there to this day the rate is very moderate CHAP. 2. Of the Provinces in particular and first of those of the South THis kingdome is divided into two parts South and North and both these subdivided into fifteen provinces as is above-said To this Southern part belong nine which are Cantone Quamsi Yunnam Fukien Kiamsi Suchuem Utquam Chekiam Nankim we will treate of these in this chapter and of the rest in the next That we may proceede distinctly speaking of them in the same order that we have named them Cantone is the first and lyeth in that part of the South that is properly named Quantum It is in the latitude of twenty three degrees it is large rich and abounding in wheat and rice of these it produceth each yeare two harvests though for the most part they are of a severall graine There is store of suger copper and tin materials which they worke with great variety into innumerable sorts of vessels as also workes made with Charam an excellent vernish and with guilding some whereof are transported into Europe The Jesuits in this province had two residencies with their Churches and houses vvhich perished by reason of Severall persecutions as you shall find hereafter The people are able Mechanicks and though of small invention yet they imitate excellently whatsoever they find invented To the City called also Cantone though the proper name thereof bee Guamcheufu the Portugesses go twice every year with their marchandice It is distant from Macao an hundred and five miles and Macao is distant from the first Islands and from the greater Cities of that Empire fifty four The circumference thereof is 15 good miles The concourse of merchants thither is very great and therefore it is more peopled than many of the other Cities The most and best commodities of that Kingdome are brought thither because it is the most open and free seat of trade in that nation And to say nothing of the six neighbouring kingdomes from whence all sorts of merchandise is brought thither as well by natives as strangers only that which the Portugesses take in for India Giappone and Manila cometh one year with another to five thousand three hundred chests of severall silke stuffes each chest including 100 pieces of the most substantial silks as velvet damask and sattin of the slighter stuffes as halfe-damasks painted and single taffities 250 peices of gold 2200 Ingots of 12 ounces weight a peece of musk seaven Pichi which is more then 35 Arrova's every Arrova weighing 25 pound of 6 ounces to the pound besides small pearle sugar Porcellane dishes China wood Rheâ—barbe and severall curious guilded workes and many other things of lesse importance it being hard to name them all even in a longer relation To this Province belongeth the Island of Aynan where pearls are fished in great plenty It is sufficiently populous by one city it hath Several villages on the North part thereof toowards the South there lyeth a barbarous people which admit the Chinesses only to trafficke and commerce without submitting to their dominion It produceth that precious wood of Aquila and that sweet wood which the Portugeses call rose-wood and the natives Hoalim and other things of lesse importance On the North side of Cantone the Province of Quamsi extendeth it selfe to the latitude of 25 degrees it enjoyes the same climate without any considerable difference so that it hath nothing particular which is notable and is counted the second Province Yunnam is the third and lyeth in the latitude of 24 degrees and is the furthest distant of any from the Centre of China it is a great countrie but hath little merchandise I know not any thing is brought from thence unlesse it bee that matter whereof they make the beads for chapplets which in Portugall they call Alambras and in Castile Ambares and are like Amber they are counted good against the catarre it is digged out of mines and sometimes in great peices it is redder than our Amber but not so cleane In this province is violated that custome of the Kingdome that women do not go to the market to buy or sell as in other countries of the world On the other side of Cantone is the fourth Province called Fâ—kieâ— or by another name Chincheo in the latitude of 26 degrees it is for the greatest part Mountanous and therefore not so well inhabited Contrary to the lawes of the Kingdom the Natives of this Province do go into the countries of the neighbouring strangers which are upon the sea-coasts It yeeldeth gold good sugar in great quantitie good Canvas-cloath for other linnen there is none in China There is made excellent paper of diverse kindes which for plenty goodnesse and cheapnesse is very remarkable They make use of printing no lesse conveniently and as it appeareth more anciently than in Europe although not in the very same manner for here after the printing of each sheet the letters are taken asunder there they carve what they would print upon boards or plate so that the bookes are still preserved entire in their work-houses and therefore as often as there is occasion they can reprint any book without the expence of new setting the letters This country is scituated upon the Sea-side and is another eminent port from whence are issued out of that Kingdom infinite Merchandise which are carried by the people of this country that are industrious and brought up to it to Manila Giappone and particularly to the Island Formosa which is even in the sight of the land for with a a good wind it is not above 24 houres voyage thither where they trade with the Hollanders There are two houses and Churches there belonging to our company under whose Government and direction are a great number of very good Christians who have about ten Churches belonging to them the which are visited by us very diligently at set times Two of their chiefe Churches are in the City of Fucheu which is their Metropolis another in the City of Cieumchu the rest in other Cities There are besides many particular Oratories The Island Formosa lyeth in the Latitude of 22 degrees it is situated between the Kingdomes of China and Giappone before you come thither you must passe by a great number of Islands named Liqueu the length of this Island is 150 miles the breadth 75. The Hollanders have there a fort placed in a sandy vale under which lyeth the Port which is encompassed with bankes of sand and if it were not distinguished and secured by certaine posts set up in the water the entrance would be very difficult even to those of the Countrie On the other side of the Island toward the East the Spanyards have a fort distant from that of the Hollanders 90 miles by sea and by land 45 as is reported The soyle of the Island is so fruitfull that it produceth grasse nine or ten palmes high a palme is nine inches English measure where the Hollanders feed their cattell There
the third Gate the which as I sayd above is a seate of much Merchandise for it hath two Cities in the borders thereof Gaucheu and Sucheu toward the West as Machao is in the Province of Contone toward the South from whence come numerous Caravans of above a thousand in company of severall Nations and Provinces but for the most part Moores Thus far came Brother Benedict-Goes to seek for the Kingdom of Cathaya which is no other than China it selfe whose voyage we will here breefly relate He departed in lent the year 1603 for to find out the truth of what was reported of the Kingdome of Cathaca by order of the superiors of India from the Kingdome of Mogor and the royal City of Laor in the Habit of an Armenian carrying Merchandise as well to live as to passe with the more facility The whole Caravan consisted of 500 Persons for the most part Sarasens and used to go every year from this royall City to another in another Kingdom named Cascar After a months voyage he arrived at a City named Athu of the same province with Laor thence in two months and a half to Passaur and after another month and a half sometimes travelling and sometimes resting he came to the City of Ghideli where he wanted little to have been slain by theeves And finally after 20 dayes more he came to the City of Cabu the most noble Merchant-towne of all the countries subjected to the Mogor from hence after some stay he passed to Parvám the last City of the Kingdom of Mogor then travelling for 20 daies over very high Mountains he came to Calcia a countrie of faire-hayred people and in other 25 dayes to Chema where he was forced to stay a month by reason of Civill broils and after many troubles and dangers of theeves and Banditti and having passed many countries of the Kings of Samarhan they came into the country of Tengo and at length he entred into the Metropolitan City of the Kingdom of Cascár called Tanghesár in the month of November in the same year At this City which is a noble seate of Merchandise for those Kingdomes the Caravan of Merchants which come from Cabull ended their voyage and a new Caravan setteth forth from thence to go to China But our Brother remained here first many months expecting the time of their departure and having in the meane time made himselfe known to the King of the country he obtained letters of favour and recommendations to all places whither he should go The time therefore being come he departed with ten horses for to carry himself his companion and his goods in company of the whole Caravan toward Chathyaya thaâ— is China in the moneth of November the year following and having travelled 25 dayes with a great deale of difficultie over stones and sand he came to the City of Aesu part of the Kingdom of Cascár after having passed a desart called Caracathai that is Black-earth and gone through many Cities at length he came to a City called Cialis in the same Kingdom of Cascár Here whilest he fitted himself for his journey there arrived Merchants which came from China of whom Brother Benedict learned some tydings of the City of Pekim and of our Fathers which had been there seen by these Sarasen Merchants So that he was satisfied that Cathaya was nothing else but China and the royall City named by the Sarasens Gambalú was Pekim From this City of Cialis Benedict departing with a few in company came in twenty dayes to Pucian and afterwards to Turphan Arâ—muth and Camul the last City of the Kingdome of Cialis From Camul after nine dayes journey they came to the wall of China at a placc called Chiacuon and so had entrance into China which he sought under the name of Cathaya Excepting therefore eleven dayes journey which was through a country peopled by Tartars all the rest of his voyage was through countries inhabited by Moors or Mahumetans Now to return to our story with these Caravans come Embassadours which the Princes of the Moors send to the King of China making every three yeares a small Embassie in respect both of the Persons and the presents and every five years a great one The most part of the Caravan remaine in the two above-named Cities which are upon the Frontiers trafficking there with their Merchandise The others go to comply with their charge and to offer the present in the name of five Kings which are the Kings of Rume Arabia Camul Eamarcan Tursan The first four know nothing of this Embassy the fifth although he know of it doth not make the present nor send the Embassy but hath only this advantage that he nameth the Embassadors The present is made by the Merchants among themselvs these coming to the Vice-roy of those parts the King hath advice given him of their arrival by a paper called a memoriall or petition as soone as they have leave from the Court and that their names are inrolled there depart 40. or 50. of them besides many more added to them who to have leave to enter into the kingdome to trade to eate at the Kings expenses give the captaine a Bribe of about a hundred or six-score crownes a man There goeth a long with them a Mandarine who entertaineth them of freecost while they travell But if they make any stay as they did in the Metropolis of the province for more than three monthes space the Kings expense ceaseth but not the benefit of their traffique for all that while they follow their Merchandise The Merchandise which they bring are Salt Armoniak fine Azure fine linnen carpets called Raisins knives and other small things The best and greatest Commoditie is a certain stone called Yaca which they bring from the Kingdom of Yauken the worst is of a whitish colour the finest is green it hath been of great price formerly in China and is still of good value They make thereof diverse sorts of Jewels for the ornament of the head and it is much used in the palaces the girdle which the King giveth to the Colai is embrodered with the finest sort therof which no other is allowed to use in this ornament That which they carry back in exchange of their commodities is Porcellane Rubies Musk raw-silk silk-stuffes diverse other rarities and medicinall drugges as Rubarb And this I do imagine is the same which is transported from Persia to these parts The Embassadours being arrived they offer their present which consisteth of a thousand Arrabas of this precious stone whereof we have spoken which maketh 1333. Italian pounds whereof 300. pounds are of the finest sort 340. horses which are to be left upon the frontier 300. small poynted Diamonds twelve Cattes of fine Azure which is about 100. Italian pounds 600. knives as many files The last present seeming to me improper to be presented to a King Ienquird what use the King made of them but I could not meet any one was
their publique women called Vampa Likewise those are not admitted against whom lyeth any tax or accusation of ill manners untill there be satisfaction given of their amendment They have three sorts of degrees Sieueai Kiugin Cinfu and that we might the better understand them I might say that after their manner they are answerable to our Batchelour Licentiate and Doctour each degree having their severall ensignes and badges of honour Those that are only students and have taken no degree have not any particular priviledge belonging to them but only are respected as Gentlemen and the people honour them as the lights of their Country so much is knowledge esteemed among them who know how to honour that which doth truly deserve esteeme CHAP. 8. Of the manner of their Examinations and how their degrees are conferred THe order and manner that the Chinesses observe in their examinations of persons that take their degrees is very curious It is to be supposed that in these examinations from the first of the simple student to the last of the Doctour consisteth the businesse of the greatest importance of this Kingdome for on these depend the degrees and offices both of honour and profit the only marke at which mortalls aime with their chiefest attention In a word if there be an employment wherein these two are coupled a conjunction which the old proverb hath sentenced to be very difficult certainly it is this We will begin at the beginning that is what is performed by the meer and simple students Before the examination there is first spread abroad a report that there will be one till at length it be published by Authoritie Because the degrees which are conferred and those which pretend are many it is not convenient that so great a multitude should be admitted to the examination of the Chancellour and to the end that both the fit and unfit should not enter at that examination there is an order in the Province that those which are to enter should be proved first by two Antecedent examinations in their City or Towne after this manner Every Judge in his Territorie doth publish an examination and appointeth a day for the meeting of all the students of his Precinct And because sometimes the place of the publick universitie is not sufficient for the reception of so great a multitude they fill a large field with seats and Tables and there the examination is held The Judge giveth the poynt upon which they are to compose They begin in the morning and are allowed time till night They give in but one composition and when they have finished it they consigne it to the proper officer who putting them together examineth them all along with great diligence and chusing out the best causeth the name of their composers to be written this roll of their names is stuck up upon the wall of his Palace by which it cometh to be known who they are that are allowed to passe to the supream examination and this allowance they call Having a name in their Village The compositions thus allowed are carried by the Officer in person to the Governour of the City and the same do all the judges of Townes each within his own jurisdiction and each City in its Villages each City being divided into two Villages with their particular judges besides the Governour of the City And all the students of the Country that have been already allowed of being assembled together enter into the generall place of the City where the Governour of the City examines them again and giveth them a new point after the same manner as was given them in the Village with this difference that they use more care rigour and diligence and admit lesse of the Intercession of friends who are ready in all places to pervert the truth Of these the governour chuseth 200 and giveth their names to the Chancellour who putteth them the third time upon the same examination almost in the same manner and chuseth out amongst them about 20 or 25 upon whom he conferreth their degree so that being sifted three times most exactly they come at length to be but few in number Then are given them their ensignes and priviledges with an advertency of their subordination not only to the Chancellour but also to the Prefects who are two in each City and are called Hioquon that is Mandarines of the sciences Their office is to observe and spy out the deportment of each and to chastise those that behave themselves amisse and which is more they may examine them a new if they please and as often as they think good The Chancellour is bound by his office to send through the Province and to assemble within the Cities all the Ancient Batchelours and to examine them to find whether they study or else addict themselves to other imployments different from their profession He rewardeth the diligent and castiseth those that are idle in this manner when they are all gathered together in the generall Palace he giveth them a point for their compositions the which being ended their papers are divided into five Decuries or Classes to those of the first he giveth praise and rewards the same or little lesse is done to those of the second Those of the third Classe are passed by in silence those of the fourth he chastiseth those of the last Classe he depriveth of their degrees priviledges and ensignes of honour and turneth them back to be rank'd among the common people yet neverthelesse with liberty to return again for their degrees to their examinations Of the first sorâ— are chosen the ablest to the number of 40. For each City and 20 for each town and although they have not above eight Crowns pension a man they stand the King through the whole Kingdom in 300000. Crowns This employment is very great for the Cities are 444 the Villages 1250. This is that which a Batchelour is obliged to do to obtain his degree let us now see what is required of a Licentiate The examination of these is held every three years in the chief City of each Province upon the same day through out the whole Kingdom which useth to be in the eighth moone and commonly falleth out to bee about the end of our September or beginning of October The examination lasteth about 25 or 30 daies although they that are to be examined are not held to it above three daies only and those are the ninth the twelfth and the fifteenth of the aforesaid month The chief examiners are the greatest Officers of the whole Province besides others of that precinct who are assistant to them But above all the President who commeth even from court purposely to his Province These are the first that do assemble in the general Palace and with them their Secretaries notaries and other people appointed both for their Guard and service and likewise Physitians for fear they might have need of them because whilest this action lasteth no person is permitted to come
any of these things the Mandarines take themselves large shares of them and if the better sort of people sacrifice such as are the heads of families it is divided among the kindred The ordinary sort of people after they have made their offering which is comonly boyled before hand take up every thing againe then having dressed it anew according to their fancy they make a feast with it where it is all eaten They sacrifice many other things as Banners and Umbrellas all of silk severall figures moulded in gold or silver or else made of Orpine or base gold great summes of mony made of cut paper All these things are to be sold ready made in the market places at the shops of severall Artificers and after they are sacrificed they burn them all Every man offereth sacrifice without any difference they having no determinate ministers appointed for this act neither indeed have they for other things as for offices or Divine service Burialls to sing and officiate at them with any exactnesse It belongeth only to the king to sacrifice to Heaven the Earth Sunne Moone Planets and Starres and if any others should do it in publick he were guilty of a great crime For this end they have two most famous Temples at the two Courts where the King sacrificeth at the foure seasons of the year Spring Summer Antumne and Winter going thither himselfe in person and if he cannot go he sendeth some other to officiate in his stead The great Lords and those who are Titelados sacrifice to the Mountaines Lakes c. The Gentlemen and Officers to the four seasons of the year and particular parts of the earth Hills and the like For the rest as to their Idols their houshold-gods Genij or Tutelar Angells any one sacrificeth that will there being set times and places appointed for it except at sometimes they do accomodate themselves both to the occasions and places as when any one is to take a voyage by water he offereth sacrifice on the day whereon he departeth and that either in the Barke or on the next shore CHAP. 20. Of the Militia and Armes of the Chinesses THe knowledge and skill of Warre and Military affairs is very ancient among the Chinesses as appeareth by their bookes and Histories and it is very certaine that they have conquered many famous Kingdomes it is also commonly beleeved that they did formerly conquer Ceilan and neere to that place in the City of Nagapatam there is to be seen at this day an edifice or building which they call The Pagod of the Chinesses and it is a Tradition among the people of that Countrie that it was built by them Neither truly is it a worke unfit to be compared to any of that Kingdome Neverthelesse their bookes make no mention at all of it but that is not a sufficient reason altogether to refute this Tradition for no more have they any memory left in their bookes of the ancient Christianitie which notwithstanding it is most certaine was there and was also very much dilated and spread abroad However it is manifest that they had 114. Kingdomes Tributary to them but at this day they have only the neighbouring Countries which are nothing neere so many and even of these some of them do deny them their tribute and others have been abandoned by the Chinesses themselves holding it better to retire themselves to their own in peace and quietnesse than to go on stil with warre and troubles to conquer or maintaine other Kingdomes Beside the Conquests and warres made with stranger Kingdomes they have had warre also for many yeares in their own Countrie so that beside many particular books that treate thereof they have one body of historie consisting of ten Tomes which only treateth of the warrs of those times of their Captaines their manner of warfare battailes victories and other things wherein are many notable things to be read which do clearly demonstrate that they have formerly been a valiant and warlike nation although there are but few such at this time The occasions how they came thus to grow lesse were very great as I shall shew hereafter At this day that which they have of warlike in the Kingdome is only the multitude which is very great for besides the Souldiery which they have in the frontiers of Tartarie and in the Armados and fleets which are at the mouths of the great rivers which runne into the Sea every Province and in that every City and Village of the Kingdome hath a proper militia of their own which is paid by them and commanded by their own Captaines and in case that any Province hath need of men they make use of the Souldierie of their own Cities and Townes which by order of the vice-roy is easily brought to one Rendevous And if there be occasion for them on the frontiers or any other place of the Kingdome presently by order from the King or his councell of warre they rayse the Souldiers of one or more Provinces according to the Present necessitie and the possibilitie of the Province all of them not being able to maintaine the same number of Souldiers These Souldiers are alwayes in readinesse and if one of them be wanting or die there are presently enow in the same Town though it be never so little who make suite for the employment and so the place is presently supplied In the City of Nankim they say there are 40000 Souldiers and in that of Pekim 80000. and throughout the whole Kingdome as Father Matthoeus Riccius affirmeth who lived in China many yeares and had very good Knowledge thereof above a million and Father Iohn Rodriguez who went very much up and down China and had opportunitie to see the principall places thereof and was very curious saith that he found by diligent search in their books that in the body of the Kingdome with all the Cities and Villages thereof there are 594000 Souldiers and on the great wals which confine on Tartarie 682888. and yet he did not put into this number the Souldiers of the Armado that guardeth the coast Nor wil this number seem so excessive if we consider that China alone beside that it is much more populous is as big as Spain France Italie Germanie the Low-Countries great Brittain and all the Islands belonging to it In all this multitude if we speak of them who guard the Frontiers there is no doubt but there is found some valour and courage and they have sometimes gallantly repulsed the Tartars and in the yeare 1596 when the Giapponesses after they had passed through all the Kingdome of Corea without finding any resistance would have entred China which they came on purpose to conquer the Chinesses repulsed them in such manner that after the losse of many men they were faine to put up their pipes and returne home without doing any thing so likewise the Souldiers of the Armado have made some assaults wherein they have been victorious But if we speake of
they mean sitting in judgement upon him is a precious stone The Magistrates every yeare make them a publick banquet at the Kings charges with Royall magnificence and ceremonies of great Honour and respect shewing thereby what is due to grey haires which are venerable not only for their years but also for their vertues To conclude the Chinesses have their books full of Sentences and good councells did they but as well observe them in the practise as they keep them carefully in their papers I will only repeat some few of them which come first to my memory In doing service to our Masters and old men the principall point is reverence and courtesie We must hide other mens faults and not publish our owne perfections In the generall Government there must be no particular affection We must not do evill though it be never so little nor leave a good deed undone because it is not great The vertuous although young men are to be Honoured and the vicious although old men are to be avoided CHAP. 30. Of the Moores Iewes and other Nations that are in China I Have spoken briefly of the Kingdome of China the people their customs and manners as well as I have been able in regard I am at this present out of the Country and deprived of the use of their books out of which I might have taken many things of worth and curiositie But seeing that at this time I cannot say all that is to be said of any thing it will not be amisse to say something of all and therefore I will now speak of the other nations who live among them In describing the Province of Cantone I said that the Island of Haynam which is very great and wholly appertaineth unto China is divided into two parts the first which is neerest to the continent is on the North part thereof inhabited by Chinesses and governed by them the other which lieth toward the South upon the confines of Chochin China is inhabited by a barbarous people who have their particular language and their laws and customes different without medling at all with the Chinesses unlesse it be in some things of commerce I said also that between the Provinces of Chincheo Cantone and Kiamsi there are certain Mountaines which unite them as in Catalogna the Mountaines of Monferrat do unite that Province to the Kingdome of Arragon and how within those Mountaines there was a small Kingdome which was likewise Governed by it selfe not admitting any thing from the Chinesses except Physicians Medicines and some little traffique Beside these in the Province of Yunnan which is very large lying towards the South in the latitude of 24 degrees there is a great Countrie inhabited by a particular people who use another language and other customes They have a little King called by the Chinesses Thu Quon a Mandarine of earth they pay tribute to the King of China they use traffique and live in peace The same things hath been said of the Province of Que Ciheu where in the confines thereof there is a people who have their particular heads and Governours without any other dependance on the Chinesses than the Investiture of the Title by which they are called There are moreover in China Moors in great abundance not in all the Provinces nor in every City but yet in the more principall They speak the language of the Countrie and know nothing of their own tongue a few words only excepted They are acquainted also with many things of the holy Scripture In Nankim I found one who was born and bred in that Citie that pronounced to me David Abraham and Isaac as distinctly as I could do my self In their Physiognomie nose eyes beard and face they are altotogether like the Chinesses They are Merchants Physicians c. They have Offices in the Tribunals they study and are admitted to the examinations and come many times to be Mandarines but not of the great ones for the most part they stop at the degree of Licentiate Commonly where they live there are Beef-Shambles because they eat no Pork therefore wheresoever they are they kill and sell Beef and it seemeth to me to be the greatest advantage the Country haâ—h by them for where they are not there is Seldome any of that flesh to be sould They have their publick Mosches allowed them by the King They follow their own religion but not very exactly They who arrive at the degree of Litterato or to the dignity of some Office do not much care to be advanced higher They preserve their Nation entire by marrying with one another although sometimes they take Chinesse Women for their Wives but they never give their Daughters in marriage to the Sonnes of Chinesses The reason is because in China the wife followeth the husband she is brought to her husbands-Fathers house there she liveth and followeth his religion therefore when a Gentile is brought to the house of a Moor she becometh a Moor and a Moorish Woman being brought to the house of a Gentile must infallibly become a Gentile The Chinesses despise them as being strangers and call them Hociteu Hoci Hoci The letters with which they write their name hath no other signification but only proper to expresse that people neverthelesse they are very angry and grieved when they are called by it The name by which they call themselves is Kia Muen that is the gate of Instructions If they be despised of the Chinesses they no lesse despise them because they worship Idols and are Gentiles and thus the one is not behind hand with the other In the City of Nankim they have as it were a mount of Pietie or Lombard with which they help only those of their Nation but not those who are Prisoners for their misdeeds and wickednesse They came into China about 700 years since being called from Turquestan by the King of that time to aid him against a rebellion that was then in the Kingdome wherein they had so good successe that they who were willing to remain there were allowed to enjoy the same priviledge with the natives of the Country since which time they have so multiplyed that at this time there are many thousands of them Afterwards in the warre which King Hum had with the Tartars about 300 yeares since they took his part and came in to his assistance at which time the King gaining the victorie they grew into greater esteem and were admitted to take part in the government of the Kingdome We have already spoken of the entrie which is made into China every three and every five years with an Embassie and presents to the King and though they are all Moores yet they are of severall Countries and Kingdomes and very rarely any of them remain in China There are likewise Iews in China although at this time no great number of them but when or how they came thither I am not able to say Anciently there was greater store of them but they have been
Commandments In fine the businesse went so well and so contrary to what their adversaries did hope and expect and so much in favour of the Fathers that the Law of God was publickly commended and approved by the very Gentiles themselves and the abode of the Fathers in that City confirmed by a publique sentence and drawn up in writing which till that time could never be obtained and the Crosse of Christ triumphed in spite of all the Devils in Hell and from thence forward they that were Christians already enjoyed all the liberty they could desire and they that had a mind to turne Christians could do it without any caution or secrecie and truly there were many of them that proved examples of great edification and though I do purposely forbear to mention them for brevities sake yet I will relate one belonging to the same residence because it was told me by the same Christian himself a little before my departure for Europe I was standing one day in the Church which we have in this City when I saw a man come in thither to say his prayers and not knowing him I stayed till he came out and then I asked him who he was He answered Father I am a Christian and was born in this City but am by profession a Merchant in Nankim and at certain times I come hither to see my Parents then I come to Church according to my dutie I asked him who did Baptize him He answered me Father Iohn della Rocca And it was said he in this manner I had been sickly many yeares and had spent all my poor fortune upon the Physitians without receiving any help from them my friends used to visit me and among them two Christians who one day being moved with compassion towards me told me that I should do well to turn Christian and it might be that the Lord would grant me my health I answered them If your God would restore me my health I am content to turn Christian. They went presently to the Father to ask him for a little Holy water to give me to drink hoping that it would have a good effect But the Father answered them If he have a desire to turn Christian let him do it and our Lord will send him health if it be his pleasure and if he do not yet at least let him take care of the health of his Soule which is more necessary than that of the body As for miracles the Lord doth them only when he pleaseth and if upon this occasion he should not do a Miracle then would that Gentile despise and undervalue our religion They returned to me sufficiently disconsolate but I was much more dejected when I heard that answer About two days after the same two Christians being with me there came in another called Peter with whom I was also acquainted and he was a very zealous and fervent Christian. They told him what had happened to them with the Father but he replyed What need have we of the Father for this matter I have holy water my self at home let us give him some of it and I hope our Lord will grant him his health He went presently home and fetched a little of it they gave it me and I drank it and not long after I perfectly recovered and that which many medicines were not able to do in so many years the Holy water did in a very short time I went presently to Church to render thanks to the Lord for that great mercy he had shewed me and after I had been well Catechised and instructed in the principall matters of our Holy Faith I was Baptized I have made choise of this example in particular because it was related to me by the person himself to whom it happened although there never wanted many others of the like kind wherewith the Lord doth favour that Church strengthen the Christians and comfort the Preachers thereof The Residence of Nankim did this while enjoy a perfect peace and tranquilitie and the Fathers gained a great deale of credit and reputation and were much esteemed by severall of the Magistrates who did greatly favour them The number and devotion of the Faithfull encreased every day and for the greater help thereof there was founded a congregation of the B. Virgin with those effects and fruits which are usually obtained by her Diverse persons of very considerable qualitie did present themselves to receive Holy Baptism among whom Kui Tai Zo was one who indeed was worthy of all praise for the great paines he took in this Citie to assist the Fathers and for the many advantages he gained them by his authoritie This man notwithstanding that he was our intimate friend did still persist in his Heathenisme and although he commended our Holy Law and approved the Truth and Certainty thereof yet he thought it very troublesome to observe a conceit which doth usually with-hold very many from the undertaking of it But at length having overcome himself and all other difficulties he was Baptized and called Ignatius making his confession and publick profession so resolute and devoutly that he did much comfort the Fathers and encourage the rest of the Faithfull neither was he content only to recite it but gave it in writing as a pledg of his determinate resolution the which for the publick edification I have thought fit to insert in this place and it saith thus Kui Ignatius born in the second Moon of the year called Ciea which was about the month of March in the year 1549 in the Citie of Ciancieu of the Countrie of Sucieu in the Province of Nankim in the Kingdom of Yamin for so they call the Kingdome of China I being drawn by a profound consideration and moved by a most sencible sorrow for my sinnes do desire to ask pardon of almightie God that he might give me the saving water of Baptism for to cancell them and that he would grant me sufficient grace to enter into his most Holy Law I consider with my self that being now 57 years of age I have had eyes all this while and yet have never looked into his Holy Law I have had eares and yet have never heard of his Sacred Name but on the contrary have followed the Sect of Scechia which is the name of a very famous Idoll and although I understood that it was repugnant both to truth and reason I did very much enlarge and spread abroad that superstition the which I acknowledge to be my very great fault and almost Infinite sinne which without doubt did deserve no lesse than the lowest depth of Hell Of late years it was my good fortune to meet with the Masters of the truth who came from the great West Mattheus Riccius and Lazarus Catanaeus together with their Companion Sebastian Fernandes These were the first that did open unto me the Mysteries of Divine truth and now again of late I mett with John Della Rocca and his Companion Frances Martinez These did confirm me
First therefore the Prefects or Governours did abuse the Merchant Tartars of Niuche when they came into Leaotung which is a Province confines next to them Then again when the King of Niuche would have married his Daughter to another King of the Tartars they hindred this marriage by representing some pretended reasons of State And finally when the King of Niuche suspected nothing from them he conceived his friends they took him by deceit and killed him perfidiously Wherefore to revenge these injuries the Kings Son gathered a strong Army and taking his time found meanes to get over the great Wall I mentioned and the great River being frozen he presently set upon the great City Kaiyven or as others call it Taxum which lies upon the Confines of Tartary which he took in the year MDCXVI From this City he writ a Letter in Tartarian Characters to the Emperour of China which though writ in Barbarian Characters yet contained nothing Barbarous By this Letter which he sent by one of their Indian Priests whom they call Lama in a very humble and submissive manner he declared to him that he had invaded his Country to revenge the injuries he had received from the Governours of the neighbouring Provinces But yet that he was ready to restore the City he had taken and depose his Armes if his complaints might be heard and satisfaction given him The Emperour of China called Vanley having received this Letter though otherwise of an eminent wisdome and of as great experience yet being now broken with Age in this businesse seems to have proceeded with lesse Prudence than that which accompanied the former Actions of his life For thinking it not to be a business of that moment as that it deserved to be treated before him in his own Court he remitted it to the chief Governours and Commanders And these men puffed up with their usuall pride thought it not fit so much as to give an answer to the Barbarian King but resented it very highly that he durst be so bold as to complain to the Emperor of any injury received The Tartarian King seeing they vouchsafed no answer to his just demands turning his anger into rage vowed to celebrate his Fathers Funerals with the lives of two hundred Thousand of the Inhabitants of China For it is the custome of the Tartars when any man of quality dyeth to cast into that fire which consumes the dead Corps as many Servants Women and Horses with bows and Arrows as may be fit to atend and serve them in the next life Though now since they conquered China they have left off this Barbarous custome being reprehended and corrected for it by the Chinesses themselves After this superstitious Vow advancing his revenging Armes he besieged Leaotung which was the chief City of the Province of Leaoyang with 50000. men But the City was defended by exceeding many men who generally were all armed with Musquets The Tartars had nothing but their Scymetars with Bows and Arrows which they discharge with strange Dexterity and Art But because they chiefly feared the musquet bullets they resolved by a Stratagem to make that unknown Instrument lesse hurtfull to them than their enemies did imagin For the Tartarian King commanded such as made the first on-set to carry a thick hard board for their Shield which was as good to them as a wooden Wall these men were seconded by other Companies who carried Ladders to climb up the Walls and the Horse came up in the Rear In this manner he set upon the City in foure quarters and received the discharge of their Musquets against his wooden wall Then in a moment the scaling-ladders being applied before they could charge again they were upon the Walls and entred the City for such is the quicknesse and nimblenesse of the Tartars in which they excell all Nations and in which also they place their chief art that in a trice they either prevail in their designs or retire and the little skill the Chinesses had in the use of Musquets was no small hinderance to the warre For the Tartars quicknesse and nimblenesse not giving them time to charge again being astonished with the sudden inundation of armed men they presently fled which way soever they could but being pursued by the swift Tartarian Horse most of them perished in the taking of this great City This City being taken the Tartar like a Torrent over-run many others of lesse note but amongst others he took that Noble City Evamgning and overrunning most speedily the whole Country of Leaotung he entred the Province of Pekin and comming within seven Leagues of the very Imperiall City He durst not advance fearing the Enemy might compasse or surround him because he heard that a world of men came in to help their distressed Prince But the Tartar struck such a terrour into the hearts of all the Countries he had passed as both Souldier and Citizen quitting their Houses left the empty walls to the Tartarians possession knowing the Tartar to have that custom and practise to destroy and put all to fire and sword that did resist and only pillage the Cities that submitted leaving the Citizens alive and treating them courteously By which meanes having collected a world of riches he returned to Leaotung victorious And because his South-sayers had perswaded him that the standing of the old Walls were unfortunate he beat them down and compassed it about with new fortifying them with new Munitions and there proclamed himself Emperour of China For although as yet he had taken nothing of China but only the skirts of the Eastern Country of the Province of Leaotung yet in his hopes aspiring thoughts he had devoured the whole Kingdom wherefore he was called in the China language Theienmingus in the third year of his Reign which was in that of one thousand six hundred and eighteen In this year some in authority about the Emperour Vanley demanded the banishment of the Priests who did then preach the Christian Religion to that Nation But the Emperour who in his heart loved Christanity and those particularly that first planted that Religion amongst them gave no eare for a long while to their demands But at length overcome by the importunity of a chief Commander who had ever been a sore Enemy to Christian Religion and was called Xinchio it was ordained and proclamed that all those Fathers that did propagate Christan Religion should be banished the Kingdome Upon which some of them were secretly concealed in severall Provinces by some Christian Governours others being taken were carried in great Cages to Macao wherein being shut up day and night they suffered extreamly whilst others also being whipt out of the Country rejoyced to undergoe something for his sake whose name they bore but that which added more affliction to all these miseries was the Emperour Vanley's Prohibition to all his to professe Christian Religion But upon this occasion the Christians
Tartars together with many other neighbouring Cities I dwelt in a very fair house of the City Venxus the whole Town then being in a tumult by reason of the feare and flight of most of the Citizens Assoone as I understood of the approach of the Tartars I fixed over the fairest gate of the house a red paper very long and broad with this Inscription upon it Here dwells the European Doctar of the Divine Law For I had observed the China Governours when they take any journy to affixe such Inscriptions upon the houses where they happen to lodge that all men may take notice what great persons are there Likewise at the entrance of the greater Hall I set out my greatest and fairest-bound books to these I added my Mathematicall Instruments prospectives and other optick glasses and what else I thought might make the greatest show and withall I placed the picture of our Saviour upon an altar erected for that purpose By which fortunate stratagem I not on t only escaped the violence and plunder of the common Souldier but was invited and kindly entertained by the Tartarian Vice-Roy Who demanded of me whether I would with a good will change my China-habit and cut off my hair To which I readily consented and so he commanded me to be shaven there in his presence and I telling him that a shaven head would not so well suite with a China-Garment he pluk't off his own boots and made me draw them on put his Tartar bonnet on my head feasted me at his Table and accommodating me with his Passe dismissed me to my ancient quarters in the noble City Hancheu where we had a stately Church and Colledge In the siege of Kinlna the Tartars by reason of great Guns which continually plaid upon them and by the wise conduct and courage of their noble Commander suffered many and great losses insomuch as he forced them to pitch their Camp further from the City But at length they also brought Artillery from the chief City of the Province by which they made so many breaches in the Walls as these being in a manner dismantled they found entrance and burned and sacked it with all imaginable Hostility The Governour blew up himself and all his Family with a Barrel of Gunpowder in his own Pallace least he or his should fall into the Enemies hands The Province of Fokien is invironed with the bordering Countries of Quamgtung Kiansi and Chekiang from all which it is separated by a continuall Chain of Mountains which are in breadth of three dayes journey to passe over and withall so full of ragged and ruggy Clifts and obscure Vallies as they make the very Paths horrid dark and obscure at Noon day Insomuch as without any exaggeration they may well be parallelled either to the Grecian Straits of Thermopolis or to the Asian ruggy and strait passage of Taurus These places might have been easily defended if they had but placed a few Clowns to repel the Enemy or crossed the wayes by any incumbrances but the very imagination of a Tartar was grown so terrible to them as they fled at the very sight of their Horses leaving therefore these Mountains wholly ungarnished the Tartars found a passage but so very painful and full of difficulties as they were forced to leave much of their Baggage behind them and lost many of their Horses in those fearfull precipices but by this meanes they took the Province of Fokien with as much ease as it might have been defended for they hardly spent as much time in taking it as a man would doe to walk the extent of it The King himself named Lunguns which signifieth a Warlike Dragon shewed himself a fearful Sheep flying away with a good Army of men if that word rightly can be applyed to a numerous multitude that had no hearts but his flght served him for nothing for the Tartars following him with their swift and nimble Horses shot all this flock of silly Sheep to death with Arrows It is thought the King himself was involved in this Massacre for he never appeared nor was heard of afterwards Now because the whole Province submitted it self voluntarily unto them without any resistance it did not only suffer little from the Tartars but they had many choise and select Souldiers out of it and having thus again recruited their Army they made another irruption into the Countrie of Quamgtung and its worth remarking that the other Tartarian Commander who when the Army was divided as I related before had order to subdue the Mediterranean Countries with the same felicity and expedition passing victorious through the Provinces of Hâ—quaâ—g and Kiangsi entred also on one side of this Countrie of Quamgtung whilst the other came in by Fokien upon the other fide and because the Town of Naâ—kiung resolved to fight it out they consumed it all by fire and sword So the poor Country of Quamgtung oppressed by a double victorious Army was quickly over-run subdued After this one of these victorious Armies enriched with all the rarities of China was called back to Peking but yet they left a Garrison in every City assigning in the name of the King of Tartars both Civil and Martial Officers for the Countries Government The happie successe in taking the impregnable Province of Fokien is attributed by wise men to whose judgement I also submit to a more remote and hidden cause which I will briefly relate There was at this time a famous and renowned Pyrat called Chinchilungus this man was both in the Province of Fokien of which we are treating he first served the Portughese in Macao then he served the Hollander in the Island called Formosa where he was known to all strangers by the name of Iquon After this he became a Pyrat but being of quick and nimble wit he grew from this small and slender fortune to such a height and power as he was held either Superiour or equal to the Emperour of China for he had the Trade of India in his hand and he dealt with the Portugese in Macao with the Spaniards in the Phillippins with the Hollanders in the Island Formosa and new Holland with the Iaponians and with all the Kings and Princes of the Eastern parts in all manner of rich commodities He permitted none to transport the Wares of China but himself or his to whom he brought back the riches and the Silver of Europe and Indies for after he once rather extorted than obtained pardon of the King of China for his Pyracies he became so formidable as that he had no lesse than three thousand Ships of which he was Lord and Master Now was he contented with this fortune but aspired privately to no lesse than to the Empire But because he knew he never should be accepted of the Prefects and people as long as there was any of the Imperial Family of the Taiminges alive he hoped by the Tartars means to extinguish them wholly and after
place But he was not contented with the death of one of these same Heathenish Priests but having got together about twentie thousand of the same profession he sent them all to hell to visit their Masters whom they had served And then he would applaud himself as if he had done a very Heroical Action saying to them These men would have taken away your lives but Thiencheu so they call God which signifies the Lord of Heaven has sent me to revenge your cause inflict due punishment upon these wretches He would often confer also with the Fathers of Christian Religion and that so properly as a man would take him for a Christian. He praised and highly extolled the Religion of Christians which he well understood partly by the conferences which he frequently had with the Fathers and partly by reading their books which for the Instruction of Christians they had writ in the China language hath often promised to build a Church to the God of Christians worthy of his magnificence when he once came to be Emperour of China and indeed all the works he erected were verâ— splendid and magnificent but he polluted them all with the blood of the Workmen for if he found they had but committed the least errour or the least imperfection he presently put them to death upon the place On the North part of the Country of Suchuen where it confines with the Province of Xensi lies the strong City called Nanchung which though it be seated in the County of Xensi yet in respect it is both so strong and of so great an extent it is held to be the Key of both the two Provinces The Tyrant endeavoured by all industry to make himself Master of this important place as being a convenient passage to the rest wherefore in the year MDCXLV he levied a vast Army consisting of one hundred and fourscore thousand men all Natives of the Countie of Suchuen besides those of his own which had alwaies followed him He sent before this numerous Army which besieged the Town a long time but found so rigorous resistance that they began to be weary and about fourtie thousand of those Souldiers of Suchuen revolted to the Prefects which governed the be-leagured Citie by which means the Army was constrained to return to the Tyrant without any memorable Action and he being enâ—aged with anger to see them retire commanded all the rest of the Souldiers of the Province of Suchuen which were in number one hundred and fourtie thousand to be all massacred by the rest of the Army This horrible Butchery lasted four daies in which slaughter he commanded many of them to have their skins pulled off which he filling with straw and sowing on the head commanded to be carried publickly and visibly into the Towns where they were born so to strike more terrour into the hearts of the inhabitants and after all this yet he had such a malitious hatred against this Country that he never ceased to vex and torment it even when it was in a manner left desolate Many unexpert persons without head or guide did take Arms against him but he quickly dispersed them being wholly unexperienced in Military Discipline others that were wiser leaving the City retired into the Mountains which were in a manner the onely men who escaped his fury After this he called all the Students of the Country to be examined for their degrees promising to give those honours to whomsoever should deserve them best and the Chineses are so bewitched with the desire of these dignities that they did not conceive the perfidious Stratagem of the Tyrant There appeared therefore in the publick Hall deputed for that Ceremony about eighteen thousand persons all which he commanded his Souldiers to massacre most barbarously saying These were the people who by their cavilling sophisms sollicited the people to rebellions I have a horrour to relate so many unhumane slaughters and yet I see my self over-whelmed with new ones for what an addition is it to all his related barbarities to tell you That he never spared Children Boys nor Girls no nor Mâ—trons with Child and ready to lye down what an excess of all inhumanity to take the Prefects Wives when their Husbands were condemned but yet alive and to expose these Women to all kind of villanies and then to kill them This was so resented by many as they rather chose to kill themselves than to undergoe so infamous and publick an opprobry to their honesty I forbear to relate more of such detestable and execrable examples lest I offend the ears and minds of the Reader by such abominations Let us therefore suppresse these impurities and passe to what happened in the year MDCXLVI when the Tartars entred into the Province of Xensi to give him Battail so as he was forced to go out to meet them And to the end he might leave the Country behind him with more security he resolved to cut off all the inhabitants except those which inhabited the North-East Quarters by which he was to passe and therefore must needs reserve these Creatures to assist and furnish his Army with all necessaries and therefore he deferred their death to another time First therefore he commanded all the Citizens of what quality or condition soever that did inhabit his Metropolitan City of Chingtu to be bound hand and foot which was done by a part of the Army which he had called in and then riding about them which vast multitude is related to have been above six hundred thousand Souls he viewed them all with lesse compassionthan the cruellest Tygre would have done whilest in the mean time these poor victims with lamentable crys which penetrated the very vault of Heaven and might have moved a heart composed of stone or Rock holding up their hands begged of this outragious Tyrant to spare the lives of his innocent people He stood a while Pensive like an astonished and amazed Creature so as it seemed to be an imperfect Crisis wherein humane nature struggled a little with those bowels and that heart which was composed of all cruelty but presently returning to his beastly nature Kill kill saith he and cut off all these Rebels upon which words they were all massacred in one day out of the City Wals in the presence of this bloody monster Those Religious persons which were there the Fathers of Christianity resolved to make their addresses for the Tyrant to save their converts lives and though all men judged it a desperate attempt yet they obtained the lives of those they claimed So as they distributed themselves at the City Gates and as their Clients passed bound to the Shambles they mercifully unbound their Shakles and rescued them from death By which occasion also they performed another acceptible Sacrifice to God in Baptizing an infinite number of Children which the Souldiers willingly permitted so as the horrid and execrable cruelty of this Tyrant proved as advantagious to
themselves constant to him And this memorial of him I owe as well to the singular friendship he was pleased to contract with me as also to his eminent vertues of which I my self the whole Church of Christians in China were both Spectators and Admirers for the space of twenty years He was Born in the Province of Nanquin in the City Changcho being called Kiu Thomas a Name most worthy of eternal Memory During the saccage of these Provinces news arrives from the Country of Suchuen which the notorious Brigand called Changhienchungus famous for his strange cruelty and abhominable villanies had so wasted that it begins again to be shaken with severall tempests of War though he seemed to be quite destroyed in the last Battails yet from thence doth appear again new trouble and vexation to the Empire The Province of Fokien also begins to grone under the same miserable condition of War for the Reverend Father Peter Canevary Native of Genua writes out of the City Changcheu which was besieged the 30. of March 1652. that Quesingus having made a descent from his Ships into that Province hath overrun the whole Country taken some Cities and Towns and carried on the War with great terrour to the Inhabitants Insomuch as the Tartarian Commanders keepe themselves and their Army in their Forts and other places of strength not daring to appear in the field to oppose him but yet he said they expected new forces and Succours from Peking by which they doubt not but quickly to subdue him This Quesingus who now vexeth this Province of Fokien is Son to the famous Pyrate Iquon or Chinchilungo whom the Tartars imprisoned by a slight as I recounted to you in my former History And to let you know what I further heard from some passengers of China who in the month of Ianuary 1653. were cast in a Ship of China upon the Coasts of an Island called New Holland whither I had been brought before by their Barks and Souldiers as their Prisoner These men related that a great Army of Tartars was arrived to subdue Quesingus whose Commander thought it fit to joyn Art to his Force and therefore he commanded a handfull of men to charge the Chinese Army and presently by feigning flight to retire to more advantageous and surer places In the mean time he had placed a number of Horse in a deep valley behind a Mountain towards which Quarters the fugitive Troops retired This flight gave courage to the Chinese and the desire of victory made them venture so far from the River Chang where their ships lay at Anchor as they found themselves environed by the Tartars Army This desperate condition which excluded the Chineses from returning to their Ships caused a very great and bloody slaughter in which there perished above 80000 of the Chineses Army Whilst Quesingus a spectator of this sad accident from the Mast of his Ships as they relate was heard to say that he would once more try his fortune against the Tartars but if she proved again adverse unto him he then would submit and shave his Hair like a Tartar Concerning the present state of Christian Religion being at Brussels this last Iunse in the year 1654. I received letters from China in which they gave me notice that the Father Jesuits were very favourably treated by the Tartars yea better than before that they permit free exercise of the Christian Catholick Religion through all their Kingdoms granting them leave not onely to enjoy their ancient Churches but also liberally contributing to build new ones so by the goodnesse of God that which endamaged others proveth gain to them But I reserve all particulars to a larger Relation in a greater Volume which shall continue Trigautius his History of the missions dispatched into China concluding with the year 1610 to these our present Times FINIS Books printed for and to be sold by Iohn Crook at the sign of the Ship in St Pauls Church-yard ANnales Veteris Testamenti à primâ Mundi Origine deducti unâ cum rerurn Asiaticarum Aegyptiacarum Chronico A tempoâ—ris Historici principio usque ad Maccabaicarum initia producto A Viro Reverendissimo Doctissimo Jacobo Usserio Archiepiâ—copo Armachno Folio Ejusdem Annalium Pars secunda quae ad annum Christi Octogesimum producitur unà cum harmoniâ— Evangeliorum ab exercitatissimo in Sacris literis Doctore Johanne Richardsono Episcopo Ardachensi conscripta Folio Ejusdem de Textûs Hebraici Veteris Testamenti Variantibus lectionibus ad Ludovicum Cappellum Epistola Quarto ejusdem de LXX interpretum versione syntagma quo hebraici textus veritas contra LXX interpretum versionis assertores declaratur vnà cum libro Estherae c ad pristinam antiquitatem cum obeliscis asteriscis leniscis reducto Quarto The Holy History centaining excellent Observations on all the remarkable Passages and Histories of the Old Testament With a Vindication of the Verity thereof from the aspersions of Atheists and Anti-Scripturians Written Originally in French by the curions Pen of Nicolas Caussin S. I. And now Elegantly rendred into English out of the Seventh and last Edition by a Person of Honor. Quaeto The Perfect Ambassador Treating of the Antiquity Priviledges and Behaviour of Men belonging to that Function By Francis Thynne Esquire 12o. Wisdome and Innocence or Prudence and Simplicity in the Examples of the Serpent and the Dove propounded to our imitation By Thomas Vane Doctor in Divinity and Physick 12o. The Spirituall Nursery decyphered in a Sermon Preached at Mercers Chappel in London Febr. 9. 1650. By Thomas Baker late Rector of St Mary the More in Exon. Quartâ— Seven Sermons Preached upon severall Occasions by the most Reverend and Learned Father in God William Laud late Archbishop of Canterbury c. heretofore Printed severally but now gathered together and re-printed 12o. Loci Communes D. Martini Lutheri ex Scriptis ipsius Latinis forma Gnomolcgica Aphoristica collecti in quinque classes distributi à M. Theodosio Fabritio Ecclesiae Gottingensis Pastore Quarto Disputatio Scolastica de Divina Providentia adversus Jesuitas Arminianos Socinianos de Domino Dei c studiis industria Samuelis Rhetorfortis S Theologiae Professoris in celebri inclyta Academia Andreapolitana Quarto A just vindication of the Church of England from the aspersion of criminal schisme by Iohn Bramhal Bishop of Derry Octavo His defence of true liberty from anti-cedent and extrinsecall necessity being an answer to a late book of Master Thomas Hobbs of Malmesbury Octavo His answer to Mons. Militiers Victory of truth with Militiers own Epistle Octavo Miscellanea sacra or devout and Spirituall essaies by Walter Mountague 4o. Parthenissa an excellent new Romance written by the Lord Broghill in 4 parts Quarto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sine introductorium anglico-latino-Graecum complectens colloquia familiaria Aesopi fabulas Luciani mortuorum Dialogos In usum scholarum per Johannem Shirly Octavo De Hibernia
is so great abundance of Stagges that it seemeth incredible to him that hath not seen it Father Albertus Miceschi who lived there in the condition of a â—lave relateth that riding to the next woods with leave from the Governour to gather some medicinall hearbes he saw by the way so great a multitude of Stagges that he judged them to be the herds belonging to the people of the Country dispersed up and downe the fields till coming neerer he found with his eyes the contrary There are also many of those Animals called Alces or Elkes the which I did hitherto beleeve were only to be found in Lituania and the adjacent Countries There are also many other Animals wholly differing from ours and altogether strange to us It is the likest Country to Europe of all India it enjoyeth an healthfull ayre and cold like ours It produceth some spices but not in great plenty as Pepper in the woods and Cynamon on the mountaines Camphire trees of a notable bignesse China roots and Salsapariglia in great quantitie There are also gold mines but the Hollanders have not yet open'd them The people of the Countrie weare no manner of cloathes neverthelesse both men and women doe cover that which in all the India's useth to be hidden from sight by the instinct of nature They dwell in round houses made with Bulrushes of severall colours beautifull to behold a farre off Their ordinary food is Stagges flesh as fat as porke and Rice of which also they make very strong wine Many of them doe turne Protestants by the perswasion of the Holland Ministers and live verteously They are tall and active of body so fleet in running that they are able to single out and run downe a Stagge in their hunting Their Lords doe weare a Crowne of dead mens skulls stitched together and embellished with silke and these are the heads of their enemies killed by themselves Their King weareth two wings of various feathers upon his head others crowne themselves with apples of gold others make themselves hornes of a certaine straw made up with Bufolo's haire They gird themselves also about with a girdle of young Bulrushes curiously woven They carry hanging at their breast two Tortoises and a woodden mallet which serve them in stead of a drum There is likewise another Island neere to it inhabited by fierce savage people who kill whosoever goeth thither The above-named father Miceschi saw one of them taken by the Hollanders who was fifteen palmes high as it seemed to him The fift place we will give to the Province of Kiamsi which is contiguous to that of Cantone toward the North in the latitude of 29 degrees It takes its beginning from a great ridge of mountaines which reare themselves upon the confines of Cantone from these Mountaines two Rivers have their originall one which runneth toward the South and is presently navigable the other towards the North which after it hath watred a good part of this Province receiveth into his channell another large River of the Province of Huquam and then runneth forward with the name of the famous Nankim The skirts of these Mountaines are considerable for the good Cities that are scituated thereon very convenient for the passage of travailers and for the conduct of Merchandise which for the most part passeth upon the backs of men and boyes according to the abilities of each learning this trade from their youth which is the most usuall imployment of that Countrie The voyage is but of one whole day and it is very much to see what passeth by in it For there being no other bridge and these Rivers being the most frequented passes of all China 't is almost incredible how great a concourse of people there is and what a multitude of commodities which goe and come without intermission The Merchandise is all put in one store-house and is received by weight into another with so much fidelitie that it is not necessary the owner should be present because upon all accidents the Hostes are bound to make good whatsoever is wanting They are obliged also to give to every guest of qualitie or Merchant two banquets or one at least as also to their servants and if they be not satisfied therewith they tell them of it expostulate and threaten not to frequent any more their Inne there not wanting many others By this Government they make their covetous Hostes very sumptuous and bountifull The Hostes are also obliged as soone as their guests are embarqued for if they goe by land this priviledge ceaseth to send them a present of two things or of one at least as fruit two fishes a little flesh a couple of pullets and this without paying either at your entrance abode or departure for there is nothing to be payd either for the lodging or bedstead I say bedstead because the Hoste allowes you no bed but every one carrieth one with him at his backe when he hath no other convenience but they are not so big as our beds but much lighter The profit of the Hoste consisteth in so much percent which is payd them by the Boateman for such persons or goods as are carried by water and by the porters for such as passe by land and as the concourse is great the profit cannot be little Every thing passeth through the hands of Insurers so that if any thing be wanting they supply it and make it up In the Custome-house for there is a very famous one here there is not so much honour done the Merchant but more favour There is no house where the Merchandise is deposited weighed or visited neither is it taken out of the barke but only a moderate rate is payed for it by the eye and according to the Merchants booke of accounts If the passenger be no Merchant although he goe alone in a Barke with his servants and carry five or six chests and severall other things which are usually transported from one Country to another they are not searched nor opened neither doe they pay any custome A good example for the Custome and Gabell-houses of Europe where a poore traveller is so beastly and barbarously robbed and spoiled when all he carrieth with him is not worth so much as they aske him for custome For strangers ships which come into the Port of Macao as soone as any arriveth they unlade their Merchandise as they please without any hinderance and when the customers come they pay them according to the content of the vessel without making any enquiry into the qualitie of the Cargazon But to returne to the Province of Kiamsi of which we were discoursing it particularly aboundeth in Rice and fish but most of all in people So that the Chinesses call them Laochu that is to say Rats Whereof we have a resemblance in Portugall in the Country that lyeth between the Rivers Duerâ— and Migno which where it confineth upon Gallitia hath so great multitude of people that it is therefore called by the same
rich and maketh so much Cotton-wool that those of the Country affirme that there is only in the towne of Xanuchi and the precinct thereof which is large 200000 Loomes for this stuffe so that from that place only the King draweth 150000 crownes yearly In one house there useth to be many of them for they are narrow as the stuffe is Almost all the women are employed in this work The Court did reside in this Province for a long time and even to this day all the Courts of justice and priviledges thereof are conserved in the City of Nankim whose right name is Umthienfu and it seemeth to me to be the best and greatest City of the whole Kingdome both for the form of the building the largenesse of the streets the manners and dealing of the people and for the plentie and excellency of all things It hath admirable places of recreation and is so populous through its confines that the villages succeed one another in a manner from three miles to three miles although at this day by reason it wants the presence of the King it is in its selfe lesse populous neverthelesse in diverse parts thereof it is yet troublesome to walke the streets for the crowde of people that one meeteth Besides the many Palaces Temples Towers and Bridges doe render it very considerable In the wall thereof there are twelve gates barr'd with Iron and guarded with Artillery a good way without runneth another wall with no small ruines The circuit thereof for I was desirous to know the measure of it is two daies journey on horse-back That of the inner wall is eighteen miles both the one and the other have within them many populations gardens and fields which are tilled the bread whereof useth to be applied to the use of the souldiery within the City to the number of fourty thousand In one part thereof there is cast up an artificiall Mount on the top whereof there is seen a wooden spheare not armed although the circles thereof are placed at the latitude of the same City which is 32 degrees a small latitude in respect of the great colds but a very large one for the great heate which it suffereth The spheare is in circumference of a notable bignesse and is a very compleat piece of work It hath moreover a Tower divided into seaven stories of singular beauty for the workemanship thereof it being full of figures and wrought like Percellane an edifice which might be ranked among the most famous of ancient Rome The river cometh to kisse the feet of this City and sendeth up some armes of it selfe into it The name of the river is Yanchukiam that is to say the Sonne of the sea nor vainly is it so called it being the most aboundant in water of any that is knowne in the world There is also great plenty of fish We have foure Churches in this Province the first in Nankim with a house of Iesuites and is of a very ancient and exercised Christianity having suffered foure persecutions and come of from each of them with more vigour The second in the Towne of Xamhai with a great number of beleevers The third in the City of Xamkiam The fourth in the Towne of Kiatini beside these Churches there are many Oratories And so much shall suffice concerning the nine Southern Provinces CHAP. 3. Of the Northern Provinces SIx are the Provinces which are called Northern and their names are Honam Xemsi Kiansi Xantum Pekim and Leaotum The first lyeth in the latitude of 35 degrees as centre of the Kingdome and produceth most gallant fruits as well those that are proper to the Countrie as ours in Europe nor is the cheapnesse of them lesse I bought for a farthing and a halfe 88 Apricocks it hath nothing else notable except a Son of the Kings called Fovam the last of those which came out of the Palace He liveth with so great splendour and authoritie of a King that to be such he only wanteth the name and jurisdiction In Caifum the Metropolis thereof we have had onely for these few yeares a Church and house but a good plenty of Christians The second is Xemsi it lyeth in 36 degrees and more to the West it is very large but dry for want of water as also are the three neighbouring Provinces notwithstanding it doth abound in Wheate Barly and Maize of Rice they have but little All winter long they give wheat to their Beasts which are many particularly their sheep which they sheare three times a year once in the Spring another time in the Summer a third in the Autume but the first time of shearing yeeldeth the best wool From hence cometh all the wooll of which are made the felts and other things used either in this Province or elswhere They make there of no sort of cloath not using to spin wool but only Goats-hair of which they weave certain Stuffes for the hanging of their roomes in so great perfection that the most ordinary are better than ours and the Best are esteemed more precious than silk They make likewise of Goats-haire a very fine Felt which they call Tum and is made use of for garments But this is not made of every sort of Goats-hair but of a very fine haire which lyeth under the first They pull it out with great care and make it up in certain bals of the bignesse of an ordinary loafe and then put it out to be wrought with singular skill Musk is proper to this Province and because it is in question after what manner this excellent perfume is made I will give you account of it according to the most diligent enquiry I have made concerning it It is the Navel of an Animal about the bignesse of a small Stagge whose flesh is very good meate and only that part is taken containing that precious matter but all those Cods which are brought hither to us are not true and perfect Navells for the Chinesses have learnt to falsifie them by stuffing some peices of the skin of that Animall with musk that is vitiated and mingled with some other things Here is also Gold found but not in Mines for though there be Mines both of Gold and Silver the King doth not suffer them to be opened but out of Rivers and Eddies and although it be found only in smal peices and graines yet being put together it amounts to a great quantity there being Infinite people both young and old which go in search of it There is Rubarbe and Profumo which are not found in any other part for that which cometh from Persia doth not seem to be naturall to that place for of as many as have travelled through that countrie there is not any that gives an account to have seen there that healthfull plant It is something tall with leaves bigger than Cole-worts it doth not grow wilde as some have imagined but is Cultivated in gardens with a great deale of care In this Province is opened
able to inform only a Captain told me that it was a very ancient thing for that present to be composed of such things with so much infallibility they durst not make any alteration Of the rest of the commodities which they bring if the King desireth any thing he sendeth to see and buy it At their return the King rewardeth them with two pieces of cloth of gold for each horse 30. pieces of yellow silk 30. pound of Chá ten of Musk 50. of a medicine called Tienyo and as many of Silver These Saracens told me that the present which they gave the King was not in their country worth above 7000 Crownes but what was given them by the King for their Embassie and voyage was noe lesse worth then 50000 Crownes a pretty good gayne but ordinary from those Princes From this Province goeth another Caravan for the powerful Kingdom of Tibet which carryeth diverse things in particular Silk-stuffs Porsellane and Chá Chá is a leafe of a tree about the bignesse of Mirtle in other Provinces of the hearbe Basil and in others of the small Pomgranat They drie it over the fire in iron-sives where it hardens and sticketh together There is of many sorts of it as well because the plant is various as also that the upper leaves do exceed the other in finenesse a property almost of all plants There is of it from a Crown a pound to four farthings according to the quality of it there being so many differences thereof It being thus dryed and cast into warme water it giveth it a colour smell and tast at the first unpleasing but custome makes it more acceptable T is much used in China and Giappone for it serveth not only for ordinary drink in stead of water but also for entertainment to strangers when they visit them as wine doth in the Northern parts it being throughout all those kingdoms esteemed a wretched niggardlinesse to give only good words to those that come to their house although they be strangers at least they must have Chá and if the visit be any thing long there must be added some fruit or sweet-meates sometimes they lay the cloath for this and when not they set it in two dishes upon a little square table Many vertues are related of this leaf certain it is that it is very wholesome and that neither in China nor Giappone there is any troubled with the stone nor is so much as the name of this disease known from whence may be inferred how great a preservative against this evill the use of this drink is it is also certain that it powerfully delivereth from the oppression of sleep whosoever desireth to watch either for necessitie or pleasure for by suppressing the fumes it easeth the head without any inconvenience and finally it is a known and admirable help for students For the rest I have not so great an assurance of it that I dare affirm it There is found also in this Province a most evident signe of the ancient Christianitie which hath been there as we shall relate in its order In the great Metropolis thereof we have a Church and a house with a well founded and fruitfull Christianity by whom also many particular Oratories are frequented Riansi is the third of these six Northern Provinces which we are now discoursing of It lyeth in the Latitude of thirty eight degrees it hath many mountaines which makes their Harvest but poore there is little wheate lesse Rice but most Maiz it is so aboundant in grapes that it serveth the whole Kingdome with Raisins and might furnish at least it selfe with wine as it succeeds in a Residence which we have there where we make now only enough for to serve the Masses but send also sufficient to the next Residencies It hath wells of fire for the use of their houses as we have of water in Europe they seeme to be Mines of sulphur set on fire so that opening a little the mouth of the well which must not be very large it sendeth forth so great a heade that they rost and boyle therewith whatsoever meate they desire Their ordinary fewell as likewise in all the confines thereof Stone-coale not small ones such as are found in some of our Countries of Europe but of a very considerable bignesse There are Mines very fruitfull of this matter which burneth with a great deale of ease In some parts as Pekim and Honam they lay it together in such manner that the fire lasteth day and night They make use of Bellowes to kindle it We have a house and a Church in the City of Kiamcheu another in that of Phucheu which are visited at their set times both the one and the other have a good and numerous Christianity and among them many of the Nobility There are not wanting Oratories as in other Cities by which the scarsity of Churches is supplied The fourth Province which is Xantun in the Latitude of 23. degrees lying betwixt Nankim and Pekim is very poore it suffereth many times a loathsome and malignant Infestation by Grillo's or field-Crickets and by consequence the terrible horrour of famine In the yeare 1616 a dogge bought to be eaten was worth more than a young man sold for a slave it produceth store of Cattell and of our fruits great peares many and good There groweth here in great number and varietie a fruit which seemed to some of us to be a peare of a good kind in so great aboundance that filling the Kingdom they overflow even to Macao although it be a great way off and that there are three large Provinces betwixt Pekim is the fift Province scituated in the Latitude of fourty degrees it enjoyeth the priviledge of having the Court in a City of the same name Though the proper name of it be Xunthienfu by the Sarances called Lambalud This good fortune befell it for so I may call it at the death of Humvù when a nephew of his named Vunlo who dwelt in this Province and was very potent usurped by violence the crowne against the right heire And so confiding more in them with whom he had alwaies lived as also to be the better able to make resistance against the Tartars which border upon him he removed the Court from Nankim and planted it here The people are lesse ingenious as commonly all Northern people are but more apt for labour and warre The soyle is very drie and favourable for health but barren of fruits for the common sustenance But this want is supplyed by that generall prerogative of Courts which draw all to them and overcome in this the proper nature of the place It hath Maiz Wheate and little Rice only for the use of the people of the Palace which is very numerous the Mandarines and Souldiers being many thousands The King keepeth in those rivers a thousand vessels flat-bottom'd by reason of the shallownesse of the water which only serve for the bringing of victualls to Court which they lade in
gate opened to the danger of their honour This which may be counted a harsh Strictnesse is turned into a pleasaunt Sweetnesse by custome which maketh all things easie as well for their repose as for the peace and concord of the family Notwithstanding in so large a Country as China this custome cannot equally be observed every where so that in some parts as I have above mentioned the ordinary women go abroad as among us but the women of quality alwayes observe that stile of retirednesse CHAP. 6. Of their Language and Letters THe language which is used in China is of so great Antiquity that many beleeve it to be one of the 72. which were at the Tower of Babel At least it is manifest by their books that it is more than 3700. years in use among them Is is various and different because there are diverse Kingdoms whereof this Empire is composed at this day and anciently they did not belong unto this Crown but were possessed by Barbarous Nations as all the Southern Provinces and some of the Northern But at this day the Language of China is but one only which they call Quonhoa or the language of the Mandarines for they at the same time and with the same care and industrie that they introduced their government into other Kingdomes brought in likewise their language and so at this day it runneth through the whole Country as Latin doth through all Europe but more universally each Province still retaining their naturall speech It is a Language much limited and as in the multitude of letters it exceedeth all others so in scarcenesse of the nounes which it useth it is the least copious of any for it hath not in all aboue 326. and of words which in reality are the same but only differing in accent and aspiration 1228. Almost all end in vowels and those few which do not terminate in vowels end either in M. or N. They are all Monosyllables all undeclined as wel verbes as nounes and so accommodated to their use that many times the verbe serveth for a noun and a noun for a verb and an adverb too if need be For which reason it is more easie to be learn'd than the Latine the Grammar only whereof taketh up a childs whole time The brevity of it maketh it full of aequivocal words and for the same reason compendious This which would be troublesome to some is very pleasing to the Chinesses who are most particular lovers of brevity in speech being either imitatours or imitated by the Lacedemonians It is rather sweet than harsh and if it be spoken perfectly as it is for the most part in Nankim is very delightfull to the ear To say a thing with respect with humility and in applause of anothers merits they use many excellent termes and phrases which are the proprieties also of our Portugesses language And although it be a very narrow language it is so sweet that it exceedeth almost all others that I know To say among us Take a thing either with the whole hand or with some particular fingers thereof we are forced still to repeat the verb take but among them it is not so each word signifieth the verb and the manner too As for example Nien to take with two fingers Tzo to take with all the fingers Chuá with the whole hand turned downwards Toie with the hand having the fingers turned upwards so likewise with the verb is as he is in the house he is eating or is sleeping they have a word wherewith at once they expresse both that he is and how he is We to say the foot of a man the foot of a bird or the foot of any beast are forced alwaies to specifie with the same word foot but the Chinesses do it with one word as Kio the foot of a man Chua the foot of a bird Thì the foot of any beast Their style in their writing is very different from their discourse although the words are the same so that when one taketh the pen in hand for to write he had need to raise up his witts and it would be counted a ridiculous thing to write as they speak ordinarily This is the reason that all their pointed or accented reading orating disputing and perswading as wel◠in publick as in private is alwayes first practised and exercised with the pen. The letters which they use seem to be as Ancient as the people themselves for according to their histories it is since the Invension of them 3700. years to this present year 1640 in which I wrote this relation I wil be bold to say that this is one of the most admirable things in that Kingdome for the number of their letters being excessive almost all have some skill in them at least as much as is sufficient for the exercise of their trades and though they are proper only to China yet they are used in all the neighbouring Kingdomes every one reading them in their owne language as among us it is in the figures of numbers of the starres which are the same over all Europe and yet every nation calleth them by different names They are very proper for Embassies Bills and Bookes These although each Province have a different language are common and understood of all as if they had been written in their owne language The Author of these is said to be Fohi one of their first Kings At the beginning they were fewer and more simple resembling in some respect the thing that was expressed by them for that which is pronounced Gè and signifieth the Sun was written with a circle and a Diametrall line through it Afterwards the form was something varied changing the circle almost into a square having the same line through it and doth still signify the Sun This variety in making of their letters hath caused foure kinds of them First the Ancient which remaineth still in their Libraries and is understood of all the Litterati although it be no longer in use except in some titles and seales which they put in stead of Armes The second is called Chincù and is the most current as well in manuscript as printed bookes The third they call Taipie and answereth to the running hand used among our publick Notaries not much in use unlesse it be in bills contracts pleadings policies and such like things The fourth is so different from the rest as well for the Abbreviations which are many as also for the different stroakes and shape of the letters that it requireth a particular study to understand them This word Sie which signifieth to give thanks is written after three most different manners Their letters are in all sixty thousand enrolled in their vocabulary which they call Haipien and may be rendred a great sea They have others more briefe For to read write compose and understand very well about eight or ten thousand letters will serve the turne and when they meet with any letters which they call a cold letter they
hold him for a Saint and a Master and Doctour of the whole Kingdome and whatsoever is cited of him is esteemed as an Oracle or sacred thing but also in all the Cities of the Kingdome he hath publique Temples built to his memorie where at set times he is worshipped with very great ceremony and in the year of the examinations one of the principall ceremonies is that all the graduates go together to do him reverence and acknowledge him for their Master Of those that are descended from him he that is the neerest of kin hath a competent revenue and enjoyeth the title of Chuheu which is as much as Marquis or Duke The Governour of the City where he was borne out of respect and favour to him is alwaies one of his family and finally all those of his linage assoone as they are borne have a particular priviledge from the Emperour and are respected by all in regard of their predecessour Confusio This custome continueth to this day although it be 1800. yeares since he died But returning to the Bookes which he published they are these following The first is called Yekim and treateth of his naturall Philosophie and of the generation and corruption of things of Fate or Judiciary Prognostication from these and other things and from naturall principles Philosophizing by way of numbers figures and symboles applying all to moralitie and good government The second is called Xukim containing a Chronicle of the ancient Kings and their good government The third Xikim and is of ancient poesie all under metaphors and poeticall figures concerning the naturall inclinations of mankind and also of diverse customes The fourth named Likim treateth of rites and civill ceremonies of the Ancients and also of those that belong to Religion and divine worship The fifth is called Chuncieu the which treateth also of the History of their Countrie and containeth a collection of examples of severall ancient Kings good and bad to be imitated or avoided There are also foure other bookes which were made by Confusio and another Philosopher called Mensiù In these nine bookes is contained all the naturall and morall Philosophie which the whole Kingdome studieth and out of these is taken the point which is proposed to read or compose on in their examinations for degrees Upon these bookes they have severall commentaries and glosses But there is one of them which by the law of the Kingdome they are commanded to follow nor are they allowed to contradict it in their publique Acts and hath almost the same authority with the text These nine bookes are held as it were sacred and in them and their Glosses and commentaries consisteth the great endeavour of their studies getting them by heart and endeavouring to understand the difficult places of them forming diverse senses upon them whereby to govern themselves in the practise of vertue to prescribe rules for the government of the Kingdome according to those wise dictates and Maximes they finde there And because their examinations are very strickt and rigorous they not being suffered to bring along with them to those examinations not only any booke but also not so much as a fingers breadth of paper it being no easie thing to be very ready in all these bookes the order is That the first examination of Batchelours be upon the last foure and that of Licentiates to be upon the same foure as also upon one of the other five for this reason none is obliged to be very perfect in more than one of those sciences which he doth professe and upon that the point is to be given him But to speak more distinctly to their learning although in their books it is not delivered so clearely and orderly I say they consider in the universe three things that is the heavens earth and man and so accordingly they divide their learning into three members that is into the science of the heavens the science of the earth and the science of man including in the two first all naturall knowledge and in the third all morall In the science of the heavens they treate of the beginning of all naturall things of the Creation of the Universe and of the Formation of man himselfe of universall causes of generation and corruption of elements and elementary qualities answerable to the planets of celestiall motions and relvolutions of the foure seasons of the year of the stars and planets of Iudiciall Astrologie of spirits good and bad what they are and other like matters In the science of the earth they treate of the varietie that is seen in her by reason of the 4. seasons of the yeare of the productions of things and their differences of fields and possessions and their divisions in order to Husbandrie and Agriculture of the situation of the 4 parts of the world of their position and other particulars concerning them of the choise and building of Coemeteries and burying places for their dead in which they are very superstitious In the science which treateth of man they teach all their moralitie and that which belongeth to man in a sociable and politick capacitie who imitating the order manner and proprietie of heaven and earth as the universall Parents liveth in communitie with the observing their five morall vertues which are Pietie Iustice Prudence Policie and Fidelitie They treate also of morall matters and of the respect which they have to the five orders of persons into which their Common-wealth is divided that is Father and Sonne Husband and Wife King and Subjects Elder Brother and Younger Brother and Friends among themselves All their moralitie is divided into two members The first they call Divine Moralitie which treateth only of ceremonies rites and sacrifices which they make to heaven earth the planets parts of the world good and bad spirits of the heaven and earth mountaines rivers tutelary spirits soules of the dead Heroes and famous men c. The second is their Politick and civill Moralitie This is divided into Ethiques which ordereth the manners and actions of mankinde as they are considered in relation to their owne persons and into Oeconomie in order to the government of their families and into Politiques in relation to the Government of the Commonwealth the publick good and conservation of the Kingdome The Government of a single person doth put him in a way to the good Government of his familie and the good Government of a familie to that of the Kingdome as for example A father which doth not well Governe his house how should he governe a City or Province and he that knoweth not how to governe and correct himselfe according to the duty of his single person how should he be able to regulate his familie So that they lay the first foundation of mortalitie in the good manners and behaviour of each particular person from whence proceede well govern'd families and publick Governments well administred Under the same member of the science of man they comprehend the Liberall and all other
divided into little squares it is fastened before if the Girdle be rich with large Buckles of Gold or Silver some weare them nine inches broad There are nine sorts of Buckels that is of Bufalo of Rhinoceros horne of Ivory of Tortoise-shell of Lignum Aquilae of Calambu of Silver Gold and precious stones Every one may not wear them indifferently according to their Fancies but suitable to the qualitie of the Office which he beareth The last Girdle which is of a precious stone called Yu Xe is given by the King himselfe to the Colai when they enter into their Office nor is any other suffered to weare it The Boots which they call Hive are not ordinarie but of a certaine particular make They are all black and turned down The Vest or Gowne is worne over their ordinary habit and is in all of the same fashion It is large loose and very becoming The colour is at their own choise but for the most part it is modest but on Feastivall daies it is Crimson These are the Ensignes of the Magistrates when ever they appear in publick for at home they leave them off and wear only the ordinarie habit of the Litterati and in the same manner they go among their friends to Banquets and places of recreation especially in hot weather Their externall Ensignes when they go abroad are the Sedan or Litter inlaid with Ivory and richly gilded all open without any cover at top to the end they may be the better seen There are some of them carried by two men others by foure others by six and some by eight according to the qualitie of the Mandarine When there are six or eight men only foure do carry the Sedan the others go by on each side and take their turnes The traine which followeth after them is more or lesse according to the dignitie of the Magistrate those of the greatest Qualitie cause two men to march before them at a great distance with a round staffe in the hands of each of something more than a mans length only for terrour for the king only may strike with a round staffe and all the way they go they make a cry Then follow two men bearing two Tablets silvered over whereon is written in great letters the Title of his dignitie then come foure or six more trayling after them cudgells made of a great tree called Bambu wherewith they are wont in those Countries to give the Bastinado to Delinquents then follow others with chaines in their hands and other instruments of Torture A little before the Sedan there marcheth one with an Umbrella or Sun-skreen and sometimes two they are made of silke and are as bigge as three of ours Close by the Sedan on one side is carried a great gilded fanne so bigge that a man is hardly able to beare it with which the Sun is kept off from him for the Umbrellas serve only for shew and Parade Immediatly before the Sedan is carried the Kings seale in a gilded Coffer placed upon a Machine like to that which we use in our Countries to carry the Images and Reliques of Saints upon in procession under a cloath of state borne up with foure small pillars This is carried by two men Behind the Sedan follow the Pages and other people both on horse and foot When he goeth through the street if there be any thing unseemly at the windowes as cloathes hanged out a drying or such like things presently they are taken in if they meet with any Beers or Hearses such as the dead are carried to buriall withall they overturne them to the ground people of Qualitie turne downe some other street to avoyd meeting of them they that are on horse-back alight they that are carried in chaires are set downe the people set themselves in ranke on both sides the way If it be a great Mandarine the multitude that stand looking upon him keep a profound silence In the meane while he sitteth in his chaire with so much gravity and composure of body that he doth not so much as move his eyes for to but looke on one side or other would in them be esteemed a notable fault When they make their first entrie into any City or Towne besides the traine which is appoynted to accompany them all the way they go and the Souldiers which guard them through the Townes and Cities where they passe and the Officers of their owne Tribunal who go many daies journyes off to receive them and the Souldiers of his owne Government who go out many miles to meet them and all the inferiour Mandarines who go out of the City to congratulate them at the gates of the Towne or City stand all the old men of that place in great number with their reverend white beards who on their knees bid him welcome in the name of the people The Mothers and wives of the Officers as their Sonnes or Husbands are preferred and advanced to higher offices and dignities are appointed by the King certaine honourable distinctions in their habit as also Titles whereby they are called such as are among us your Honour and your Excellency not that they are the same but that they have some resemblance more or lesse When any one of the most Eminent Officers die the King sendeth away post a Mandarine of the Court to solemnize his funeralls and this not only to the confines of the Kingdom but even out of it as to the Island of Hainam as it happened in the year 1617 at what time I spake with him who was sent hether by the King only for that purpose The King also after his death bestoweth the office of a Mandarine upon his Sonne or Nephew and if the deceased person be a Colao he bestoweth the like honour upon all his Sonnes or Nephewes who if they give a good Testimony of their abilitie in their Government are advanced yet higher and come to be Governours of Cityes The Palaces where they inhabit are large convenient and stately their Tribunals where they do Justice are magnificently adorned and attended by great store of Officers In the City of Nankim beside many others there are five Tribunals foure of the foure windes for so they call them and they are accordingly placed in the City toward the North toward the South c. The fift is in the middle of the City yet are they inferiour Tribunals for every one hath a President and two Collaterals and the President is no more than a Doctour and the two Collaterals are either simple Batchelers or else raised from the office of Notarie It is true that in small and ordinary causes these are the hands and feet of the Mandarines being faithfull and diligent executers of whatsoever they command them There are in every one of these Tribunals more than 300 men who serve them as Notaries Clerks and Serjeants some to apprehend men others to whip them others to carry letters and writings and such other Commissions but they do not
greatest straits kept a strong winde in readines to dissipate these clowds This was a grave Mandarine who exercised the office of Tauli in that City who undertooke our defence and with a speech which he made to the Mandarines and the people concerning the probiâ—y and honesty of the Fathers of their good manner of life and conversation and of the security which was in them quieted and appeased this tempest Of so great power upon all occasions is the authority of one who governeth and in this particularly wherein according to their manner of Government one would have thought that this Tauli should have been our greatest adversary it pleased the Lord by his means so farre to quiet all disturbances that they made no small advantage even of these temptations Their affaires continued thus between tempests and calmes which latter commonly were of the shorter continuance and to conclude the History of this House I will only relate two notable passages concerning it About this time the Hollanders did infest India and were come as farre as China with a designe to gaine a Port in that Kingdom and particularly to take if they could the City of Macao as they did afterwards attempt to do according as I have already related Upon this occasion that City resolved to fortifie it selfe as afterward it did and although the designe did not take effect at that time yet those beginnings and preparations of warre were sufficient to make the Chinesses who are timorous and suspicious even by nature to beleeve that the Portughesses had some designe on foot against them This suspicion was encreased by the coming of Father Lazarus Catanaeus out of China to Macao at the same time He was a man somewhat corpulent by nature and of a tall stature and of a bold and lively mind or aspect and was now become more venerable by reason of his long beard so that to any one who was not acquainted with him he seemed fitter to carry a Pike than a Breviary The Chinesses were perswaded that this Father had a designe to make himselfe Master of their Kingdom and that the Portughesses had chosen him for their Captain in that enterprise partly in consideration of his person and partly for the knowledge he had of the waies in that Country by reason he had been in both the Courts adding with all that there would arrive very shortly two Armies to their assistance one from India of Portughesses the other from Giappon of Giapponesses who are their deadly enemies and that the Fathers who were the companions of Father Lazarus were gone before into the Kingdom partly as spies and partly to stirre up the people to take part with their designes A malicious but ridiculous invention of the Devil as if 4 or 5 poore religious men with a handfull of Christians had been able to conquer so powerfull a Kingdom This rumour began by little and little till at length as is usuall in such cases it grew so strong in the beliefe of the Chinesses that as many of them as dwelt in Macao either Merchants or Inhabitants fled all away to Canton Whereupon they of the Province of Canton gave themselves for half lost and being filled with frights and terrours they made no question but the businesse was very certain The newes had already arrived to the Vice-roys eares who in hast made great levies both for sea and land In the principall City of the Province all the Houses were caused to be pulled downe which were built along the wall on the outside which were very many and the poore people received an excessive losse by it The gates which opened towards Macao were walled up with lime and stone and upon the walls were placed Sentinells to keep watch both night and day A proclamation was published which under very great penalties did prohibite all manner of commerce with Macao and that no stranger whatsoever should be admitted and in particular not Father Catanaeus who was he that was to make himselfe King In this manner was the Metropolis inflamed with a military heat while the neighbouring Cities were ready to die for feare Who would ever have doubted that a fire so unfortunately begun should not have reached as farre as our Residence of Xaocheu a City of the same Province and not very farre from the Metropolis and should not there have burnt up whatsoever it found in it together with all our other Houses in that Kingdom They rushed suddenly into the House with such a fury as you may easily believe them to be in upon such occasion they made a very strickt search and turned every thing upside downe to see if they could finde any armes and having not found what they sought for having imagined to finde a Magazine or Armory there the tumult began to cease and the people went out of the House neverthelesse they set guards upon us for their greater securitie and from this time that fire began to be extinguished The Vice-roy had already given order to the Captain Generall of that Province whom they call Tum Pim that with all the strength of the Country he should fall upon Macao and that he should sack and destroy it But he like a prudent man would not put himselfe upon an enterprise of so much hazzard and danger for the Portughesses would not have suffered themselves to have been so easily destroyed as they shewed afterwards against the Hollanders a people of another manner of valour than the Chinesses before he had received better and more certain information Therefore he sent spies to Macao who went up and downe the City very freely for by reason they had no suspicion of any thing all passages were free and open When the spies had remained in all libertie in Macao as long as they though fit they returned with certain intelligence that there was not any preparation for warre in Macao no levies of Souldiers nor any signe of that newes which had been spread abroad but all was in peace quietnesse save only that the City was divided into two factions by reason of some particular quarrels Upon this intelligence he did forbeare to put the Vice-roys orders in execution and in the mean time things began to be better cleared and the truth to appeare The Citizens of Canton did open their gates and their feares began to blow over and every thing to settle in a great deale of quietnes which was much promoted by the coming of that Mandarine of whom we have formerly made mention that he did appease another tumult against the Fathers in the City of Xaocheu He had been at the Court and was returned from thence upon the occasion of his being promoted to an Office He upon the acquaintance he had formerly had with the Fathers and especially by reason of the new friendship he had contracted with the Fathers at Pekim with whom he had had a very great familiarity absolutely setled all those distempers there for that time for this
cum alijs praedicaverit ipse reprobus efficiatur nam exactam quaeâ—ere conformitatem in omnibus est potius pacem turbare This opinion likewise is favoured by the Glosse in capit Reus qui de paenitentia remissione where it is said That in favour of those who are newly converted to the Faith detrahendum est jure The Church hath often practised the same and particularly in the Councel of Florence where Pope Eugenius the Fourth did very prudently dissemble with the Greeks concerning the point of marriage for the Greeks not consenting to treate any thing concerning Marriage and the Pope having also already determined the point yet Synodicé Armeniis in decreto suo credendum tradens mirum dictu Graecos ob communem concordiam recentur initam fortius stabiliendam non explicitè ad hoc credendum obstrinxit imò pertinaciam eâ—rum in reliquis violata pace ne resilirent videns non vidit vel ut in Actis Concilij paâ—et non condemnavit If this was done to Persons of that authority quality and antiquity what shall we say of poor Neophytes but only that of St. Gregory Duris mentibus simul omnia abscindere impossibile esse not dubium est quia is qui locum ascendere nititur gradibus vel passibus non saltibus elevatur So that in the conversion of the Gentiles according to St. Gregory Suaviter c. prudenter subinsinuare non violenter abrumpere Apostolici muneris est St. Peter to preserve those Plants he had newly planted Inter Gentiles gentiliter inter judaeos judaicè victitavit And St. Paul Factus est Iudaeis tanquam Iudaus ut Iudaeos lucrifaceret ijs qui sub legeerant quasi sub lege esset ut eos qui sub lige erant lucrifaceret idque prudenter ad bonum animarum as Baronius declareth in his Annals in the year 51. This is that which the 〈…〉 Councells and Fathers have taught by precept and examples And notwithstanding all these Instructions how difficult is it to take the middle way by accommodating ones selfe to places times and persons and the severall course of things and how much good is lost not to say how much evill done and even such evill as at this day we see and lament by following everyone his own judgment and fancy whatsoever it be leaving that more certain and saving way which was used by the Saints I will conclude this Relation with a Paragraph of a Letter which the Patriark of Aethiopia Don Alphonso Mendez wrote from Goa to the Cardinalls of the Congregation de propagandâ fide who for his Learning Authority and Vertue and above all for his experience of Missions wherein he laboured and suffered much doth very much deserve to be believed He saith thus But at the end of this Letter I do judge it not from our purpose to be mind your Eminencies that God hath formerly commanded that a vine-yard should not be sowed with diverse seeds nor that a garment ought to be woven of Linnen and Woollen with which the Queen and Spouse is to be cloathed wherein is implied That the severall institutions and different manners of living of Religious Orders ought not to be entruded upon young and tender Churches such as are but yet in a manner sucklings but only to be introduced into such Churches as are come to their full strength and are fortified by a long continuance of years For many times emulation growing among them and many wanting prudence and others abounding in an indiscreet zeale they do many things which tend rather to ruine than edification c. The Lord blesse your Eminencies c. From Goa the eleventh of November 1638. The Liuely Effigies of Thein mingus y e present Emperour of the Western Tartars who hath Lately ouerrun and Possest himselfe allmost of the whole Empire of China BELLUM TARTARICUM OR THE CONQUEST OF The Great and most Renovvned Empire of CHINA By the Invasion of the TARTARS who in these last seven years have wholly subdued that vast Empire Together with a Map of the Provinces and chief Cities of the Countries for the better understanding of the STORY Written originally in LATINE by Martin Martinius present in the Countrey at most of the Passages herein related And now faithfully Translated into English LONDON Printed for Iohn Crook and are to be sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Ship in S. Pauls Church-yard 1655. LABORE ET CONSTANTIA To the Reader WHereas in the course of this insuing History there occurs frequent mention of the chiefe Provinces and Cities in China which have either been assaulted and defended subdued or destroyed by the severall Armies as well from North to South as from East to West least the pleasure and delight of this History should be any way diminished by the frequent re-encounter of harsh and barbarous names of Countries and Towns unknown to the European Reader I thought it good to prefix a little Geographical table of the Countries and chiefe Cities which might serve as a guide to conduct the eye of the understanding in the pursuit of the mentioned victories I confesse it is not so exact as the rigour of Geography exacts but yet it is such an one as was drawn by the hands of their learned Phylosophers and may well give a sufficient notion of all the places mentioned As for more exquisit and rare Maps both universal and particular as well of the Countries as of the Cities and of all the rarities they contain together with the exact knowledge of their Longitudes and Latitudes and of all that does belong either to Astronomy or Geography in relation to them with what may be expected from Natural or Humane History I reserve all these to my Atlas of China which I am composing taken from their own ancient records ever since the time of Noah all which I have with much pains and industry gathered up together and transported with me to Europe I will not therefore for the present deflower that work of its greatest beauty by an unseasonable exposition of it to the Readers view but expect till it grow to that perfection as I hope will satisfie the appetite of this our curious Age. SITVS PROVINCIARVâ— IMPERII SINIC 〈…〉 MDC.LIV BELLUM TARTARICUM OR The History of the Warres of the Tartars in China c. THe most ancient Nation of Tartars in Asia the Parent of many Nations hath been an Enemy to the Empire of China above four thousand years during which time they have had many sharp Wars with those of China in which they though sometimes worsted yet for the most part have remained the conquerors I call that Nation Tartars which inhabiteth the Northern parts behind that famous Wall which stretching out above 300. German Leagues from East to West hath ever served for a Rampart to hinder their irruptions into the said Empire This Country the Chineses having a defect of the letter Râ—anciently called Tata comprehending under this
name not only the occidentall but the Oriental Tâ—rtars hitherto much unknown to us in Europe containing the Provinces Sâ—mahania Tanyu Niuche Niulhaâ— and the like from the lesser Tartary and Kingdom of Cascor to the Oriental Sea above Iaâ—ony where they are separated by the Streight of Anian from Quevira in America if yet it be a Streight and not a Continent But it is not my intention to write all the Warrs which have passed betwixt them but only of such as have happened in our memory and in my presence All the rest shall appear at large in my Abridgement of the History of China And that we may proceed with more Order it will be necessary to reflect how and from whence those Troubles had their beginning It is therefore first to be known that the ancient Western Tartars after they had subdued almost all Asia to their power waged war against China of which Paulus Venetus and Ayton make mention under the names of Cataye and Maningin and this before the times of great Tamberlain who never subdued China as some have falsly writ for he flourished about the year MCCCCVI in which time Taichangus Emperour of China and the second of the Taimingian Family the Tartars being before beaten out of his Kingdom governed peaceably all the Provinces included within the compass of that Vast Wall which before I mentioned But the War which Paulus Venetus toucheth betwixt the Chinesses and Tartars began in the year MCCVI. as their History and Chronology testify which lasting 77. years at last the Tartars in the year MCCLXXVIII having totally conquered all that potent Empire extinguished the Imperiall Family of the Sungas and erected a new Regal Family which they called Iuena of which Tartarian Race nine Emperors by descent governed in the Kingdom of China for the space of LXX years in Peace and Quietness and about the end of that War came Paulus Venetus into China with the Tartars as appeareth by his Writings In this tract of time the Tartars forgetting their ancient Vigour of Mind and warlike Spirits which the pleasures and delices of that Country had quailed and tamed and being also weakned by so long a Peace became of a softer temper and received a deep Tincture of the Nature and Disposition of the Natives of China Whereupon a contemptible person who was servant to one of those deputed to offer Sacrifice to their Idols called Chu presumed to rebell against them This man commiserating the condition of his enslaved Country and alsotouched with the ambition of Reigning first acted the part of a Thief or High-way man and being of a Generous Nature bold and as quick of hand as in wit wanted neither Courage nor Art nor Companions nor Fortune to gather such a multitude as in short time made up the vast body of an Army whereupon deposing the person of a Thief he became a General and with a bold attempt presumed to set upon the Tartars and having fought many battailes with them obtained many singular Victories so as in the year 1368 he finally drove them out of the Kingdom of China receiving for so memorable an action the whole Empire of China as a worthy reward of his Heroical Actions It was he first erected the Imperial Family of the Taâ—inges and being he was the first Emperour of that Race stiled himself by the name of Hunguus which signifies as much as The famous Warriour After such an illustrious Action it was no wonder if all the Provinces submitted to him both as to one that was a Native of their Country and also because they looked on him as a man who had redeemed them from Thraldome for it is the Nature of the people of China to love and esteem their own as much as they hate and vilifie Strangers Wherefore he first placed his Court at Nanking neer to the bank of that great River of Kiang which the Chinesses in respect of the huge Mountains of water which it discharges into the Ocean call the Son of the Sea And having speedily ordered and established that Empire fearing no Insurrections from these new redeemed Creatures he was not contented to have chased the Tartars out of China but he made an irruption into Tartary it selfe and so followed the point of his Victory as that he routed them several times wasted all their Territories and finally brought the Oriental Tartars to such streights as he forced them to lay down their Arms to pay Tribute and even begge an Ignominious Peace This Storm of War fell chiefly on the Tartars of the Province of Niuche whither the Tartars of China being expelled were retired Afterward those Tartars every yeare either as Subjects or Friends came into China by the Province of 〈◊〉 to traffick with the Inhabitants For being brought to poverty and misery they thought no more of making warre against China The Merchandise they brought were severall as the root cal'd Ginsâ—m so much esteemed amongst the Chineses and all sorts of precious skins as those of Castor Martais and Zibellâ—ns and also Horse-hair of which the Chineses make their Nets and the men use it in tying up their hair as the handsomest dresse they can appear in But those Tartars multiplyed so fast as they grew quickly into seven Governments which they call Hordes and these fighting one against another at length about the year of Christ MDL were united into one Kingdome called the Kingdome of Niuche Thus stood China in relation to the Eastern Tartars but to the Western Tartars they payed Tribute masked under the Title of Presents that they might desist from War For the Chineses esteem it very unhandsome to make war against any if by any other means their Country can be conserved in peace and quietness being taught this by their Philosophers But in the meane time being over jealous of the Enemies to their antient riches they never left that great Wall which extends from East to West without a million of Souldiers to guard it Therefore this Kingdome of China being thus established in the Taimingian Family enjoyed a constant peace and quietnesse for CCL years and whilst the seven Tartarian Lords or Governours made civil wars that renowned Emperour of China known by the name of Vanley being the thirteenth Emperour of Taiminges Family governed happily the Kingdome of China from the year 1573. to the year 1620. with as much Prudence as Justice and Equity But in this time the Tartars of Niuche had so multiplied and spread themselves after incorporated into a Kingdome that they became daily more formidable to China And therefore the Governours of the bordering Provinces consulted privatelâ— amongst themselvs how they might curb and restraine these people within their limits For their Governours have so much Power and Authority that although they live as Slaves to their Prince yet when there is question of a Common and publick good they govern absolutely and uncontroulably unless by some higher powers their orders be restrained
perswaded him to leave the Imperial City and retire to the Southern Provinces but he protested he would rather die than quit the Northern quarters and not only so but he forbade any to depart the Court or Town besieged In the mean time the Tartars make many fierce assaults and as often were valiantly beaten back with great losse and Carnage Yvenus was called to resist the Tartars for as yet his Traiterous Comploâ—s were not discovered And lest he should discover his Treason he comes with his Armie neer the very Walls of the Court which was of a vast extent and as it were a great partition between the two Armies from which both the Chinese and Tartars forces were perfectly discerned But though Yvenus was under the Emperours eye yet he acted little for his only aim being to returne home laden with Riches he never desisted to perswade the Emperour to admit his conditions of Peace So that the Emperour finding him evidently to be a Traitor disclosing his intention to none of his Councel nor Governours sends to invite him to a private Councel of war giving also order that he should be admitted into the City over the Walls lest if any Gate should be open the Tartar being so neer might presse in upon them but indeed he ordered the businesse in this manner lest he should bring his Armie into the City with him Yvenus therefore knowing he had many chief men about the Emperous person who were both his favourities and friends and that none of them gave him the least sign of any distaste that the Emperour might conceive against him boldly and securely presented himself at Court and as soon as he appeared he was presently arrested and after some few questions the Emperour commanded him to be killed The Tartars hearing of his death before the China Armie had a new General assigned raise the siege ransack all the Country round about and after they had made excursions to the next bordering Province of Xantung richly laden with all manner of Spoiles returne to their first residence in Leaotung From these times til the year 1636. the event of their Warrs was very various but in general we observe that the Tartars could never fix a foot in China but they were presently beaten out again In this same year Thienzungus King of the Tartars died after whom succeeded his Son Zungteus Father to him that now governs China of whom we now must begin to treat This Prince before his Reign expressed much judgement in severall Occurrences surpassing all the Kings of Tartary in Humanity and obliging courtesie For when he was young he was sent by his Father into China where he lived secretly and learned the China's Manners Doctrine and Language and now coming to the Kingdom he changed and far surpassed all the Examples of his Predecessors For having observed that their too hard and cruel usage of the Chinesses had been the principal obstacle of their advancement to the end he might conquer that Empire he so much thirsted after as well by Love as by Arms he courteously entertained and cherished all those of China which came unto him using all Prisoners with great sweetnes and inviting them either to submit freely to his Government or take their course with full freedom The fame of his humanitie was spred far and neer which induced many Commanders and chief Officers to fly unto him by whose means and help at length he became Emperour of that spacious and flourishing Country For experience shews us that Love and Humanity do work more upon mens hearts in conquering and conserving Kingdomes than Arms and crueltie of the Conquerors hath lost that which strength of Arms had happily subdued Wherefore when the Chinesses came to understand that the King of Tartary did not only afford them a refuge but friendship many great persons flying the Indignation of the King of China sheltered themselves under the Tartars protection For by reason of the China's great Avarice and Perfidiousness it 's a necessary though most inhumane Maxim that those Officers perish who have managed the Kingdomes Affairs with lesse successe For they easily are brought to beleeve that such unhappy events do not proceed so much from the frown of inconstant Fortune as it doth from the perfidie or negligence of the Commanders So as if any fought unhappily or if he lost the Country committed to his charge if any Sedition or Rebellion happened the Governors hardly ever escaped alive Seeing therefore they found so much Humanitie in the Tartar and so much Inhumanity in the Emperor they rather chose to fly to the former By this occasion give me leave to relate what happened to that incomparable Commander renowned both for Fidelitie and Fortitude called Ignatius This Heroick mind preferd his fidelitie to his Prince before his life before the Tartarian's protection yea even before the strength of his formidable Army and chose rather with his unparallel'd Fidelity to submit his head to a Block by an unjust sentence than to abandon his Country or once commit the least fault against his Soveraign though guilty of much injustice towards Him He might perchance have swayed the Soveraign Scepter of China if he would have hearkened to his Souldiers but he rather chose to die gloriously than to be branded with the name of a Traitor After this man therefore had gained several Victories against the Tartars and recovered many Cities from their possession so as he hoped shortly wholly to extirpate them out of China His Souldiers being long without pay seditiously plundred and pillaged a Town which had ever been faithfull to the King Ignatius by several petitions and Remonstrances to the Emperour had declared his wants of mony and their want of Pay but because he fed not those venal souls that mannaged the businesse for mony and presents they alwaies suppressed his humble addresses for relief Besides this man being a very pious Christian he did nothing in his government but what was conform to Reason and Justice which was the cause he incurred the hatred of all the ancient Prefectâ— who usually receiving Bribes from the contesting parties demanded favour of Ignatius for their Clients But it was in vain to intercede for any unlesse the justnesse of the cause did also ballance their Petitions And these men attributing this proceeding not to vertue but to his Pride thinking themselves undervalued by him dealt under-hand with the Prefects in the Court to stop the Armies pay that so they might destroy this innocent man Moreover he was envied by the Commanders in the very Court because he came to this eminent dignitie by his own valour and industry which they imagined was only to be given to Doctors and Ignatius was but a Licenciat as if the most learned must needs be also the most valorous In this conjuncture of affairs the Souldiers not contented with the seditious pillage seeing the most imminent danger hanging over their most
esteemed and beloved Governour by reason of their folly go about to perswade him to make himself King of that Province nay more to take the whole Empire to himself as a thing due to his Prowess and Merits promising their whole strength to effect the businesse and also to extirpate those men about the Emperour that aimed more to compasse their malicious ends than to promote the general affaires of the Empire But Ignatius by pious admonitions staved them off from further violence made them obedient and quiet commanded all to stand faithfull to the Emperour of China and punished the chief of that sedition This supreme act of fidelity deserved a better esteem and acceptance than thâ—t which was returned by the Emperour and his Court who slighting this his allegeance sent another Vice-Roy in his place and commanded him to appear in Court He then perceived they aimed at his life and the Souldiers suspected the businesse and therefore mad with anger they all jointly rose in Arms for him swearing they would live and die with him and that he should not present himselfe at Court. It is our duty say they to conserve thy life which hast been so carefull of ours and we have strength and courage enough to resist all the force of thy perfidious Enemies But Ignatius was deaf to all these allurements and studied by all means to sweeten their exulcerated minds alwaies inculcating to them to die true and loyall to their Soveraigns service chusing rather to water that ungratefull Soil of his native Country with the streams of his Blood than either to spill his Enemies blood by the force and pow'r of his Souldiers or to retire to the Tartarian King which offered him so fair preferments But many of his Captains fell off to the Tartars following in this not his example but that of many others whom they saw eminently promoted amongst the Tartars Some of those that then fled from the Emperour are now chief Commanders under the Tartarian King in their China Empire some also have obtained the dignity of Princes or Royolets in several Countries for the reward of their Valour and faithfull Service against China So much more piercing is that wedge which is made of the same wood But although hitherto these Tartarian Wars had caused great troubles tempests in the China Empire yet all things now seemed so calmed and pacified as they seemed secure from any further danger for the Western part of Leaotung was strongly fortified and there was a great Army in the Island of Cu and the bordering quarters which hindered the Tartars in the Eastern part of the Country which they possessed from further passage But now the chiefest danger was from the Traitors and Theeves which were in the very Bowells of the Country who finally destroyed it and gave it up in Prey to the Tartars I touched somthing of their Commotions before now we must treat a little more largely of their proceedings that the Reader may see how the Tartars came to subdue and conquer China The first Combination of these Rovers appeared in the remote Country of Suchuen who having pillaged divers Cities and emboldened by prosperous successe ventured to besiege the chief City of that Country call'd Cingtu which they had infallibly taken if that valiant Amazon whom I mentioned before had not come to relieve it with her Army but by her valour they were beaten off with great losse and not being wholly extinguished they retired into the mountains to recruit their Forces These were seconded by a like race of people in the Province of Queicheu who took occasion of rising by reason of an unjust Sentence passed in a sure betwixt two Grandees of that Country he who lost the cause being offended with the Governors These roving companions first kill'd all the Magistrates which had pronounced that unjust sentence and then they defeated the Vice-Roy his Army yet afterwards he routed them with a new Army but could not extinguish them Besides these the Famin increasing in the Northern quarters in the Countries of Xensi and Xantung by reason of a great inundation of Locusts which devoured all there riss up by this occasion many loose fellowes which lived by Rapin. These men at first were few in number and small in strength and after only preying in little places presently fled to the Mountains but finding they got both Meat and Riches with little labour and lesse cost they quickly got Companions to re-inforce them This Sedition being also much augmented by the Emperour Zungchinius his notable avarice who so exhausted the people by Imposts and Taxes as if it had been a year of the golden Age. The Prefects of the Provinces not being able presently to represse the insolency of those people they daily increafed in courage and strength Insomuch as in several Countries they had eight very considerable Armies They chose the strongest valiantest men amongst them for their Commanders and these persons being grown rich and potent by preying deposed now the person of Ring-leaders of Theeves and aspired to no lesse than to the Empire of China And at first they fought one against another every one pillaging another of what he could But at length things were brought to that passe that two of the Commanders being only left alive these two prevailed with the Souldiers of those that were killed to follow their Ensignes and Fortune and they knowing well that if they were taken by the Emperors Officers they could not escape a most certain death easily resolved to shelter themselves under the Arms of these two victorious persons The name of one of these chief Brigands was Lacungzus the second was called Changhienchungus two notorious bold roguish fellows who lest they should destroy one anothers fortunes by their ambitious emulation separated themselves far from one another resolving both to pursue their prosperous fortunes Licungzus therefore possessed himselfe of the Northern parts of Xensi and Honan and the other tyrannized over the Countries of Suchuen and Huquang But that we may not interrupt our discourse by delivering the Acts of both these together we will first treat of Licungzus his feats being he was the cause of the Tartars coming to the Empire which he himself might have possessed if his proceedings had been moderate and humane and of the other we shall speak hereafter Therefore in the year 1641. these pilferers having got immense riches in the Province Xensi made an irruption in a vast body into that delicious sweet Province of Honan and went strait to the chief City called Caifung which they besieged There was in that place a very great and strong Garison who by the benefit of Artillery mounted upon hand-wheeling Cars forced them to quit the siege then they fell upon all the neighbouring Cities plundring spoiling and burning all they could master Having hoorded up store of provision of Corn and augmented their Army by a company of
against the Tartars as all the Horse would hardly have surmounted it But it is the resolution and valour in War that carries the Trophies not the number of men for hardly had the Tartars set foot in their Boats but the Chineses ran all away as Sheep use to do when they see the Wolf leaving the whole shore unfenced to their landing The Tartars having passed the River finding no enemy to resist enter the most noble Province of Nanking and in a trice make themselves Masters of all the North part of the Country which lies upon the great River of Kiang which is so vast as it is worthily called the Son of the Sea where it deserves particularly to be noted as a rare thing in the Warfare of the Tartars that before they enter into any Country they chuse and name both the Governours and Companies with all the Officers necessary for all the Cities and places which they aym to take so as in a moment they run like a lightning and no sooner they possesse it but it is fortified armed and defended There was one City in these Quarters which made a generous resistance to all their re-iterated assaults called Yangcheu where the Tartars lost the Son of a little Royalet This City was defended by that faithful Imperial Champioâ— called Zuuis Colaus but though he had a mightie Garrison yet he was aâ— length forced to yield and the whole City was sacked and both Citizeâ— and Souldier put to the Sword and least the multitude of the dead Carcases should corrupt the Air and ingender the Plague they laid them all upon the tops of the Houses and setting fire both to the City and Suburbs brought all to ashes and to a total desolation By this progresse the Forces of the Tartar much encreased for the Governours of many places several Regiments came to submit to his Dominion To all whom he commonly continued the same Commands and Offices they were established in before and advanced many of them to higher dignity and so by this Humanitie with which he treated all that came flying to him and by the crueltie he used to those that resolved to make resistance to the Force of his Arms he gained this that most men resolved to partake of his sweet treatie rather than of his cruelty so he easily conquered all that which lies on the North side of that River which I named before the Son of the Sea This River being a German League in breadth and rising from the West of China holds its course to the East and divides the Kingdom into Northern and Southern Quarters it also divides the Country of Nanking in the very middle though Nanking the Metropolitan and Royal City be placed in the Southern part To Master this great Citie they were to passe this River They gathered therefore together many Ships to Conquer this new Emperial seat and also the new settled Emperour The Fleet of China commanded by the most generous and faithfull Admiral called Hoangchoangus lay towards the other side of this River Here the Admiral fought so gallantly and resolutely that he made it appear to the world that the Tartars were not invincible Till at length one of his own Commanders called Thienus born in the Citie of Leaotung being corrupted by the Tartars shot him with an Arrow to death which Arrow fixed the unconstant wheel of Chinas fortune and lost the whole Empire But the Traitor not contented with this perfidious Act began himself to run away and by his example drew all the rest to imitate this Ignominious Action His impudence passed yet to a higher strain for comming to the Imperial Citie and finding the Emperour preparing to retire he joyned himselfe with him as a faithfull friend participating of his adversity till he saw the Tartars who passing the River followed the Kings flight with all imaginable diligence were come near him then he took the Emperour Prisoner and delivered him to the Tartarian Army in the year MDCXLIV This unfortunate Prince being thus betrayed before he had raigned full one year was sent to Peking and there upon the Town Walls was hanged publickly in a Bow string which kind of death the Tartars esteem most noble The pretended Son to the Emperour Zunchinius whether he were true or false run the same course of fortune when they had discovered him being kept still in Prison for they did not onely put to death all those which belonged to the Imperial Family of the Taiminges by Consanguinitie but after a diligent search extirpated all they could find which belonged to them even by Affinitie for it is a custom in Asia if any one conquer a Kingdom to root out all that belong to the Royal Family After this they divided their Army into two parts the one they sent to conquer the Mediterranean Provinces of Kiansi Huquang Quangtung which are all of a marvellous extent the other like a swift Torrent over-run all till they came to the very Walls of the renowned and vast City of Hangcheu which is the head City of the Province of Chekiang Into this City the principal fugitives of the Army of China were retired and those not only of the common Souldiers but many great Commanders and Prefects where they resolved to chuse a new Emperour called Lovangus of the ancient Family of Taimingus But this Prince would never assume the Title of Emperour but contented himself with the Title of King thinking his fall would be lesse and his death not so bitter as if he fell from the Throne of an Emperour but yet to the end to animate them to fight with more vigour than they had done heretofore he promised them to take that Title when they had re-gained one Imperial City He had not reigned three dayes a shorter space than their personated Kings use many times to reign in their Tragedies but the Tartars arrive Which the fugitive Souldiers seeing thinking by this pinch of necessity to force their pay from the King and City refused to fight before they had received their salary It was on this occasion that King Lovangus his heart being not able to bear such a desolation of the City of his people and subjects as he foresaw gave such an example of his Humanity and Piety as Europe never saw for he mounted upon the City Walls and calling upon his Knees to the Tartarian Captains begged the life of his Subjects Spare not me quoth he I wil willingly be my Subjects victime having said this he presently went out to the Tartars Army and was taken This Illustrious testimony of his love to his Subjects had not wanted a reward to Crown so Heroick an Action if it had met with a generous Soul like that of Alexander or of Caesar. When they had the King Prisoner they commanded the Citizens to shut the Gates and keep the Walls least either their own or the Kings Souldiers should enter the City and
presently they fell upon the Kings men whom they butchered in a most cruel manner but yet the water destroyed more than their Swords or Arrows for many cast themselves headlong into the great River of Cianthang which is a League broad and runs neer the City others leaping and overcharging the Boats in the River were presently sunck others flying away full of fear and confusion thrust one another at the River side into that unmerciful Element and by all these many thousands perished The Tartars wanting boats to passe this River having thus expelled or killed the Souldiery they returned Triumphant to the City where they used neither force nor violence by which means this noble City was conserved whose beauty greatnesse and riches I hope to describe elsewhere not by hear-say but by what I saw in the three years space I lived in it from which I lately came into Europe This City of Hangcheu hath an Artificial Channel or Dike to pass by water to the Northern parts of China This Chanel is onely separated by the high part of the way like a Causeway from the River which as I said runs on the South part of the City The Tartars therefore drew many Boats out of this Chanel over the Causeway into the River Cienthang and with the help of these Boats they passed the River without resistance and found the fairest City in all China called Xaoking prone enough to submit to their victorious Armes This City in bignesse yields to many others but in cleannesse and comlinesse it surpasses all it is so invironed with sweet waters as a man may contemplate its beauty by rounding it in a Boat it hath large and fair Streets paved on both sides with white square stones and in the middle of them all runs a Navigable Chanel whose sides are garnished with the like ornament and of the same stone there are also built many fairs Bridges and Triumphant Arches the Houses also which I observe no where else in China are built of the same square stone so as in a word I saw nothing neater in all China They took this Town without any resistance and so they might have done all the rest of the Southern Towns of this Povince of Chekiang But when they commanded all by Proclamation to cut off their Hair then both Souldier and Citizen took up Armes and fought more desperately for their Hair of their Heads than they did for King or Kingdome and beat the Tartars not only out of their City but repulst them to the River Cienthang nay forced them to passe the River killing very many of them In truth had they past the River they might have recovered the Metropolis with the other Towns But they pursued their victory no further being sufficiently contented that they had preserved their Hair resisting them only on the South side of the shore and there fortifying themselves By this means the conquering Armes of the Tartars were repressed for a whole year But the Chinois that they might have a Head chose Lu Regulus of the Taimingian Family for their Emperour who would not accept therof but would be only stiled The Restorer of the Empire In the mean time the Tartars had sent for new forces out of Peking with which they left nere a Stone unturned that they might get over the River Cienthang but all was in vain The drooping affairs therfore of the Chinois now breathed again nay having gathered together more Forces they promised themselves greater victories But the ambition and emulation of rulling frustrated all their hopes For the Commanders and Presidents which fled out of the Province of Chekian into the Country of Fokien carried with them one of Taiminga's Family called Thangus and this man they chose King in the Country of Fokien which confines with Chekiang This Prince pretended that the King called Lu should yeeld up his right to him both because he had but a few Cities under him and also because he was further removed from the Imperial Race than he was But King Lu pretended he was Proclaimed by the Army before him and failed not to set forth his victories over the Tartars By which two contentions the Tartars kept the Crown for these two Royalets would never yeeld to one another nor so unite their Armies as joyntly to represse the Tartars Since therefore this petty King Lu had onely eight Cities under his command whose Contributions were not able to maintain the necessary pay of his Army he never durst venture to passe over the River but endeavoured only to defend himself But the Tartars sought all means possibly to get over this River yet they durst not venture to passe in Boats because King Lu had many ships and good store of Artillery which he had caused to be brought from Sea But the Tartars felicity and prosperous fortune overcame this difficulty for as it happened that year being dryer than ordinary this River towards the South where it runs betwixt high Mountains and is deprived of the flowing of the Sea had lost much of its depth and here the Tartars Horse found it passable and because the rudenesse of those Mountains seemed a sufficient Guard to the Country they found no Souldiers to resist but as soon as the Clowns espied twenty of their Horse to have passed the River they presently advertised the Army and they all betook themselves to flight King Lu himself left the City Xaoking and not daring to trust himself to the Continent he took Ship and failed to the Island called Cheuxan which lies opposit to the Citie of Nimpus where he remains to this day safe and keeps still his Regal dignitie which Island being heretofore only a retreit for Fishemen and some Clowns now is become a potent Kingdom by reason that many fly from China to this King Lu as to their sanctuary to conserve the libertie of their Hair In this Island there are now found three score and ten Cities with a strong and formidable Army which hitherto hath contemned all the Tartarian Power and Forces and watch for some happy occasion to advance again their Kingdom in China But by this means the Tartars took all the Cities and Towns of the County of Chekiang into their Dominion One only City of Kinhoa whose President was aswel a Native of the place as also the Commander in chief and my very singular friend sustained the Tartars assaults for some months But to the end the resistance of this City should not be a hindrance to the course of their Victories the Tartars divided their Army into three parts The first part marched by the City Kiucheu and the Mountains the second by the City Vencheu and the Sea shore into the Province of Fâ—kien and the third obstinately besieged the City of Kinhoa At which time I by leave from the Emperour Longuvus resided in Henxus a City subject to that of Venchen which presently after was besieged and taken by the
this was done then he resolved to display his Banners and Ensigns in so pious a cause as the driving out the common Enemy from the bowels of the Kingdom and no doubt but under this pretext they would all have followed helped and even adored him as their Saviour It was therefore evident that he had secret correspondence with the Tartars and that he favoured them for his own profit And that which made the businesse more suspicious was that at that time when the Tartars made their irruption into Fokien he was then declared Lord Marshal of the Kingdom and all the Generals Commanders and Souldiers were either of his affinity or wholly at his Command and Obedience And therefore it is no wonder if the Tartars found an easie admittance into the Country of Fokien of which they presently made him King Pingnan as much as to say Pacifier of the South and they added many other Dignities and Offices of trust that they might more speciously illude him for either they knew his aspiring mind or else his great power and authoritie was suspicious and formidable to them but yet all the while that the General of the Tartars remained in Fokien they never expressed the least diffidence in him but both with favours courtesies presents and honours they studied how further to ingage him and promised him the Government of many more Provinces He made himself therefore secure of the Government of all the Southern Provinces but all happened quite contrary to his expectation for when this General of the Tartars who was observed as a little King was to depart to Peking the custom was for all the Officers of the Kingdom to conduct him for some part of his journy to give him an honourable farewell which last duty of Civility Iquan could not handsomely avoid nor indeed had he any reason to be diffident in him so as he left his Navie in the Port of Eocheu and accompanied the Royolet with great splendor and magnificence But when he came to take leave and demand Licence to return the General of the Tartars invited him a long to Peking where he promised him yet greater honours from the Kings own person to reward his Merits He endeavoured by all imaginable impediments to excuse this journey but nothing was accepted he was forced by their kindnesse to accompany them to Peking and so he was taken by Art who by Arms seemed Insuperable He is yet detained in Prison in Peking because his Brothers and Kindred hearing of his Captivitie presently seazed on the Fleet with which they have much infested China as we shall touch hereafter In the mean time the other Army which had passed the Mediterranean Provinces of Huquang Kiansi and Quamgtung invaded the Country of Quangsi But here it was that the Arms of the Tartars which hitherto were held invincible were shewed to beweak where they least expected opposition there they found a stop to their conquests It happened that in this Province of Quangsi the Vice-Roy called Khiu Thomas was a Christian and also all the Militia of that Country was commanded by Ching Lucas whose family for five Generations has served the Emperours of China with as much constancy and fidelity as they did Christ. These two having gathered many together which fled from all parts into Quangsi after the Tartars had taken many places in the Country overthrew the Tartarians in a set Battail and passing into the confining Province of Quamgtung they recovered all the Western part of it After this that they might have a head to fight for and who might command and govern them in all Occurrences and withall to draw the minds and hands of the Chineses to the common defence of the Country knowing that in the City of Queilin which is the head City of Quangsi there was one of the Taiminges Family living who was Nephew to the Great Vanleius they elected him Emperour and called by the name of Iungley This Prince fixed his Imperial seat in the noble City of Chatking in the Province of Quamgtung and hitherto has fought several times with the Tartars with good successe And in this Princes Court the chief Euncuh called Pang Acbilleus is the greatest favourite and a great Servant of Christ whom he hath long professed sincerely to worship both by word and deed for to propagate Christianitie he has ever maintained a mission of Jesuites about him by whose painfull endeavours many have embraced the Faith of Christ. And amongst others the very Mother of this Emperour his Wife and his eldest Son Heir of the Empire called Constantin did all imbrace Christianity May this Man by the praiers of all Christians prove another Constantine to the Empire of China The Emperour himself is not averse from Christianitie but hitherto he hath defer'd his Baptism but yet he permitted his Wife to send a Father of the Society to do homage to the Sea Apostolick as all Europe has heard God of his goodnesse grant him that felicity which may redound to the universal good of China and Gods greater glory But it was not only in Quangsi that the Chineses began to resume their courage but in the Province of Fokien also for no sooner was the Tartarian Army called back to Peking but a petty Heathen Priest broke out of the Mountains of Fokien with a band of seditious fellows and subduing the Tartarian Garrisons took the fair City of Kienning and many others from their subjection and others which lay lurking in the Mountaines following his example recovered also many other Cities about which time also the friends and Kindred of the Captive Iquon did extremely infest the Sea and making descents upon the Land vexed the Province extremely about the Quarters of Siuencheu and Changcheu At this time a chief Governour of the Tartarians Vice-roy of two Provinces was at Cheksang who hearing of these commotions came presently by night in great haste with all the force he could make towards the Mountains of Fokien for he with reason feared lest they should take possession of the Passages of those places which if they had done the whole Province had been re-gained But when this Vice-roy called Changus found the Mountains and Passages clear no opposition made in such difficult places he then proclamed himself victorious and his enemies persidious Rebels wherefore coming without resistance into the Country he besieged the City Kienning which was defended by Vangus This Siege held some weeks but he never could take the place by force and therefore having lost many of his men by assaults he judged it best rather to block up the place afar off than to besiege it so close and neer But yet by this he hindred other forces from joyning with Vangus so that he was not strong enough to sally out upon them When the noyse of these commotions came to Peking the Emperour presently sent a new supply to appease these tumults and this fresh Army comming to joyn
with the other brought the City to great streights but yet they could not win it til at length they found means by a rare invention to transport their Canons over the Mountains upon Porters Shoulders by which means they dismantled the Town and put all whatsoever to the Sword to the number of thirty thousand persons as my own friends writ unto me and not content with this they set fire on the Town and brought it all to ashes by which means the stately Church erected by the Christians for the service of God was also consumed by that devouring flame yet the Priests that served in that Church got out miraculously as Lot did out of Sodom which name was appropriated to this City by reason of that infamous vice This City being taken it was no hard matter to recover the Countrie for some fled to save themselves in the Mountains others ran to the Sea and so when this new Army had pacified all they were called back to Peking where it is not amisse to observe the policy which the Tartars use in the Government and ordering of their Army They are ever calling back some and sending out others in which proceeding they aim at two things first to keep the Countries in awe and subjection by seeing variety of Troops continually passing up and down and secondly to provide for the poorer sort of Souldiers for the wealthy Souldier is called back to recreat and ease labours and the poor Souldier seeing his Companion grown rich takes heart and courage to run the same course upon hopes of the like good fortune Yet for all these preventions and cautions their Empire was not so established but by frequent rebellions it was often indangered and particularly by one Rebellion which now I will relate which shaked shrewdly the foundations of the new Empire The Kingdome of China is of so vast an extent as it is a businesse of main importance to distribute judiciously the Armies and Garrisons Now because the Tartars alone cannot suffice to furnish both they are forced to use the help of the Chineses themselves although they have a speciall care never to leave or place either Commander or Souldier who is a Native in the same Country yet this care could not exempt them from several Treasons and Rebellions though they distribute order their Militia with great circumspection for the chief Commander or Governour resides in the Metropolitan City whom all inferiour Officers obey This man maintaines alwayes a compleat Army which he commands to march when he hears of any risings Every City has also their own proper Governour with a competent number of Souldiers but those for the most part are Tartars and these are Chines But all this Politicall and well-established Government could not defend them from Traitors amongst themselves The first man that did revolt from them was one Kinus Governour of the Province of Kiangsi This man was born in Leaotung and because it is a Country that borders upon Tartary the King commonly most confides in the Natives of that Province It happened I know not how that this Governour by reason of some corruptions and Avarice of the Visitor of the Country had some contests with him which grew by little and little to a secret hatred and although they both dissembled their private malice as usually they do in China yet at length the flame broke out to the ruin of the Country for being the one was Governour of the Armes and the other of Justice there was a necessity of often meetings feastings also It happened once that whilst they were feasted with a sumptuous Banquet they were also entertained by a pleasant Comedy in which the Actors were attired with the habits of China which were more comely and fairer than those which the Tartars use upon which occasion Kinus turning himself to the Visitor said Is not this habit better graver than ours This innocent speech was interpreted by his corrival Judge as if he had contemned the Edict about changing of Habits and expressed too much love to the Chines Garments before those of the Tartars and of this he sent an Expresse to advertise the Emperour But the Governour Kinus had corrupted a Secretary which served the Lord Chief Justice who gave him intelligence of all that passed in word or deed in his Masters House And as soon as he had notice that this Letter was sent to the Court he presently dispatched those who intercepted the Packet which the Governour having read went presently armed to the Judges Palace whom he suddenly killed Then presently he with the whole Province revolted from the Tartars and with the great applause of all the Chineses he submitted himself to Iungley the new elected Emperour One only City called Cancheu which was governed by an incorrupted Tartar refused to submit which was the whole and only cause that the Tartars did recover the two Provinces Kiansi and Quamtung both which Provinces revolted at the same time with their Commanders and both submitted also to the new elected Emperour â—ihuzus was Governour of Quamgtung at that time who resolved to joyn his Forces with Kinus and so to cast the Tartars out of the Empire which it is believed they might have effected if the Governour of Cancheu which is the Key and entrance into four Provinces had not cunnigly undermined all their designes and intentions But this man hearing that Lihuzus had revolted and marched to joyn his Army with Kinus dispatched to him this deceitfull Letter I have not hitherto submitted to Kinus because I knew his forces were not equal nor able to resist the Tartars But seeing thou most renowned and valiant Captain beginnest also to march against them my hopes concerning them are at end I am thine and imbrace thy cause whensoever thou shalt come or send I will render my City to thee or thine But in the mean time he sent to all the Governours in Fokien to send him secretly all the possible succour they could raise altogether Lihuzus having received the Letter marched towards him cheerfully and confidently But though he found the Gates of the City open yet he was furiously repelled by the Tartarians opposition which unexpected accident so astonished his Souldiers as many of them perished and amongst the rest it is thought himself was killed for he was never heard of after This reverse and crosse fortune did much disturb the progresse of the Emperour Iangley's affairs though Kinus in the mean time had many singular victories over the Tartars for when the chief Governour of all the Western parts of China who had placed his chief Seat in Nanking had gathered great Forces to represse his aspiring mind yet he was severall times routed overthrowne by him and if Kinus had pursued the course of his victories he might have come to the very Walls of Nanking but he was sollicitous of the City of Cancheu which obliged him to a retreit for
neither was it safe for him to leave an enemy behind him nor could be receive victuals from the Emperour Iungley but by Cancheu which is the natural descent of the River and therefore when he heard of Lihuzu's defeat he presently besieged that City with his whole Army But whilst he was besieging this City there came unfortunately a new Army of Tartars from the Imperiall City of Peking which had order to recover this Province of Kiangsi and therefore Kinus was forced to raise his Siege to oppose their entrance by the Northern parts of the Country And at first having a vast Army and used to the Tartarian warfare he fought both valiantly and happily but not being able to sustain any longer their redoubled violent assaults he was forced to retire for his security to Nanchang the chief City of that Country which City the Tartars durst not venture to take by force but resolved to reduce it by a long Siege for which end they gathered together a Company of Country Clowns to make a large and spacious Trench round about the City to the River and there they placed Ships so as no Provision could possibly enter This City of Nanchang is great and extremely full of inhabitants besides the multitude of Souldiers which defended it at that time so as although Kinus had made great Provision for a Siege yet after some moneths he came to great want and pennury and yet he held it out though many dyed expecting stil some succours from the Emperour Iungley which could not be sent because the Souldiers of Quamgtung could never subdue the City of Chancheu by which his succour was to passe wherefore Kinus being brought to great extremity expressed his mind to his Souldiers in these words There is no further hope my faithful Companions but in our own valour and strength we must force our way through the Tartarian Army by dint of Sword be couragious and follow my example And having ordered all affairs he suddainly made a Sally out of the Town upon their Trenches where though he found a vigorous opposition yet with great difficulty he passed and forced their Trenches by which means he saved himself and his Army having killed many Tartars for it is constantly reported that Kinus with a good part of his Army lives in the Mountains expecting there some good occasion to renew the War He being thus escaped the Tartars pillaged the City and put all the Citizens to the sword for it is the Tartars custom to spare all Cities which submit to them and to those which have made resistance before they be taken they are more cruell but they never spare or pardon those Cities which revolt after they have once been taken In this Slaughter they killed the two Priests which there assisted the Christians and their ancient and fair Church was burned in the City After this the Tartars easily recovered the whole Country and having appeased all and left new Garisons in all places the Army returned victorious to the Royal City of Peking In the mean time this Court prepared new Armies to reduce Quamgtung with the other Provinces which acknowledged Iungley for the Emperour of China for the Tutor to the young King of Tartary finding the defections and rebellions in the Southern parts to be very frequent resolved to give those Quarters over to some Tributary Royolets the better to contain those Countries in their duties wherefore in the year MDCXLIX he sent three Armies consisting partly of Tartars and partly of Chineses under three Tributary Princes to govern these Provinces with absolute power and Dominion one of these was King of Fokien another of Quamgtung and the third of the Province of Quangsi but with this condition that first of all they should joyn their Forces to recover the Country of Quamgtung and drive away the Emperour Iungley But we shall say more of this hereafter now having seen the Rebellions of the South let us look a little back on the Rebellions in the North against the Tartars also In these Northern parts the Chineses shewed their desire of Liberty as much as they had done in the South where the Commanders though overthrown yet not taken retired into the abrupt and precipitious Mountains where they held Counsel how they might shake off the Tartars Dominion three of these heads inhabited the thickest and highest places of that mountanous Country the chiefest of whom was called Hous this man being strong in men invited the rest to joyn with him to deliver his Country from this miserable thraldome one of them consented the other could not come but sent him two thousand men to assist him so as Hous marched out with five and twenty thousand men which was no contemptible Army if they had been as couragious as numerous He put out a Proclamation in which he challenged the Tartars and threatened them all extremities and to the Chineses he promised all liberty and freedom and upon these hopes many Towns and Cities admitted him very willingly Sigan the Metropolitan of the Country was the only place able to resist him having within its Walls three thousand Tartars and two thousand selected men of China who served the Tartar The Governour of this Town hearing of Hous his motion gathered all things necessary for a long Siege till a new supply of Tartarian Forces could be sent him But when be heard that all the Towns and Cities in the Country did voluntarily submit themselves to Hous to prevent the like effect in this City he resolved to murder all the Citizens most barbarously nor would he ever be removed from this unhumane sentence till the Vice-Roy commanding and perswading and the Citizens promising all faithfull service at length he changed this Tyrannical Counsel But he commanded under pain of death that the Chineses who loved so much their Hair that they only cut a little of it away about their Temples should hereafter shave it off wholly and totally that so he might distinguish the Citizens from any others if perchance they entred he ordained besides that if any spoke more than two together they should all be presently killed he forbad all men to walk upon the Walls or to walk in the streets by night or to keep a fire or candle in his house by night and finally disarmed all declaring it death to inâ—â—inge any of these orders These things being thus ordered he sent out some Scoots to discover the enemies strength who were partly killed and partly came flying back to the City but this Tartarian Governour as well to make an oftentation of his strength as of his security commanded the City Gates to be left open nor would he permit the Draw Bridge to be raised or pulled up to shew he feared nothing But for all this the Commander Hous besieges this City afar off which was three leagues compasse out of the reach of their Artillery and to the end he might make a shew of
Tartars did invade not onely the Mediterranean and Oriental parts but also the Occidental Quarters of that vast Kingdome But before I begin to speak of this monster of nature I must ingeniously confess I am both ashamed and also touched with a kind of horrour to declare his villanies both in respect they seem to exceed all belief and therefore I may perchance be held to write Fables as also because it is no grateful thing to make reflections on such Subjects yet I may sincerely protest that I have in my hands a long relation of all his Acts written by two Religious persons who were then in the Province of Suchuen to exercise their Functions which Country was the Theater of all his Brutalities which I shall relate and because I judge these two persons to be of an incorrupted Faith I judge therefore that a mortal Man might arrive to this pitch of wickedness and inhumane Cruelty I therefore gathered out of that relation what I here relate which is nothing else but a vast Masse of such abominable Cruelty as I doubt not even the most mildest Reader wil take the Authour to be no Man but some horrid wild Beast or rather if no more execrable name occurres some Devill transâ—vested in our humane Nature This monster like a wild Bear entred into divers Provinces filling all with Rapin Death Fire and Sword with all other imaginable miseries for he had a mind to destroy all that so he might have no enemies or leave any alive that might revolt from him but only content himself with his own Souldiers and oftentimes he spared not these But the Province of Suchuen where he usurped the Title of a King was the chief Theater of his barbarous crueltie for after he had afflicted and vexed the Provinces of Huquang and Honan and part of that of Nanking and Kiangsi he entred the Province of Suchuen in the year MDCXLIV and having taken the principal Citie called Chingtu in the heat of his fury he killed a King of the Taimingian Race which here had established his Court as he hath done also to seven other Grandees of the same family These were the Preludes of the Tragical Acts whose Sences I go about briefly to describe that so Europe may see what a horrid and execrable thing an unbridled and armed crueltie appears to be when it furiously rageth in the darknesse of Infidelitie This Brigand had certain violent and suddain motions of furious crueltie and maxims drawn from the very bowels of vengeance its self for if he were never so little offended by another or suspected another to be offended with him he presently commanded such to be massacred and having nothing in his mouth but murder and death he often for one single Mans fault destroy'd all the Family respecting neither Children nor Women with Child nay many times he cut off the whole Street where the offender dwelled involving in the Slaughter as well the innocents as nocents It happened once he sent a man post into the Country of Xensi who being glad he was got out of the Tyrants hands would not return to revenge this imaginary injury he destroyed all the Quarter of the Citie in which he dwelt and thought he much bridled his fiercenesse that he did not wholly extinguish all the Citie To this I adde another unhumane Act about his hangman whom it seems he loved above the rest because he was crueller this man dying of a disease he caused the Physician who had given him Physick to be killed and not content with this he Sacrificed one hundred more of that Profession to the Ghost of his deceased Officer He was affable and sweet towards his Souldiers he plaied banquetted and feasted with them conversing familiarly with them and when they had performed any Militarie Action with honour and valour he gave them precious gifts of Silks and Monies but yet many times he commanded some of them to be cruelly put to death before him upon very small cause especially such as were of the Province of Suchuen where he raigned whom he intirely hated because he thought they did not rejoyce in his Royal dignitie Insomuch as he hardly ever did any publick Action which though it began like a Comedie yet had not in fine the sad Catastrophe of a Tragedie for if walking out he did but espie a Souldier ill clad or whose manner of Gate or walking was not so vigorous or Masculine as he desired he presently commanded him to be killed He once gave a Souldier a piece of Silk who complained to his fellows of the poornesse of the piece and being over-heard by a spie of which he had a great number who presently acquainted him with what was said he presently commanded him and this whole Legion which were of two thousand men to be all Massacred He had in his Royal Citie some six hundred Prefects or Judges and men belonging to the Law such as managed the principal Offices and in three years space there was hardly twentie left having put all the rest to several deaths for very slight causes He caused a Sergeant Major which the Chineses call Pingpu to be flea'd alive for having granted leave to a China Philosopher without special order to retire a little to his Country House And whereas he had five hundred Eunuchs taken from the Princes of the Taimingean Family after he had put their Lords to death he commanded all these to be cruelly put to death onely because one of them had presumed to stile him not by the Title of a King but by the bare name of Changhienchungus as if he then were no Theef Nor did he spare the Heathenish Priests who sacrificed to their Idols These sort of men before he came into this Country having feignd many crimes against the Priests which preached the Faith of Christ had raised a bitter persecution against them which God of his goodnesse did turn so much to their good as they had permission to teach and preach publickly the Law of Christ. But after this Tyranâ— came into the Countrie the chief of these Heathenish Priests was apprehended for some words let fall against him and in the presence of the Fathers who by accident were then at audience with the Tyrant he was beheaded And although they had learned of Christ to do good for evill yet knowing the phrenetical anger and fury of this monster who used to punish those that interceded with the punishment of the offender they durst not make any motion for the least favour It is true this cruel Beast loved these Fathers and would often converse with them whom he experienced wise and learned and he would often call them to the Palace to entertain him in discourse but they knowing well his precipitous anger went ever prepared for and expecting death and indeed they were thrice deputed to death and a fourth time escaped also by Gods particular providence as we shall relate in time and
name although learned men doe derive it from Rates an ancient part of that Country Now this people running over the whole kingdom like swarmes of Bees do fill it with severall Trades whereunto they apply themselves and for the greatest part they lead a miserable life and are therefore so penurious niggardly and drie in their presents that they passe in ridiculous proverbs through the rest of the Provinces It is famous for Sturgeon which it hath of very great bignesse and more for the Porcellane dishes indeed the only work in the world of this kinde which are made only in one of its Townes So that all that is used in the Kingdom and dispersed through the whole world are brought from this place although the earth whereof they are made commeth from another place but there only is the water wherewith precisely they are to be wrought to come to their perfection for if they be wrought with other water the worke will not have so much glosse and lustre In this worke there are not those mysteries that are reported of it here neither in the matter the form nor the manner of working they are made absolutely of earth but of a neate and excellent quality They are made in the same time and the same manner as our earthen vessels only they make them with more diligence and accuratenesse The Blew wherewith they paint the Porcellane is Anill whereof they have abundance some do paint them with Vermilion and for the King with yellow This Province and that of Chincheo and Cantone which border one upon another do unite as it were in an angle with many Mountaines between them In the middle of which Mountaines there is a small Kingdome which hath a particular King of its own without any subjection to the Chinesses from whom he doth defend himselfe if they pretend to assault him nor is the defence difficult there being but one entrance into that kingdome They admit of the Chinesse-Physitians in their infirmities but not of their learned men into the administration of their government If they have an ill Harvest and that there is like to be a scarsity they go out and rob in a millitary order to the sound of the drum So in the year 1632 they gave no small trouble to this province of Kiamsi The last account shall be concerning the Christianity there which hath prospered very well being also beneficed with two Churches and houses which we have in that Province the one in the City of Nauchan which is the Metropolis The other in the City of Nauhium The sixt Province is called Suchuen in the same paralel with that of Kiamsi and in the same latitude of 29 degrees nor hath it any thing in particular differing from the former worthy the relation The Province of Huquam is the seventh in Scituation it lyeth more to the North in the heighth of 31 degrees it exceeds the whole Kingdom for the abundance of Rice The Chinesses say that that whole Kingdom is able to give but a breakfast in respect of Huquam which provideth for the whole yeare It hath store of oyle and no lesse Fish by reason of the rivers which it enjoyeth and the lakes which seem rather Seas In the Metropolis of this Province there was a Residencie begun at the time of my arrival The province of Cakiam which is the eighth lyeth in the Latitude of 30 degrees it is for the most part scituated by the Sea-side fertile plain and almost all divided by severall rivers some whereof run through their Cities and Townes In riches it exceeds many of the Provinces as being the Fountain from whence the best Commodities of that Monarchie doe flow it is singular in silke which it distributeth through every part whether it be raw or wrought in Balls or in Stuffe All that goeth out of the Kingdome any way cometh from this Province though all China hath the benefit of the Silk-worme yet all the rest would not serve them to make them Scarfes the name of the Metropolis is Hamcheu Here we have two houses which upon certain good considerations are reduced to one where there is cultivated a copious and good Christianity and also much honoured by reason of the number of people of quality that are in it Finally this Province is famous for many things but particularly for three The first is a lake called Sihu which is one of the rarest in the world It is in circuite Thirty Lis which are six miles it is set about with excellent Palaces and these environed by pleasant Mountaines cloathed with grasse plants and trees the water is alwayes running for there comming in a current at one and side issueing out at the other it is so cleere that it inviteth one to behold it with great delight the smallest sand that lyeth at the bottome being to be discovered There are certaine wayes paved with stone that do crosse over it offering passage to those that travell over it either upon their occasions or curiositie there stand ready small Barkes of a considerable burden which are made for recreation and banquets the kitchin is in the steerage or the forecastle and the middle space serveth for a hall Above higher there is a place for the women covered with lattices that they might not be seen These Barkes are painted and guilded after a curious and various manner and are provided in great abundance with all things necessary for the navigation which is short and free from wracks of water but not so well from those of wine there happening many as also shipwrackes of estates very often there being scarce any in the whole kingdome that hath any thing that doth not come to spend in these delights either part or the whole and sometimes more than his whole stock is worth The second is the excellency of the silke as well for the plenty abovesaid as for the curiositie of the Art with which a good part of it is wrought engrayling it with precious and beautifull workes of gold This is only after their manner and gusto and is not sent out of the kingdome but as a singular worke is reserved for the Kings Palaces who every yeare buyeth up all that is made of this sort The third is the worshipping of their Idols in which is particularly to be perceived whence the fabrick of their Temples proceeds which are without doubt very famous The last of these nine Southerly Provinces is Nankim scituated in 32 degrees of latitude and is one of the best Provinces of the kingdome and the perfection of the whole realm It sendeth abroade its commodities or workes of importance to no part as if they were unworthy to participate of its perfection which is most rare in all sort of varietie and so much exceeding all the rest that every one to sell his commodities the better pretendeth that they are of Nankim and so passeth them off at a greater price That part which is towards the West is the most
abilities to the shame of those Nations which have no eyes to see but such as are infected with the disparagement of what they behold They are not lesse ingenious Mechanicks than the Manufactures which come from thence shew them to be although all which come are not made by the best Masters They are very excellent in workes of Ivory Ebony and Amber especially in Eare-Jewels pendants and gallantries of Gold and Silver for the ornament of women They make chaines to admiration There was one brought from thence to Goa which consisting of 300 links weighed not 3 ounces of gold and the work was so fine and small that the links were hardly to be discerned They have altogether relinquisht to Europe to be served in plate there being scarce found among them a vessel of Silver of a considerable bignesse no not in the Emperors palace being content to eat in Porcellane which is the only vessel in the world for neate and delightfull cleanlinesse There Gold-thread is of lesse weight and worth than ours they have a way of twisting of it about paper which maketh it seem as if it were right and massie and is an admirable Artifice The workmanship of Europe which they most admired were our clocks but now they make of them such as are set upon tables very good ones and will be able to do the like in small ones if the price of them there did equall ours Although they make some things whose price would be excessive if we should cause them to be made here Notwithstanding in the generall we do much exceed them in manufactures and mechanick Arts except it be in that same Charam which is indeed a singular Artifice It cannot be denyed but that they are a people of an admirable Acutenesse so that that may be worthily appropriated to them that Aristotle so freely bestoweth upon all the people of Asia saying that Asia exceeded Europe in ingenuity but was exceeded by Europe in valour this beeing a thing so approved to us by experience There are many which even to this day do call the Chinesses Barbarians as if they spake of the Negroes of Guynea or the Tapuyi of Brasile I have blusht to hear some stile them so having been taught the contrary by many years travels among them Although the fame and manufactures of China are sufficient to teach it us it beeing now many years that we have heard the one and seen the other T is a great shame truly but although in this relation there are many things which might satisfie us concerning the subtelty of their wit yet I wil give you one example in this following case A certain Chaquen that is a visitour of a Province one of the most important Employments of the Kingdom receiving of his visits after a few daies were over shut up his gates and refused to admit any further their businesse or visits pretending for his excuse that he was sick This accident being divulged a certain Mandarine a friend of his began to be much troubled at it and with much ado obtained leave to speak with him When he was admitted he gave him notice of the discontent that was in the City by reason that businesses were not dispatched the other put him off with the same excuse of his sicknesse I see no signes of it replied his friend but if your Lordship will be pleased to tell me the true cause I will serve you in it to my utmost power conformable to that affection I bear you in my heart know then replied the Visitour They have stollen the Kings seale out of the Cabinet where it used to be kept leaving it locked as if it had not been touched so that if I would give audience I have not where withall to seale dispatches If I should discover my negligence in the losse of the seale I shall loose you know both my Government and my life so that I know not what to do unlesse it be to stand in suspence as I do the which is but little avail to me being more sensible than the people themselves of this delay of justice Well perceived the Mandarine how terrible the occasion of his retirement was but presently making use of the quickness of his wit asked him if he had never an enemy in that City he answered him yes and that it was the chief Officer of that City that is the Chifu or governour which of a long time had borne a concealed malice against him Away then quoth the Mandarine in great hast let your Lordship command that all your goods be removed to the innermost part of the palace and let them set fire on the empty part and call out for help to quench the fire to which the governour must of necessity repair with the first it being one of the principall duties of his office As soon as you see him among the people call out to him aloud and consigne to him the Cabinet thus shut as it is that it may be secured in his possession from the danger of the fire for if it be he which hath caused the seale to be stollen he will put it in his place again when he restores you the cabinet if it be not he your Lordship shall lay the fault upon him for having so ill kept it and your Lordship shall not only be freed from this danger but also revenged of your enemie The visitour followed his councel and it succeeded so well that the next morning after the night this fire was the governour brought him the seale in the cabinet both of them concealing each others fault equally complying for the conservation of both Now if after this example the Chinesses must passe for Barbarians as those would have it who have forced me to relate this story it must be upon the same account on which others have said as much of Moses CHAP. 5. Of the manner of their habit THe materials of which they make severall sorts of stuffs and cloaths for the service of their persons as cloathing Beds and other furniture of their houses are wooll convase for they have no other sort of linnen as I have formerly hinted silk and cotton of all which they have great abundance Two hundred years before Christ they used garments with short sleeves such as the Giapponeses use at this day who are descended of them and still conserve this ancient habit This manner of garment continued here untill the raign of Hoan in the time of this King who is much renowned amongst them about 400 years after Christ that habit was altered as well in the people as the Officers to that fashion which is worn at this day and is the very same throughout the whole Kingdom although it consist of so many and so large Provinces nor can it be altered no more than any other notable custome among them without the Kings particular Order For these people which we call Barbarians have very well understood that the changing of fashions and customes in a
Nation for those of strange Countries is as it were a presage that that Country will at length be brought into subjection to that other of whose fashions and manners they are so enamoured and we might for proofe hereof if there were occasion name some particular Countries among us These fashioned garments have been conserved for so many yeares and reach from the neck to the feet being all open before These are for their under garments and are made for to sit closer to their bodies Their upper garments are large and wider in compasse And because they use no buttons they lap them before one side over another as our Clergie men doe their Cassocks Their sleeves are very wide and the whole garment without any trimming A piece of white Taffatâ—e of the length of ones hand serveth them for a band when it is foule they take it off and put on another This is only to be understood of the Literati or learned men and the people of quality for the common sort of people are not suffered to weare it The young men weare indifferently all sorts of colours but the Ancient men do weare alwaies the most modest The common people for the most part are cloathed in black as all sorts of servants who are bound not to alter that colour Those who are Governours or have Governed upon occasion of Feasts do weare garments of the finest red The rich men change their garments at all the 4 seasons of the year and the inferiour sort although poore twice a year at winter and summer and upon this occasion many pawn that garment which they weare in one season to furnish themselves with a garment for the next Because their haire is their chiefe gallantrie we will speak here a word or two concerning it Their youth till seventeen years of age leave the shortest part of their haire hanging loose the other they combe back to the top of their head where they tie it up in a knot After that age they weare a net of horse-haire which is like unto our Cawles under which they gather up all their haire not suffering one haire to hang out on the top of this they all weare caps the Literati square caps the rest of the people round they are all made of silk or else of hors-haire which by reason of the workmanship come often to be more costly than the other They are alwaies to be black unlesse it be in the winâ—er when they weare them of felt are always gray or else of the naturall colour of the wooll At the first time any one putteth on this Cawle it is done with a particular solemnitie as we were wont anciently at the first putting on of the cloake or sword For shoes they know no other materialls but silk of all sorts and colours for the rich and for the poore cotton they are differing from ours in shape and in the cost which is bestowed upon them having many little works wrought on them with the needle Skins are used only for bootes which are rarely seen there The richer and better sort of the people weare hose of Damaske or Sattin or any sort of white silk the rest of white Cotton They weare breeches generally both men and women This is the habit of this ample Kingdome being as large almost as all Europe which hardly keepeth constant to its owne fashions in any of its smallest Provinces The women are decently habited with the same coaâ—es if I may so call them which the men use wearing them close about their necks Even the ordinary sort of women are very curious in dressing their heads adorning their haire with flowers as well naturall as artificiall having in this art a competition with nature and with the varietie of colours the forme and figure of them they do as happily deceive the eyes of the beholders as the grapes of Zeuxes did the sparrowes or to expresse it better as the curtaine of Parrhasius deceived Zeuxes The women of the better quality use gold and silver the Courtesans or publique women are not suffered to weare them and it is a distinction to know them by what they are that they are not allowed to weare any ornament on their heads contrary to the custome of other Countries nor to have their houses within the walls The rest of their under-garments are the same both in men and women only their shoes are so little that one might reasonably doubt whether so small feete could belong to a humane body growen to a full stature The reason of this is that from their very infancy they swathe their childrens feet so streightning them to hinder their growth and not as we say in Europe because they are not suffered to goe and although it be the common opinion that it is a great part of beauty to have little feet yet the more understanding Chinesses do hold this effeminacy to be a very great folly It tooke its originall from one of their Queenes who having ill-shapen feet to mend that naturall defâ—â—t did swathe them to bring them to a better forme so that what was necessitie in her if it may be called a necessitie to mend such feet as might have served well enough without it it came to be a gallantrie in all women by imitation of her so much ought Princes to avoid the making of themselves Authors of ridiculous novelties The retirement of the women is very great There is not a woman to be seen in the streets although in yeares or never so blamelesse in her life neither are men suffered to visite them at their houses That part of the house where they inhabit is as it were a sacred place for their sakes It is enough to tell any one who entereth unwillingly That there are women there to make him stop presently The men-servants may enter thither only while they are little boyes Into the very chamber where they are not so much as their kindred are allowed to come unlesse they be the younger brethren of the husband of very small age no not the husbands father with so much punctualitie that if upon some particular occasion he would chastise his son for although they are married their fathers do chastise them if they see cause he retireth presently to his wives apartment which is an inviolable Sanctuary the father being not to enter thither If the women go out to visite their parents they are carried in Sedans close shut and this is the custome of all their women even to those of the most ordinary qualitie If they go on pilgrimage to any of their Idolls and that it be necessary that they go part of the way on foot they cover their faces with a vayle If they go by water in the Barks with their Parents and kindred as I saw once above 200. upon occasion of a Pilgrimage they passe one before another without speaking a word beleeving that the least overture that women give to the conversation of men is a large