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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B23787	China and France, or, Two treatises the one, of the present state of China as to the government, customs, and manners of the inhabitants thereof ... from the observation of two Jesuites lately returned from that country, written and published by the French Kings cosmographer and now Englished : the other, containing the most remarkable passages of the reign and life of the present French King, Lewis the Fourteenth, and of the valour of our English in his armies.	Magalotti, Lorenzo, conte, 1637-1712. Viaggio del P. Giovanni Grueber tornando per terea da China in Europa. English.; Grueber, Johann, 1623-1680.; Orville, Albert, comte d', 1621-1662.; Thévenot, M. (Melchisédech), 1620?-1692.	1676 (1676)	Wing G2163	63,324	224

CHINA AND FRANCE OR Two Treatises The one Of the present State of China As to the Government Customs and Manners of the Inhabitants thereof never yet known to us before in Europe From the observation of two Jesuites lately returned from that Countrey Written and Published by the French Kings Cosmographer and now Englished The other Containing the most remarkable Passages of the Reign and Life of the present French King Lewis the Fourteenth and of the valour of our English in his Armies London Printed by T. N. for Samuel Lowndes over against Exeter-house in the Strand 1676. The present State of CHINA ON the Thirtieth day of January 1665. I went in the company of Mr. Carlos Daty to visit Father John Grueber at his arrival from Constantinople About two years since he came out of China where he had resided full three years He began his pilgrimage at Venice where he took shipping for Smyrna from thence by Land he marched to Ormus in five moneths from thence to Macao in seven so from the South Coast he travelled to the North through the large Empire o● China sometimes upon Rivers an● commodious Channels and sometimes by Land and at last he go● safe to the City of Pekin In his return from thence he adventured t● pass and survey a Countrey whic● was never yet seen before by any i● Europe namely The unfruitful Sands of the Desarts of Tartaria which he passed over in three days and came to the Coast of an Inland Sea called Kokonor Kokonor in Ta●tarty signifies Great Sea not much unlike to the Caspian The River Jannus that runs through China with a strange rapidity discharges it self into the Oriental Sea near the Island of Carea hath here its source This River is the deep●st and largest of all that Countr●y Afterwards this adventurous Traveller lost the sight of the Sea to ●nter further into the Land into the Province of Toktokai which is 〈◊〉 barren and wild that one of the Neighboring people can have any temptation to dispossess the antient Inhabitants Nothing is there remarkable but only some few dispersed Tents of the Tartars who lead a most miserable life The beautiful River Toktokai which is as large as Danubinus but so shallow that any Man on Horseback may ford it over in the deepest place watereth this blessed Countrey and gives unto it a name From hence our Traveller passed through the Province of Tangut which is very populous and belongs to the Kingdom of Barantola he visited in his way the City of Retink and the Kingdom of Barantola the Metropolis is called Lassa and the present King Teva He is of a very antient and noble Family of the Tartars of Tangut His ordinary residence is at Butala a lofty Castle built according to the European mode upon a high Hill having Buildings of four stories of very good and regular workmanship The Court of this Prince is numerous and his attendants are extream lavish in their apparel which is for the most part of Cloath of Gold and of embroidered Stuffs Nevertheless this Nation is generally very sluttish and unhandsome in their attire Neither Men nor Women wear lining next to their skin Their common Bed is the ground their ordinary food is raw Flesh and they are not so scrupulous to wash their hands or faces but they appear very kind and courteous to strangers Their Women have the liberty to walk about the Streets as amongst the other Tartars but their other Customs are like to those of China Their Arch-Priest or Mufty is called Lamacongiù whom they reverence as God and believe to be related to their first King but they name him the Brother of all the the Kings of the World They are perswaded that he riseth from the dead as often as he dies and that this Man hath already risen seven times The Kings and Polititians of that Countrey labor by subtil means to entertain the common people in this strange belief and the Lamacongiu himself contributes to it for he keeps his face always covered and suffers none to look upon it but such as are acquainted with the mystery The Nobility do mightily respect him some of them come to that point of adoration as to covet that which is incredible and to carry it about as a sacred relick From Barantola Father Grueber travelled to the Kingdom of Nekpal and in a moneths time passed through it The two principal Towns are Catmandir and Patan situate on the Banks of a River opposite to one another This latter is a young Prince very well accomplished he commands all the Militia of the Kingdom as General When Father Grueber was there he was at the head of a great Army marching against a Neighboring King called Varcam who made frequent inroads to spoil the Countrey The Jesuites gave this young Prince a Prospective Glass through which he caused him to look at a place where Varcam's Army lay encamped he found it so nigh that he gave order presently to make ready and prepare for the fight for he perceived not that this propinquity was but an effect of the Glass This present was acceptable to him From Nekpal our Traveller went in five days to the Kingdom of Moranga where he could see no City but only small Houses covered with Straw and little Huts one appointed for a Custom-Housse The King of Moranga pays a yearly tribute of 250000 Rixdollers and seven Elephants to the Mogol From Moranga he travelled into that part of India which is beyond the River Ganges and came to Minapor the Metropolis of that Countrey where he passed over that River which is twice as big as the Danubius From thence he went to Patan and from that City in five and twenty days to Agra the Royal City of that part of India which is on this side Ganges From thence to Laor in fourteen days This City is built upon the Banks of the River Ravi which is as large as Danubius it runs into India near M●ltaia There he took Boat and was carried down the River in forty days to Tata the utmost City of Indostan the ordinary residence of the Viceroy of that Countrey his name is Laskarkan there he met with many English and Dutch Marchants From this place he sailed to Ormuz by Sea from Ormuz he went to Persia afterwards he returned back to Smyrna where he took shipping and arrived safe at Messina from thence he went to Rome where he received an express command to go back again to China For that purpose he travelled into Germany and Polonia hoping to find another way through Muscovia By the Emperors procurement he had got Pasports from the Dukes of Curland and Muscovia But when he was so far on his way as the Borders of Muscovia he understood that the King of Poland and the Tartars had made a conjuction of their Forces with an intent to attempt upon the Duke of Muscovia By this means he was diverted in his passage to Musco for

case every one should refuse to die and none would be willing to wait upon the Princes Soul they force such as he took most delight in and his dearest servants to depart and follow after him I inquired next in what did the Kings Revenue cheifly consist He informed us that the Fields and Countrey did properly belong to the Peasants who out of the increase of their Fruits pay about the tenth part to the King and another part to the Mandarins that is to say to the Gentlemen that dwell in the Castles for they are the Lords of their adjacent Fields This Revenue that belongs to the Crown is very great there is another that proceeds from all the Cattle of the Kingdom out of which a tribute is gathered Besides there are great Customs upon Cattons and Rice transported and several Mines in the Province of Tunan which signifies a Southerly Cloud These Mines yield plenty of Gold Saphirs Emeralds and all manner of precious Stones that inrich the Neighboring Kingdom of Pegu. There is also an unknown quantity of Silver brought out of these Cities Quangh-ceu Canton and Nanquin which are the cheif Mart Towns of all the Kingdom We asked him if the King did often shew himself publickly in the City And how many Inhabitants may be in Pekin He told us that he was wont to cause the Soldiers of his Guard to be drawn up in Battalia and exercise once every moneth where he did commonly appear to cause them to shoot at a mark in the Meadows belonging to the City between the Walls that incompass it for it is surrounded three times about the uttermost Wall is the lowest the two others are higher the nearer they are to the middle of the Town The Ditches are deep and full of Water about the City there are many pleasant Meadows In one of them a great Statue of Wood is erected against which the King appoints his Soldiers to shoot either with Bow and Arrows or with Powder and Shot one is to hit the Hand another the Head a third the Brest If the Soldier misseth the first time he hath liberty to try the second and the third if he fails all three without touching his mark he receives a great many bastinadoes for his reward and is disbanded as unworthy of his Kings service In the whole City of Pekin there cannot be less then a Million of Inhabitants some say that there have been heretofore Nine millions But that is not credible for the City is not so extraordinary large and their Buildings are but of one story high We desired to know how they did cover their dwellings He informed us that they did cover them with Tiles the Countrey Houses have no other covering The Tiles of the Kings Pallace are of various colours of yellow and marble very pleasant and beautiful when they are looked upon at a distance When the Sun shines upon them they appear as if they were all of Gold We inquired what Religion the Chineses did profess He answered that they did profess Idolatry that they were all Idolaters in their hearts worshiping several Idols in private But i● we consider only their outward profession there are three differing Sects The first is of the Learned that profess to worship a superior Being named in their Language Sciax-ti These two words are engraven upon Tables of Gold hung up in their Temples unto them they offer Sacrifice by burning before them Paper gilded with Gold or Silver together with some small round Balls made with Storax and Frankincense But although they make profession of this Religion which appears more plausible then the rest it is only outwardly that they might be distinguished from the Bonzi a sort of men come out of China into India extreamly superstitious exceeding all others in Idolatry and fond Conceits at first they were in some good repute amongst the Chineses as it commonly happens when any new Sect appears that is not known The Doctrine which they published of the Transmigration of Souls which is not altogether like that of Pythagoras got them the peoples esteem and procured them the envy of the Learned So that they in time opposed the progress of this new Sect more out of displeasure against it then out of love for their antient Religion Therefore they have so well published and established the worship of their Sciax-ti that the Religion of the Bonzi is out of fashion and date and hath lost all its credit and they themselves are looked upon no better then cheats Now all over China there is no kind of people more exclaimed against and decided nor is there any Profession more ridiculous then that A man of credit scorns to exchange a word with them in publick or to be in their company unless it be in such occasions as are not to be avoided as in Funerals publick Sacrifices Processions where these Idolatrous Priests are mercenary and hired to attend The Nobility cause them to go in Procession in nuptial Solemnities at the birth of their Children and such like times Their Processions are preceded by several Instruments of Musick and attended with Banners and displayed Ensigns which they carry about their Idols whose praises they sing in Songs and Hymns and to whom they burn Paper and Frankincense The second Sect is the most numerous for it consists of the Citizens of the Nobility of the People and Peasants in a word of all manner of People These pay their Devotions to the Souls of their Ancestors unto whom they Sacrifice continually in their Temples and in their private Houses by burning Paper and Frankincense All over the Countrey this is the ordinary Sacrifice which is offered to the good and evil spirits every morning before they go out of their doors The third Sect is that of the Bonzi who are most abominably superstitious We inquired what the Chineses did believe of Mans estate after Death They believe answered he that we shall be all happy that we shall be inriched with more wisdom and delighted with more pleasure then in this life but they proceed no further to particularise how these advantages shall happen to Men. The Soul they believe to be immortal But replied Monsieur Dati if they believe that all shall be happy in another World how comes it to pass that they are not thereby encouraged to indulge themselves in all manner of Vices Nothing hinders answered the Father but the fear of present punishment Yet they have some light perswasions of Hell where the Souls of the wicked shall be tormented but they have found a way to get them out of those Tortures You must know that at Pekin and in every considerable Town there is a great Temple erected unto which above three hundred little Chappels belong every Trade hath one appertaining to it and not only the Trades but also every order and rank of Men from the Magistrate to the Beggar Now their perswasion is that the Spirit that is to vex the Soul of

Office that they fancied proceeded fron● her favoring of them So the Papists assign divers and differing titles to the Virgin Mary who is now become the Goddess of War amongst them and the Giver of Victory to her devout Proselites The Princes wound had cast him into an indisposition which made him follow his Majesty and accompany the Duke of Orleans the Kings Brother to Paris leaving the Conduct of Affairs to Monsieur de Luxembourgh and Turenne The Prince of Orange was then before Voërden with Twelve thousand Men Luxembourgh prepares a strong brigade of Two thousand five hundred Men and by a secret way over the Marshes he gets into the Town undiscovered with his Party with which he made such stout Sallies that the Prince was forced to rise from thence with his Army to leave some of his Baggage and Cannon behind him All this while the Dutch had scarce time to look about the French had been so nimble and furious that they had gained all this Countrey without any considerable loss But before the next Campagne the face of affairs was changed the Dutch had many Armies come to their assistance the Spaniard the German and the Imperialists sent their powerful Succors to aid them So that they have since recovered a great part of what they first lost and will according to all probability recover the rest The Prince of Orange was now restored by Order of the States after the inhumane massacre of de Wit to his Patrimonial Offices of Statholder Admiral and General of the Vnited-Provinces This generous Prince began to appear at the Head of an Army of 24000 Men with these he resolved not to be idle some places he took but did not yet dare to adventure against his insolent Enemy triumphing for so many great Successes Monterey Viceroy of the Netherlands for the King of Spain desired him to attempt something in his Countrey because the French had drained their Garrisons for the Spaniard had not declared yet against them According to this advice he laid siege to Charleroy a Fortress that was likely to annoy the Spaniard their next Neighbors Montal the Governor had notice of the design he Posts thither in haste and taking his time in the night he passed through the Dutch and Spanish Troops and got safe into the Garrison to the great joy of the besieged The next day he adventured to sally out with a strong party which was received and welcomed by the Prince of Orange with loss on both sides When the King heard of this siege he drew near to the Borders of Picardy and gave order to several thousands of his Soldiers to meet him with a design to beat the Dutch off Therefore this intelligence caused the Prince to rise with his Army the Two and twentieth day of December and depart Which was signified to the King by a Post sent from the Governor At this time Luxembourgh attempted to lead his Men over the Ice to Assault Bodengrave Swammerdam and Niverburgh which three places he took without much resistance After this the French went no further till the next Spring 1673. They were all sent into several Garrisons where we shall leave them to take notice of their behavior at Sea On the Water as well as on the Land the War was carried on The Dutch had a gallant Fleet with which they did defie the Fleets of England and France But though De Ruyter their Admiral labored by Policy to fight us and to surprise us at an advantage he was much mistaken to find our English courage in the greatest discouragement not to resist and brave Death it self His Majesty of England had been engaged to joyn his strong Fleet with the French Squadron which was commanded by the Count de Estrées Therefore the Twenty eighth of May 1672. in prosecution of the War that had been declared against the States of Holland our Fleet under the command of the brave Duke of York had a very sharp Engagement with the Dutch upon the English Coast in which the Victory declared for the English with the loss of the Royal James which was unfortunately burned and of the Earl of Sandwich who was drowned and his body found about the tenth of the next Moneth floating on the English shore He was an excellent Captain more fortunate in the Mediterranean and in the Sound then in our Channel England lamented the loss of so excellent a person It seems his courage destroyed him for when his Ship was Boarded and Fired by a Dutchman when it was surrounded by many of the Enemies best Ships His resolution to brave Death and the Enemy in the midst of the greatest disadvantages and dangers made him abide and continue the sight in his Flaming Ship Of our English Twenty four Persons of Note were killed with three of the French Amongst the rest a Gentleman so Courageous Learned Civil and so well accomplished that I cannot but mention him in this place It was Mr. Clement Cotterel Sir Charles Cotterels Son About fifteen Gentlemen were desperately wounded seven hundred Common Soldiers and Seamen killed and as many maimed Monsieur de Rabiniere tres le Bois Rear Admiral of the French was killed and buried at Rochel The Duke of York in this Engagement behaved himself as a discreet and wise Commander with an undaunted Courage It is supposed that if our whole Fleet could have had the conveniency of fighting the Dutch had been for ever undone but the Wind hindered most part of our Ships from coming up to them so that the Blew Squadron was forced to ingage with the Enemy alone The Dutch had great loss of Men and Ships it is thought about five or six of theirs besides the Fire-ships were sunk It is certain that our Fleet pursued them to their own Coast About this time the Twentieth of August 1672. hapned a most barbarous execution of the two De Wits torn in pieces by the rude rabble of the Hague their Privities cut off their Bodies dragged through the Streets and hanged at the Gallows in such a barbarous manner that the Cannibals would have been ashamed to have done the like Groningen had been besieged by the Mercenary Weather-cock of Munster but in the Moneth of August he left the Town after a considerable loss of his Men. The good Bishop was moved with compassion to see his Soldiers slaughtered by the stout-hearted Dutch so that he preferred their safety or it may be his own to the filling of his Purse with Gilders which was the thing this noble Captain aimed at in this attempt upon the Dutch The States of Holland had prevailed with many of their Neighbors especially with the Emperor King of Spain and Duke of Brandenburgh to send their Succors to assist them by Land The Prince Palatine was perswaded notwithstanding his Alliance with France to enter into the party They were all resolved to send into the Field their Armies in the next Spring for they were afraid that the French would

the wicked man deceased haunts the Chappel appropriated to that Profession unto which he did belong For example a Theif or a Robber shall bring a small gift to the Theifs Chappel to ingratiate himself with and appease the displeasure of that Spirit that punishes Theft and Robbery that he might spare him when his Soul shall fall into his hands The Spirit makes no use of the gift as you may imagine but the Bonzi that keep the Chappel So is it with the rest This is a politick Invention very well contrived for two good purposes by that means they free themselves from the troublesome apprehensions of the future and they cause a pack of Knaves to subsist who otherwise would trouble all the World with their begging We asked the Father whether amongst the Chineses there were any Religious Orders of Men To this question he answered There are no other Orders of Religious Votaries besides the Bonzi who are most wicked Varlets and infamous for their unnatural love of Boys they want not opportunities to commit this abomination for they are intrusted with the tuition of the youth they are as the Schoolmasters of that Countrey This sin is too common amongst the Tartars as well as amongst the Chineses Instead of abhorring it they make publick Profession of it by erecting Academies for that infamous purpose This Vice hath spred it self farther into Persia they are so base as to receive Boys in Marriage and their Fathers themselves are not ashamed to give their consent and appoint them a kind of Portion as to their Daughters Amongst the Tartars there are also Religious Votaries not much unlike the Bonzi they have the care of the Sacrifices and are attired with Yellow or Red Garments that fall down as low as their heels with large sleeves open Some of them carry on their heads Paper Miters but commonly their heads are uncovered they march with naked feet and all their habit is much like that which our Painters give to the holy Apostles This Religious Order hath many Convents of the Tartarian Women situated for the most part upon High Mountains of an uneasie access Out of these Monasteries they never go out without the leave of their Superiors and seldom unless it be to beg and then the oldest of them are appointed All these Nuns make Vows of perpetual Chastity Poverty and Obedience their heads are uncovered and their hair is cut round close to their ears their garments are like to that of the Bonzi in shape but they are of a red colour that of the Bonzi is gray We inquired of the Sciences professed amongst the Chineses They have said the Father the Works of Consucius who is as much esteemed amongst them as Aristotle is amongst us Confucius lived about Three thousand years ago he hath left them a Moral Philosophy mingled with Divinity and Natural Philosophy I have seen one of his Posterity reckoned to be the Threescore and third Man of his Race He is very rich and honored with the title of a Prince for the Kings of China have always had so great a respect for this Learned Man that they have allowed that title of honor to his Grand-children Besides the Works of Confucius they are naturally inclined to the knowledges of Numbers but their Geometry is very imperfect for it teaches only the more ordinary and practical part They are not in the least acquainted with the Theory nor with the most excellent part of Geometry as the Optick From hence we may judge how little they excel in Painting and Architecture They are mightily addicted to Chyromancy Metoscopia Magick and such like Arts. And in Judiciary Astrology they esteem themselves super-excellent We intreated him to tell us next something of their Language and of their Writings For their Language said the Father it is very poor for it hath not above Four hundred words All the Nouns are undeclinable and the Verbs are imployed only in the Infinitive Mood I answered him Sir if you would but continue but eight days in this City I am perswaded that I could learn so well the Language that I might be taken for a Natural Chinese The Father laught at my confident conceit and returned me this reply After such a study of eight days you might possibly call a Man a Hog instead of honoring him with the title of Sir for all the significations of the China Language consist in the variation of the accent in the difference of the tone in the aspirations and other alterations of the Voice which are almost innumerable For example Cin pronounced simply hath no signification Ciunun pronounced by lengthning the pronounciation of the u and sharpning of the Voice signifies Sir or Monsieur Ciu pronounced in lengthning the u and keeping the same tone is a Hog Ciu spoken swiftly or rather shot in haste out of the Mouth signifies a Kitchin and Ciu made use of in the beginning of a strong Voice which diminisheth at last signifies the Foot of a Stool By this example you may see how one word may have five differing significations In like manner Tien pronounced plainly hath no meaning If it be spoken sharply so that it makes Ti-en it will signifie Sweet If the i is accented thus Ti-en it means Bread Ti-en uttered speedily signifies the Foot of a Table or of a Bed Most part of the words in this Language are Monosillables and may be joyned together in a various manner But this Art of Joyning the words is very difficult and not to be learned in an instant but that which renders it more uneasie to strangers is That they have neither Characters for their Letters nor Alphabet for they write all their Conceptions in Figures and Ciphers that signifie every one of them two or three words and many times whole Periods and Sentences therefore they are forced to write the five significations of the word Ciu by five differing Ciphers for want of Characters and Accents whereas we might easily distinguish them by the several Accents which we might place variously upon the same words This is the Perfection of other Tongues although the same word may have divers significations we can easily distinguish that which is proper to it in that place of the discourse where we find it by the words that go before and follow immediately after But to return to this wo●d Ciu besides the different Characters to express the five former significations Suppose I intend to write Good morrow Sir I must not make use of the Character that signifies good nor that of Sir but I must write another Character different from all the former which alone shall signifie all these three words Good morrow Sir Or suppose that I am to write Yes Sir I must not use the Character of yes nor that of Sir but must imploy another which will signifie alone Yes Sir By this you may easily judge what number of Characters are needful to write our Conceptions in this Language Therefore it is

Stone and hung up in an eminent place in the view of the Congregation Christians are very well esteemed of in all the Provinces of China and the Tartars as well as the Chineses have liberty to turn Christians and imbrace the Catholick Faith The Learned Men of the Countrey are familiarly acquainted with our Missionary Priests the greatest opposition that they meet with is from the Idolatrous Bonzi The Father told us that he had left in China six and twenty Jesuites four at Pekin six Jacobins and two bare-footed Carmelites These Missionaries wear the same habit as the Learned of the Countrey a long garment of white Damask that reaches to the ground Father Adam Schall is one of the four Missionary Jesuites in this City he hath lived forty five years in China and is very well esteemed of the Prince and People We inquired what kind of Coyn or Money and what Weights the Chineses use He answered That they had but one sort of Coyn Printed named Cuxa of very base mettle each of them is worth about a farthing upon one side is the Kings name upon the other the name of the Coyn. Three hundred peeces of this money make a Lexu which is worth about a Crown they divide the Lexu in ten Ziens in eight Fueus and every Fueu in ...... Cuxas They use instead of Money both Gold and Silver pieces which they cut off as they spend for that purpose they carry in their Boots and about them Seales and Cizers The Pound weight of China is sixteen of our ounces They measure by a cubit All kind of Victuals is very cheap as well as their cloathing for five Fucas which are five of our pence one may buy a very large Hen by that any may judge of every thing else that is sold at a proportionable rate We asked him concerning their Meat and Drink He told us that they had no Wine although their Countrey affords excellent Grapes The Europeans sometimes make Wine with them which the Inhabitants like very well but they dare not drink of it but in private for this proud Nation have a Law in force to punish severely all such as shall bring in new modes of living Their ordinary drink is Thé and Wine made of Rice they extract it doubtless by the Limbick and the Still It is not certainly known how they do it for they will not discover the secret of any of their Arts to strangers unless they swear first to profess it and it may cost them their lives if they fail afterwards They delight to drink hot liquors for that purpose they are always upon the fire in vessels near their Tables In Summer they cast a little quantity of Ice in their drink which they suffer to remain there only for a moment that the liquor may receive from it in so short a time something of its cold nature to cool the stomach but they quickly take it out again that they might not loose the pleasure of drinking it hot They keep their Ice as we do in Europe it is sold about the Towns very cheap they use it more to cool their Fruits then their Drinks for they delight to eat them very cold But to return to their liquors Wine made of Rice appears of a whiteness inclining a little to the Amber colour and mixed with a Golden Yellow very beautiful to the eye It hath a very pleasant taste and so delicious that it seems as good as the best Sack The common people drink out of Earthen Vessels but the rich and noble are provided with Golden and Silver adorned with ordinary Workmanship The greatest Lords use drinking Vessels made with the Horns of a Rhinocerot imbellished in a course manner inriched with Gold and sometimes with Diamonds For their Meats they have all kind of varieties as we have in Europe of Venison and of Fowl of all manner of Fruits and Pulse Their Spices are better then ours for they are nearer to the Molucas Their Wheat is very good they can make Meal of it but they have no skill to knead it into Bread therefore in lieu of that they use Rice which hath soaked in the Water and been parched and dried afterwards at the fire This they take and carry to their Mouths with long sticks that serve them instead of Forks In their left hands they are commonly provided with a Porringer full of this Rice which they use instead of Bread taking it out with their sticks at every bit of Meat They have no skill nor taste to season their Meats well In the same Pot they boil Pork Hare Fish Veal and Pheasant together and their best Cooks are continually pouring in abundance of Water while they are boiling When they are sodden they fill their Porringers and Dishes with this mad Oleo Podrido which serves them instead of Pottage The most ordinary Flesh that they feed upon is Pork their Mutton is in good esteem amongst them The poorer sort eat Asses Dogs Cats and such like things which they buy in Shambles appointed for all kind of Flesh The dried Legs of Dogs well and curiously smoaked as we do our Neats Tongues is a bit very savory to them they commonly reserve it for their dessert and last morsel at dinner they esteem it a great fortifier of the stomach They bring every kind of Meat severally in distinct Dishes but they have but two sorts of Sawces to encourage and provoke appetite The first is a kind of Paste made with small Beans in this manner they beat the Beans soaked in Water and then stir them well together in the Water when upon the top there appears a thin covering or green skin they strain all through a Linnen cloath into clean Water the finest substance runs through but the skins remain behind This they use instead of Sawce to all their Meats and instead of Salt also for they never salt them otherwise although they want not Wells and Fountains of Salt and Brackish Water in all the Western Provinces The other Sawce is named Mi-sso which is made of a rotten Grain that yields a most noysome smell they do not boil it with the rest of their Meats but they put it by it self in Sawcers and when they are at dinner they dip their morsels of Meat in this strong and filthy Mustard At their Feasts and at the Tables of their Nobles and Lords they garnish their Dishes variously but ordinarily with Rice Herbs or with hard Eggs minced small and fried When their Cooks have shewn all their art and skill in such occasions it is no light punishment to condemn a Man of Europe to carry thither an empty stomach Therefore when strangers are invited they provide themselves with a good dinner before hand for they are certain to meet with nothing there fit for their appetites Their Tables stand round about the room where the Feast is to be held never above two or three are together at the same Table the Master is wont

to sit alone at the lower most They use no Table-cloaths but cover them with as many necessary utensils as there should be persons at the Table These utensils are a dish to drinkin a Plate of Rice another of their dainty Mi-sso and two of these Sticks that serve them instead of Forks All their Dishes are of Porcelane the Kings as well as the meanest Subjects with this difference That the one is of a finer substance then the other When the invited guests are seated an Officer ushers in the first service and when all the Tables are furnished he makes a sign to all to begin to eat If any should offer to touch the Meat before he hath given the signal he would be severely checked and looked upon as a Clown or an impatient Glutton The signal or liberty of eating is given by saying to them all Zin that is to say I invite you then the guests all answer Zin zin zin repeating this word three times as the Italian Priests do the word Peace when they salute and embrace one another After this they all carry their hands to their several Dishes together and the Meat to their Mouths and if any do not eat at the same time as the rest the Officer calls upon them for they think that the perfection of their Feasts consists in eating altogether otherwise they judge it to be out of order and unhandsome When the Officer esteems that they have sufficiently eaten of the first service he causeth the second to be brought in and after that the third observing the same ceremonies and decency as at the first Likewise when he thinks it is time to drink he invites them to it in the same manner as he doth to eat but they must all empty their Cups When they begin to drink the first time the Stage-players enter into the Room some of them are common who play for Mony at every House when they are hired others are entertained by Noblemen the richest have several companies of them as the great Lords in Europe have Musicians These kind of people are very richly cloathed when they come in they address themselves to him that sits at the highest Seat to shew him their Book of Comedies and to desire him to tell them upon what subject to play He sends them out of civility down to another with their Book which comes at last to the Master of the House who commonly tells them to act what Comedy they please This Comedy lasts about a quarter of an hour The Subjects of the most part of their Comedies are taken from the Lives and Heroick Actions of their former Kings and Queens when the Comedy is ended the Officer enters in with other Dishes of Meat and when they are all taken away and have ended their drinking the Comedians return again observing the same ceremony as before to intreat the assistants one after another to appoint the subject upon which they are to discourse and act When this second Comedy is finished the Officer comes again to give his attendance Now this unpleasant diversion lasts sometimes six or seven hours I had almost forgot said the Father to tell you that they have no Olives growing in China therefore they make use of three other sorts of Oyl The richest have an Oyl taken out of the Berries of Flowers of that Countrey that grow upon Bryars This is very sweet and pleasant I know not how they make it but they have a great quantity of it for their Land is as fruitful of such Bryars as ours is of Nettles The meaner sort of people make use of another Oyl extracted from a Grain which they call Telselin it hath almost the same taste as the Oyl of Sesamum a little bitter The Countrey People as in Poland employ the Oyl of Line or Flax or another kind of Oyl extracted from a Plant named Ma-sen which hath a most odious and strong smell They never eat any Sallads nor other raw Herbs many of their Fruits they preserve in Salt and Vinegar In short they are not curious in their taste and eating but are filthy and unhandsome When we had a Pheasant or a Hair we could not abide to see our China Cook handle and dress it we were forced to spit and dress it our selves and eat it in the most retired Room having first forbidden the door to be opened to any that should come unless it be to the Kings Officers And that none might surprise us unawares while our Meat was preparing always one of us stood Sentinel at the Window to give warning of any Mans coming up to us It is a very strange thing said Monsieur Dati that this Nation that hath so many Sheep and Cows have no skill to make Cheese with their Milk in any other manner but with small Beans This proceeds replied the Father from their unsufferable Pride for they scorn to learn any thing from strangers especially from the Tartars because the Tartars make Cheese that is enough to cause them to abominate such a composition for that Nation I could never make use of any of their Cheese nor of the Milk of the Chineses for both yield a most odious smell The Tartars make their Cheese of the shape of our Cracknels and hang them up with strings a great many together at their Shops to invite the hungry stomach to buy them they are so grievous hard that the Flint Stones are not more They are not to be eaten but after they have been softned by the Fire and molified as our Wax But the Chineses are far more nice and curious in their sleeping then in their eating and drinking In Winter they spred Cotten Mats upon little Furnaces and square Stoves named Caù where they keep a very moderate Fire Upon these Mats they lay very fine Sheets of Cotton all their Linnen is of that substance for they use their Line to make Oyl and their Flax to twist into Ropes At the four corners of their Caù there are Pillars as at our Beds at the top round the Curtains are fastned which they call Cai-ïà In Winter they are of Cloth or of some other thick substance but in Summer they are of a very fine and thin Cotton to keep off the Musketas When the cold is over they carry their Mats and lay them upon Boards or Tables and in the heat of Summer instead of Wool and Cotton they fill them with a Sea weed which when it is dried is as soft as Silk and as light as Feathers It is naturally very cool Their Bolsters and Pillows are very neatly made of the thinnest and softest skins of Reed which we call Indian Cane in the manner of Hurdles When the inside is emptied out and shut up close they are filled with wind which yields in the hottest Season much pleasure The head feels them to be very soft and never sinks deep it is not buried as in our Down-pillows they are very smooth Their head are as though they were

upon Springs when they turn and at the least motion they cause their Pillows and Bolsters to send up a cold and fresh Air to cool their faces which is a notable advantage in the hottest nights of the Summer Their Chairs are of the same substance the Back and the Elbows are made of the Skins of Indian Cane very commodious to sit down The Tartars are not so effeminate to make use of all these things they sleep upon the bare ground as the Turks We desired him to tell us something of the Kings pomp and of the magnificence of his Throne when he appears in publick in all his grandeur He assured us that the former Kings of China did delight in a great deal of glory and state but that the present King of the Tartars who reigns now in China is not so ceremonious He is content in his greatest splendor to sit upon a Carpet spred on the ground Monsieur Dati desired to know from the Father in what the Chineses were most expensive He answered that they spent much in their Funerals in the great quantity of Perfumes and Wax which they did there burn in the making of Wooden Statues in their Frankincense which they did offer to the deceased and specially in the rare Coffins in which they put the dead Bodies They are of precious Wood as of Aloes of Yellow Saunders or of some other Aromatick Wood of a great value This serves instead of imbalming We inquired of the goodness of the Air of the Countrey and how long the Inhabitants do commonly live The Air said he is very good every-where therefore the Countrey people that are temperate in their diet commonly live to be very old some are one hundred years of age The Nobility at forty seem to be old and when they see fifty they begin to be crasie this difference proceeds from their debaucheries with the Female Sex and their immoderate eating in which they prescribe no bounds to themselves Their Daughters seldom come to be thirty years of age because their Mothers are wont to tie and bind their Legs assoon as they are born for they think all their beauty consists in crooked Legs which is that part alone of their Bodies seen when they go abroad This strange and unnatural bending and tying of their Legs so young disorders the Channels through which the nourishment of their Members passeth and stops the Conduits in such a manner that neither their Legs nor their Bodies ever come to a perfect stature and bigness for by that means the Blood is hindered in its ordinary circulation and the complexion and constitution of their Bodies being vitiated it hastens them the sooner to their Graves We desired him to tell us which were their most noted Festivals He answered us That they cheifly observe three the one at the first New Moon in February the second in November and the third at the Kings Birth-day In every one of these Festivals the King goes out of the City attended upon by all the Nobility and Lords of the Court by the Magistrates Officers of the Law and by the Learned Men c. Every one wears an habit suitable to his dignity and place All their Garments are differing from one another none but the King dares wear a Pearl alone at the top of his Gap Many of the most eminent Lords have precious Stones and some Pearls but always a Ruby an Emerald or a Jasper is put with it for none but the King is to wear it alone He wears also as marks of his Royalty two Storks embroidered with Silver upon his Brest The Mandarins have other Animals There are nine cheif differences by which the Nobility is distinguished in their habits The first hath a Crane for his Badge the second a Lion the third an Eagle the fourth a Peacock I do not remember the rest nor what differences are to be noted in the Garments of their Magistrates and Learned Men. I only remember the Badge of the Mathematicians they wear four little Squares of Jasper tied with silken strings at their Girdles In the middle of the Squares there is a Ruby and upon the top of their Bonnet they bear a Ruby and a Pearl together The most ordinary colours of their Garments are Red Blew Orange mixed with Blew We have already said that their Bonzi are cloathed in Gray and the Learned in White I remember that at every Festival observed at the New Moon in February every one is wont to melt or cast some piece of Mettle upon which they represent the Figure of a Crescent or New Moon and they call this Festival The Sacrifice of the Hare We inquired Whether the Chineses had any Memorials so antient that give an account of the passages of so many thousand years ago as some do affirm He told us that they had no Histories more antient then King Tao who lived about four thousand seven hundred years ago and that they had no Histories of antienter date that speak of the beginning and continuance of the World We put the Father next upon the Art of Navigation to know whether they believe in China that there is any passage out of Asia into America he assured us that they had but little skill in Navigation that they know not well how to make use of the Compass or rather this knowledge is defective Their greatest Vessels are not able to carry above fifty Men their Sails are made of Mat but so artificially that they can go almost with any wind Their rowing differs from ours for they move their Oars before and behind Therefore as they have no great insight into the Art of Navigation it is not possible that they should be able to adventure far at Sea they dare not loose the sight of the Land Concerning their passing from Asia into America the Father told us That he knew nothing certain because the English and the Hollanders have been disappointed in their attempting to pass through the Frozen Sea where they have no manner of Trade For the Tartars they are no great Traders and it is not probable that any of them will venture upon a meer curiosity to open that passage It is not likely that the Chineses will leave their Countrey to undertake any such hazardous voyage Nevertheless it is generally believed that there is some-where a passage or that Asia is divided from America but by a Narrow Sea The continual appearance of many wild Fowl of America in the Southern Parts of Tartaria do very much strengthen this opinion For it is not probable that they would there be seen if America and Tartaria were not joyned together or not far from one another We asked him concerning the Dancings Plays and Gardens of China The Chineses replied the Father never dance but the Tartars use that sport amongst themselves the Men with the Men and the Women with the Women but never both Sexes together Their Musick consists in striking their hands one against another

Justice and Wisdom that are reported of him It hapned when I was at Lahor a Prince caused the Groom of his Stables to be killed in a very barbarous manner his head to be struck through with a large Nail for a small fault for not having tended and dressed his beloved Horse as he should have done When the Emperor was sitting in the Seat of Judicature which he constantly doth every moneth in a day appointed for that purpose in a great Meadow out of the Royal City the Grooms or Farrier Wife made her complaints of the cruel massacre of her Husband the Great Mogol sent immediately for the Prince and asked him If it were so as the Woman said He confessed his crime Therefore the Mogol caused him to be stretched upon the Ground and commanded the Woman or the Farriers Widow to deal with him in the same manner as he had dealt with her deceased husband There are many other reports concerning the Justice and Wisdom of this Prince He governs his Kingdom very well and causeth Justice to be administred only to ingratiate himself with his Subjects and prevent the tumults which they might otherwise be tempted to raise because of the cruel detention of his aged Father for which unnatural deed he knows that he is hated He is about forty years old it may be when his Father shall be dead he will loose his present Moderation and his forced Inclinations now imprisoned by the considerations of Safety and Interest may burst out and discover themselves In this manner Father Grueber answered to our Questions we had a great desire to inquire of other Matters concerning that remote Countrey but in regard our conversation had lasted many hours and that much of the night had been spent in this pleasing discourse we thanked him for his great civility and withdrew to our Lodgings Observations of the Travels of Father J. Grueber taken out of the Letters which he hath written in Latine to Kircherus IN the Year One thousand six hundred sixty one in the Moneth of June these Fathers travelled out of Pekin and in thirty days they arrived at Siganfú and from thence they went to Sining or Siningfu in as many more having twice passed the River Hoang This City of Sining or Siningfu is a great City full of Inhabitants scituate near the prodigious Wall of China through its Gates all Merchants and Passengers out of India must pass to enter into Cathaia or China and where they must rest until they have got from the King a Passport to proceed further This City is in Thirty six Degrees and ten Minutes from the Pole From Sining they went in three Moneths time through Kalmuck a Wilderness of Tartaria to the Borders of the Kingdom of Lassa which the Tartars call Barantola This Wilderness is in some places Mountainous in others plain full of Sand and Gravel and therefore is barre● and unfruitful Nevertheless Nature hath allowed some few Rivers to water it upon their Banks there is very good Grass for Cattle Th●● Desart stretches it self from t●● Southern part of India to t●● Northern and is so large that n●ver any body yet that I could find did ever survey its bounds som● think that it reacheth as far as th● Frozen Seas It hath many name● P. Marcus Venetus names it the Desart of Lop famous for the ordinar● apparitions of Devils and Spirits 〈◊〉 but the Fathers of our Society mak● no mention of it although these Spirits have oftentimes discovered themselves He does not approve of their continuance and constant appearing to all The Tartars did antiently call it Belgian afterwards Somo the Chineses Kalmuck others Caracathai that is to say Black Cathaia where no Animal is to be seen but wilde Beeves of an extraordinary bigness The Tartars that are used to the Desarts venture through at any time and when they come to the Rivers that afford any feeding for ●heir Cattel there they commonly pitch their Tents capacious enough to shelter Man and Beast From Lassa otherwise named Barantola situate in twenty nine degrees and six minutes from the Pole they came in four days to the Foot of the Mountain Langur This Mountain is one of the highest of the World so that when Travellers pass over its top they can scarce draw their breath because of the subtilty of the Air. The breath of several venomous Herbs render a passage this way in Summer to be very dangerous to our health This Mountain is so full of grievous Precipices and steep Rocks that neither Cart nor Horse can pass over it therefore all Passengers are force● to march a foot for a moneths time● till they come to Cuth the firs● Town of the Kingdom of Nekbal upon the Borders Although this Region is so mountainous and difficult to pass ove● Nature hath furnished it with several Springs of hot and of cold Water that burst out of the Concavities Here is in some places plenty of Fish for Men and Grass for Cattel I think this is the Hilly Region which Ptolomy saith that it lies under the Mount Caucasus and stretcheth it self a great way into the East Countrey and then divides into ranks of Hills the one tends to the North the other to the South He calls it Parapanismus and P. Marcus Venetus Belor Other Nations do give other names to these Hills that border upon their several Countreys From Cuth in five days journey they came to the City Nesti belonging to the Kingdom of Nekbal where the Inhabitants live in a most grievous Idolatry without the least knowledge of Christianity This place abounds in all manner of things necessary for the life of Man so that you may have thirty or forty Hens for a crown From Nesti they travelled in six days to the Metropolis of the Kingdom of Nekbal called Cadmendu lying in twenty seven degrees and five minutes from the Pole The King is a great Prince and a Heathen but no Enemy to Christianity From Cadmendu in half a day they went to Nekbal the cheif City of the Kingdom which is called also Baddan and from thence in five days they arrived at the City Hedonda belonging to the Kingdom of Maranga situate in twenty six degrees and thiry six minutes from the Pole From thence in eight days Travellers go to Mutgari the first City upon the confines of the Kingdom of Mogol From Mutgari they went to Battana a Town of the Kingdom of Bengala situate upon the River Ganges in twenty five degrees and forty four minutes From Battana in eight days they came to Benares a populous Town near the River Ganges lying in twenty four degrees and fifty minutes It is a noted place for there are the Schools of the Brachmans where all the Sciences professed in those Countreys are taught and with them the most abominable Superstitions From Benares there are eight days journey to Catampor and from thence to Agra seven more From Pekin to Agra Men go in 214 days But when they go