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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52346	An embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham, Emperor of China deliver'd by their excellencies, Peter de Goyer and Jacob de Keyzer, at his imperial city of Peking : wherein the cities, towns, villages, ports, rivers, &c. in their passages from Canton to Peking are ingeniously describ'd / by Mr. John Nieuhoff ... ; also an epistle of Father John Adams their antagonist, concerning the whole negotiation ; with an appendix of several remarks taken out of Father Athanasius Kircher ; English'd, and set forth with their several sculptures, by John Ogilby Esq. ...; Gezantschap der Neerlandtsche Oost-Indische Compagnie aan den grooten Tartarischen Cham, den tegenwoordigen keizer van China. English	Nieuhof, Johannes, 1618-1672.; Goyer, Pieter de.; Keizer, Jacob de.; Kircher, Athanasius, 1602-1680. China monumentis. Selections. English.; Ogilby, John, 1600-1676.; Schall von Bell, Johann Adam, 1592?-1666.; Nederlandsche Oost-Indische Compagnie.	1673 (1673)	Wing N1153; ESTC R3880	438,428	416

admiration and to gain a Repute to the European World Lastly some Documents of Moral Philosophy unto which they are addicted to be approv'd not by vain gaiety of Words but Example of an exquisite excellent and innocent Life remov'd from all desires of Mundane Pretensions such as becometh the Apostolical Laborers in the Propagation of the Divine Law And as the Precepts of the Christian Faith seem to differ as much from the Religion of the Chineses as the Heaven doth from the Earth so it cannot be express'd how many Toils and Labors must be undergone and how many Dangers pass'd through that they may be rendred capable of receiving our most holy Law and the truth of the same genuinely explain'd Here the Vanities of Polytheism or of having many Deities must be confuted here Polygamie or Marrying of many Wives must be destroy'd by strength of Argument here the incomprehensible Mysteries of our Belief must be inculcated with great dexterity and caution wherein laboring with more than ordinary patience and continual subjection of the Body how many Calumnies must they be subject unto But for this peruse the History of Father Daniel Bartolus lately publish'd in the Italian Tongue And because the Preaching of the Gospel could not take root without the publication of Books I might treat opportunely in this Place concerning those publish'd on this Occasion As first the Works of the Venerable Father Matthew Riccius of Macera the Founder of the Chinesian Expedition after St. Francis Xavier Secondly Father Nicholas Trigautius a Flandrian of Doway Thirdly Father Iacob Rho of Milan all which writ many large and Learned Volumes And besides these there were many who publish'd large Treatises to satisfie the Curiosity of the Chineses as the two-fold Universal History of Father Nicholas Trigautius Father Iohn Terentius his Indian Pliny and many more particularly mention'd by our Author from Fol. 117. to 121. in which are the Particulars at large SOME Special Remarks TAKEN OUT OF ATHANASIUS KIRCHERS Antiquities of China PART III. Of the Idolatry of the Chineses THE Books of the Chineses mention only three Sects of Religion in China First that of the Learned next that call'd Sciequia and the third they term Lancu One of these three all the Chineses and other conterminate Nations which use the Chinesian Characters do profess such are those of Iapan Corian Tonchini and Cocincina These three Sects do very much resemble the Egyptian Priests or Wise-men their Hierogrammatists or those that were vers'd in the Sacred Writings and the Plebeians The Sect of the Learned Rule the Commonwealth abound in Books and are applauded above the rest They acknowledge Confutius as the Author and Chief of the Philosophers as the Egyptians do their Thoyt whom the Grecians call Hermes Trismegistus and as the Egyptians do their Sages worshipp'd one God whom they termed Hemphet so the Learned Men of China according to the Dictates of Confutius worship not Idols but one Deity whom they term The King of Heaven Concerning this Sect Trigautius in his Christian Expedition into China says They assert that the Function or Office of Sacrificing to and Worshipping of the King of Heaven doth only belong to the Prince and therefore the Emperor hath two most stately and magnificent Temples in his Palaces of Nanquin and Pequin the one Dedicated to Heaven the other to the Earth He himself formerly Sacrific'd in them but now the most grave Magistrates supply his Place they slay and Offer up Bulls and Sheep in Hecatombs to the Heaven and the Earth as the Egyptians did to Osiris and Isis and perform many other Rites The peculiar Temple of the Learned is that of Confutius which is erected by Law in every City in a Place above their Schools This stately Edifice adjoyns to the Magistrates Palace who is President over those that have taken the first Degree in that Learning In the most obvious place of the Temple is the Statue of Confutius full of Characters or in stead of a Statue his Name inscrib'd in Golden Letters on an elegant Table on each side of which stand the Statues of some of his Disciples whom the Chineses have Canoniz'd amongst the Deities of the inferior Order All the City Magistrates meet every New and Full-Moon in this Temple with those that have taken the Degree of Batchelors to honor their Master with accustom'd Crouching even to Prostration the Temple being all the while illuminated with lighted Torches and burning of Incense Much after the same manner the Egyptians on the first Day of the Month Thoth perform'd their Solemnities unto Mercury There are also various Statues of this God some of them very great others small and easily carried about one was communicated unto me by the Reverend Father Assistant of the Portuguese Society of Iesus Nunnius Mascaremias the which Engrav'd I thought good to adjoyn The second Sect of the Chineses which answereth to the Philosophers amongst the Egyptians is call'd Sciequia or Oympto but vulgarly Amida the Iaponeses term it Xaca and Amidabu This Law came to the Chineses from the West brought from a Kingdom call'd Threncio or Sciuro which Regions as Trigautius affirmeth are concluded under the only Name of Indostan situate between the River Indus and Ganges This Sect will easily appear by their Opinions to have proceeded from the Gymnosophists Brachmans Persians and Bactrians who anciently inhabited this Indostan and have Planted their Colonies in China for they hold a multitude of Worlds a Metempsychosis or Transmigration of Souls into Brutes professing all the Philosophy of Pythagoras Father Martinius in his Atlas thus relateth concerning them Xekiao saith he is a Sect which our Fathers hold to have been introduc'd into China first after Christ It admitteth a Transmigration of Souls after Death as a Punishment for Sins committed and that both external and internal They worship Idols and perpetually abstain from whatsoever had Life a Law judg'd necessary by them for a withdrawing of the rude Multitude from Vice and as an incitement to Vertue The internal Metempsychosis is that part of Moral Philosophy most famous and excellent as having reference unto the Vacuity and universal Victory of the Passions and deprav'd Affections that this may take place they hold that they pass into Plants and Animals as they were obnoxious and inclinable unto their Affections In their sceptical way they will have nothing to have the stamp of Truth in this Life but as we apprehend it and that Good and Bad are the same in respect of divers Taigautius subscribeth unto this This Opinion saith he fram'd with Democritus and others many Worlds but they seem chiefly to have borrow'd the Transmigration of Souls from the Doctrine of Pythagoras and they have added many other Fictions unto it to colour over the Falsity Now they appear not only to have receiv'd these Tenents from our Philosophers but also to have borrow'd a certain Shadow from the Evangelical Light for they introduce a

Trade upon equal Terms with those three Nations they would in acknowledgment thereof every third Year come and Salute his Majesty bringing Presents but with this Proviso That the Ship or Ships which brought the Ambassadors might have Licence to depart in due time without staying for the return of them because the Vessels which were us'd to salt Water could not be continu'd in fresh without very great damage But the Ambassadors after all their Endeavors were not able to effect any thing being not well furnish'd with Money the Key of the Work and that which gives a quick dispatch to all Affairs in China for they had already disposed both of their Presents and Silver and to take up Money at Eight or Ten per Cent. for a Months time they did not think it convenient and therefore they resolv'd to apply themselves to the Emperor himself who was pleas'd to send to know how far the Council had proceeded in the Business and understanding that the Ambassadors offer'd every five years to come and Salute the Emperor he himself was pleas'd to put out with his own hand the number of Five and to insert that of Eight out of a particular Inclination to the Hollanders alledging That they had need have five whole years to go and come if so be they would only Travel by Day for said the Emperor How is it possible for them to continue such tedious Voyages if you allow them no longer time Beside why should we straiten them in such a Point who do not stand in need of me nor fear me but out of a singular Respect and Affection come to Salute me with their Goods and Presents Certainly we ought to use these People more kindly that so after they have perform'd such Undertakings they may tarry at home and rest themselves for two or three years This favorable Answer of the Emperor gave great encouragement to the Ambassadors to hope well of their Business but the Chancellors chief Secretary did all that possibly he could to disswade them from making over much haste with what they had to desire further of his Imperial Majesty saying Is it not enough that such who never till then address'd themselves in Embassy to Salute his Majesty and were so much prejudic'd by former Aspersions as made them almost unacceptable to many great Persons in China be receiv'd and admitted as Friends and Allies at the first Overture and have leave to progress through the Country wherefore he endeavor'd to perswade the Ambassadors not to insist too much upon a free Trade that being the way to unhinge their well-begun Business for they were not to imagine that the Emperor and his Council were oblig'd to grant at first sight all what'ere they should desire and therefore advis'd them to forbear mentioning a free Trade till their next Return when they would have a better opportunity But the Ambassadors did not think fit to follow his Advice because the time drew near that the Emperor was to make his Entrance into his new Palace when he had appointed and promised the Ambassadors to give them Audience But before they could have a Hearing they were first to perform Obedience in the old Palace where the Emperor's Treasure and Seal are kept in regard according to a Proverb amongst the Chineses this Place is older than the Emperor and therefore chosen and bless'd by Heaven and the first Honor doth also belong unto it so that all Foreign Ambassadors who refuse to pay such Respects must not appear before the Emperor but depart without a Hearing as it hapned to the Ambassador of Muscovy who to preserve the Dignity and Esteem of his Lord and Master would not perform here the usual Complement and Ceremony Likewise all the Grandees of the Kingdome must do their Duty here ere they appear before his Majesty nay more the Emperor himself before he is Install'd is oblig'd to come and bow here This Custom is usually perform'd by Ambassadors three Days before their Audience Upon the 22. of August came the Agents of the Canton Vice-Roys with the Mandorin Pinxenton and others of Canton early in the Morning to our Lodgings and not long after also appear'd three Chinese Doctors and some of the Court in very rich Habits These Persons conducted the Ambassadors and their Followers in great State into a Room of the old Palace much like a Library for we saw none but Scholars and Gown-men with Books in their Hands from whence after some short stay we were conducted into an open Court within a high Wall where we were commanded at the voice of the Herald to kneel three times and to bow our Heads to the Ground after a short pause the Herald proclaim'd aloud in the Chinese Language Caschan which in English is God hath sent the Emperor afterwards he cried aloud Quee that is Fall upon your Knees then he pronounced the word Canto signifying Bow your Head after that Coe bidding them Stand up and this did he three times in order one after another wherein we also conform'd at last he signified to us that we should stand aside which we did All these Ceremonies were perform'd in presence of at least a hundred Chinese Doctors or Rabbies after which we return'd to our Lodgings And now the Ambassadors according to the Custom were to appear upon the 25. of August before the Emperor but were prevented by the sudden Death of the Emperor's youngest Brother who being about six years of Age hapned to die upon the 23. of the same Month not without suspicion of Poyson by some of the Council who it seems as we were told did not think him worthy to live because he had provoked the Emperor in some ill Language before our arrival at Peking But others ascrib'd his Death to a violent Cold he took by drinking a Glass of Ice-Water being very hot which put him into such a violent Distemper that he died in few hours after The Emperor seem'd very much to lament his Death for he would not be seen by any Person in three Days This young Prince was kept a whole Month before his Interment so that the Ambassadors were held from having Audience of the Emperor until the second of September Upon the 14. of August they understood that the Ambassador of Muscovy went from thence without Audience becaus'd he refus'd to bow to the Seal of the Emperor so to preserve the Honor and Dignity of his Lord and Master One of his Gentlemen came about Noon whilst the Ambassadors were at Dinner and took leave in the Name of the all the rest and he desir'd likewise the favour of a Letter to shew in Russia that he had found us here which was presently granted Afterwards we were inform'd That this Ambassador was not suffer'd to depart till such time as the Emperor had given him a Pass Upon the Day appointed for this long expected Audience came the Mandorin Pinxenton with the Agents and Mandorins of the Canton Vice-Roys and some

Men die in misery His Design was really to have depopulated the whole Country of China that so being alone there might be none left to oppose him or be his Competitor And although the barbarousness of his Nature appear'd every where and upon all occasions yet did he give a proof of his Cruelty in no Place more than in the Province of Suchuen where he took upon him the Royal Title and put most of the Inhabitants to death He would frequently cause a whole Family to be utterly destroy'd if any one of them had not obey'd his Orders according to his will and mind He abounded so very much in Feral Barbarism that oftentimes if by chance any one had offended him he would cause all the Inhabitants residing within the same Street to undergo the Fury of his inhumane and bestial rage He was civil and kind to none but his Soldiers with whom he would Converse and Drink as if he had been but their Companion and many times would bestow great Presents upon them if they had perform'd any thing well and according to his mind yet on the other hand for the least Offence or Neglect he made nothing to put multitudes of them to death And which is yet more this bloudy Caitiff's Butchery extended to very Magistrates but in special manner to those of the Chief City of Chingtu of the Province of Suchuen so that of six hundred in the space of three years were hardly twenty left that escap'd with their Lives and it was a Recreation to see and cause People to be flay'd alive When this Blood-thirsty Tyrant endeavor'd to take the Chief City of the Province of Xensi which in regard of its Strength is call'd The Key of Suchuen and Xensi he came in the Year 1645. before it with a very great Army of at least a hundred and eighty thousand Natives of the Province only beside a vast number of others out of several other Provinces When the Siege had continu'd a long time for the Inhabitants defended themselves with wonderful Courage there ran over to the Besieged at least forty thousand Men out of his Camp which troubled and provoked the Tyrant so much that he caus'd the remainder of a hundred and eighty thousand Men of Suchuen to be cruelly massacred and murther'd by their other Fellow Soldiers before his Face When he heard that the Tartars in the Year 1646. were fall'n with their Forces into the Province of Xensi he found himself necessitated to prevent such an unquiet and troublesom Neighborhood to march against them but lest the Inhabitants of Suchuen to many of whom he had been so cruel should conspire against him in his absence he caus'd them all to be put to death except such as live toward the North-East Then he march'd first to Chingtu the principal Chief City of the Province of Suchen and caus'd all its Inhabitants both Rich and Poor being above six hundred thousand in number to be bound by his Soldiers and afterwards miserably slain by the effusion of whose Blood the Chineses write that the Water of the great River Kiang which runs before the City was extraordinarily swell'd and rais'd The dead Bodies that they might not taint or infect the Air were flung into the River which being carried down with the Stream soon brought this mournful news to the neighboring Cities and Places viewing what they were like to expect if they resisted not the fierceness of that merciless Beast which though they did with all their Might yet it was not long before the same cruel usage reach'd many of them And after this manner was this Province which formerly abounded with People laid waste and made desolate both of People and Habitations These Villanies perpetrated and being now to march against the Tartars he encourages his Soldiers to behave themselves valiantly for that he had Silver enough to reward such as did well but in regard the Women as he suppos'd would be a trouble to them not only upon their March but in the Battel he caus'd them to be put to death therein shewing them the way for of three hundred beautiful Women which he us'd for his own lustful Pleasure he reserv'd only twenty to wait upon his three Queens all the other being massacred in view of the whole Army whereupon the Soldiers following his barbarous and bloody Example did the like either by Shot or Sword killing their Wives in a most wretched manner Having destroy'd all the Inhabitants of the Province and no more left to exercise his Cruelty upon he fell upon the Cities and Houses laying them waste and not leaving any one Place standing wheresoever his ruining Feet trod nay more to shew his hatred to Posterity he caus'd all the Trees to be fell'd and cut down that so no body for the future should have any benefit by them after him such as were sick and not able to follow the Camp he caus'd likewise to be hang'd up to prevent them as he scoffingly said from living or dying in pain and misery After all this barbarous Havock and Desolation made this Enemy of Mankind pass'd with his Army into the Province of Xensi whither the General of the Tartars follow'd him at the Heels with an Army of fifty thousand Men un●●l the residue of the whole Army could get up to him When the news was brought him that the Tartars were in sight of him with a great Army he laugh'd at those that reported such a Fable as he thought it not believing it possible that such a thing could be till going out of his Tent himself to make the discovery the first Object that he met with was the sight of five Tartars who according to the Custom of those People were sent out before to discover and demand whether he would have Peace or War but in stead thereof they presently fell upon him and the first Arrow that was shot pierc'd him quite through the Heart wherewith falling down dead upon the Place it struck so great a fear into all his Followers that they were soon overthrown The news of this Victory was quickly spread abroad upon the report of which such Tartars as were left alive and had escap'd the bloody Hands of the Traytor in the Province of Suchuen came out of their Holes and cry'd up the Victors as their Deliverers And thus at length the Province of Suchuen fell under the Subjection of the Tartars who putting Garrisons into the chiefest Places march'd back with their Army to the Imperial City of Peking where upon their Arrival the General of the Army though he return'd victorious yet so slippery are the Stations of Great Men was very unworthily receiv'd by his Brother who accus'd him of Neglect in that he had not well perform'd his Charge The faithful General with this disgraceful Affront was put into so violent a Passion as being conscious of his own Merit and knowing that he had deserv'd the greatest Thanks imaginable for what he had done he