but because he finds that our Kingdom is a let to the execution of his design he endeavors to usurp it upon us and then he intends to guard this Straight in such sort as he will quite exclude you from all Commerce with the Spices of Banda and the Molucques and from all the Trade and Navigation of the Seas of China Sunda Borneo Timor and Jappon and this his own people stick not to boast of even already being also further manifested by the accord which he hath lately made with the Turk through the interposâ—ure of the Bassa of grand Cairo who in consideration thereof hath promised to ayâ— him with great Forces Wherefore at length give ear unto the request which I have made unto you in the name of my King and that so much concerns the service of yours for since you may yet give a remedy to the mischief which you see is ready to fall I desire you to do it speedily And let not one of you excuse himself by alledging that the time of his Government is almost at an end nor the other that he is not as yet entered upon his Charge for it is sufficient that you know you are both of you equally obliged thereunto Having finished this speech in form of a request which availed him nothing he stooped down to the ground from whence taking up two stones he knocked with them upon a Piece of Ordnance and then the tears standing in his eyes he said The Lord who hath created us will defend us if he please and so imbarquing himself he departed greatly discontented for the bad answer he carried back Five days after his departure Pedro de Faria was told how all the Town murmured at the small respect that both he and Dom Stephano had carried to that poor King who had ever been a friend both to them and the whole Portugal Nation and continually done very good offices to the Fort for which cause his Kingdom was now like to be taken from him This advice causing him to see his fault and to be ashamed of his proceeding he labored to have palliated it with certain excuses but at last he sent this King by way of succor fifteen quintals of fine Powder an hundred pots of Wild-fire an hundred and fifty Bullets for
and without harkening to what he might say she instantly returned to her lodging then caused her Vessâ—ls wherein she came thither to be made ready and the next day set sail for Biâ—tan where the King of Iantana was at that time who according to the report was made of it to us afterward received her with great honor at her arrival To him she recounted all that had past betwixt her and Pedro de Faria and how she had lost all hope of our friendship Unto whom it is said the King made this answer That he did not marvel at the little faith she had found in us for that we had shewed it but too much upon sundry occasions unto all the world Now the better to confirm his saying he recited some particular examples of matters which he said had befallen us conformable to his purpose and like a Mahometan and our Enemy he made them appear more enormous then they were So after he had recounted many things of us very ill done amongst the which he interlaced divers Treacheries Robberies and Tyrannies at length he told her that as a good King and a good Mahometan he would promise her that ere it were long she should see her self by his means restored again to every foot of her Kingdom and to the end she might be the more assured of his promise he told her that he was content to take her for his wife if so she pleased for that thereby he should have the greater cause to become the King of Achems Enemy upon whom for her sake he should be constrained to make War if he would not by fair means be perswaded to abandon that which he had unjustly taken from her Whereunto she made answer that albeit the honor he did her was very great yet she would never accept of it unless he would first promise as in way of a dowry to revenge the death of her former husband saying it was a thing she so much desired as without it she would not accept of the Soveraignty of the whole world The King condescended to her request and by a solemn Oath taken on a Book of their Sect confirmed the promise which to that effect he made her After that the King of Iantana had taken that Oath before a great Cacis of his called Raia Moulana upon a festival day when as they solemnized their Ramadan he went to the Isle of Compar where immediately upon the celebration of their Nuptials he called a Councel for to advise of the course he was to hold for the performance of that whereunto he had engaged himself for he knew it was a matter of great difficulty and wherein he should be forced to hazard much of his Estate The resolution that he took hereupon was before he enterprized any thing to send to summon the Tyrant of Achem to surrender the Kingdom of Aaru which in the right of his new wife belonged now unto him and then according to the answer he should receive to govern himself This Councel seemed so good to the King that he presently dispatched an Embassador to the Tyrant with a rich Present of Jewels and Silks together with a Letter containing these words Sibri Laya quendou pracama de Raia lawful King by a long succession of Malaca which by strong hand and the injustice of the faithless Kings of Jantana and Bintan hath been usurped from me To thee Siry Sultan Aaradin King of Achem and of all the Land of the two Seas my true Brother by the ancient Amity of our forefathers I thine Ally in flesh and in blood do give thee to understand by my Embassador that about the seventh Moon of this present year the noble Widow Anchesiny Queen of Aaru came to me full of grief and tears and prostrating her self on the ground before me she told me that thy Captains had taken her Kingdom from her as also the two Rivers of Lava and Panetican and slain Aliboncar her husband together with five thousand Amborraias and Ouroballons all men of mark that were with him and made three thousand children slaves which had never offended tying their hands behind them and scourging them continually without pity as if they had been the sons of unbelieving mothers Wherefore being moved with compassion I have received her under the protection of my faith to the end that I might with more certainty inform my self of the reason and right thou hadst so to do and perceiving by her oaths that thou hadst none I have taken her to my wife that I might the more freely before God demand that which is hers I desire thee then as being thy true Brother that thou wilt render that thou hast taken from her and thereof make her a good and full restitution And touching the proceeding that is to be held in this restitution which I demand of thee it is to be done according to the manner that Syribican my Embassador will shew thee And not doing thus conformable to what in justice I require of thee I declare my self thine Enemy in the behalf of this Lady unto whom I am obliged by a solemn Oath to defend her in her affliction This Embassador being come to Acheâ— the Tyrant received him very honorably and took his Letter But after he had opened it and read the contents he would presently have put him to death had he not been diverted by his Councel who told him that in so doing he would incur great infamy Whereupon he instantly dismissed the Embassador with his Present which in contempt of him he would not accept of and in answer of that he brought him he returned him a Letter wherein it was thus written I Sultan Aaradin King of Achem Baarros Pedir Paacem and of the Signories of Dayaa and Batas Prince of all the Land of the two Seas both Mediterranean and Ocean and of the Mynes of Menencabo and of the Kingdom of Aaru newly conquered upon just cause To thee King replenished with joy and desirous of a doubtful heritage I have seen thy Letter written at the table of thy Nuptials and by the inconsiderate words thereof have discerned the drunkenness of thy Councellors and Secretaries whereunto I would not have vouchsafed an answer had it not been for the humble prayers of my servants As touching the Kingdom of Aaru do not thou dare to speak of it if thou desirest to live sufficeth it that I have caused it to be taken in and that it is mine as thine also shall be ere long if thou hast married Anchesiny with a purpose upon that occasion to make claim to a Kingdom that now is none of hers wherefore live with her as other husbands do with their wives that tilling the ground are contented with the labor of their hands Recover first thy Malaca since it was once thine and then thou mayst think of that which never belonged to thee I will favor thee as a Vassal and not as a Brother as thou qualifiest thy self From my great
that having been convicted for sundry hainous crimes were also sent to the Parliament of Nanquin whâ—â—e as I have already declared is always residing a Chaem of Justice which is like to the Sovereign Title of the Vice-roy of China There is likewise a Parliament of some five and twenty Gerozemos and Ferucuas which are as those we call Judges with us and that determine all causes as well civil as criminal So as there is no appeal from their sentence unless it be unto another Court which hath power even over the King himself whereunto if one appeals it is as if he appealed to heaven To understand this the better you must know that although this Parliament and others such like which are in the principal Cities of the Realm have an absolute power from the King both over all criminal civil causes without any opposition or appeal whatsoever yet there is another Court of Justice which is called the Court of the Creator of all things whereunto it is permitted to appeal in weighty and iâ—portant matters In this Court are ordinarily assisting four twenty Menigrepos which are certain religious men very austere in their manner of living such as the Capuchins are amongst the Papists verily if they were Christians one might hope for great matters from them in regard of their marvellous abstinence sincerity There are none admitted into this rank of Judges under seventy years of age are elected thereunto by the suffrages of their chiefest Prelates most incorruptible men so just in all the causes whereof there are appeals before them as it is not possible to meet with more upright for were it against the King himself andagainst all the powers that may be imagined in the world no consideration how great soever is able to make them swerve never so little from that they think to be justice Having been imbarqued in the manner I spake of the same day at night we went lay at a great tower called Potinleu in one of the prisons whereof were mained nine days by reason of the much rain that fell then upon the conjunction of the New-moon There we happened to meet with a Russian prisoner that received as very charitably of whom demanding in the Chinese tongue which he understood as well as we what countrey-man he was and what fortune had brought him thither he told us that he was of Moscovy born in a town named Hiquegens and that some five years past being accused for the death of a man he had been condemned to a perpetual prison but as a stranger he appealed from that sentence to the tribunal of the Aytau of Batampina in the City of Pequin who was the highest of the two and thirty Admirals established in this Empire that is for every Kingdom one He added further that this Admiral by a particular Jurisdiction had absolute power over all strangers whereupon he hoped to find some relief from him intending to go and die a Christian among the Christians if he might have the good hap to be set at liberty After we had passed those nine days in this prison being reinbarqued we sayled up a great river seven days together at the end whereof we arrived at Nanquin As this City is the second of all the Empire so is it also the Capital of the three Kingdoms of Liampoo Fanius and Sambor Here we lay six weeks in prison and suffered so much pain and misery as reduced to the last extreamities we died incensibly for want of succour not able to do any thing but look up to heaven with a pitiful eye for it was our ill fortune to have all that we had stoln from us the first night we came thither This prison was so great that there were four thousand prisoners in it at that time as we were credibly informed so that one should hardly â—it down in any place without being robbed and filled â—ull of lice having layn there a month and an half as I said the Anchacy who was one of the Judges before whom our cause was to be pleaded pronounced our sentence at the Suit of the Atturny General the tenor whereof was That having seen and considered our process which the Chumbin of Taypor had sent him it appeared by the accusations laid to outcharge that we were very hainous malâ—factors though we denied many things yet in justice no credit was to be given unto us therefore that we were to be publickly whipped for to teach us to live better in time to come and that withall our two thumbs should be cut off wherewith it was evident by manifest suspicions that we used to commit robberies and other vile crimes furthermore that for the remainder of the punishment we deserved he referred us to the Aytau of Bataupina unto whom it appertained to take cognisance of such causes in regard of the Jurisdiction that he had of life and death This Sentence was pronounced in the prison where it had been better for us to have suffered death then the stripes that we received for all the ground round about us ran with blood upon our whiping so that it was almost a miracle that of the eleven which we were nine escaped alive for two of our company died three days after besides one of our servants After we had been whipped in that manner I have declared we were carried into a great Chamber that was in the prison where were a number of sick and diseased persons lying upon beds and otherways There we had presently our stripes washed and things applyed unto them whereby we were somewhat eased of our pain and that by men much like unto the fraternity of mercy among the Papists which only out of charity and for the honour of God do tend those that are sick and liberally furnish them with all things necessary Hereafter some eleven or twelve days we began to be pretily recovered and as we were lamenting our ill fortune for being so rigorously condemned to lose our thumbs it pleased God one morning when as we little dreamt ofit that we espied two men come into the chamber of a good aspect clothed in long gowns of violet coloured satin carrying white rods in their hands As soon as they arrived all the sick persons in the Chamber cried out Blessed be the Ministers of the works ofGod whereunto they answâ—red holding up their rods May it please God to give you patience in your adversity whereupon having distributed clothes and money to those that were next to them they came unto us and after they had saluted us very courteously with demonstration of being moved at our tears they asked us who we were and of what countrey as also why we were imprisoned there whereunto we answered weeping that we were strangers nativâ—s of the Kingdom of Siam and of a country called Malaca that being Merchants and well to live we had imbarqued our selves with our goods and being bound for Liampoo we had
time since it was discovered being above two hundred years it never failed but rather more and more was found Having past about a league beyond those twelve Hoâ—ses up the River we came to a place inclosâ—d with three ranks of Iron grates where we beheld thirty Houses divined into five rows six in each row which were very long and compleat with great Towers full of Bells of cast mettle and much carved work as also guilt Pillars and the Frontispieces of fair hewed stone whereupon many Inventious were engraved At this place we went ashore by the Chifâ—us permission that carried us for that he had made a Vow to this Pagod which was called Bigay potim that is to say God of an hundred and ten thousand Gods Corchoo fungané ginaco ginaca which according to their report signifies strong and great above all others for one of the Errors wherewith these wretched people are blinded is that they beleeve every particular thing hath its God who hath created it and preserves its natural being but thâ—t this Bigay potim brought them all forth from under his arm-pitâ— and that from him as a father they derive their being by a filial union which they term Biâ—â— Porentasay And in the Kingdom of Pegu where I have often been I have seen one like unto this named by those of the country Ginocoginans the God of all greatness which Temple was in times past built by the Chineses when as they commanded in the Indiaes being according to their supputation from the year of our Lord Iesus Christ 1013. to the year 1072. by which account it appears that the Indiaes were under the Empire of China but onely fifty and nine years for the successor of him that conquered it called Exiragano voluntarily abandoned it in regard of the great expence of mony and bloud that the unprofitable keeping of it cost him In those thirty Houses whereof I formerly spake were a great number of Idols of guilt Wood and a like number of Tin Lâ—tten and Pourcelain being indeed so many as I should hardly be believed to declare them Now we had not past above five or six leagues from this place but we came to a great Town about a league in circuit quite destroyed and ruinated so that asking the Chineses what might be the cause thereof they told us that this Town was anciently called Cohilouza that is The flower of the field and had in former times been in very great prosperity and that about one hundred forty and two years before a certain stranger in the company of some Merchants of the Port of Tanaçarim in the Kingdom of Siam chanced to come thither being as it seems an holy man although the Bonzes said he was a Sorcerer by reason of the wonders he did having raised up five dead men and wrought many other Miracles whereat all men were exceedingly astonished and that having divers times disputed with the Priests he had so shamed and confounded them as fearing to deal any more with him they incensed the Inhabitants against him and perswâ—ded them to put him to death affirming that otherwise God would consume them with fire from Heaven whereupon all the Townsmen went unto the House of a poor Weaver where he lodged and killing the Weaver with his son and two sons in Law of his that would have defended him the Holy man came forth to them and reprehending them for this uproar he told them amongst other things That the God of the Law whereby they were to be saved was called Iesus Christ who came down from heaven to the earth for to become a man and that it was needful he should dye for men and that with the price of his precious bloud which he shed for sinners upn the Crosse God was satisfied in his justice and that giving him the charge of Heaven and Earth he had promised him that whosoever professed his Law with Faith and good works should be saved and have everlasting life and withall that the gods whom the Bonzes served and adored with sacrifices of bloud were false and Idols wherwith the Devil deceived them Here at the Churchmen entred into so great furie that they called unto the people saying Cursed be he that brings not wood and fire for to burn him which was presently put in execution by them and the fire beginning exceedingly to rage the Holy man said certain Prayers by vertue whereof the fire incontinently went out wherewith the people being amazed cryed out saying Doubtlesse the God of this man is most mighty and worthy to be adored throughout the whole World which one of the Bonzes hearing who was ring-leader of this mutiny and seeing the Town-men retire away in consideration of that they had beheld he threw a stone at the holy man saying They which do not as I do may the Serpent of the night ingulf them into hell fire At these words all the other Bonzes did the like so that he was presently knock'd down dead with the stones they flâ—ng at him whereupon they cast him into the river which most prodigiously staid its course from running down and so continued for the space of five days together that the body lay in it By means of this wonder many imbraced the law of that holy man whereof there are a great number yet remaining in that country Whilest the Chineses were relating thishistory unto us we arrived at a point of land where going to double Cape we descryed a little place environed with trees in the midst whereof was a great cross of stone very well made which we no sooner espied but transported with exceeding joy we fell on our knees before our Conductor humbly desiring him to give us leave to go on shoar but this Heathen dog refused us saying that they had a great way yet to the place where they were to lodge whereat we were mightily grieved Howbeit God of his mercy even miraculously so ordered it that being gone about a league further his wife fell in labour so as he was constrained to return to that place again it being a Village of thirty or forty houses hard by where the Cross stood Here we went on land and placed his wife in an house where some nine days after she died in Child-bed during which time we went to the Cross and prostrating our selves before it with tears in our eyes The people of the Village beholding us in this posture came to us and kneeling down also with their hands lift up to heaven they said Christo Iesu Iesu Christo Maria micauvidau late impont model which in our tongue signifies Iesus Christ Iesus Christ Mary always a Virgine conceived him a Virgine brought him forth and a Virgine still remained whereunto we weeping answered that they spake the very truth Then they asked us if we were Christians we told them we were which as soon as they understood they carried us home to their houses where they entertained us with great affection Now all these
were Christians and descended of the Weaver in whose house the holy man was lodged of whom demanding whether that which the Chineses had told us was true they shewed us a book that contained the whole history thereof at large with many other wonders wrought by that holy man who they said was named Matthew Escandel and that he was an Hermit of Mount Sinai being an Hungarian by nation and born in a place called Buda The same book also related that nine days after this Saint was buried the said Town of Cohilouzaa where he was murthered began to tremble in such sort as all the people thereof in a mighty fright ran out into the fields and there continued in their tents not daring to return unto their houses for they cried out all with one common consent The blood of this stranger craves vengeance for the unjust death the Bonzes hath given him because he preached the truth unto us But the Bonzes rebuked and told them that they committed a great sin in saying so Nevertheless they willed them to be of good cheer for they would go all to Quiay Tiguarem God of the night and request him to command the earth to be quiet otherwise we would offer him no more sacrifices Immediately whereupon all the Bonzes went accordingly in procession to the said Idol which was the chiefest in the Town but none of the people durst follow them for fear of some earthquake which the very next night about eleven of the clock as those divelish monsters were making their sacrifices with odoriferous perfumes and other ceremonies accustomed amongst them increased so terribly that by the Lords permission and for a just punishment of their wickedness it quite overthrew all the Temples houses and other edifices of the Town to the ground wherewith all the Bonzes were killed not so much as one escaped alive being in number above four thousand as the book delivereth wherein it is further said that afterwards the earth opening such abundance of water came forth as it clean overwhelmed and drowned the whole Town so that it became a great lake and above an hundred fathom deep moreover they recounted many other very strange particulars unto us and also however since that time the place was named Fiunganorsee that is the chastisement of heaven whereas before it was called Cohilouzaa which signifies the flower of the field as I have declared heretofore After our Departure from the ruines of Fiunganorsee we arrived at a great Town called Iunquinilau which is very rich abounding with all kind of things fortified with a strong Garrison of Horse and Foot and having a number of Junks and Vessels riding before it Here we remained five days to celebrate the Funeral of our Chifuus wife for whose soul he gave us by way of alms both meat and clothes and withall freeing us from the oar permitted us to go ashore without irons which was a very great ease unto us Having leâ—t this place we continued our course up the river beholding still on either side a world of goodly great Towns invironed with strong walls as also many Fortresses and Castles all along the waters side we saw likewise a great number of Temples whose Steeples were all guilt and in the fields such abundance of cattel that the ground was even covered over with them so far as we could well discern Moreover there were so many vessels upon this river especially in some parts where Fairs were kept that at first sight one would have thought them to be populous Towns besides other lesser companies of three hundred five hundred six hundred and a thousand boats which continually we met withall on both sides of the river wherein all things that one could imagine were sold Moreover the Chineses assured us that in this Empire of China the number of those which levied upon the rivers was not less then those that dwelled in the Towns and that without the good order which is observed to make the common people work and to constrain the meaner sort to supply themselves unto trades for to get their living they would eat up one another Now it is to be noted that every kind of traffique and commerce is divided among them into three or four forms as followeth They which trade in Ducks whereof there are great quantities in this Countrey proceed therein diversly some cause their egs to be hatched for to sell the Ducklings others fat them when they are great for to sell them dead after they are salted These traffique only with the egs others with the feathers and some with the heads feet gizards and intrails no man being permitted to trench upon his companions sale under the penalty of thirty lashes which no priviledg can exempt them from In the same manner concerning hogs some sell them alive and by whole sale others dead and by retail some make bacon of them others sell their pigs and some again sell nothing but the chitterlings the sweet-breads the blood and the haslets which is also observed for fish for such a one sels it fresh that cannot sell it either salted or dried and so of other Provisions as flesh fruit fowls venison pulse and other things wherein such rigour is used as there are chambers expresly established whose officers have commission and power to see that they which trade in one particular may not do it in another if it be not for just and lawful couses and that on pain of thirty lashes There be others likewise that get their living by selling fish alive which to that purpose they keep in great well-boats and so carry them into divers countrys where they know there is no other but salt fish There are likewise all along this river of Batampina whereon we went from Nanquin to Pequin which is distant one from the other one hundred and fourscore leagues such a number of engines for sugar and presses for wine and oyl made of divers sorts of pulse and fruit as one could hardly â—ee any other thing on either side of the water In many other places also there were an infinite company of Houses and Magazines full of all kinds of provision that one could imagine where all sorts of flesh are salted dried smoaked and piled up in great high heaps as gammons of Bacon Pork Lard Geese Ducks Cranes Bustards Ostriches Stags Cows Buffles wild Goats Rhinoceroses Horses Tygers Dogs Foxes and almost all other creatures that one can name so that we said many times amongst our selves that it was not possible for all the people of the world to eat up all those provisions We saw likewise upon the same river a number of Vessels which they call Panouras covered from the poup to the prow with nets in manner of a cage three inches high full of ducks and geese that were carried from place to place to be sold when the Owners of those boats would have these fowl to feed they approach to the Land and where there are rich medows
the good I have done you for Gods sake To conclude all the vessels where these things are exposed to sale are seldom less in number then two hundred besides thousands of others which sell such like wares in a far greater quantity We saw likewise many Barcasses full of men and women that played upon divers sorts of instruments and for mony gave them musick that desired it There were other vessels laden with horns which the Priests sold therewith to make feasts in Heaven for they say that those were the horns of several beasts which were offered in sacrifice to the Idols out of devotion and for the performance of vows that men had made in divers kind of misfortunes and sicknesses wherein they had at others times been And that as the flesh of those beasts had been given here below for the honour of God to the poor so the souls of them for whom those horns were offered do in the other world eat the souls of of those beasts to whom those horns belonged and thereunto invite the souls of their friends as men use to invite others here on earth Other vessels we saw covered with blacks and full of tombs torches and great wax lights as also women in them that for money would be hired to weep and lament for the dead others there were called Pitaleus that in great barques kept divers kinds of wild beasts to be shewed for mony most dreadful to behold as Serpents huge Adders monstrous Lizards Tygers and many others such like we saw in like sort a great number of Stationers which sold all manner of books that could be desired as well concerning the creation of the world whereof they tell a thousand lies as touching the States Kingdoms Islands and Provinces of the world together with the Laws and Customs of Nations but especially of the Kings of China their number brave acts and of all things else that happened in each of their reigns Moreover we saw a great many of the light swift Foysts wherein were men very well armed who cried out with a loud voice that if any one had received an affront whereof he desired to be avenged let him come unto them and they would cause satisfaction to be made him In other vessels there were old women that served for midwives and that would bring women speedily and easily a bed as also a many of Nurses ready to be entertained for to give children suck There were barques likewise very well adornâ—d and set â—orth that had in them divers reverend old men and grave matrons whose profession was to make marriages and to comfort widows or such as had lost their children or suffered any other misfortune In others there were a number of young men and maids that lacked Masters and Mistresses which offered themselves to any that would hire them There were other vessels that had in them such as undertook to tell fortunes and to help folks to things lost In a word not to dwell any longer upon every particular that was to be seen in this moving Town for then I should never have done it shall suffice me to say that nothing can be desired on land which was not to be had in their vessels and that in greater abundance then I have delivered wherefore I will passe from it to shew you that one of the principal causes why this Monarchy of China that contains two and thirty Kingdoms is so mighty rich and of so great commerce is because it is exceedingly replenished with rivers and a world of Chanals that have been anciently made by the Kings great Lords and people thereof for to render all the Country navigable and so communicate their labours with one another The narrowest of these Chanals have bridges of hewed stone over them that are very high long and broad whereof some are of one stone eighty ninety nay an hundred spans long and fifteen or twenty broad which doubtlesse is very marvellous for it is almost impossible to comprehend by what means so huge a masse of stone could be drawn out of the Quarry without breaking and how it should be transported to the place where it was to be set All the ways and passages from Cities Towns and Villages have very large causeys made of fair stone at the ends whereof are costly pillars and arches upon which are inscriptions with letters of gold containing the pray sers of them that erected them moreover there are handsome seats placed all along for poor passengers to rest themselves on There are likewise innumerable Aqueducks and fountains every where whose water is most wholesom and excellent to drink And in divers parts there are certain Wenches of love that out of charity prostitute themselves to travellers which have no mony and although amongst us this is held for a great abuse and abomination yet with them it is accounted a work of mercy so that many on their death-beds do by their testaments bequeath great revenues for the maintenance of this wickedness as a thing very meritorious for the salvation of their souls moreover many others have left lands for the erecting and maintaining of houses in deserts and unhabited places where great fires are kept all the night to guide such as have strayed out of their way as also water for men to drink and seats to repose them in and that there may be no default herein there are divers persons entertained with very good means to see these things carefully continued according to the institution of him that founded them for the health of his soul. By these marvels which are found in the particular Towns of this Empire may be concluded what the greatness thereof might be were they joyned all together but for the better satisfaction of the Reader I dare boldly say if my testimony may be worthy of credit that in one and twenty years space during which time with a world of misfortune labour and pain I traversed the greatest part of Asia as may appear by this my discourse I had seen in some countrys a wonderfull abundance of several sorts of victuals and provisions which we have not in our Europe yet without speaking what each of them might have in particular I do not think there is in all Europe so much as there is in China alone And the same may be said of all the rest wherewith Heaven hath favoured this clymate as well for the temperature of the air as for that which concerns the policy and riches the magnificence and greatness of their estate Now that which gives the greatest luster unto it is their exact observation of justice for there is so well ruled a Government in this Country as it may justly be envied of all others in the world And to speak the truth such as want this particular have no gloss be they otherways never so great commendable Verily so often as I represent unto my self those great things which I have seen in this China I am on the one
side amazed to think how liberally it hath pleased God to heap up on this people the goods of the earth on the other side I am exceedingly grieved to consider how ungratefull they are in acknowledging such extraordinary favours for they commit amongst themselves an infinite of most enormous sins wherewithal they incessantly offend the Divine Goodness as well in their bruitish and diabolical Idolatries as in the abominable sin of Sodomy which is not only permitted amongst them in publique but is also accounted for a great vertue according to the instructions of their Priests CHAP. XXXII Our Arrival at the City of Pequin together with our imprisonment and that which moreover happened unto us there as also the great Majesty of the Officers of their Court of Iustice. AFter we were departed from that rare and marvellous Town whereof I have spoken we continued our course up the river until at length on Tuesday the nineteenth of October in the year 1541. we arrived at the great City of Pequin whither as I have said before we had been remitted by Appeal In this manner chained three and three together we were cast into a prison called Gofaniauserca where for our welcom we had at the first dash thirty lashes a piece given us wherewith some of us became very sick Now as soon as the Chifuu who conducted us thither had presented the process of our sentence sealed with twelve seals to the Justice of the Aytao which is their Parliament the twelve Chonchalis of the criminal Chamber unto whom the cognisance of our cause appertained commanded us presently away to prison whereupon one of those twelve assisted by two Registers and six or seven officers whom they term Hupes and are much like our Catchpoles here terrified us not a little as he was leading us thither for giving us very threatning speeches Come said he unto us By the power and authority which I have from the Aytao of Batampina chief President of the two and thirty Iudges of strangers within whose brest are the secrets of the Lyon crowned on the throne of the world inclosed I enjoyn and command you to tell me what people you are as also of what country and whether you have a King who for the service of God and for the discharge of his dignity is inclined to do good to the poor and to render them justice to the end that with tears in their eyes and hands lifted up they may not addresse their complaints to that Soveraign Lord which hath made the bright Enamel of the skies and for whose holy feet all they that reign with him serve but for sandals To this demand we answered him that we were poor strangers natives of the Kingdom of Siam who being imbarqued with our Merchandise for Liampoo were cast away in a great storm at sea from whence we escaped naked with the loss of all that we had and how in that deplorable estate we were fain to get our living by begging from door to door till such time as at our arrival at the Town of Taypor the Chumbim then resident there had arrested us for prisoners without cause and so sent us to the City of Nanquin where by his report we had been condemned to the whip and to have our thumbs cut off without so much as once daigning to hear us in our justifications by reason whereof lifting up our eyes to Heaven we had been adviced to have recourse with our tears to the four and twenty Judges of austâ—er life that through their zeal to God they might take our cause in hand since by reason of our poverty we were altogether without support and abandoned of all men which with an holy zeal they incontinently effected by revoking the cause and annulling the judgment that had been given against us and that these things considered we most instantly besought him that for the service of God he would be pleased to have regard to our misery and the great injustice that was done us for that we had no means in this Country nor person that would speak one word for us The Judg remained somtimes in suspence upon that we had said to him at length he answered that we need say no more to him for it is sufficient that I know you are poor to the end this affair may go another way then hitherto it hath done neverthertheless to acquit me of my charge I give you five days time conformably to the Law of the third Book that within the said term you may retain a Proctor to undertake your cause but if you will be advised by me you shall present your request to the Tanigores of the sacred Office to the end that they carryed by an holy zeal of the honour of God may out of compassion of your miseries take upon them to defend your right Having spoken thus he gave us a Taeis in way of alms and said further to us Beware of the prisoners that are here for I assure you that they make it their trade to steal all that they can from any one whereupon entring into another chamber where there were a great number of prisoners he continued there above three hours in giving them audience at the end whereof he sent seven and twenty men that the day before had received their judgment to execution which was inflicted upon them by whipping to death a spectacle so dreadful to us and that put us in such a fright as it almost set us besides our selves The next morning as soon as it was day the Jaylors clapt irons on our feet and manacles on ouâ— hands and put us to exceeding great pain but seven days after we had endured such misery being laid on the ground one by another and bewayling our disaster for the extream fear we were in of suffering a most cruel death if that which we had done at Calempluy should by any means chance to be discovered it pleased God that we were visited by the Tanigores of the house of mercy which is of the jurisdiction of this prison who are called in their language Cofilem Gnaxy At their arrival all the prisoners bowing themselves said with a lamentable tonâ— Blessed be the day wherein God doth visit us by the ministery of his servants whereunto the Tanigories made answer with a grave and modest countenance The Almighty and divine hand of him that hath formed the beauty of the stars keep and preserve you Then approaching to us they very courteously demanded of us what people we were and whence it proceeded that our imprisonment was more sensible to us then to others To this speech we replied with tears in our eyes that we were poor strangers so abandoned of men as in all that Country there was not one that knew our names and that all we could in our poverty say to intreat them to think of us for Gods sake was contained in a letter that we had brought them from the Chamber of the Society of the house
savoury viands for to relish ones drink all in so great abundance that it would be very superfluous to say more of it but what I speak is to shew how liberally God hath imparted to these miserable blinded wretches the good things which he hath created on the earth to the end that his holy Name may therefore be blessed for evermore CHAP. XXXV The Prison of Xinanguibaleu wherein those are kept which have been condemned to serve at the reparations of the wall of Tartaria and another inclosure called the Treasure of the dead with the revenues whereof this prison is maintained DEsisting now from speaking in particular of the great number of the rich and magnificent buildings which we saw in this City of Pequin I will only insist on some of the Edifices thereof that seemed more remarkable to me then the rest whence it may be easie to infer what all those might be whereof I will not make any mention here to avoid prolixity And of these neither would I speak were it not that our Lord may one day permit that the Portugal Nation full of valour and of lofty courage may make use of this relation for the glory of our great God to the end that by these humane means and the assistance of his divine favor it may make those barbarous people understand the verity of our holy Catholique faith from which their sins have so far esloigned them as they mock at all that we say to them thereof Hereunto I will adde that they are extravagant and senceless as they dare boldly affirm that only with beholding the face of the Son of the Sun which is their King a soul would be more happy then with all other things of the world besides which perswades me that if God of his infinite mercy and goodness would grant that the King of the people might become a Christian it would be an easie matter to convert all his Subjects whereas otherwise I hold it difficult for so much as one to change his belief and all by reason of the great awe they are in of the Law which they fear and reverence a like and whereof it is not to be believed how much they cherish the Ministers But to return to my discourse the first building which I saw of those that were most remarkable was a prison which they call Xinanguibaleu that is to say The inclosure of the Epiles the circuit of this prison is two leagues square or little less both in length and bredth It is inclosed with a very high wall without any battlements the wall on the outside is invironed with a great deep ditch full of water over the which are a many of draw-bridges that are drawn up in the night with certain iron chains and so hang suspended on huge cast pillars In this prison is an arch of strong hewed stone abutting in two towers in the tops whereof are six great sentinel bells which are never rung but all the rest within the said inclosure do answer them which the Chineses affirm to be above an hundred and indeed they make a most horrible din. In this place there are ordinarily three hundred thousand prisoners between seventeen and fifty whereat we were much amazed and indeed we had good cause in regard it is a thing so unusual and extraordinary Now desiring to know of the Chineses the occasion of so marvellous a building and of the great number of prisoners that were in it they answered us that after the King of China named Crisnago Docotay had finished a wall of three hundred leagues space betwixt this Kingdom of China and that of Tartaria as I have declared other where he ordained by the advice of his people for to that effect he caused an Assembly of his Estates to be held that all those which should be condemned to banishment should be sent to work in the repairing of this wall and that after they had served six years together therein they might freely depart though they were sentenced to serve for a longer time because the King pardoned them the remainder of the term by way of charity and alms but if during those years they should happen to perform any remarkable act or other thing wherein it appeared they had advantage over others or if they were three times wounded in the Sallies they should make or if they killed some of their enemies they were then to be dispensed with for all the rest of their time and that the Chaem should grant them a certificate thereof where it should be declared why he had delivered them and how he had thereby satisfied the Ordinances of War Two hundred and ten thousand men are to be continually entertained in the work of the wall by the first institution whereof defalcation is made of a third part for such are dead maimed and delivered either for their notable actions or for that they had accomplished their time And likewise when as the Chaem who is as the chief of all those sent to the Pitaucamay which is the highest Court of Justice to furnish him with that number of men they could not assemble them together so soon as was necessary for that they were divided in so many several places of that Empire which is prodigiously great as I have delivered before and that withall a long time was required for the assembling them together another King named Gopiley Aparau who succeeded to that Crisnago Dacotay ordained that the great inclosure should be made in the City of Pequin to the end that as soon as any were condemned to the work of this wall they should be carried to Xinanguibaleu for to be there altogether by which means they might be sent away without any delay as now is done So soon as the Court of Justice hath committed the prisoners to this prison whereof he that brings them hath a Certificate they are immediately left at liberty so that they may walk at their pleasure within this great inclosure having nothing but a little plate of a span long and four fingers broad wherein these words are engraven Such a one of such a place hath been condemned to the general exile for such a cause he entred such a day such a month such a year Now the reason why they make every prisoner to carry this plate for a testimony of their evil actions is to manifest for what crime he was condemned and at what time he entred because every one goes forth conformably to the length of time that shall be since he entred in These prisoners are held for duly delivered when they are drawn out of captivity for to go and work at the wall for they cannot upon any cause whatsoever be exempted from the prison of Xinanguibaleu and the time they are there is counted to them for nothing in regard they have no hope of liberty but at that instant when their turn permits them to work in the reparations for then they may be sure to be delivered according
to the ordinance whereof I have made mention before Having now delivered the occasion whereof so great a prison was made before I leave it I hold it not amiss to speak of a Fair which we saw there of two that are usually kept every year which those of the Country call Gunxinem Apparau Xinanguibaleu that is to say The rich Fair of the prison of the condemned These Fairs are kept in the months of Iuly and Ianuary with very magnificent feasts solemnized for the invocation of their Idols And even there they have their plenory indulgences by means whereof great riches of gold and silver are promised them in the other world They are both of them frank and free so as the Merchants pay no duties which is the cause that they flock thither in such great number as they assured us that there were three millions of persons there And forasmuch as I said before that the three hundred thousand that are imprisoned there are at liberty as well as those that go in and out you shall see what course they hold to keep the prisoners from getting forth amongst others Every one that is free and comes in hath a mark set on the wrist of his right arm with a certain Confection made of Oyl Bitumen Lacre Rubarb and Alum which being once dry cannot be any wayes defaced but by the means of vinegar and salt mingled together very hot And to the end that so great a number of people may be marked on both sides of the gates stand a many of Chainpatoens who with stamps of lead dipt in this Bitumen imprints a mark on every one that presents himself unto them and so they let him enter which is only practised on men not upon women because none of that Sex are ever condemned to the labour of the wall When therefore they come to go out of the gates they must all have their arms bared where this mark is that the said Chaintapoâ—ns who are the Porters and Ministers of this affair may know them and let them pass and if by chance any one be so unhappy as to have that mark defaced by any accident must even have patience and remain with the other prisoners in regard there is no way to get him out of this place if he be found without that mark Now those Chaintapoens are so dextrous and well versed in it that an hundred thousand men may in an hour go in and out without trouble so that by this means the three hundred thousand prisoners continue in their captivity and none of them can slip away amongst others to get out There are in this prison three great inclosures like great towns where there are a number of houses and very long streets without any lanes and at the entrance into each street there are good gates with their sentinel bells aloft together with a Chumbim and twenty men for a Guard within a flight shoot of those inclosures are the lodgings of the Chaem who commands all this prison and those lodgings are composed of a number of fair houses wherein are many out-Courts Gardens Ponds Halls and Chambers inriched with excellent inventions able to lodge a King at his ease how great a Court soever he have In the two principal of these Towns there are two streets each of them about a flight shoot long which abut upon the Chaems lodgings arched all along with stone and covered over head like the Hospital at Lisbon but that they far surpass it Here are all things to be sold that one can desire as well for victual and other kind of provisions as for all sorts of Merchandise and rich wares In those arched streets which are very spacious and long are these two Fairs kept every year whither such an infinite multitude of people resort as I have declared before Moreover within the inclosure of this prison are divers woods of tall and high trees with many small streams and ponds of clear sweet water for the use of the prisoners and to wash their linnen as also sundry Hermitages and Hospitals together with twelve very sumptuous and rich Monasteries so that whatsoever is to be had in a great Town may in great abundance be found within the inclosure and with advantage in many things because the most part of these prisoners have their wives and children there to whom the King gives a lodging answerable to the houshold or family which each one hath The second of those things which I have undertaken to relate is another inclosure we saw almost as big as the former compassed about with strong walls and great ditches This place is called Muxiparan which signifies The treasure of the dead where are many towers of hewed carved stone and steeples diversly painted The walls on the top are in stead of battlements invironed with iron grates where there are a number of idols of different figures as of Men Serpents Horses Oxen Elephants Fishes Adders and many other monstrous forms of creatures which were never seen some of Brass and Iron and others of Tin and Copper so that this infinite company of several figures joyned together is one of the most remarkable and pleasantest things that can be imagined Having past over the bridge of the ditch we arrived at a great Court that was at the first entrance inclosed round about with huge gates and paved all over with white and black stones in checquer work so polished and bright as one might see himself in them as in a looking glass In the midst of this Court was a pillar of Jasper six and thirty spans high and as it seemed all of one piece on the top whereof was an idol of silver in the figure of a woman which with her hands strangled a Serpent that was excellently enamâ—lled with black and green A little further at the entrance of another gate which stood between two very high towers and accompanied with four and twenty pillars of huge great stone there were two figures of men each of them with an iron club in his hand as if they had served to guard that passage being an hundred and forty spans high with such hideous and ugly visages as makes them even to tremble that behold them The Chineses called them Xixipatau Xalican that is to say The blowers of the house of smoak At the entring into this gate there were twelve men with halberds and two Registers set at a table who eâ—rolled all that entred tâ—ere unto whom every one paid a matter of a groat when we were entred within this gate we met with a very large street closed on both sides with goodly arches as well in regard of the workmanship as the rest round about the which hung an infinite company of little bells of lattin by chains of the same mettal that moved by the air made such a noise as one could with much ado hear one another This street might be about half a league long and within these arches on both sides of
who with each of them a Cenâ—er in his hand went two and two about then at the sound of a bell prostrated themselves on the ground and censed one another saying with a loud voice Let our cry come unto thee as a sweet perfume to the end thou mayest hear us For the Guard of of this Tent there were threeâ—core Halberdiers who at a little distance invironed it all about They were clothed with guilt leather and had Murrians on their heads curiously engraven all which were very agreeable and majestical objects Out of this place we entred into another division where there were four Chambers very rich and well furnished in the which were mâ—ny Gentlemen as well strangers as Tartars From thence passing on whithâ—r the Mitaquer and the young boys conducted us we arrived at the door of a great â—ow room in form like to a Church where stood six Ushers with their Maces who with a new complement to the Mitaquer caused us â—o â—nter but kept out all others In this room was the King of Tartaria accompanied with many Princes Lords and Captains amongst whom were the Kings of Pafua Mecuy Capinper Raina Benan Anchesacotay and others to the number of fourteen who in rich attire were all seated some three or four paces from the foot of the Tribunal A little more on the one side were two and thirty very fair women who playing upon divers instruments of musick made a wonderful sweet Consort The King was set on his Throne under a rich Cloth of State and had about him twelve young bâ—ys kneeling on their knees with little Maces of gold like Scepters which they carried on their shoulders close behind him was a young Lady extreamly beautiful and wonderfully richly attired with a Ventiloe in her hand wherewith she ever and anon fanned him This same was the sister of the Mitaquer our General and infinitely beloved of the King for whose sake therefore it was that he was in such credit and reputation throughout the whole Army The King was much about forty years of age full stature somewhat â—â—an and of a good aspect His beard was very short his Mustaches after the Turkish manner his eyes like to the Chineses and his countenance severe and majestical As for his vesture it was violet colour in fashion like to a Turkish Roak imbroydered with pearl upon his feet he had green Sandals wrought all over with gold pearl and great purls among it and on his head a sattin cap of the colour of his habit with a rich band of diamonds and rubies intermingled together Before we past any farther after we had gone ten or eleven steps in the room we made our complement by kissing of the ground three several times and performing other ceremonies which the Truch-men taught us In the mean time the King commanded the musick to cease and addressing himself to the Mitaquer Ask these men of the other end of the world said he unto him whether they have a King what is the name of their Country and how far distant it is from this Kingdom of China where now I am Thereupon one of ours speaking for all the rest answered That our Country was called Portugal that the King thereof was exceeding rich and mighty and that from thence to the City of Pequin was at the leâ—st three years voyage This answer much amazed the King because he did not think the world had been so large so that striking his thigh with a wand that he had in his hand and lifting up his eyes to Heaven as though he would render thanks unto God he said aloud so as eveâ—y one might hear him O Creator of all things are we able to comprehend the marvels of thy greaâ—ness we that at the best are but poor worms of the earth Fuxiquidane fuxiquidane let them approach let them approach Thereupon beckening to us with his hand he caused us to come even to the first degree of the Throne where the fourteen Kings sat and demanded of him again as a man astonished Pucau pucau that is to say how far how far whereunto he answered as before that we should be at least three years in returning to our Country Then he asked why we came not rather by Land then by Sea where so many labours and dangers were to be undergon Thereunto he replyed that there was too great an extent of land through which we were not â—ssured to pass for that it was commanded by Kings of several nations What come you to seek for then added the King and wherefore do you expose your selves to such dangers Then having rendred him a reason to this last demand with all the submission that might be he stayed a prety while without speaking and then shaking his head three or four times he addressed himselfe to an old man that was not far from him and said Certainly we must needs conclude that there is either much ambition or little justice in the Country of these people seeing they come so far to conquer other Lands To this Speech the old man named Raia Benan made no other answer but that it must â—eeds be so for men said he who have recourse unto their industry and invention to run over the Sea for to get that which God hath not given them are necessarily carried thereunto either by extream poverty or by an excess of blindness and vanity derived from much covetousness which is the cause why they renounce God and those that brought them into the world This reply of the old man was seconded with many jeering words by the other Courtiers who made great sport upon this occasion that very much pleased the King in the mean time the women fell to their musick again and so continued till the King withdrew into another Chamber in the company of these fair Musicians and that young Lady which fanned him not so much as one of those great Personages daring to enter besides Not long after one of those twelve boys that carried the Scepters before mentioned came to the Mitaquer and told him from his sister that the King commanded him not to depart away which he held for a singular favour by reason this message was delivered to him in the presence of those Kings and Lords that were in the room so that he stirred not but sent us word that we should go unto out tent with this assurance that he would take care the Son of the Sun should be mindful of us CHAP. XL. The King of Tartaria's raising of his Siege from before Pequin for to return into his Country and that which passed until his Arrival there WE had been now full three and forty dayes in this Camp during which time there past many fights and skirmishes between the besiegers and the besieged as also two assaults in the open day which were resisted by them within with an invincible courage like resolute men as they were In the mean time the King of Tartaria seeing how contrary
suffered by the way THe King of Bungo being extreamly grieved to see the disaster of his Son turned himself to me and beholding me with a very gentle countenance Stranger said he unto me try I pray thee if thou canst assist my Son in this peril of his life for I sware unto thee if thou canst do it I will make no less esteem of thee then of him himself and will give thee whatsoever thou wilt demand of me Hereunto I answered the King that I desired his Majesty to command all those people away because the coyle that they kept confounded me and that then I would see whether his hurts were dangerous for if I found that I was able to cure them I would do it most willingly Presently the King willed every one to be gone whereupon approaching unto the Prince I perceived that he had but two hurts one on the top of his forehead which was no great matter and the other on his right hand thumb that was almost cut off So that our Lord inspiring me as it were with new courage I besought the King not to be grieved for I hoped in lesâ— then a month to render him his Son perfectly recovered Having comforâ—ed him in this manner I began to prepare my self for the dressing of the Prince but in the mean time the King was very much reprehended by the Bonâ—oes who told him that his Son would assuredly die that night and therefore it was better for him to put me to death presently then to suffer me to kill the Prince out-right adding further that if it should happen to prove so as it was very likely it would not only be a great scandal unto him but also much alienate his peoples affections from him To these speeches of the Bonzoes the King replyed that he thought they had reason for that they said and therefore he desired them to let him know how he should govern himself in this extremity You must said they stay the coming of the Bonzo Teixâ—andono and never think of any other course for we assure you in regard he is the holiest man living he will no sooner lay his hand on him but he will heal him straight as he hath healed many othâ—rs in our â—ight As the King was even resolved to follow the cursed counsel of thâ—se servants of the Divel the Prince complained that his wounds pained 〈◊〉 in such sort aâ— he was noâ—â—ble to indure it and therefore prayed any handsome remedy might be instantly applied to them whereupon the King much distracted between the opinion of the Bonzoes and the danger that his Son was in of his life together with the extream pain that he suffered desired those about him to advice him what he should resolve on in that exigent not one of them but was of the mind that it was far more expedient to have the Prince drest out of hand then to stay the time which the Bonzoes spake of This counsel being approved of the King he came again to me and making very much of me he promised me mighty matters if I could recover his Son I answered him with tears in my eyes that by the help of God I would do it and that he himself should be witness of my care therein So recommending my self to God and taking a good heart unto me for I saw there was no other way to save my life but that I prepared all things necessary to perform the cure Now because the hurt of the right hand thumb was most dangerous I begun with that and give it seven stitches whereas peradventure if a Chirurgion had drest him he would have given it fewer as for that of the forehead I gave it but four in regard it was much slighter then the other that done I applyed to them tow wet in the whites of eggs and so bound them up very close as I had seen others done in the Indiaes Five days after I cut the stitches and continued dressing him as before until that at the end of twenty days it pleaâ—â—d God he was throughly cured without any other inconvenience remaining to him then a little weakness in his thumb For this cause after that time the Kâ—ng and all his Lords did me much honour the Queen also and the Princesses her daughters presented me with a great many Sutes of silks and the chiefest of the Court with Cymitars and other things bâ—sides all which the King gave me six hundred Taeis so that after this sort I received in recompence of this my cure above fifteen hundred Duckets that I carried with me from this place After things were past in this manner being advertised by letters from my two Companions at Tanixumaa that the Chinese Pirate with whom we came thither was preparing for his return to China I besought the King of Bungo to give me leave to go back which he readily granted me and with much acknowledgement of the curing of his Son he willed a Funce to be made ready for me furnished with all things necessary wherein commanded a man of quality that was attended by twenty of the Kings servants with whom I departed one Saturday morning from the City of Fucheo and the Friday following about Sun-set I arrived at Tanixumaa where I found my two Comrades who received me with much joy Here we continued fifteen days longer till such time as the Junck was quite ready and then we set Sail for Liampoo which is a Sea-port of the Kingdom of China whereof I have spoken at large heretofore and where at that time the Portugals traded Having continued our voyage with a prosperous wind it pleased God that we arrived safe at our desired Port where it is not to be believed how much we were welcome by the Inhabitants of the place Now because it seemed strange unto them that we had voluntarily submitted our selves in that sort to the bad faith of the Chineses they asked of us from what Country we came and where it was that we imbarqued our selves with them whereupon we freely declared unto them the truth of all and gave them an account of our Voyage as also of the new Land of Iapon that we had discovered the great abundance of silver that was there and the exceeding profit that might be made by carrying the commodities of China thither wherewith they were wonderfully contented and instantly ordained a general Procession to be made by way of thanksgiving unto God for so great a blessing But withall covetousness began in such sort to seize upon the hearts of most of the Inhabitants every one striving to be the foremost in this voyage as they came to divide themselves into troops and to make several parties so that even with weapons in their hands they went thronging to buy up the commodities of that Country which made the Chinese Merchants upon the sight of our unruly avarice set so high a price upon their wares that whereas a Pico of silk was at first not worth forty
Junck where looking very carefully unto them yet could I not in two dayes get one word from them But at length by the means of yolks of egs and good broaths which I made them take they came again to themselves so that in six or seven dayes they were able to render me a reason of their accident One of those Portugals was called Christovano Doria who was since sent into this Country for a Captain to Saint Tomé the other Luys Taboâ—da and the third Simano de Brito all men of credit and rich Merchants These same recounted unto us that coming from the Indiaes in a vessâ—l belonging to Iorge Manhoz that was married at Goa with a purpose to go to the Port of Charingan in the Kingdom of Bengala they were cast away in the sands of Rucano for want of taking heed so that of fourâ—core persons that they were in the vessel onely seventeen being saved they had continued their course all along by the Coast for five dayes together intâ—nding if possibly they could to recover the river of Cosmira in the Kingdom of Pegu there to shâ—p thâ—mselves for the Indiaes in some vâ—ssâ—l or other thaâ— they should meet with in the Port but whilest they were in this resolution thâ—y were so driven by a most impetuous Westerly wind that in one day and a night they lost the sight of Land finding themselves in the maâ—n Sea without Oars without Sayls and all knowledge of the winds they continued in that State sixteen daâ—s together at the end whereof their water coming to sail all died but those three he saw before him Upon the finishing of this relation we proceeded on in our course and within four days after we met with five Portugal vessels which were sayling from Bengala to Malaca Having shewed them Pedro de Faria's Order I desired them to keep in consort together for fear of the Achems Army that ranged all over the Coast lest through their imprudence they should fall into any mischief and thereof I demanded a Certificate from them which they willingly granted as also furnished me very plentifully with all things necessary Having made this dispatch we continued our course and nine days after we arrived at the Bar of Martabano on a Friday the seven and twentieth of March one thousand five hundred forty and five having past by Tarnassery Tovay Mâ—rguin Iuncay Pullo Camuda and Vagaruu without hearing any tidings of those hundred Portugals in search of whom I went bâ—cause before that they had taken pay in the service of the Chaubainhaa King of Martabano who according to report had sent for them to assist him against the King of Bramaa that held him besieged with an Army of seven hundred thousand men as I have declared before howbeit they were not at this time in his Service as we shall see presently It was almost two hours within night when we arrived at the mouth of the River where we cast anchor with a resolution to go up the next day to the City Having continued some time very quiet we â—ver and anon heard many Cannon shot whereat we were so troubled as we knew not what to resolve on As soon as the Sun rose the Nâ—coda assembled his men to Councel for in Semblable occasions he always used so to do and told them that as sure as they were all to have a share in the peril so it was fit that every one should give his advice about it Then he made them a Speech wherein he represented unto them that which they had heard that night and how in regard thereof he feared to go unto the City Their opinions upon it were very different howbeit at length they concluded that their eyes were to be witnesses of that whereof they stood in such doubt To this end we set Sail having both wind and tyde and doubled a poâ—nt called Mounay from whence we discovered the City invironed with a world of men and upon the River almost as many vessels and although we suspected what this might be because we had heard something of it yet left we not off from sayling to the Port where we arrrived with a great deal of care and having discharged our Ordnance according to the usual manner in signe of peace we perceived a vessel very well furnished came directly to us from the shore wherein there was six Portugals at which we exceedingly rejoyced These presently came abord our Junck where they were very well entertained having declared unto us what we were to do for the safety of our persons they councelled us not to budge from thence for any thing in the world as we had told them our resolution was to have fled that night to Bengala because if we had followed that designe we had 〈◊〉 been lost and taken by the Fleet which the King of Bramaa had in that place consisting 〈◊〉 seventeen hundred Sayls wherein were comprised an hundred Gallies very well furnished with strangers They added withall that they were of opinion I should go ashore with them to Ioano Cayâ—yro who was Captain of the Portugals for to give him an account of the cause that brought me thither the rather for that he was a man of a sweet disposition and a great friend of Pedro de Faria's to whom they had often heard him give much commendation as well for his noble extraction as for the goodly qualities that were in him besides they told me that I should find Lançarote Gueyreyro and the rest of the Captains with him unto whom my aforesaid Letters were directed and that I should do nothing therein prejudicial to the Service of God and the King This counsel seeming good unto me I went presently to land with the Portugals to wait on Ioano Cayeyro to whom I was exceeding wâ—lcome as likewise to all the rest that were in his quarters to the number of seven hundred Portugals all rich men and of good esteem Then I shewed Ioano Cayeyro my Letters and the Order that Pedro de Faria had given me Moreover I treated with him about the affair that led me thither whereupon I observed that he was very instant with the Captains to whom I was addrest who answered him that they were ready to serve the King in all occasions that should be presented howbeit since the Letter of Pedro de Faria Governour of Malaca was grounded on the fear that he was in of the Army of the Achems composed of an hundred and thirty Sayl whereof Bijaya Sora King of Pedir was General and it having fallen out that his Admiral had been defeated at Tarnasery by those of the Country with the loss of seventy Lanchares and six thousand men it was not needful they should stir for that occasion for according to what they had seen with their own eyes the Forces of that enemy were so mightily weakned as they did not think he could in ten years space recover again the loss he had sustained To this they added many other reasons
foaming with poyson make horrible cries and be delivered into the burning jawes of the dragon of discord whom the true Lord of all the Gods hath cursed for ever whereas contrarily to those that shall be so happy as to obey this Proclamation as his holy brethren and allies shall be granted in this life a perpetuall peace accompanied with a great deale of wealth and riches and after their death their souls shall be no lesse pure and agreeable to God then those of the Saints which goe dancing amidst the beams of the Sun in the celestiall repose of the Lord Almighty This publication made the musick began to play again with a great noise as before which made such an impression in the hearts of them that heard it as in seven nights that it continâ—ed above threescore thousand persons went and rendred themselves to the Xemindoo for most of them which heard those words gave as much credit thereunto as if an Angell from heaven had spoken them In the meane time the besieged Tyrant seeing that these secret Proclamations of the enemy were so prejudiciall unto him as they could not chuse but turn to his utter ruine brake the truce at twelve dayes end and deliberated with his Councell what he should do who advised him by no means to suffer h mself to remaine any longer besieged for feare left the inhabitants should mutinie and fall from him to the enemy and that the best and surest way was to fight with the Xemindoo in the open field before he grew to any further strength This resolution being approved of by Zenim de Satan he prepared himself for the execution of it to which effect he two dayes after before it was day sallied out at five gates of the city with fourscore thousand men which then he had and charged the enemies with strange fury They then in the meane time who alwayes stood upon their guard received them with a great deale of courage whereupon insued so cruell a conflict between them that in lesse then halfe an houre for so long lasted the heat of the fight there fell on both sides above forty thousand men but at the end of that time the new King Zenim was born from his Elephant by an harquebuze shot discharged at him by a Portugall named Gonçalo Nâ—to which caused all the rest to render themselves and the city likewise upon condition that the inhabitants should have their goods and lives saved By this means the Xemindoo entred peaceably into it and the very same day which was a Saturday the three and twentieth of February a thousand five hundred fifty and one he caused himself to be crowned King of Pegu in the greatest Temple of the city As for Gonçalo Nâ—to he gave him in recompence for killing the Tyrant twenty Bisses of gold which are ten thousand Duckats and to the other Portugalls being eighty in number he gave five thousand Duckats besides the honors and prsviledges which they had in the country he also exempted them for three years from paying any custome for their merchandize which was afterwards very exactly observed CHAP. LXXIII That which the Xemindoo did after he was Crowned King of Pegu with the Chaumigrems the King of Bramaaes Foster-Brothers coming against him with a great Army and divers other memorable things THe Xemindoo seeing himself Crowned King of Pegu and peaceable Lord of all the kingdome began to have thoughts far different from those which Xemin de Satan had had being raised to the same dignity of King for the first and principal thing wherein he imployed himself with all his endeavour was to maintain his Kingdome in peace and to cause Justice to flourish as indeed he established it with so much integritie as no man how great so ever he was durst wrong a lesser then himself withall in that which concerned the government of the Kingdome he proceeded with so much vertue and equity as it filled the strangers that were there with admiration so that one could not without marvel consider the peace the quiet and union of the wills of the people during the happy and peaceable estate of this Kingdome which continued the space of a year and better at the end whereof the Chaumigrem foster-brother to the same King of Bramaa whom Xemin de Satan had slaine as I have before declared having received advertisement that by reason of the rebellions and warres which since his departure from thence had happened in the Kingdome of Pegu the principall men of the State there had lost their lives and the Xemindoo who then raigned was unprovided of all things necessary for his defence he resolved once again to adventure upon the same enterprise which had formerly been undertaken by his late King With this design he entertained into his pay a mighty Army of strangers unto whom he gave a Tincall of gold by the month which is five dackets of our mony when as he had prepared all things in a readinesse he departed from Tanguu the place of his birth On the ninth day of March a thousand five hundred fifty and two with an Army of three hundred thousand men whereof only fifty thousand were Bramaas and all the rest Mons Chaleus Calaminhams Sauâ—nis Pamâ—rus and Auaas In the mean time the Xemindoo the new King of Pegu having certain intelligence of these great forces which were coming to fall upon him made preparation to go and meet them with a design to give them battle for which effect he assembled in the same City where he was a huge Army of nine hundred thousand men which were all Pegues by nation and consequently of a weake constitution and lesse warlick then all the others whereof I have spoken and on Tueseday the fourth of April about noone having received advice that the enemies Army was incamped all along the river of Meleytay some twelve leagues from thence he used such expedition as the same day and the next night all his Souldiers were put into battle array for whereas they had prepared every thing long before and had also been trayned by their Capt. there needed no great ado to bring them into order The day ensueing all these men of warre begun about nine of the clock in the morning to march at the sound of an infinite company of warlick instruments and went and lodged that night some two leagues from thence neer to the river Potarâ—u The next day an hour before Sun-set the Bramaa Chaumigrem appeared with so great a body of men as it took up the extent of a league and an half of ground his Army being composed of seaventy thousand horse of two hundred and thirty thousand foot and six thousand fighting elephants besides as many more which carried the baggage and victuals and in regard it was almost night he thought fit to lodge himself all along by the mountain that he might be in the greater safety Thus the night past with a good guard and a strange noise that was made on
of the teares of your eyes for the entertainment of my soul because of the good newes I now bring you which is that by the wil of God this Country is setled on our King Chaumigrem without being tyed to make any restitution thereof for which you have all of you good cause to rejoyce like good and faithfull servants as you are He had scarcely made an end of speaking thus when as all those of the assembly clapping their hands gave great demonstrations of joy and cryed out in a way of thanksgiving Be thou praised O Lord. All this ceremony ended the Priests full of devotion and zeal immediately took all the parts of this poor King dismembred in that sort and with great veneration carried them to a place below where a great fire was kindled of Sandal Aloes and Benjamin which cost a great deal then three of them taking up of the body of the deceased with the bowels and all the rest threw it into it and afterwads with a strange ceremony offered many sacrifices unto him whereof the most part were of sheep The body burned all that night untill the next moâ—ning and the ashes thereof was put into a silver urne wherein with a very solemn assembly of above ten thousand Priests it was carried to a Temple called The God of thousand Gods and there was buried in a rich tomb within a Chappel guilt all over Behold what was the end of the great and mighty Xemindoo King of Pegu unto whom his subjects bore so great respect and honour during the time of his raign which was so flourishing that it seemed there was no other Monarch greater then he on the earth but such is the course of all the world CHAP. LXXV My imbarking in the Kingdome of Pegu to go to Malaca and from thence to Japan and a strange accident which arrived there THe death of the good King of Siam and the adulterie of the Queen his wife whereof I have spoken at large heretofore were the root and beginning of so many discords and of so many cruell warres which hapning in those two Kingdomes of Pegu and Siam indured three years and an half with so much expence of mony and bloud as is horrible to think of Now the end of all those warres was that the Chaumigrem King of Bramaa remained absolute Lord of the Kingdome of Pegu howbeit for the present I will speak no further of him but will deliver that which arrived in other Countries untill such time as the same Chaumigrem King of Bramaa returned upon the Kingdome of Siam with so mighty an Army as never any King whatsoever in the Indiaes brought a greater into the field as consisting of seventeen hundred thousand men and of sixteen thousand elephants whereof nine thousand were for the carriage of the Baggage and seven thousand for fighting an enterprize that was so dammageable for us as I learned afterwards that it cost us two hundred and four score Portugals I come now again to my designe from which I have wandered a good while After that these commotions whereof I have spoken heretofore were all appeased Gonçalo Pacheco departed from the City of Pegu with all us the rest of the Portugals which remained there and whom the new King of Bramaa had delivered as I have already declared causing their merchandize to be restored unto them and obliging them with many other courtesies as well of Honour as of Liberty So we an hundred and three score Portugals as we were imbarqued our selves in five vessels which were at that time in the Port of Cosmin one of the principal Townes of that Kingdom and there we divided our selves as pilgrims and travellers to the Indiaes for to go into divers Countries according as each of us thought to be most convenient for him As for me I set sail for Malaca with six and twenty of my companions where when we were arrived I sojourned there one month only and then imbarqued my self again to go to Iapan with one Iorge Alvarez who in a Sip belonging to Simono de Mello Captain of the Fortresse went to traffick Now having been already six and twenty dayes under sail in contiâ—â—ing our course with a good winde according to the season wee came in sight of an Iland called Tanixumaa some nine Leagues South towards the point of the Land of Iapan so that turning our prow that vvay vve vvent and rode the next day in the midst of the haven of Ganxiroo In this place the Nautaquin who was Governour thereof had the curiositie to come unto us for to see a thing which he had never seen before to which effect he got aboard of us where amazed with the fashion and equipage of our vessel as being the first that ever arrived in that Country he seemed to be infinitely glad of our coming yea and was very earnest vvith us to have us trade in that place with him but Iorge Alvarez and the Merchants excused themselves saying that this port was not safe for their Ship if any contrary winde should happen to arise The day following being parted from this place to go to the Kingdom of Bungo from whence vve vvere distant some hundred leagues to the Northward in five dayes after our departure it pleased God that we arrived in the port of the Town of Fucheo where we were vvell received as vvell by the King as the people vvho greatly favoured us in that vvhich concerned the duties of our Merchandize and the King had yet more obliged us if in the little time that vve abode there he had not been miserably slain by a Vassal of his named Fucarandono a mighty Prince Lord of many Subjects and exceeding rich a disaster which hapned as followeth At the time when we arrived there there was in the King of Bungo's Court a young man called Axirandoo Nephew to the King of Arimaa vvho in regard of the ill intreaty vvhich he had received from the King his Uncle had retired himself into this Court and continued there above a yeer with an intent never to return into his Country again but his good fortune was such as his Uncle coming to die and having no other to succeed him he declared him for his Heir Whereupon the Fucarandono of whom I lately made mention desiring to marry this Prince to a Daughter of his intreated the King to mediate this marriage for him which he easily condescended unto For vvhich effect the King one day invited the Prince to go a hunting with him into a Wood which was some two leagues off and where there was great store of game vvhich he much delighted in When they were there in private together he moved this Marriage unto him and certified how exceedingly it vvould content him that hee vvould accept of it vvhich accordingly he did vvherewith the King seemed to be extremely satisfied so that upon his return unto the Town hee sent for the Fucarandono and told him how he had prevailed for the