Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	body_n	life_n	separation_n	4,198	5	9.8832	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49911	Memoirs and observations typographical, physical, mathematical, mechanical, natural, civil, and ecclesiastical, made in a late journey through the empire of China, and published in several letters particularly upon the Chinese pottery and varnishing, the silk and other manufactures, the pearl fishing, the history of plants and animals, description of their cities and publick works, number of people, their language, manners and commerce, their habits, oeconomy, and government, the philosophy of Confucius, the state of Christianity : with many other curious and useful remarks / by Louis Le Compte ... ; translated from the Paris edition, and illustrated with figures.	Le Comte, Louis, 1655-1728.	1697 (1697)	Wing L831; ESTC R15898	355,133	724

slightest Faults their Punishments are adequate to their demerits The usual Punishments is the Bastinado on the Back When they receive but forty or fifty blows they call this a Fatherly Correction To which as well Mandarins as others are subject this Punishment is not accounted very scandalous and after it is executed the Criminal must fall on his Knees before the Judge and if able bow three times down to the ground and give him humble thanks for taking this care of his Education Yet this Punishment is of that Violence that one stroke is enough to fell one that is of a tender Constitution and oftimes persons die of it it is true there are ways of softening this Punishment when the Execution of it is in Court The easiest is to Bribe the Executioners for there are many of them because lest the Executioners weariness should lessen the Punishment after five or six strokes another succeeds and so till the whole be performed But when the Criminal has by mony made them his Friends they understand their business so well that notwithstanding all the care which the Mandarins present can use the Punishment becomes light and almost nothing Beside this in the Courts there are persons to be hired who keep a good understanding with the Officers Who upon a signal given take the place of the Criminal who escapes among the croud and receives his Punishment For mony there are every where these sort of Vicarious Persons to be met with For it is a Trade at China where several Persons are maintained by the blows of the Cudgel By such a trick as this Yam-quam sien a famous Persecutor of Christianity escaped the just Sentence of the Judges He engaged a paltry Fellow for a large sum of mony to take upon him his name and go to the Court of Justice in his stead He told him that let it come to the worst it was but a good Cudgelling and if after that he was imprisoned there should be found out a way to redeem him thence The poor Fellow went according to agreement and when the Cryer called out aloud Yam quam sien the Fellow answered as loud Here his Sentence was passed and the Mandarin condemned him to death The Officers who had been bribed seized on him immediately and according to Custom gagged him for after Sentence the Criminal is not suffered to speak Afterward he was brought to the place of Execution where the poor Wretch suffered a miserable death The second so●t of Punishment is the Carcan which differs from the former only in the place where the Bastinadoes are given in this they are given the Criminal at one of the City Gates or in the High-way the Punishment here is not so sharp but the Infamy is greater and he who has once undergone this Punishment can never more recover his Reputation They have several different ways of inflicting death Mean and ignoble Persons have their Heads cut off for in China the separation of the Head from the Body is disgraceful On the contrary Persons of Quality are Strangled which among them is a death of more Credit if the Crime be very notorious they are Punished like mean Persons and sometimes their Heads are cut off and hanged on a Tree in the High-ways Rebels and Traytors are punished with the utmost severity that is to speak as they do they cut them into ten thousand pieces For after that the Executioner hath tyed them to a Post he cuts of● the Skin all round their Forehead which he tears by force till it hangs over their Eyes that they may not see the Torments they are to endure Afterwards he cuts their Bodies in what places he thinks fit and when he is tyred with this barbarous Employment he leaves them to the tyranny of their Enemies and the insults of the Mob Often Criminals are cruelly whipped till they expire Lastly the Torture which is the cruellest of all Deaths is here used and generally the Hands and Fingers suffer most in it Ninthly They think it good Policy to forbid Women from all Trade and Commerce which they can only benefit by letting it alone all their business lies within Doors where they find continual Employment in the careful Education of their Children They neither Buy nor Sell and one sees Women so seldom in the Streets that one would imagine them to be all Religiouses confined to a Cloyster Princesses never Succeed to the Crown nor ever have the Regency during the young Princes minority and tho' the Emperor may in private consult them it is reckoned mean and ignoble to do it In which thing the Chinese seem in my Opinion less reasonable than in others For wit and foresight is equally the Portion of the one as of the other Sex and a Prince is never so understanding as when he knows how to find out all his Treasures wheresoever Nature has placed them nor ever so Prudent as when he makes use of them Lastly Their tenth Maxim is to encourage Trade as much as possible thro' the whole Empire All the other Policy is conducive to the plenty or convenience of their Country but this is concern'd for the very lives of the People who would be soon reduced to the last extremity if Trade should once fail It is not the Peoples care only but the Mandarins also who put out their mony to trusty Traders to make the best advantage of it By this private way Ousanguey the little King of Chensi who brought the Tartars into China made himself so rich and powerful that he was able himself to support for a long time the War against the Emperor To encrease Commerce Foreigners have been permitted to come into the Ports of China a thing till lately never known On the other side the Chinese spread themselves over all the Indies where they carry Silk ' China Physical Drugs Sugar Japanned Works Wine and Potters Ware They go to Batavia Siam to Achim Malacca and especially to Iappon and Manilla from which they are distant but a few days Sail. From all these places they bring Silver all of which that is brought from Mexico to the Philippine Islands by the Pacifick Ocean is carried from thence to Canton whence it is spread thro' the whole Empire But the greatest part of their Trading lies within themselves from one Province to another which like so many Kingdoms Communicate to each other their Riches That of Houquam sends Rice that of Canton Sugar from Chequiam comes good Silk from Nankin neat and handsome pieces of Workmanship Chensi and Chansi are rich in Iron Horses Mules Cammels and Furs Tokiem yields Tea Leautom Drugs and so the rest This mutual Commerce unites the People and fills their Towns with plenty These my Lord are not all the Chinese Maxims there are a World of others but I have wrote down these as the most known and most essential ones for the Publick Good Good order in the Inferior Governments is as useful a part

them concerning God I had made but an indifferent Progress in understanding and pronouncing their Tongue especially when I first began to preach which nevertheless gave them no manner of Offence so far from it that if they could but never so little apprehend what I meant they never were cloy'd with hearing me I have moreover taken notice that they had always rather I should preach my self how barbarous soever my Language might appear than that I should get them instructed as I sometimes did by the help of a Chinese Catechist that had been formed some time before to Exercises of this Nature But my Visits not being so frequent as I could have wished I endeavoured to make them up by godly Books with which by God's Blessing China is very well stored there having been some Missionaries sufficiently zealous and able to compose Books and that very politely upon all the Points of Religion They have very curious and complete Catechisms wherein the intire and complete Body of the Doctrine of Christianity the Life Miracles and Death of our blessed Lord the Commandments of God and the Church are clearly explained There are likewise to be found particular Expositions upon the Gospels Treatises upon Moral and Christian Duties some solid Controversies adapted to every Body's Capacity Practices of Piety for the different Conditions of Life Prayers and Instructions for the Use of the Sacraments a Body of Divinity for the Leanned for they have translated some part of Tbo Aquinas and last of all St. Ignatius's Exercises for those that mind heavenly things Insomuch that this spiritual Seed of the evangelical Word is scattered all over and multiplied an Hundred-fold I could have wished there might have been a Translation of the Missal upon the account of saying Mass in Chinese together with an exact Version of the holy Scriptures Conformable to the Permission obtained for that purpose the Missal was finished and Father Couplet presented it some Years ago to the Pope However after having duly examined the Matter it was not thought convenient to make use of it but they continued to say Mass in the Latine Tongue as in other Places As for the complete Version of the Bible there are such weighty Reasons why it should not forthwith be published that it would seem a rash piece of Impudence to do it and so much the more because there is already expounded in divers Books what is contained in the Gospel yea and even whatsoever is most Instructive in the rest of the holy Scriptures The Second Method to increase the fervent Zeal of Christians was Prayer Besides the time appointed for Mass I assembled them Twice a day to make publick Prayers They sung in Two Choirs with such marvellous Devotion that it made me wish that the European Christians might have been witnesses of their Piety for their rude and sometimes scandalous Deportment before our altars will certainly be condemned at the great Tribunal by the Modesty of those later Christians They do not understand either singing by Notes or Musick as we do yet have they Tunes of their own composure no ways unpleasant which seems to me abundance more tolerable than what are used in several Societies of Europe They had likewise several sorts of Instruments Consorts they seem to admire and our Villages in France would serve their turn well enough in that point The Chinese are of that Temper that they had need of something sensible to heighten their Devotion sumptuous and magnificent Ornaments Singing pompous Processions the Noise of Bells and Instruments and the Ceremonies of the Church are very taking with them and allure them to divine Service I took extraordinary care in that matter to procure for them all that the Church out of her most wise Conduct hath permitted to the servants of God yet always distinguishing that which Superstition if one have not a care of it is wont in process of time to put into the common Peoples head I applyed my self more especially to inspire them with respect to our M●steries they made their Confession usually every Fortnight Their Confession was not only attended with Tears for the Chinese are more subject to Weeping than we but also with severe Penance in the Evening in the Vest●y The lively Faith they had for the adorable Sacrament made them constant attenders on the Altar and when I permitted them to receive it they communicated with affections of veneration capable of inflaming not only such who are but Lukewarm but almost Christians You might see them prostrate at several times with their Face on the ground lamenting and commonly shedding abundance of tears Such like postures more frequent and ordinary amonst Asiatiques than Europeans yet evermore edifying and submissive do exceedingly contribute to excite Devotion in the Soul and to impress upon the Mind that profound Veneration which the Majesty of our Mysteries deserve at our hands This respect extended it self also to the Images Reliques to the Medals Holy Water and in general to whatsoever bears the Character of our Religion They bore more than that ● particular veneration for the Virgin Mary which perhaps had gone too far if care had not been used to regulate it They call her the Holy Mother Chin-Mou and do invoke her in all their Straits and Exigencies The experience they have had of her Protection hath confirmed them in this warm Devotion and the benefits they receive daily from her persuade them she is acceptable to God The Women are yet more animated with these Sentiments than the Men. All their Churches are dedicated to her under the Title of Chin-mou tam that is to say the Temple of the blessed Mother There they meet together for they never enter into the Church of the Men as the Men dare not presume to set foot into theirs But the passionate love that the Christians have for Jesus Christ make them really Devout and walk worthy of the Profession they have embraced They continually repeat these following words Iesus the Master of Heaven who shed his blood for us Iesus who died to save us Being it is the Mystery wherein we most carefully instruct them so it is that they most stedfastly believe Every one shall have their Crucifixes in their Chambers and notwitstanding the nakedness of our Images did at first give some offence yet have they in process of time accustomed themselves to them We distribute them to the People with some precaution for fear they may chance to fall into the hands of Idolaters who might either through ignorance or malice be apt to profane them And this was the reason why after Mass was said I commonly removed from the Altar a large graven Crucifix the Pagans do oftentimes come out of curiosity to see our Churches now they might have stole it away or spoken of it irreverently and blasphemously which nevertheless was not brought to pass by the Paints of Christ's Passion which I left with them Now as for Christians we are far from

bestowed on the Priests of the Pagan Gods after he had violently taken away the sacred Monuments of our Religion He issued out Proclamations much more rigorous than the former he threatned the Father with his Indignation if he did not abandon his Flock and he caused several Christians that had but too openly declared themselves to be apprehended some of them were haled to Prison they severely punished others and then the Persecution became bloody by the Torments that these generous Confessors suffered for the Name of IESUS Amongst those who signalised themselves a Physician more eminently made his Faith appear he was much grieved to see the Altars of the true God violated and despoiled Crosses broken in pieces the holy Images exposed to the Scorn Laughter and Impiety of Idolaters To repair this Loss and that Believers might not be left destitute of the ordinary Marks of their Religion he distributed to each of them Images and Crucifixes He went from door to door with the precious Pledges of our Salvation animating the Weak confirming the more Couragious in their Faith do not fear said he to them ●im who can only exercise his weak Power upon the Body but fear that Great God who as he has deprived you of Life can also punish your Soul with an eternal Death and rather suffer all sorts of Torments than for sake his holy Law The Mandarin offended at the Boldness of the Physician commanded him to be loaden with Chains and having caused him to be dragged before his Tribunal they prepared all things for his being cruelly Bastionado'd when his Godson who came running thither with other Christians threw himself on his Knees at the Judge's Feet and begged of him with Tears in his Eyes that he would permit him to receive the Chastisement for his Godfather This zealous Physician who aspired to nothing more than Martyrdom was so far from giving his Place to another that he constantly and stedfastly forbid it and at that time there arose such a Scuffle between them that the Angels admired and that made the Christian Religion to be respected by the very Idolaters The Judge stood amazed at it and turning towards those eminent Confestors of Jesus Christ go your way sa●es he to them this forwardness to suffer the Punishment of your Faults deserves some Indulgence I pardon you but henceforward think of pleasing the Vice-roy and be more careful to obey the Emperor's Orders When the Spirit of God hath once seized on the Heart Men's Words are not capable to touch them This Zealous Physician whom the sight of Execution had made more couragious continu'd his Acts of Chatity as before and his Zeal made such a Noise up and down that the Mandarin durst no longer mince the Matter he seemed much concerned at the Contempt he used of his Threatnings Insomuch that he gave Order to his Officers to bring him out to make a severe Example of him In effect he caused him to be beat so cruelly in his Presence that those who were present were equally surprised at the Severity of the Judge and Patience of this good Christian. This bloody Execution once over some of his Relations who came running at thi● doleful Spectacle were thinking to carry him to his House but he positively desired to be carried to Church and what endeavours so ever they used to divert him from it yet he had Strength enough left to crawl thither himself born up by the Arms of several Christians He came thither all bathed in his Gore and kneeling down at the Foot of the Altars O Lord saith he thou seest this Day that I prefer thy holy Law to all the Sweetness of Life I come not to demand Iustice of thee for all t●● Blood t●y Enemies have spilt I come to offer thee that which remains of mine own I do not deserve to die for such a good Cause but thou O my God deservest the intire Sacrifice of my Life and then turning towards Father Intorcetta who began to comfort him Ah! Father answer'd he I shall be now at the height of my Ioy if it were not my Sins but my Zeal that had brought this light Chastisment upon me This Example and many others that I forbear to relate made such Impressions upon the Idolaters hearts that a great many of them resolved to embrace the Christian Faith being persuaded that Sentimen●● so opposite to corrupt Nature could not possibly proceed eithe● from Passion or Error Among them whom the holy Spirit did effectually touch were Three who appeared full of that very Faith that made in former time almost as many Martyrs in the primitive Church as Believers they were Young handsome of Quality and what is more engaged by their Condition blindly to comply with the Vice-roy's Inclinations Nevertheless counting their temporal Estate as nothing they demanded publick Baptism The Father to bring the Faith of these Neophite● to the Test hid nothing from them that might anywise stagger them but it was all in vain to represent to them the rigour of the Edicts the Vice-roy's Indignation the Desolation they were like to cast their Families into the Danger of losing their Estates Honour Life and all these Considerations served only to animate them the more so that after a pretty long Tryal they were initiated into our sacred Mysteries and took part as others did in the Cross of Christ. Their Conversion fortified the Feeble-minded and comforted Father Intorcett● for all the Evils that the Persecution had made his Church to suffer But the Vice roy was so much the more provoked because he had not the Liberty at that time to shew his Resentment for just then they delivered him Two Letters from Prince Sosan one of them was for Father Intor●●tta the other that was directed to himself was full fraught with Reproaches for that he seemed to make no account of the Prince's recommendation I could never have believed saith he to him that to please a Company of ill affected People who have exasperated your Spirit at the Christians you would have deviated from the Counsels I gave you It is as a Friend that I endeavoured to inspire you with better Sentiments think upon it once more and reflect seriously with your self that it i● I that speak to you I expect three Things from your Friendship First that you deliver the Letter your self to Father Intorcetta according to the Superscription The Second that you do so well satisfie the Father that he may have Occasion to bless himself for the kind Offices you render him and that he himself may testifie the same to me And the Third is that henceforward you do not any longer disturb e●ther Missionaries or Christ●a●s in short I am extreamly sorry for being obliged to write to you so often about this Subject If you for the Future mend your Manners I shall write to you a third Time to thank you but if your Passion continues this is the last Letter you shall ever receive

takeing Sustenance upon the death of my Relations and you who are Grandson to a Saint on whom all the World casts their Eyes to see ●ow you will imitate him you have satisfied your self with three days Abstinence Confucius answered him The Ceremonies have been regulated by the Ancients to restrain the indiscreet and stir up the backward It is our duty to be obedient to the Laws if we would not go astray It is in this golden mean that Wisdom and the wise Man reside that you may never stray out of it Remember that Vertue is not an excess and that Perfection hath its limits Maxim III. A Man ought to change often if he would be constant in Wisdom A Person of Quality said one day to Confucius Your Grandfather was never wanting in any duty of Civility in respect of great Persons nevertheless his Doctrine tho' holy never obtain'd or got footing How do you imagine then that yours should be followed seeing you have a Magisterial Gravity that repulses Men and proceeds sometimes to haughtiness This is not the way to be welcome at Princes Courts Every Age hath its ways answered Confucius in my Grandfather's time Princes and Officers were polisht they delighted in order every one kept his Station to insinuate a Man's self in their Affections it behoved a Man to be polisht and regular like them At this day Men value nothing but Courage and Haughtiness wherewith Princes endeavour to inspire their Officers a Man ought to change with the World that he may be in a capacity to win it A wise man would cease so to be should he always act as the wise men of former times acted Maxim IV. The Grandees of a Kingdom are not always the great Men of the State Confucius coming to the Court of one of the Kings of China was very well received This Prince allowed him an Apartment in his Palace and came to visit him there himself At the end of the Visit he said to him You come not for nothing into my State probably you have a design to do me some good My Lord replyed Confucius I am but an unprofitable Man yet I avow if your Majesty will but follow my Counsel you will not be the worse for it My intent is to present to you wise Men to occupy the principle places of your State Withal my heart says the Prince Who are they My Lord Li-in the Son of a Husband-man is a Man on whom you may rely The King burst out a laughing How says he an Husband-man I have not Employments enough for the Lords of my Court and would you have me take a Labourer into my Service The Philosopher without being moved replyed Vertue is of all Trades and Conditions although it is more commonly annext to a mean Condition We have two Kingdomes in the Empire that have been founded by two Labourers What Inconvenience is there tho' a Man of that Character govern yours Believe me Sir the Court hath hitherto supply'd you with a good Company of evil Ministers Suffer a Country Village to present you with a wise Man You want Employments you say to place all the Lords that encompass you If Vertue alone were rewarded you would find in your Court more places than Officers nay and perhaps would be fain to call for Labourers to supply them When the Body of the Nobility does not furnish the State with great Men the great Men that may be found amongst the People must be chosen and of them must be composed the Body of the Nobility Maxim V. A small Fault often denotes great qualities He one day advised the King of O●●i to set a certain Officer of Reputation at the Head of his Army but the King excused himself for not doing it because that being formerly a Mandarin he took a couple of Eggs from a Country Fellow A Man who hath abused his Authority says he deserves not any longer to command These Sentiments of Equity replyed Confucius are very laudable in a King but perhaps the Mandarins Moderation that stole but two Eggs is no less to be admired Such a small fault in the whole Life of a Man denotes in him great qualities In a word a prudent Prince makes use of his Subjects in the Government as a Carpenter uses Timber in his Works he does not reject one good Beam because there is a flaw in it provided it be strong enough to support a whole Edifice I would not advise your Majesty for the loss of a couple of Eggs to turn off a Captain who may conquer you two Realms Maxim VI. The Prince is void of Counsel who hath too much Wit and when ●e delivers his Opinion the first The same King one day held a Counsel in presence of Confucius where he spoke of some Affairs with so much vehemence of Spirit that his Ministers applauded him and forthwith allowed him to be in the right and comply'd with him without more ado At the close this King said to Confucius What 's your Iudgment of the course we have taken in our last Deliberation Sir says the Philosopher I do not perceive that they have yet deliberated you spoke with a great deal of Wit your Ministers very attentive to please you have faithfully repeated the Discourse they have told your Opinion and not their own and when you adjourned the Assembly I still expected the beginning of the Counsel Some days after the same King asked him his Advice concerning the present Government He answered him No body speaks ill of it That is my desire says the King And that Sir is what you ought not to desire reply'd Confucius A sick Person forsaken whom they flatter that he is well is not far from death a Man is bound to discover to the Prince the defects of the Mind with the same liberty Men discover to him the maladies of the Body Maxim VII The wise Man goes forward apace because the right way is always the shortest on the contrary the crafty Politician arrives later at his end because he walks in By-ways and crooked Paths The King of Ouei confessed to Confucius That there was nothing so fine as Wisdom but the difficulty of acquiring it discouraged the most Courageous and diverted the best disposed Minds As for my part added he I have used endeavours but all in vain I am resolved to torment my self no longer about it and a small parcel of Policy will supply the defect of that Wisdom that is necessary to good Governing Sir answered Confucius 't is true Wisdom is seated on a lofty Place but the Road to it is not so impracticable as People imagine it grows plainer and plainer according as you go on and once got at it one cannot go back without running great danger to fall down the Precipice in such a sort that a wise Man cannot cease being so without doing violence to himself in some respect But do you think that a Prince hath no trouble when he marches in the indirect

by his whole Court to a Mountain a good distance from the Town When prostrating himself before the Divine Majesty to whom he paid his Adorations nine times he spake in these words O Lord you know the miseries to which we are reduced It is my sins which have brought them upon my People I come bither to own and acknowledge it in the presence of Heaven and Earth That I may the better amend my faults give me leave O Lord of all the World to ask what Action of mine has more particularly given you offence Is it the splendor of my Palace I will take care to retrench what is superfluous Perhaps the profuseness of my Table or the delicacy and Voluptuousness of it have brought this scarcity hereafter nothing shall be seen there but thristiness and temperance The Laws permit to me the use of Concubines but perhaps you dislike that I have too many I am ready to lessen the number And if all this be not suffici●nt to appease your just indignation and you must have an Oblation behold one O Lord I am heartily willing to dye if thou wilt spare this good People Let Rain come from Heaven on their Fields to relieve their necessities and thunder on my Head to satisfie your Iustice. The Princes Piety pierced the Clouds for the Air was presently overcast and an universal Rain immediately fell which did in due season bring forth a fruitful Harvest When Idolaters seem scandalised at the Death of IESUS CHRIST we use the Example of this Prince to justifie our Faith You not only approve of this Action say we to them in which one of your Emperors disrobed himself of all that was magnificent and offered himself as a Sacrifice for his Subjects but you admire it and recommend it to Posterity as a fit Pattern for all the Princes of the World how then can you dislike that the excessive love and kindness which made IESUS CHRIST offer himself an Oblation and Sacrifice for all Men and despoil himself of the brightness of his Majesty to invest us one day with his Glory and Divinity These footsteps of the true Religion which we find in China for so many Ages together carry us naturally to make a reflection which will justifie the Providence of the Almighty in the Government of the World People are sometimes amazed that China and the Indies have been overshadowed by the clouds and darkness of Idolatry almost ever since the birth of our Saviour while Greece a great part of Africk and almost all Europe have enjoyed the clear light of Faith but they never consider that China for two thousand years had the knowledge of the true God and have practised the most pure Morality while Europe and almost all the World wallowed in Error and Corruption God in the distribution of his gifts is not an unjust respecter of Persons yet he has laid out his times to let his Grace shine forth in due season which like the Sun rises and sets in different parts of the World according as People make a good or bad use of it I do not know whither I may make bold to add that as the S●n which by its constant motion hides itself to some to shew itself to others has notwithstanding at the years end distributed to every Country its equal Portion of light and warmth so God by the secret and hidden course of his Grace and Spirit which have been communicated to the World hath equally divided them to all People in the World tho' in different manners and at different times However it be that God has made his wise distribution of Grace I am sure of all Nations China has the least reason to complain since no one has received a larger Portion than she The knowledge of the true God which lasted many Ages after the Reign of Cam vam and in all probability along while after the time of Confucius was not always supported in the same purity Their minds were possessed by Idolatry and their manners became so corrupt that the true Faith being but the occasion of greater ill was by little and little taken away from them by the just judgment of God Among all the Superstitions which followed hereupon● there were two sorts which were principally established and do between them at this present comprehend almost all the Empire Li-Laokun gave rise to the first of these He was a Philosopher who lived before Confucius his birth was prodigious if you believe what his Followers say of it for his Mother carried him more than fou●score years in her Flanks from whence a little before her death he sprang out of her right side which opened itself This Monster to the sorrow of his Country survived his Mother and by his pernicious Doctrine in a short time grew famous nevertheless he wrote several useful Books of Virtue of the good of avoiding Honour of the contempt of Riches of that incomparable retiredness of mind which separates us from the World the better to know ourselves He often repeated the following Sentence which he said was the foundation of true Wisdom Eternal reason produced one one produced two two produced three and three produced all things which seems to shew as if he had some knowledge of the Trinity But he taught that God was Corporeal and that he governed other Deities as a King governs his Subjects He applied himself mightily to Chymistry of which some pretend he was the inventor He beat his Brains likewise about the Philosophers Stone and did at length fancy that by a certain sort of Drink one might be immortal To obtain which his Followers practice Magick which Diabolical Art in a short time was the only thing studied by the Gentry Every body studied it in hopes to avoid death and the Women thro' natural Curiosity as well as desire to prolong their life applied themselves to it wherein they exercise all sorts of Extravagancies and give themselves up to all sorts of Impieties Those who have made this their professed business are called Tien se that is Heavenly Doctors they have Houses given them to live together in Society they erect in divers parts Temples to Laokun their Master King and People honour him with Divine Worship and altho' they have Examples enough to have undeceived them from these errors yet they vehemently pursue immortality by his Precepts who could never gain it himself Time which strengthens and confirms what is ill did at length gain these false Doctors such a Reputation as made them almost innumerable The Covenants which they make with the Devil the Lots which they cast their Magical wonders whither true or only seeming make them dreaded and admired of the common Herd and whencesoever it comes to pass there is no body who does not give some credit to their Maxims or does not hope to avoid Death by their means One of these Doctors got himself so great a Reputation that the Emperor gave him the name Cham ti which is

not mistaken and my Conscience would not have given me the lie had I followed their Example but I have a long time laboured to procure their Welfare and could never find in my heart to consult mine own Now it is high time to follow that Way I have showed to others The Court whither I am going is not a proper Place for Conversion and I thought that it was my Duty whilst it is called to day to seek God for fear the Hurry of the World wherein I am going to engage should hinder me from finding him hereafter All his Family which came about us upon this wept for joy but that which affected me most was that Fervency I saw expanded in the Eyes Countenance and in all the motions of the sick Person I had taken no refreshment and it was near Two a Clock and I was desirous to defer his Baptism till after Dinner but I found it impossible to obtain any delay I therefore began to examine him and he was ready to answer to all the Articles of Religion that I yielded at length to all his urgent Intreaties I baptized him and he accompanied the whole action with such ardent and lively meditations of Love Humility Faith and Hope that nothing in all my Life did ever so much demonstrate to me what the Holy Spirit is able to do in an Heart when it alone pleases to take it to task without the assistance of its Ministers Some while after I left him alone full of Consolation and retired to a Chamber to take a little repose of which I had extream need But scarce had I been there half an hour but I heard great Cries in all the Family They called for me every where and running upon the noise to the sick Man's Chamber I found him expiring in the Embraces of his Wife and Children I endeavoured to put him in mind of the last thoughts of Baptism He still repeated with a languishing note the names of Iesus and Mary but yet he received the Extream Unction in a manner insensible after which he calmly gave up the Ghost All those that were present cried O it was a Miracle And recollecting what had happened at my departure upon the Road and in the House they did no longer question but that all that had been managed by an over-ruling Providence that had made use of all these secret methods for to procure him a blessed exit At that time the Spirit of the Lord seized upon all hearts no body wept the spiritual Joy was so universal that nothing was heard any where but Blessings Praises and Thanksgivings to that gracious God that had but now wrought such stupendious Miracles in his Servant What is to be most admired is that there was not observed in him that deformity that Death commonly leaves behind it but on the contrary I know not what ayre of sweetness and devotion seemed display'd over his countenance and did sufficiently intimate the blessed state of his Soul He was laid in State according to the custom of that Country where I found him the next day twenty hours after just as he was his Hands and Arms besides were as flexible as if he had been but in a slumber Thus God by one of those many profound secrets of his Predestination vouchsafes to enlighten a Soul sometimes in the midst of the darkness of Idolatry and snatch it from the Jaws of Hell by a continual series of Miracles whilst millions of others educated in the bosom of the Church are by his just Judgment given over to a reprobate mind Those are most Reverend Father the most extraordinary things that have happened to me during the small time that I have had the care of the Mission of Chensi If I mention not what past in the other Provinces of China it is because God doth not work such like Miracles therein but by reason I have no exact Memorial of them I was afraid lest relating upon hear-say I should be deficient in some considerable Circumstances and I had rather let them be set down in writing hereafter by those who are better informed than my self This I can add over and above to give you a more exact account of what good there hath been done in the Empire There are above two hundred Churches or private Chappels dedicated to the true God and governed by certain Ecclesiastical Supeperiors Pekin Nankin and Macao have each its particular Bishop by the nomination of the most Serene King of Portugal who by his Zeal and Liberalities continues to uphold Christianity through-out all the East which all his Predecessors have there Establish'd with so much Glory The other Provinces when I departed were under the Jurisdiction of three Apostolick Vicars one whereof is an Italian of the Order of St. Francis the two others are Ecclesiasticks Frenchmen by Nation Doctors of the Sorbonne of singular worth the Missionaries that labour under their Order are likewise of different Nations There are four Ecclesiasticks of the Seminary of foreign Missions of Paris amongst whom the Abbot of Lionne is very eminent for his Zeal and application to the study of Languages they reckon much about the same number of Fathers of St. Dominic twelve or fifteen Franciscans and three or four of the Order of St. Augustin All these Monks are Spaniards and come into China by Manille The Jesuits who Founded this Mission and who by the extraordinary favours of his Majesty the King of Portugal as well as of the Emperor of China have been in a capacity to make considerable settlements do maintain a great number of Missionaries there there was about forty of them at the time of my departure Since that time the Fathers Grimaldi and Spinola brought several others thither But what signifies forty or threescore Labourers in such a vast Field May it please the Master of the Harvest to hear the Voice of those that labour therein who groaning under the burthen and heat of the day beg relief Or at least may he please to shed abroad abundantly upon us that first Spirit of the Gospel which in one Apostle alone was sufficient heretosore to Convert the greatest Empires Not but that the present State of the Church doth afford matter of Consolation to those who are concern'd for the Glory of JESUS CHRIST They labour with no small success nay there are but few Missionaries that do not Baptize every Year three or four hundred Persons insomuch that in five or six Years they reckon above fifty thousand Idolaters Converted Besides that they Baptize every Year four or five thousand Children in the Streets of Pekin which they go to look for every morning from door to door where we find them half perish'd with cold and hunger nay sometimes half eaten up by Dogs If they should do no more good but this the Missionaries ' would think themselves well enough rewarded for all the pains they take But that which ought to animate us to cultivate this