relation makes no mention how many years Zunchin reigned And whoever reads these Tragical Events hath reason to desire that his just Curiosity might be satisfied herein But all that can be gathered of a certainty both from the Printed Relations in China and those in Manuscript is that in the last 22 years which preceded the Revolution of this Empire there were four or five Kings and absolute Monarchs who successively ruled this great State Vanliè Grandfather to Zunchin the last King had in 1618. ruled 46 years and continued his Reign some years more After the Death of Vanliè his Son Thaicam succeeded him but he only reigned some Moneths Thaicam had for his Successor his eldest Son Thienchi this Thienchi was succeeded by his Brother Zunchin the last Emperour of this Race whom the Spanish Relation calls the Don Rodrigue of China By this it is manifest that this unfortunate Prince cannot be said to have reigned many years though it be uncertain when he began his Reign for the Relations only take notice that he reigned in the year 1634. After him it cannot be said that there was ever any other Soveraign Monarch in China but the Cham of Tartary for as for Ly neither the detestable crime of his Treason and Rebellion nor the short space of his Usurpation could give him any right to take upon him the Title of King of China Thus this great Monarchy in a few years hath had many Kings but this doth not add to the felicity of a State nor are the people the more happy who have experimented the Rule of so many Masters but the contrary For it is Experience and the Art of Governing which makes Kings deservedly to be esteemed of as excellent Princes and their Government happy Therefore those Nations ought to bless the King of Heaven whom he blesses in blâ—â—ssing their Kings with long Reigns Although it may be said that the Emperour and the Empire did both at the same time expire in the person of Zunchin yet it is certain that the overthrow and revolution of this great Monarchy did not happen on such a sudden as it appeared For several years before the Symptomes of a mortal Distemper manifested themselves in the Body Politick of this State and the dangerous Illness thereof was sufficiciently known to cause a general dread of the Consequences but no care for the Remedy so remiss and imprudent a negligence was there which served only palpably to discover the weakness of the Government The State of China resembled a sick person who feels an Illness fears the Effects but neglects his Cure And it may be said to have been seiz'd upon by Death when it was too late to act or do any thinâ—â— but to behold the inevitable ruine and destruction thereof The least Aches if neglected often prove mortal But here the fatal Effects were manifest and therefore it was the more important to have remedied the causes The Empire of China cannot therefore be said to have been lost by an incurable Illness but by an Illness to which due and timely Remedies were not applied and it will always be to be feared that that State which is governed with such a supine remissness will often be in danger to fall under the like calamities The Report of the Emperours death was quickly spread over all the Town And then those Loyal Subjects who yet disputed the Tyrants Entrance into the Palace hearing of the death of their Prince for whom they fought abandoned their Resolution And now the Usurpers who were the more animated meeting with no opposition pursued their Victory which they secuâ—â—ed in all parts Thus Ly presently making himself Master of both the City and Court took up his Quarters 〈◊〉 the Imperial Palace where he saw himself possessed of all the prodigious Treasures of this vast State and in general of all things which contributed either to the Magnificence or Pleasure of Zunchin The Relations made no mention what became of the three Royal Corps They only say that the Tyrant losing no time caused himself to be Crowned in the Court at Pequin and to be proclaimed the Soveraign Emperour of China After his Coronation he issued out a Proclamation enjoyning all the Mandorins to give in their Names and Qualities that in his new Goverâ—â—ment he might bestow amongst them such Employments as he judged requisite Whereunto several of the Mandorins gave Obedience but divers others of the most considerable in the whole State that they might though it was too late manifest the Allegiance which they owed to their Lawful Prince entred into a very barbarous and unprofitable resolution by death to follow him By which they thought they should appear very Loyal to him whom they had most treacherously served in his Life-time and Reign All these persons who were the most eminent of the whole Empire acting like so many Barbarians and desperate men who saw themselves surrounded with so many inevitable Calamities which would render their Lives both disgraceful and burdensom to them did without any hesitation destroy themselves by divers sorts of violent Deaths Some cut their own Throats others strangled themselves and others praecipitated and drowned themselves in Wells and Holes As for those Lords and other Officers of the Court who attended on the Emperour and the Empress into the Garden though there be no certain information of their death yet probably they either all or the greatest part of them died with their Master and by the same kind of Death that those persons had made choice of for whom they had so great a veneration for divers others who had never declared so great Constancy and Courage did not forbear to give this testimony of their Loyalty when the Tyrant required their Names The rest of the Mandorins who were not minded to shew themselves so zealous for the memory of their Prince according to the Tyrants Orders delivered in their Names perswading themselves that by this ready Obedience they should make themselves very considerable in this new upstart Court But they found themselves much frustrated in their expectations for so far were they from being thereby the more considered by the Usurper that on the contrary assoon as he had received their Names and Qualities resolving to take an advantage of their base unworthiness he condemned them in the payment of several great Sums of Money in proportion to the Estates and Offices every one of them were posâ—essed of pretending that they ought to make restitution to him of all which they had defrauded their Lawful Soveraign of And upon this pretension whoever either would not or could not pay his Fine within the prefixed time was instantly condemned to Death and no day passed in which some or other of these wretched persons did not by cruel Torments lose their Lives Nor did the Tyrant stay here but published new Declarations that those pretended Debts Fines and Taxes which the Fathers had refused to pay were payable by the
very proper to gain the affections of the people they continued all the Mandorins in their places onely some of them they advanced to more considerable employments according to the knowledg they had of their merits These proceedings did render their dominion less odious But it must also be confessed that some time after they turned some out of their employments reformed and limited the power and jurisdiction of others and to others they left them onely their naked Titles but deprived them of their Authority Neither did they think it convenient any longer to permit the Chineses to be the dispensers of Justice to the people or to have the power of punishing them And without all doubt they deserâ—â—edly merited to be thus chastised for having formerly made such ill use of their Authority For it was visible that the state and Empire of China were brought to ruine onely by this that the interpretation of the Law and the dispensation of Justice was confided or rather abandoned to the Eunuchs who were both corrupt and neither qualified nor capacitated for their employments As for the military charges the Tartars were more diffident of entrusting them in the hands of the Chineses though sometimes they disposed of the commands of some of their Troups to such as they could most rely on and as they judged most capable but they always set over them some General or other considerable Officer of the Tartars who with a greater body of men kept a strict eye over these Chinese Troups and had a more absolute and particular command over them But that which did most exasperate and deepest pierce the heart of the Chineses was the Edict which the Tartars published whereby they enjoyned them to cloth themselves after the Tartarean fashion and to cut off their hair which the Chineses love most passionately and take great care to spruce and perfume it And generally that which they esteem the most gentile and handsome is to have their hair like womens hang down to their very feet and therefore this ordinance seemed to them most severe and rigorous But the Tartars judged it highly important pretending that conformity in habit would infallibly produce a greater correspondence and conformity in the affections and inclinations of persons so that a forraign dominion would not be so displeasing nor seem so uncouth and strange when this external diversity of habits did not offend the sight Use and custome makes all things supportable And whereas the Empire of China contains several spacious Countreys which could not all be conquered at once they saw no way how to avoid several inconveniences which would otherwise happen but by making this distinction of those who were conquered from those who were not and for this reason obliging those whom they had first conquered to cut off their hair thereby they were easily distinguishable from those who were not And now there yet remained some mark to be put upon the Chineses who had submitted themselves to know them from the real Tartars and this was very necessary for it was not very easie to distinguish them by their faces there being so great a resemblance in the features of these two Nations Therefore they judged it requisite to give to the conquer'd Chineses some particular Mark which was by enjoyning them to wear a bigger tuft of hair on the top of their heads just as in Europe they do to their Gally-slaves to distinguish such who are Christians from such who are not Nothing so cut the Chineses to the heart as this did and they could not possibly prevail with themselves to obey this severe Order The Tartars perceiving they so much scrupled it reiterated their Injunctions strictly requiring all persons without any restriction or exception upon pain of life to give a speedy obedience thereto And now some of them chose to lose their heads with their hair for they made so great a difficulty to comply with the Edict that their disobedience cost them their lives They knew full well their peril if they were refractory and yet they were so obstinate that they would rather dye than be deprived of their hair CHAP. V. One of the Vnkles of Xunchi reduces the City and Province of Nanchin The flight and death of a King of China who had been publickly crowned Six of the nine Southern Provinces submit themselves to the Tartar THE young Xunchi when he had taken all convenient order for the confirming and securing of his Authority over his new Subjects had disposed of all Offices in the State and settled strong Garrisons in all parts of the six Northern Provinces being resolved not to stir from his Court at Pequin he remitted the conduct of his Armies to one of his Unkles with order to proceed with all speed to the conquest of the other Provinces This Prince in a short time after departed from Pequin with a very powerful Army and marched directly towards the great City of Nanquin which City had been formerly the residency of the Imperial Court and was now the Metropolis of one of the best Provinces of the whole State It was in this Province nay in this very City that the Mandorins had crowned and proclaimed Emperour a Prince of the Royal Family As soon as they were informed of the death of the Emperour Xunchin they thought they could do nothing more important for the welfare of the State than to oppose this lawful Prince to the Usurper This was the best present remedy for the afflictions and calamities of their Countrey which they could then think upon This new King was Son to a Cousen germane of the Emperour Zunchin in whose Court he had been educated and was ever considered as a Prince of the Bloud Royal nay the Emperour himself at such time as nothing disturbed the tranquillity of his Government took a particular care of him This young Prince who wanted not abilities quickly peâ—â—ceived from whence the Storm was to be feared for from the very time of his Coronation there was a great rumour that the Tartars advanced with a very potent Army and this took up his thoughts more than all the Enterprises of Ly. Therefore probably this Prince was not crowned Emperour 'till after that the Tartars had passed the wall This it was which induced him to refuse the Government and the stately pomp and lustre of the Imperial Crown But the Mandorins were so importunate with him and his Soldiers did so confidently assure him victory that at last he suffered him to be prevailed with to accept of the Crown though he soresaw that the weight of it would crush him to pieces This new King at his Coronation took upon him the name of Hunguan which signifies splendour But his Reign should have been more prosperous to have verified his Title and made him an Illustrious and splendid Prince As soon as he had the Crown upon his head he took all possible care for the preservation of his Empire and Subjects he provided all
believed that the two Kings last mentioned were Mandorins who after they had scraped all the Money they could possibly from the people upon pretext of making warlike preparations finding their Extortions would be no longer suffered thought themselves necessitated to cry and stand up for liberty They thought they could not better stop the complaints of the poor people but by declaring that they were ready to sacrifice themselves for to defend their Countrey and revenge themselves of the Tyrant and for this they offer'd to hazard their persons and their Fortunes but that they might be better enabled to serve their Countrey they must be Crowned Kings of China to which the people readily assented and now instead of Complaints there was nothing heard but Applauses and Acclamations But these Impostors did not much consider either their Countrey or Liberty when they saw how rashly they had engaged in a business which surpassed their ability to manage they quickly abandoned their Crowns They considered not only how to benefit themselves by their Royal Dignity by abandoning it to the Tartar and deserting those who had declared them their Protectors It is not to be wondred that this miserable Nation should amidst such Treacheries and Deceits be so ruined The Reign of these two Monarchs was not of a much longer continuance than in that Countrey a Comedy is acting and these did not play their parts ill They recollected together all they had pillaged which made up a very rich Booty and then retired themselveâ—â— being loaden with the spoil of those whom they had not only oppressed but sold to their Enemies Able and subtil Knaves know how to disentangle themselves out of any troublesom affair and it is only weak and innocent persons who are miserable in this world The other Kings Guequan and Sinhianuan who were Princes of the Blood Royal though in a very remote degree related to the last Emperour continued more faithful to their Countrey being endowed with more generous souls they resolved to run the same hazard both of Life and Death with those who had acknowledged them for their Kings Against these 2 Sovereigns the Tartar now marches He was already entred into the province of Quansi and in a little time possessed himself of the great City Vecheu It made some resistance but as it usually did it proved very fatal to those who undertook its defence The City was sacked and pillaged but the Tartar spared as much as he could the Lives of the Inhabitants because they had not very obstinately resisted so that if any Murder was committed it was only by some Accidents which are unavoidable in a Town which is sacked and that by Barbarians From hence the Tartars passed to the other Cities in that Province in which there was none which did not instantly upon the appearance of the Tartars open their Gates They made the more hast to submit because it was reported that another Army of the Tartars was entred into the Neighbouring Provinces and advanced with all speed towards them These were Supplies which were sent to recruit and strengthen the Army which they had heard was defeated before Xaochin But the Viceroy sent now orders to the General of that Army to retreat back into the Province whither he was commanded before for he had no occasion for these new Forces those he had being sufficient to compleat the entire Conquest of that Province had it been greater than it was The General upon the Receipt of these Orders marched another way with his Army I must here take notice that there was a Rumour that since that Guequan was again entred into the Field had obtained a new Victory over the Tartars and retaken the City of Vecheu in which the Viceroy then was after which he pursued him so close that he obliged him to retreat to the very Borders of the Province where he staid expecting Relief that he might be able to regain what he had lost I could not possibly learn the truth of this Story and therefore it is the less to be credited But however it was it is most certain that Pelipaouan had sent very great Supplies both of Horse and Foot and that upon the Rumour of the Resistance which was there made so great a number of Tartars ran thither that it is little likely the Chineses could gain any great advantage Neither have I been informed what these great Armies did in that Province only in the General that after they had over-run the whole Country as a Torrent overthrows and carries away whatever opposes its Current so nothing could withstand the fury of the Victors This is all which the Relation saith which was writ towards the end of 1647. But it doth not set down any particularity but only that there was no more Chinese Kings after these two Princes dyed with their Swordâ—â— in their hands for the defence of their Counâ—â—ry This was all they could do to prevent the oppression of their Subjects But the People were not relieved though the Princes thus readily laid down their Lives to endevour to preserve some part of the State Guequan only gained a great Name and Reputation which can never dye in the Memory of the Chineses neither can their Grief that they did not declare him King at the very beginning of the Irruption of the Tartars yet there have been some Chineses who have pretended that Guequan was still living and that he had expelled the Tartars out of the Province of Quansi There can only be in the Kingdom of Castile a Don Pelage nor can there be another Garcia Ximenes but in the Kingdom of Arragon The Tartars by the reduction of this Province compleated the Conquest of China And the young Xunchi was Master of all the Fifteen Provinces which compose that vast Empire This Prince at the Age of thirteen or fourteen years was Soveraign of three most vast and puissant States Tartary China and Corea which though they be of so great an Extent yet are contiguous one to the other and are at present united into one State All these spacious Countries were Conquered in less than four years so that as it was formerly said of Alexander so it may be said in our days of the Tartars That they have not made so many Conquests as they have overrun and robbed Countries It is most certain that if these great Armies were only to have Marched over these vast Countries it would have taken them up as much time as it did to Conquer them And if Alexander had ever heard of another Xunchi before him he would with as much reason have envied him as Caesar did Alexander Caesar was troubled that he began his Conquests only at that Age before which Alexander had finished his But that Conquerour himself might have had as great occasion to complain that he had done nothing at that Age at which we hear our Xunchi had ended his Glorious Conquests And if this Prince lives long and still marches on as fast
as he hath begun either the World should be greater than it is or else some new one must be discovered for according to the vast projects with which this Conquerour flattered himself after his Victory the whole Earth is too little to give sufficient employment to his great Courage CHAP. XII Disturbances in the Maritime Provinces Some Chinese Princes retire themselves into the Mountains Others by Treaty make their peace with the Tartars One who had conceal'd himself amongst the Bonzi discovers himself to the Viceroy and is carried into Tartary AFter that the whole Empire of China was entirely conquered the Victors yet for some time both by Sea and Land found sufficient employment for all their Forces The people who were newly subdued but especially those of Fochien Canton and Quâ—â—nsi made divers Insurrections in several places The Tartars did with greater facility retain under their obedience and dissipate the Conspirators of the Inland Countriâ—â—s But as for those Rebels who took the Sea and roved about the rivers these gave them so great a disturbance that they thought they could never have surmounted it It is not that all the Attempts the Chinâ—â—ses could make did much affright the Tartars but these Incursions did continually disquiet and trouble them These Rovers did not only disturb the Tartars but they preyed upon their own Countrymen robbed and pillaged the Lands of the Neighbouring Princes and the Allies of China As for the other provinces which were more advanced up into the Countrey and lay nearer to Pâ—â—quin where the Tartarian Emperour resided with his Court there was not any commotion since those people first submitted themselves But they lived as peaceably and as quietly as if there had been no alteration in the Government But as for the 3 provinces of Fokien Canton and Quansi they being more remote from the Court and the Souldiers which were commanded thither having by their inhumane violences brought a most horrible aversion to their new Dominion it was not possible to reduce things there into any order or peace It is true that as for Quansi I cannot tell what should have so prolonged the War there as in the other two provinces unless it was the pretension that Guequan was up still and that he might the better watch his advantage he had retreated with his Souldiers and Followers into the Mounâ—â—ains But it would have been very difficult for this Prince long to have subsisted and being surrounded with so great a number of Enemies it was not possible he should escape being met with by some or others but must soon have been defeated having no Forces to defend himself It was also reported that the King Tanvâ—â—n did with some Troops still defend himself in the province of Fokien where Pelipaouan then was This was that Prince whom the Corsair Icoan had caused to be Crowned after the death of the Emperour Zunchin and undertook his support and defence against all the Force of the Tartars This King of China was said to be still living But the Relation calls him Luvan instead of Tanvan which at first sight might give occasion to believe that these were two distinct Princes But by the sequel it is manifest that this could be no other than the first Tanvan who was Crowned six Moneths before the Tartars entred into that province for the Relation remarks that the Prince who still supported himself was the same who had governed that province in great tranquility the space of six Moneths which can be understood of none but Tanvan who was Crowned much about that time before the arrival of the Tartars And there is little probability that after they had made themselves Masters of the Countrey there should be any Prince who should reign peaceable six moneths no not six hours There could not therefore be any other King then in those parts but this Tanvan who was believed to be dead because he disappeared â—â—fter â—â—oâ—â—n was taken prisoner though here the Relation takes notice that there was still mention made of him perhaps this Prince had two Names and this might occasion his being spoke of as two different persons But this was the Prince whom the Chineses said to be still living and that he was retired into the Mountains where he secured himself by often changing his Station and place of Retreat It was also said he had with him Icoan's Son as for the Father there was no more mention of him This young man is spoke of as a person who did his Prince very eminent Service It is verily believed he was a stout and couragious person and gained a great repute both upon his Fathers account and having been instructed by the Hollanders at Xacasià in the exercise of the Art Military as it is practised in Europe This is said to have been the State of affairs in the province of Foquien but it is scarce to be believed that Pelipaouan who was so puissant should let things long run thus And this clearly appears by the same Relation which remarks that the Governour did incessantly send very considerable Forces both Horse and Foot out of this province into Canton from whence it is evident the King of China did not much disquiet him All these Rumors which had no very good ground proceeded only from the shame the Chineses had to have behaved themselves so cowardly for seeing themselves thereby reduced to that sad condition they invented several Fictions that they might be thought to be very couragious But this Arrogancy benefited them but very little nor those small Attempts they made that they might not seem quite subjected The truth is they were so very low and in a condition so far from being able to restore themselves to their pristine Liberty that to dare only to turn their head against the Tyrant served only to exasperate him and make him shed their Blood afresh and shew them no Mercy It was in the province of Canton where the Tartars found the greatest trouble and resistance even after they believed themselves Masters thereof And there was reason to believe that the Concern of the Chineses might yet have a more favourable success The City of Hunchicheu is one of the most considerable of the whole province and there a Conspiracy suddenly broke out against the â—â—artars They had chosen for their Head a King whom they had Crowned upon this Dâ—â—sign This person had made himself very eminent by his Thieveries and Robberies and these were his sole qualities for which he was considerable For even Thieves and Robbers if they grow potent are so far considâ—â—red of as to be regarded as Soveraign Princes Those of Huchicheu did very unfortunately fail in their expectations They took up Arms upon the belief that the other Towns would have done as much in the absence of the General who was gone to conduct some Troops into the province of Quansi but none of the other Towns stirred and they did herein very wisely for that
of his Father who was a great Officer in the Emperour of China's Court and was put to death by the Tyrant for the approved Loyalty both of himself and his Sons therefore Vsanguè who wanted neither Zeal to revenge his King nor sense of his own Injuries considered that there was not in the whole Empire Forces enough to attempt the bringing the Tyrant to his condign punishment that it was not to â—â—e hoped that any of the Princes of the â—â—loud Royal could ever regain the Emâ—â—ire that the whole State in all likeâ—â—ihood would become the prey and â—â—poil of some new upstart Traitor and â—â—herefore he judged that it would be â—â—ess dishonourable for that Nation to â—â—ubmit to the Dominion oâ—â— an Empeâ—â—our who had won it by Conquest â—â—hough he was a Forreigner since there â—â—as no probability for the Chineses to imagine ever to be able to shake off the yoke of Tyranny For these considerations he judged it expedient to address himself to the Tartars whom he knew to be both powerful and couragious and therefore believed that iâ—â— must be them only who could the soonest reward the Tyrant according to his deserts And therefore resolved to call them in to the Conquest of this Empire and obliged himself to give them entrance through that part of the Wall which was committed to his Guard Without all dispute this was a mosâ—â— pernicious resolution and such as could only tend to the compleating of the entire ruine of the whole State In all appearance this Vsanguè was more inâ—â—ent upon revenging his private quarrel than successefully to serve his Counâ—â—rey or else his Zeal to discharge hiâ—â— duty in taking vengeance of the Tyrant blinded him so that he did noâ—â— discern that this way of revenge woulâ—â— inevitably procure the irreparable ruine of his own Countrey It is true the Tyrant had already made himself very potent but it was to be considered that he was by birth a Chinese as likewise were all his Souldiers that time doth daily produce various alterations in the state of all affairs that it was more facile for those of the same Nation to equalize the Tyrant in power and by watching their opportunity to suppress him than to support the force of so warlike a Nation as the Tartar And moreover the Tyrant became every day more and more odious to the people and it was easie to imagine that this hatred would in a short time produce some Conspiracy powerful enough to ruine him But that which was yet more considerable was that the Southern Provinces which were the richest and the most powerful of all China had already crowned and acknowledged for their Lawful King a Prince of the Royal Family who might in a short time raise Forces as potent as those of the Tyrant and having the advantage of Right and Justice on his side be quickly in a condition to fight him or if he was desirous to spare the bloud of his people he might easily find out some other way to cut him off The Government of this new King was already very plausible to his Subjects He was very mild and prudent in his Conduct of Affairs and neglected nothing which might either establish or enlarge his Authority His manneâ—â— of Government was accompanied with Qualities directly opposite to those of the Tyrant which made him every day more beloved as the Tyrant daily became more odious for the insupportable Insolency and Arrogancy with which he treated the principal persons of the Empire Thus the Renown and Grandeur of the Royal Bloud on the one side and the despicable Vileness of a Rebel on the other had made such an Impression in the Spirits of the people that there was great reason to hope that the whole Empire would within a short time be reduced under a Lawful Prince But the too precipitate Zeal of the General Vsanguè would not permit him to take so far a Prospect or else as it is very probable he was not sufficiently informed of what passed in the Southern Provinces till such time as the Tartar was already entred into China for the Relation which came then though it be very obscure in this point as in divers others not sufficiently remarking the time yet it seems to intimate that the Prince was not Crowned nor submitted to as Lawful King till after the Tartar had passed the Wall This inconsederate Proffer and Demand of Vsuaâ—â—guè was most acceptable to the Tartarian Court being it was that great advantage to their Interest which they had so long coveted And they judged to be thus called in was a full acknowledgment of their Right and that now there remained nothing but taking possession to make themselves the Lawful Masters The Tartars thought this would exempt them from all just reproach of either invading or surprizing the Chineses And though it be true that their so long forbearance to enter into China and the importunity with which they were called in even by some of the Chineses themselves cannot sufficiently justifie the Conquest of the Tartars being there were so many Princes of the Royal Family of China then living yet it is admirable to consider how solicitous these people were to justifie themseves and to give a plausible account of their management of this Affair with which many Politicians would not so much have troubled their Consciences And yet these people who had all this regard to Justice are Barbarians Our Politicians of Europe who have so little are Civiliz'd that is to say persons instructed in all the Duties of Humane and Civil Society But if the name of Politician signifies only an able civiliz'd person it may very well be said that the Tartars in these latter days have been as Politick and as Civiliz'd as most Politicians elsewhere CHAP. III. The Tartars enter into China The Tyrant Ly flies The young Xunchi makes his entrance into Pequin and is there Crowned Emperour He declares War against the King of Corea and makes his Kingdom Tributary THE Tartars resolving to enter into China being importun'd thereto by the General Vsuanguè omitted nothing necessary for the execution of so great an Exploit Orders were issued out in all parts for all provisions for War the preparations for which were sutable to the Grandeur of the Enterprize Their Prince was called Xunchi and was not above 10 or 12 years old but endowed with so much Wit and Courage that they supplied the default of his years This young Monarch resolved to pass into China at the head of his Army As his presence must needs more animate the courage of his Souldiers retain them in their Loyalty to him prevent Differences and Disorders amongst his Commanders so it could not but at the same time excite an ambition in his Subjects to go and serve in that War where they should see their young Prince in the Field and in so tender an age undergo all the Toils of War The Tartars having now made sufficient provision of
which was such that it might well have served for an example to the Grandees of that State For when he was most potent he did not only pay all due reverence to the Emperour's person his Orders and Injunctions but likewise ever highly respected all the Princes of the Blood Royal If Icoan would have taken up Arms against his Prince he was far more powerful than the Usurpers â—â—haâ—â— or Ly. So many men he had at his command the vast Treasure he was possessed of did incomparably more capacitate him either to begin or carry on any Enterprize of that Nature but it may well be said that his Loyalty was greater than either his Forces or his Riches Thus he did not only continue a faithful Subject to his King but even after the death of Zunchin and when the Tartars were already entred into China instead of placing the Crown upon his own head as he had then a fair opportunity and as several others did he on the contrary seated upon the Imperial Throne that Prince whom we before mentioned to have been crowned in the Province of Foquien and he it was who undertook his Defence and Support and after that he had firmly engaged all his Forces by Sea and Land to serve that Prince he came himself and constantly attended upon his person Icoan might have employed all this Force in the conquest of a State and Monarchy for himself or else he might highly have advanced himself by siding with the Tartars and thereby might have secured his Fortune for from the Chineses he needed then fear nothing But his Duty to his Prince was dearer to him than the security of his Fortune nay than of his Life it self could be amongst the Tartars He saw that he hazarded all by endeavouring to defend a Prince whom it would be very difficult to protect against so powerful Enemies but probably he was ambitiously desirous of this occasion to make himself as eminent by his Loyalty as he had been by his Pyracy Icoan now prepared against all Attempts of the Tartars resolving to attend them in the Province of Foquien one of the three last of the whole Empire which remained yet unconquered Hither he had drawn his choicest Troops which were composed of persons whose courage he had approved both by Sea and Land and he Headed them with the Prince who was newly crowned Emperour of China This Prince and Icoan were two the greatest Obstacles which the Tartars ever met with in their whole Conquest which made them now to caress and soliciâ—â—e Icoan who before used only to brave and menace all persons into a submission to their authority I was necessitated to make this Digression that I might discover what Force the Chineses then had and who this great Commander was whose power it was hoped might have preserved some part at least of that Empire from the Invasion of the Tartars But now I shall return back to the progress of the Victors who after they had in the Year 1645. reduced to their subjection the City and Province of Nanquin with the two other Neighbouring Provinces of Schiamsi and Huguan and that the three other which bordered upon them Honam Suchuen and Iuana had voluntarily submitted themselves and all this in the space of eight Moneths the Cham of Tartary's Unkle who commanded his Armies retreated to Nanquin and there constituted a Chinese Mandorin Viceroy but still the Flame of the War was not quite quenched but blazed out in all parts of the Empire and therefore it was not the intention of this Prince only to pass away his Winter-Quarters at Nanquin but to consult there the securing his present Conquest and to contrive the most prudent way of reducing the three last Provinces And there he concluded that it would much advance his intended Expedition into these Provinces if he could engage Icoan to side with the Tartars and the best way of accomplishing this would be by intreaties and promises To this intent he caused a Letter to be writ by the Chinese whom he had ordained Viceroy of Nanquin to Icoan who had a great value and esteem for that person The Mandorin wrote in his own Name and as it were to a Friend to whom he judged himself obliged by the Bond of Friendship to send advice of this Importance but it was well known that he only did it by the express Order of the Tartar The Subject of the Letter was to let him know That he would inevitably ruine himself and his Affairs by endeavouring to oppose the Triumphant Victors and that if he would repose any Credit in him he should without any hesitation or delay deliver up those three Provinces to the Tartars That he engaged to him his word and promis'd him all the assurance he could desire that this Prince would constitute him Viceroy of Foquien and Canton or rather that he would make him Soveraign and King thereof if he would only acknowledge that he held that State from the Emperour of Tartary It is most certain the Soveraign of those two Provinces would have been no small King for they are as spatious as all Spain and the most wealthy of all China And as to Icoan these Countries did more suit his Concerns than any other since all his Force and Wealth was there Icoan by his Answer to this Mandorin gave him to understand the Loyalty he resolved ever to retain to his lawful Prince He sent him word That he was not so credulous as to intrust himself in the hands of such Thieves nor so treacherous as to betray his Countrey to such Tyrants That he was so far from delivering up those Provinces whose protection and defence he had undertaken That he was most stedfastly resolved to employ the Remainder of his Life and all his power and wealth to drive these Vsurpers out of China That this was his Design and that he should find he would lose no time nor omit any thing necessary for the Execution thereof CHAP. VIII Icoan demands Succour from the Emperour of Japan who refuses it him He maintains a War against the Tartars a whole year He is taken Prisoner and presented to the Emperour Xunchi What was the end of this Corsair ICoan understood very well what it concern'd him to do after the Answer he had returned to the Viceroy of Nanquin He expected that all the Fury and Might of a triumphant Enemy should presently thunder upon him he therefore mustered up all his forces and prepared to receive the Assaults of his Enemies And that he might not be negligent in any thing he judged it convenient to send an Embassie to the Emperor of Iapan to demand Succour from him He conjur'd this Prince that he would please to send over some of his Troops into China upon whose Valour he could more relie than upon his Chinese Souldiery The Emperour of Iapan like the Princes of China is wholly buried in Luxury If ever he goes abroad either to hunt or course it is
their first heat It was a very bold Attempt and might seem even presumptuous that this General should at the first enter into this Countrey where he knew they were best prepared to defend themselves But the consequence manifested that he had reason so to do The Cities and Strong places of this province did not of their own accord open their Gates as in other parts They all resisted against the fierce assaults of the Tartars and never yielded till thereby they were so debilitated they could make no longer resistance Notwithstanding all the diligent inquisition I have made I could never be particularly informed what Icoan did only in general I have learn'd that he was present in all eminent Enterprizes and never turn'd his back to his Enemies but at last he fell unfortunately into their hands and was made a prisoner of War but whether he was taken in a Battel or in the defence of some place I cannot tell But most certain it is he never quit his station nor delivered himself up into his Enemies hands whom he had offended so outragiously till he had for a long time fought most manfully All things were now easie to the Tartars after they seized upon Icoan There was nothing of any great importance remained to be done in that province but to possess themselves of the person of the King and this they did in a short time after and as the Relation saith presently put him to death yet by the following Narrative he seems to have defended himself a considerable time but as to this particularity it shall be cleared in its due place As for Icoan they thought it convenient to spare his life that they might present him to the Emperour Xunchi From henceforth we shall see nothing but the Disgraces and Misfortunes of this person who had so long been the Favourite of Fortune he that for so long a time had as it were been intoxicated with prosperities shall hereafter see the frailty and deceitfulness of Fortune But though Icoan was caâ—â—t down in his Fortune yet he was not dejected in his spirits his Chains and Imprisonment had not abated his fierceness and courage he seemed to shew a very great animosity against the Chineses and therefore he presently put himself into the Tartarian Garb and caused his Hair to be cut and with this new face he went with his old boldness as if he still had several Armies at his command to present himself to the Victor and to desire him to employ in his Service him and all the Souldiers which he pretended yet to have at his disposal both by Sea and Land See what the audacity and fidelity of a Pyrate can do Icoan hath now neither Prince nor Countrey left but methinks this confidence to dare to make these proffers to his Conquerour of what he had dispossessed him and at the same time as he was his prisoner was not very seasonable If he would not appear more constant and faithful to his Countrey at the least he should have shewed himself more subtil and prudent in Timeing these proposals more advantageously to himself The Tartar did not reject these proffers of Icoan He had occasion for Ships Seamen to reduce the two other provinces And it was not so easie for him quickly to be furnished with Sea-stores and Naval provisions requisite for a Fleet unless Icoan did at least interest himself in calming and gaining to the Tartarian Service those persons who had served under him and were most horribly averse to the Tartars who had dispoyled him of all his Goods and Treasury unless what he had hid and they could not find After they sent him prisoner to Nanquin where the Cham's Unkle then was and some time after he was conducted to Pequin and presented to the young Xunchi Assoon as Icoan was brought before the Prince he failed not to take notice to him of the Answer he had returned to the Mandorin who writ to him from Nanquin He repeated to him the injurious terms with which he had spoke of the Tartars how he called them Thieves and Tyrants In truth they did not object to him as so great a crime that he had engaged himself with all his might in the defence and maintenance of the King who had been Crowned in the province of Foquien They judged that his Loyalty to his King and Countrey extorted this duty from him and the young Xunchi how much soever he was exasperated against Icoan could not but readily acknowledge that however Treason may please it always makes the Traitors odious and on the contrary though Loyalty be never desired to be very eminent in Enemies yet it alwayes renders their persons the more estimable Icoan when he saw how vehemently the Tartars urged his Letter against him boldly denied that ever it came from him he positively averred he never wrote it nor any thing like it and that it was a forged piece produced by his enemies to blacken him in the opinion of that Court thereby to consummate his Ruine From this they passed to another Head of his Accusation in which they pretended he was guilty of High Treason in having by his Authority opened Silver Mines and compelled by violence the people to work in them Icoan maintained he never opened any Mines of Silver and declared that what Silver he had was so far from having been taken out of the Mines in China without the Emperour's permission that on the contrary it came out of the Possessions of the King of Spain and out of the Territories of the King of Iapan with the leave of those Princes And at the very instant he confuted those who objected this crime against him Certain it is that the greatest quantity of Silver he had came to him as he said partly out of Iapan by the way of Naâ—â—gasaque partly from Mexico and Peru out of the Mines of the King of Spain by the Vessels of Manila After he had cleared himself as well as he could from the most weighty accusations there was produced against him a great number of Informations and Complaints of several Grievances with which he had oppressed the provinces And that which is very strange those very persons who presented these Accusations against him were the same Officers of the late Emperors of China who after Icoan had gained them by his Bribes had retained them and impeded their presentment to the Emperour These Traitors were so impudent as to produce before the Tartar those very Papers which evidenced their having sold themselves to Icoan and because they sold their perfidiousness at so dear a Rate that thereby they obliged him to grate and pole the provinces they attempted to cause him to be punished because he did for their profit and advantage pillage these very provinces None surely but the Kings of China could have such Officers From hence the Tartar might infer how Loyal they were likely to be to a Forreign Prince who had so often betrayed their lawful
the most negligent in standing upon their Guard and having seized them they carried them to their Emperour who assoon as he saw them ascended upon his Throne and sentenced them to be executed in his presence This was all the Blood which the Tartars here lost and at this easie rate they purchased the Defeat of the Emperour of Canton and the Surprizal of this vast City There was not any of the Inhabitants who did in the least think of the defence of the City all their thoughts were taken up in contriving how to save their Lives as well as they could And for this intent the wealthiest and chiefest persons of the City judged their greatest security would be in disguising themselves like poor Folkes and in this Equipage to thrust themselves into the crowd of the distressed and miserable people God be praised that it sometimes happens that the rich envy the condition of the poor for both Friends and Foes alwayes design upon the Wealthy and it was at these which the Tartars aimed and therefore it the more concerned them to conceal themselves As for the poor they had nothing to lose and therefore might very securely stay in their houses It was some satisfaction to them that they could now laugh at the Fortune of the rich who had so often derided their Misery It was little available to those who were very wealthy to have been so sollicitous to disguise themselves The malice of the common people would not let slip so fair an opportunity to revenge themselves by letting these persons know who it was the Tartars searched for The Populace cried out in all parts Let these Villains come and shew themselves Let these Thieves and Robbers who have sold their Prince that they might heap up such vast Wealth unto themselves come now and enrich the Tartars therewith let them now aâ—â—compt with their new Masters They have for a long time oppressed and abused us but they shall now fare no better than we they shall be now no greater Lords than we are Shall they be poor only in disguise and we miserable in reality Shall they have ruined us and shall we save them c. The Army of the Tartars came before the Town towards the Evening and was not a little surprized and astonished to find the Gates opâ—â—n as if it were not an Enemies Town The Tartars went and took up their Quarters where they best pleased rested themselves and slept very securely no body offering to disturb them or so much as ask who they were or what they came for The General and Lord chief Justice went and lodged themselves in the old Palace of the Viceroys of the Emperours of China and were as well accommodated as if they were in their own Houses Thus the King of Canton was dispossessed of his whole State the four and fortieth day of his Reign which he resolved not long to outlive And therefore assoon as he saw himself abandoned by his Subjects he went and seated himself upon his Imperial Throne with as severe and grave an aspect as became his Royal Dignity This may represent to our view the Roman Senators when Brennus and the Gauls sacked Rome In this condition this poor Prince expressed himself to this effect The Tartars are possessed of my City and my Subjects have abandoned me what can I now expect but death But I will die like a King I am mounted upon the Throne and upon the Throne I will end my days Here I will have the satisfaction at the same time to cast a viâ—â—w upon my short Prosperity and to face my present Adversity Here I will attend and see how Heaven shall please to dispose of me I make no resistance against its Decrees I patiently submit to its Ordinances c. Some of his Wives whom he had loved the most tenderly that they might testifie their passion to him killed themselves in his presence a strange effect of Love that should make hatred to our selves transcend our Love As for the King he staid upon the Throne till night but then he waâ—â— no longer minded to tarry there for death either Fear or Drowsiness made him descend He had reason not to persist in acting so serious and grave a part when all his Gravity was so soon likely to terminate but whatever he did he could not long escape his Enemies who searched too diligently for him not to discover him quickly This same night a great Chinesâ—â— Fleet of strong Ships came from Sea up the Channel to the very City and brought a very considerable Relief but they were so mad and surprized to find that the Tartars were Masters of it that they assisted to consummate the ruine of it for they were so enraged both against the common Enemy who was possessed of the City and the Inhabitants who had so cowardly delivered it up that they fet fire to that part of Canton which was called the New City and was the most beautiful of the whole Town The Fire catched so fast upon the Houses which were only built of Timber that they were in a very short time consumed in the flames It is said the Fire was so great that in the Old City which was four Miles distant from this one might see all that night as clear as if it had been Noon-day Some believed it was the Tartars which set fire on the City and after laid the blame upon the Chinese Fleet But there is little probability that the Victors would deprive themselves of the fruit of their Victory by reducing the best part of this great City into Ashes They had not as yet began to sack the Town which they fully resolâ—â—ed to do not mattering whether they could or could not justifie their intended Act. The Fleet after they had fired the City and though it was night had by the brightness of the Flames shewn themselves they tacked about and sailed away and by morning it was discernable to what a deplorable condition the Fire had reduced the greatest part of that City The Sequel of these Disorders was the beginning of those outragious Violences and horrible Oppressions by which the Tartars have since quite ruined and desolated those once so flourishing Provinces They did now no longer shew any observance to the Orders and Prohibitions of the Emperour Xunchi It was one of the Injunctions of this Prince that those Towns and Places which made no resistance neither within nor without the Walls should receive no ill usage but that only a Tartarian Governour should be placed there with some Troops if it was judged necessary to keep a Garrison there that he might be able by force of Arms to reduce and chastise the Inhabitants should they offer to revolt The City of Canton had not made the least resistance and of all the Cannon which were placed upon the walls there was not one Gun fired As for the death of those four Tartars who had so rashly hazarded themselves perhaps the Viceroy was
any thing or nothing he was not a man to make any of his Countrey-men lose their Livâ—â—s by the hands of their enemies That the resolution of those of the same Countrey to unite themselves together against their Tyrants to free their Countrey from Oppression ought not to be called a Conspiracy If this was that which they call'd a Conspiracy he was in truth the chief and principal Conspirator in the whole Empire and that he would most willingly lay down his Life to gain success to that Conspiracy That this was all he had to say to them and this he knew most certainly These words spoken so resolutely and pertinently were not very plaisant to the Tartars who were not accustomed to receive such Language from the Chinâ—â—ses And they having the Law in their own hands made this free and resolute Discourse a very criminal Offence They ordered that he should be racked with greater Tortures and scoffingly told him He should reserve all his fierceness till he was so tortured upon the Rack that he should have need of all his Courage to support the anguish thereof He was no more moved at their Scoffâ—â—s than at their Menaces neither was he a man to be estimated according to the rate of the other Chineses Rome her self even in the time of her Cato's had few to be compared with him It was the misfortune of China not to have had many such Captains who might have hindred the Tartars from advancing so far They put him again to the Torture which was extraordinary cruel He endured it with the same Constancy without changing his Opinion or so much as his Countenance Several Chineses who judged how far they themselves were from being able to give so generous an example were troubled to see so much resolution in one of their own Nation But the Tartars were enraged to find a Chinese who mocked at them and all the torments they could afflict him with Amidst his greatest torturâ—â—s he told them very boldly That they tormented themselves in vain That he was fixed and resolved to endure the torments even to death and that he would bâ—â— content not only to die once but often if he had as many Lives as he would willâ—â—ngly lay down for the Service of his Prince and Countrey That he should believe them happily lost or rather gloriously employed to pay thereby so lawful nay so indispensable a Duty to a valiant man The Viceroys caused his Wife and his Son to be brought to him threatning to kill them before his face unless he discovered the Conspirators They were desirous to see if that which is most tender to a Father and a Husband could mollifie his Courage They thought though he cared not to lose his own Life yet perhaps he might be concerned that those for whom he ought to have the greatest affection should lose theirs upon his account They had scarce brought them before him but casting a fierce and angry look upon his Son and Wife in a slighting scornful manner he replied to the Tartars This is not my lawful wife which you bring before me No my wife was not so unfortunate as to fall into the hands of the Tartars I my self at her own request kill'd her some days since though I had no reason to complain that she had violated her Honour or mine and she was fully satisfied in the esteem I had of her conjugal fidelity yet seeing amidst your Violences we can be secure of nothing we would not longer leave that in hazard which was dearer to us both than our Lives As for this woman you may do with her what you please I never lawfully married her and my Honour or Dishonour doth not depend upon her I acknowledge the young man you bring before me is my Son but if he had not been taken from me he had not staid in the world after my â—â—â—â—ife and therefore I fear so little to see him die that on the contrary you will do me a great pleasure to dispatch him quickly Let him diâ—â— I intreat you Either do you kill him or give me liberty to do it I shall die content when I shall know that he doth not live under the Dominion of Tyrants and be assured that he shall neither prove a Traitor to his Countrey nor no longer live to see those Treacheries and Oppressions under which she now groans But this Father could neither kill his Son himself nor prevail with his Executioners to do it He neither had Weapons nor liberty to use any which if he had it is probable he would have performed all he said and perhaps something yet more barbarous with pleasure have torn out the very Heart and Bowels of his Son which certainly no person but an Infidel and Idolater could have been capable of What Cato of whom Antiquity makes such boast did formerly comes far short of what this Chinese Captain would have done Cato when he was in Vtica had courage enough to kill himself but not enough to endure to see his Son die on the contrary he sent him to Câ—â—sar with this Recommendation to the Tyrant That as for himself hâ—â— had made choice of death because he could not prevail with himself to live under a Tyrant after he had so long lived in a frèe Commonwealth As for his Son â—â—e was young and might in time accustome himself to Slavery and therefore he recommended him to Caesar desiring him to receive him into his Protection But this Chinese Captain instead of enslaving his Son and recommending him to the Tyrant of his Countrey as that Roman did He was resolved to have killed his with his own hand that he might not live under Tyranny or Slavery It is therefore no Hyperbole to say thaâ—â— China in her last Misfortunes had some extraordinary persons and greater than Cato himself The Viceroys ought to have shewed a greater esteem than they did of the Generosity of this Chinese but either they did not regard iâ—â— or else he thereby struck such a terrour into them that he made them dread him And this perhaps induced them not to suffer such an Enemy to live longer They took away his Son and Wife to whom it doth not appear that they offered any further violence and the next day they put him to death This was much magnified amongst the Chineses Gallant and Heroick Actions are approved by all persons even by those of the most timorous and lowest Spirits But this is the ill that those who praise nay envie Goodness and Virtue will neither take the pains to imitate or pursue it A little time after the death of this Chinese Captain it was known tâ—â—at he was a Commander under the King Guequan who was retreated into the Mountains and had sent several persons throughout all the Cities of China to animate the people to declare against the common Enemy for Liberty And this Captain was then imploy'd upon this account and gave out that Guequan the Lawful Successor of
Territories serve for a retreating place to those who had been such Traitors to their King and Countrey He kept them two Moneths in the Bay of that Isle and would not permit them to enter into the Channel of the River He was willing to make them sensible that they deserved to be treated no better by his Highness They comprehended his meaning and understood that he expected Money This was the design of this great Monarch who did not think it unworthy of his Grandeur to make his profit from the misfortune of these miserable people The reason that he durst thus treat the Chineses was because he saw them so low at another time he would not have dealt thus with them But they who perceived what they must do presently presented the petty King of Cochin-Chine and hereby they oâ—â—tained liberty to enter into the Channel of the River after which he continued to them the advantage of that Favour but they understood very well that they owed the Obligations thereof to their Presents CHAP. XXIV The Emperour of Japan uses the Chineses very hardly The Iealousie that Prince hath of Strangers How powerful an Obstacle this distrust is to the conversion of those people He refuses to receive an Embassie from the Portuguezes of Macao That though the Japanners are very powerful yet they have reason to fear the Tartars THere is none of all the Neighbouring Princes of China who have shewed so much inhumanity towards the Chineses as the Emperour of Iapan did This Prince as I have already remarked had his head full of phantastick Chimera's which if rightly considered were only vain Fears which disquiet a base and timorous soul but which yet were a powerful Obstacle to the Preaching of the Holy Gospel and the propagation of the Christian Religion which began to make a considerable progress in all parts of that spacious Countrey but notwithstanding he would be thought a very valiant and puissant Monarch And he might have been esteemed so were it not that for all his power he is so apprehensive of Forreign Princes even those who are above five thousand Leagues distant from him but above all of the King of Spain that he seems even when he is broad awake to be disturbed with Dreams and Visions These ridiculous fears made him imagine that all those who went thither to discover to them the Mysteries of Christian Religion were only the King of Spain's Spies And this was the only reason which induced him to expel all the Christians out of his Territories and to put all those to death who either remained there concealed or returned back again to prosecute the Enterprize they had begun which was to reveal to those people the Light of Faith He made a prodigious number of Martyrs even those who were his Natural Subjects who had been converted to the Faith of Christ he put to death upon the sole belief that they were so many Adherents to the King of Spain Finally the fear in which he ever is leâ—â—t the Spaniards should come and dispossess him of his Empire hath occasioned him to make such rigorous prohibitions to all his Subjects not to go out of this Territories for he imagines that they may go and convert themselves to the Christian Religion in Forreign parts and then return with the Spaniards and assist them to conquer his Empire The Portuguezes in the Year 1647. sent a very honourable Ambassie The Ambassadors with all their Retinue and Equipage were transported in two Gallies Their Instructions were to treat concerning the re-establishment of Trade and Commerce with the City of Macao But it was impossible to prevail any jot herein with that Prince On the contrary he renewed his former prohibitions with greater severity and pretended that he shewed the Ambassadors great Favour and Grace that he suffered them to live The Ambassadors staid before Nangasacke about forty dayes from the six and twentieth of Iuly to the sixteenth of September in the Year 1647 I cannot express the precautions the Iapanners made use of during that time to secure themselves keeping a most strict Guard out of the Distrust and Jealousie they had of every little trivial thing And all this while they made a shew as if they had a desire to treat the Portuguezes most obligingly and with all the Civility they could expect in other parts from their best Friends yet made them content to bring ashore all their great Guns and Ammunition nay the very Sails and Sterns from off their Ships and to deliver them all up to be kept by them assuring the Portuguezâ—â—s they would faithfully restore them assoon as they were ready to go out of the Harbour The Portuguezes at the first were not of opinion to submit to this Demand alledging in their excuse that they had no Instructions from those by whom they were commissionated to act in this manner but it was rather out of the apprehension they had that the Iapanners had a design to disarm them that after they might with less danger take away their Lives as they had done to the Ambassadors which went from Macao in the Year 1640. After a little time they yielded to this demand being convinced that they might do it securely and that thereby they need fear nothing seeing every day that the Vessels of the Hollanders which came to Nangasacke made no difficulty to deliver up to their custody all their Tackling for in Iapan they used all these precautions even to the Hollanders out of the fear they generally had of all Strangers but they apprehended the Spaniards above all others There is no visible reason to be given for these pannick fears but only that it is the artifice of the Enemy of the Salvation of Mankind to prevent thereby the knowledge of the true Religion for it is certain that if we well consider Iapan there is no Soveraign in Europe no not the King of Spain himself can conquer a Countrey of that strength so far distant or should he possess himself of any place therein could he long keep it To manifest this let us but reflect of what a vast extent and how populous Iapan is which contains sixty Kingdoms In truth they are not so spatious as the Kingdom of Naples but according to the relation of those Spaniards who have seen both they are not less than either Granada Marcia Valentia or Anduluzia Therefore there cannot remain the least doubt but that a Prince who absolutely commands sixty such Kingdomes is a most puissant Monarch And all this spacious Countrey is very populous and a most warlike Nation and so little affraid of death that only to evidence what they would do either out of affection to their Friends or for the service of their Prince they will instantly strike a Dagger into their Breasts These people are also very united amongst themselves and obedient to their Governours And besides all this they are very well armed with all manner of Arms and Weapons which are
Children upon the same pain of death Thus the Tyrant Ly dealt with divers of the Mandorins as well those who declared themselves for him as those who in some measure testified a respect for the memory of their Prince It was a just Recompense to these Traytors and Chastisement to those who too late regarded their Loyalty to their King and Country This was the miserable condition of the Empire of China during the years 1640 41 and 42. The Tartar entred not to make open War till the end of 1643 hearing then that Zunchin the Lawful Emperour had lost both his Empire and Life The Fame whereof could not be kept within the Walls of the City but was quickly dispersed all over China and from thence through Tartary in each of which States it made different Impressions in the minds of men according to their good or ill Affections to the Emperour and Empire The Tartar did not make any shew of Joy at the News of Zunchin's death He rather seemed very much moved at it as a very deplorable Accident of a most pernicious Example and therefore ought to be severely and condignly punished But he was not displeased at the new right to that Empire he judged did thereby accrue to him He began not only to discourse of it but to argue it very hotly He maintained that he was now freed from any Obligation which lay upon him from the Oath by which the Tartarian Princes had tied themselves to the Royal Family of China never to make any Attempt upon that State forasmuch as that Family was now extinct in the person of Zunchin and had left the Empire to the power of the Usurper and Tyrant He pretended it was now very just and right for him to enter upon the ancient Rights which the Tartars had heretofore to that Empire seeing that these Rights had only been yielded up to the Royal Family which then reigned and that those only are to be understood to be comprehended thereby who were descended in a direct Line from Father to Son Else if all the Kindred of the Emperour of China were to be understood to be preferable to the Tartars in their pretensions to this Crown it was both very insignificant and fruitless to have inserted this Restriction That they did only renounce their Right to the Family which then reigned For Kings and Princes can never fail of Kindred and thus the Empire could never have revolved to the Tartâ—â—rs who had treated very clearly and sincerely always supposing that the Soveraignty might pass as is very usual in all Monarchies from one Family to another He pretended further that admitting there should yet remain any of the Kindred of Zunchin it must be granted that they were all in so weak and low a condition that they could never be in a capacity of acting any thing considerable for the Liberty of their Subjects and therefore ought to be reputed as persons dead and lost rather than living and in any probability of obtaining the Crown That it was also to be considered that the Rebel who had found so little opposition in raising himself from a private Souldier to be Master of the Imperial Court and six of the principal Provinces of the Empire had already overcome the greatest difficulty in making himself the Soveraign Monarch of that great Empire and now that he was possessed of the Forces and Treasures of China no Prince of that Nation could hinder him from confirming his Authority and triumphing in his Rebellion That it was of dangerous consequence to leave in this Usurper an example to other Rebels of oppressing their Kings and subduing their States and Subjects Thus they argued in the Council of the Cham of Tartary and at last concluded That as it was on the one side of high importance to go and revenge a Prince and State oppressed so on the other side it was neither just noâ—â— equitable that his Highness should leave his own Empire in danger to become a prey to his Enemies and consume all his Forces and Treasury to regain by Conquest the Empire of China that he might afterwards deliver it up to any one who was descended from the Kings of China or perhaps to some not at all allied to them for it was noâ—â— to be doubted but many would falsly pretend themselves to be of the Royal Family Therefore since the main and principal Branch of that Royal Stock was now extinct and that the lesser were all brought under the power of the Tyrant who daily shed the Royal Blood yet remaining it must be granted by all persons that though Conquesâ—â— could never rightly entitle a Rebel to the Soveraignty yet it might a second time confer the just and lawful possession of China upon the Tartars Having with these Arguments justified their Claim to the Empire of China it now remained that they should confirm it with the power of their Sword And for this they prepared with all possible expedition and the more eagerly for being a warlike and generous Nation they were perswaded that not only the Justice of their pretensions but their Honour engaged them in it that thereby they might avenge the quarrel of all Kings â—â—n making this perâ—â—idious Traitor who â—â—y his Treason had possessed himself of â—â—he Empire by reducing his lawful Soveraign to that extremity that out of despair he became his own Execuâ—â—ioner an example and terrour to all â—â—isloyal Subjects All these Considerations fix'd the â—â—artars in their resolutions for the conâ—â—uest of China and presently they isâ—â—ued out all convenient Orders for this â—â—xpedition They recruited theirtroops â—â—ith new Levies and in a short time â—â—hey raised several potent Armies But â—â—ill they were unwilling to pass over â—â—he Wall or make any Irruption upon â—â—at Empire til they were called in by â—â—me of the Heads of the Loyal Chineses perswading themselves that if they deferred their entrance into China till they were importun'd thereto from them they should thereby both betteâ—â— secure and justifie their Conquest and clear themselves from all reproaches of breaking their League which till then they had preserved with that Empire They were staying in expectation of some such Overture when it presented it self to them as favourably as they could have wished for one of Zuâ—â—chin's Generals to whom he had committed the Guard of the Frontiers towards Tartary sent to the Tartars to solicite them to enter into China Thiâ—â— possessed the Tartars of all the advantages which they had so long wisheâ—â— for as judging them absolute necessary for the accomplishment of their designs The General who was called Vsanguâ—â— had always kept his Loyalty to hiâ—â— Prince unspotted though in this lasâ—â— occasion he could not render him anâ—â— important Service for the Rebelâ—â— were so numerous and the Loyal Subjects so feâ—â— in comparison that they could make no confiderable Attempt But now this Vsanguè did most passionately desire some opportunity to revenge both the death of his Master and