before most of our Horses that they are kept with much less Trouble and Charges and yet will endure more Fatigues and run both longer and swifter We have told you before that this Prince is very aderoit in managing the Bow and Fire-lock as well as in other Bodily Exercises and what wonder is it if he takes particular delight to instruct his Sons in the same exercises of which he is so great a Master himself He is no less careful in keeping his Troops in continual exercise Four Months in the year are appointed on purpose for the exercising the Souldiers in all sorts of Military Actions to wit two Months in the Spring and two in Autumn but especially those quartered in and about the City of Peking of which one fifth part is drawn out into Field to do their exercises every day Sometimes the Emperour takes a review of them altogether sometimes some part of them in Person where Prizes are allotted those who manage their Arms with most dexterity When they Shoot at the Mark every Foot or Horse Souldier who Shoots with his Arrow within the Circle receives a Reward of three Shillings and Six-pence If but a private Centinal's place be vacant in the Emperour's Troops there are many ready to offer their Service whereas in Europe our Officers cannot compleat sometimes their Companies but with a great deal of Trouble the Emperour lays his strict Commands upon his Officers always to pick out those they find most Accomplished in managing their Arms and other Military exercises there being none to be admitted without having undergone the Toil of it But when any place either of a Common Soldier or Mandarin of his Guards happens to be vacant the Emperour takes effectual Care himself that his Orders as to this point may be put in execution with the greatest exactness imaginable For so often as a vacant place is to be supplied among the Troops of the Houshold those who desire to be admitted into it are brought into His Majesty's presence who examines them concerning such Matters as belong to their several Stations and always gives preferrence to those whom he finds best Qualified The present Emperour never neglects any thing which he judges may in the least contribute to the Preservation and Securi-of the State He was no sooner instructed in what belong to the Casting of Cannons as used in Europe but he caused a great Quantity to be cast in Imitation of them and many of his Subjects to be instructed in the Management of the Great Artillery as well for Cannoneering as Bombarding of places He ordered a prodigious Quantity of Brass Field-pieces to be made which are portable upon a Horse or Mule another Horse being alloted to each for the Carriage and Ammunition belonging to it all of his own Inventing In a late Battle fought betwixt his Troops and those of the Tartarian King of Eluth it had been observed that the Enemy by their fire-Fire-Arms had done the greatest mischief to his Forces that their continual Firing upon his Horse had forced them back out of their Lines and consequently had prevented them from putting the Enemies Army to an entire Rout ever since the Emperour has taken care to have part of his Troops but especially those of his Houshold to be instructed as well in the Management of the Fire-lock as of the Bow What leisure time this Prince has is altogether employed either in the Improvement of his Mind or useful exercise of his Body For besides what is spent in Reading of the Chinese Books and European Treatises concerning many Arts and Sciences after he has been fully instructed in the use of the Mathematical Instruments nothing is more frequent for some years last past than to see him either at Peking or at his Country Seats nay even in his Progresses into Tartary to take the greatest Pleasure in the World to make some Astronomical or Geometrical Observations by the help of those Mathematical Instruments which are carried after him wherever he goes Sometimes you would see him to take the hight of the Sun at Noon sometimes the Hour and Minute with an Astronomical Ring to investigate the elevation of the Pole At other times you might find him measuring the hight of some Tower or Mountain or the Distance of some remarkable Places Oftentimes he would employ himself in Calculating the length of the Shadow of a Stick at Noon of a certain day As the Observations made by the Emperour and those of Father Gerbillon who commonly attended him in his Progresses and made his Observations at the same time with the Emperour did generally agree very exactly with one another so the whole Court was over-joyed at it and there was scarce any Prince or Person of Quality who were not desirous to have at least their Children instructed in those Sciences which they so much admired but dispair'd of ever being able to attain to the Knowledge of them themselves After Father Fontenay and Father Visdelou came to Peking the Emperour had the Curiosity to be instructed by them concerning the use of the Pendulum fitted for Coelestial Observations and of the Level and some other Instruments which these Father 's presented to the Emperour immediately after their arrival They were not sparing in their Labour and after they had explain'd to him many Curious Propositions concerning several points of Astronomy they having likewise mentioned to him two new Methods to find out the Ecclipses of the Invention of Mr. Cassini and Mr. De-la-hire he was so extreamly taken with them that he would needs be informed concerning these Methods for which reason he ordered these Fathers to draw up the necessary Figures for their Explication To give the most ample demonstration to the World that could be how much he delighted in all these noble Exercises he resolved to re-establish the most useful Arts and Sciences in his Empire That which chiefly made him take this Resolution was his frequent Conversation with the European Authors and especially those of France who have treated of these Matters Add to this that we never let slip the least opportunity that offered for to enlarge our selves in our Discourses upon the Subject of those several Famous Academies erected ender his present Majesty's Reign in Paris for the Encouragement of Arts and Sciences and to what a degree of perfection the same were brought under the protection of Lewis the Great who by his Royal Munificence had drawn thither the most Eloquent Masters of all kinds It was in Imitation of that same Model we had given him of this Academy the present Emperour of China laid the Foundation of an Academy of Painters of Engravers Carvers and other Artists in Brass and Copper for Clock-Works and Mathematical Instruments assigning them certain Appartments about five Years ago within the precinct of his own Pallace give them all due Encouragement and to create among them a kind of Emulation he used to set them for Patterns those pieces which were made in
not like a young Prince but with such precaution that no more could have been expected from the most accomplished Politician He was day and night present at the Councils and ready at all times to dispatch his Orders according to the different Exigencies of Affairs concerning which and all the least Circumstances that attended it he had constant Intelligence given him it being the most dangerous that ever threatned the Chinese Empire forasmuch as it proved the Source of many other Factions which however he happily suppressed before they came to any Maturity by his prudent Conduct The first of these Factions was a Conspiracy among the Slaves of Peking who being all Chineses had agreed among themselves to Murther all their Masters that were Tartars by Off-spring in one Night and the better to compass their Design they were afterwards to set Fire to four or five places of the City But there being so vast a number concern'd in this Conspiracy as scarce to know one another the same was by Accident discovered by several of the Accomplices some days before it was to be put in Execution whereupon the Emperour having seized upon and punished with present Death some of the Ring-leaders he broke the Neck of the whole Conspiracy in a few days by granting a General Amnesty to the rest This Faction was soon after followed by another For the Kings of Canton and Fokien being likewise of the Chinese Race when they saw the Tartars embroil'd by the Revolt of Ouson-Gouci did look upon this as the fittest Opportunity to shake off the Tartarian Yoak and to make themselves Sovereigns each in their own Province Much about the same time there revolted another King of the Race of Mongo Chief of the Head branch of those Princes descended from the West-Tartarian Emperours who Reigned over China before the Imperial Family of Taiming which is above three hundred years ago and who after they were chased from thence regain'd the Imperial Throne a second time and reigned till the 30th year of this Age when these Princes ruined themselves by Intestine Divisions For the present Emperour's Grand-father laying hold of this Opportunity to ascend the Imperial Throne knew so well how to foment these Quarrels till he found means to reduce them one after another under his Obedience not expecting even the Chief of the Family who retained hitherto the Name of Emperour and was forced by his own Subjects to submit like the rest But the Tartars of the Race of Mantcheou to render their Subjection more specious and easie did after the entire Conquest of China bestow the Title of King upon this Emperour as well as upon several others of the most Potent Princes of the Family of Mongo Whilst the present Emperour was engaged against the three beforementioned Rebellious Chinese Princes or Kings some Officers belonging to this Prince who is Chief of the Principal Branch of the Family of Mongo being come to Peking and having observed That the Place was not provided with any considerable Number of Troops the Garrison consisting only of a few young raw Soldiers they did not fail to give Intelligence of it to their Master who being encouraged to improve so favourable a Conjuncture resolved to try his Fortune whether he could recover his antient Right and the Empire of China But whilst he was making the necessary Leagues with the other neighbouring Princes of the Race of Mongo the thing could not be carried on with so much secrecy but that it reached the Emperour's Ears who with an incredible Resolution sent immediately a small Body of Troops composed partly of the Garrison of Peking partly of those Quartered in the Province of Leaotong bordering upon the Territories of the revolted Prince against him whereby the Enemy being bereaved of the Succours he expected from the other Princes his Allies was forced with what Forces he could bring together in haste of his own to fight the Army of the Emperour who were advanced to the very heart of his Province where he was entirely put to the Rout and taken Prisoner in the pursuit with his Brother and Children He made use of the same Method and with the same Success upon many other Occasions during the Civil War for with that small number of Troops who were entirely to his devotion he always was successful against the Rebels tho' they stood it out to the last with a great deal of Bravery Among the Heads of the Rebellion even many who did not stir or had any share in these Commotions were seiz'd and put to Death with all their Children without distinction of Age or Sex pursuant to that most rigorous Constitution of the Chineses according to which Rebellion is punished in the ninth Generation which was done with an Intention to extinguish the whole Race of a Rebellious Faction In the mean while the Emperour whose Nature is in no wise inclin'd to Cruelty was so merciful to the Brothers of the Kings of Canton and Fokien that he would not let them receive the least Damage either in their Persons or Estates knowing them to have had no hand in the Rebellion But because he found himself under a necessity to put to Death some of the Kindred of Ousan-Gouei that were as yet very young he issued out a Manifesto in which he protested that it was not according to his Inclinations to put them to Death but that he was constrained to yield to the Law of the Empire and to the Advice of the Princes of the Blood and of other Sovereign Courts of the Empire who were all for maintaining the Force of this Law to strike Terrour into the Subject against Rebellion by the Dread of the worst of all the Punishments which can be inflicted upon the Chineses which is to leave no Posterity behind them Thus the Emperour did not only reunite those Provinces with the Crown which had shaken off the Yoak but also those who were dignified with the Title of Kingdoms in favour of three Generals of the Chinese Army who having embraced the Party of the Tartars were very instrumental in the Conquest of China He had also the good Fortune to exterminate the Remainders of those antient Chineses who rather than submit to the Tartarian Yoak when they first entred China chose rather to follow that Famous Pyrate Couesin It was under the Reign of CHUN-TCHI Father of the present Emperour that this Pyrate attempted no less than the Conquest of the whole Empire for which purpose he was advanced with a very formidable Army as far as the City of Nanking which in all likelihood he would have been soon Master of if it had not been Bravly defended by a certain Tartarian Commander who being sensible that the Fate of the Empire depended on the Preservation of this Place did not only with a small number of Troops repulse the Enemies in their several Attacks but at last also surprised the Pyrate and his Army which he put to an entire Rout one Night
when they were overwhelmed with Drink having the day before celebrated the Birth-day of their General This was the same Famous Pyrate who after he had lost his whole Army in this Occasion retired with his few Remainders to the Isle of Formosa from whence he chased the Hollanders and established himself there His Son maintain'd himself after his Father's Death upon that Island till the present Emperour of China forced him to submit to his Obedience with all his Subjects except a few who retired to the Kingdom of Kamboya Thus it may be said without flattery That the present Emperour CANG-HI has acquired more Glory in subduing so many Rebels and maintaining himself in the Throne against so many dangerous Enemies than the Famous Amavang his Uncle and Guardian to his Father did by the Conquest of the whole Empire For the Conquest of China was not very dearly bought by the Tartars the Chineses striving to destroy one another at that time and the bravest among them siding with the Tartars against their Country-men The Fire of Rebellion being thus extinguished and Tranquility restored to the Empire the next care the Emperour took was to re-establish a good Order and suppress such Abuses as were crept into the Government during the Licenciousness of these intestine Wars in lieu of which he endeavoured to re-establish the antient Vigour of the Laws and introduce Plenty among his Subjects But as he knew that nothing could so much conduce to the encompassing of this Design than if Ministers of known Ability and Probity were put in Offices of Trust both in the Court and Provinces it was his main Study to chuse such as were best qualified for that purpose and and to encourage such in their Duty as were in Offices before It is to be observed that the Constitutution of the Chinese Government is absolutely Monarchical all depending on One single Head The inferiour Officers have their Dependance entirely on their Superiours The Governour of each City regulates alone all Affairs belonging to the City under his Jurisdiction and so does each Governour in his Province This Form of Government which in it self considered is very perfect requires however That the Governours of Cities and Provinces who are invested with the Royal Authority be of such approved Integrity and Probity as to be Proof against all manner of Corruption It is almost incredible what effectual Care the present Emperour takes in the Choice of his Mandarins especially those of the Provinces and Cities and with how watchful an eye he over-looks all their Transactions He does not rest satisfied with the Account he receives from the Court of the Mandarins and with the Persons that are recommended by them but he has every where his Spyes who furnish him with secret Intelligence from whence it comes that he often chuses quite otherwise and contrary to their Recommendations his Chief aim being to advance every one according to his Deserts For whenever he observes in any one of his Ministers a more than ordinary Capacity he never fails to give him particular Marks of his Favour by bestowing upon him some of the most Eminent and Considerable Offices On the other hand if they make the least false steps in the Management of their Trust this is sufficient to make them lose their Office if it reaches the Emperour's Ears But if any one be convicted of Bribery he is sure to meet with a Prince who is inexorable in that Point and without the least Respect to his Degree or Quality he loses not only his Place but is Exemplarily punished besides From hence it is that we have seen such continual Changes among the Mandarins of all degrees For within the first four Years whilst we tarried at Peking most of the Governours and Vice-Roys of the Provinces as well as the Chief Members of the several Tribunals or Courts of Peking were displaced for the Emperour keeps so watchful an Eye over them that it is next to an impossibility that any of their Faults should long escape his Knowledge We were no sooner arrived at this Court but we saw four Calao two Tartars and two Chineses deposed from their Offices at once as was likewise the President of the first Tribunal of the Six which are the Supream Courts of the Empire tho' he was Father-in-law to the eldest Son of the Emperour At our very first coming to the Royal Pallace we were shewn one of these beforementioned Calao sitting near one of the Gates and supplying the Place of a Common Sergeant of the Guards the Emperour for his Mortification having condemn'd him to this Employment Much about the same time two or three Viceroys were brought to Peking one of them in Chains without the least Attendances and being afterwards convicted of having exacted Great Sums from the Province under his Jurisdiction he was condemn'd to Death the other Two escaped with loosing their Offices their Crimes being not of so high a Nature In the next following Year the Vice-Roy of the Province of Tohe-Kiang who was always a professed Enemy of the Christian Religion and did with all his Might oppose our Stay in China being accused of Malversation was condemned by the Emperour himself not only to be deprived of his Office but also to a perpetual Banishment into Tartary Thus this Prince has laid so strict an Obligation upon himself to conform his Reign in all Respects to the Laws of Equity and to advance none but Deserving Persons to any Places of Trust that there is scarce one Instance to be given when either out of Partiality or Self-Interest he has acted contrary to this so laudable a Resolution Neither is it only in this particular Care of chusing well qualified Mandarins and his Vigilancy over their Actions that the Emperour's Goodness to his People is Conspicuous whenever there happens any publick Calamity in his Realm his Compassion and Inquietude are most evident Proofs that he looks upon himself rather a Father than a Sovereign of his People Of this we saw our selves several Instances in two Years For there happening a great Scarcity occasioned for want of Rain in some of the Provinces which had reduced the Inhabitants to the utmost degree of Misery this Prince was so sensibly touched with their Calamity that he not only remitted the whole Annual Tribute which amounts to betwixt thirty and forty Millions of Livres and caused the publick Granaries to be set open but he likewise ordered both Corn and Money to be distributed among the most Necessitous of the People And the more effectually to supply the Necessities of the Poor he gave leave to such of the richer Sort as had qualified themselves by taking the necessary Degrees for Mandarins and had undergone the Examen to buy those Offices and to furnish a certain Quantity of Corn to be sent to these places where they stood most in need of it And because there flock'd great Numbers of these Miserable Wretches daily to Peking in hopes of finding
some Means of Subsistance there the Emperour found out a way at once to supply their Necessities and to do something for the publick Good For he ordered them to be employed in re-building those Tribunals that are within the Precinct of the Court by which means he also prevented those Disorders which are the ordinary Effects of an idle Life Upon the occasion of any publick Calamity he debars himself of his ordinary Divertisements which else he frequently takes at one of his two Royal Country Seats not far from Peking We have seen him during all this Time of that Scarcity of Corn keep close in his Pallace without appearing in publick unless when he went with his whole Court to the Temple dedicated to the Sun there according to antient Custom observed upon such like Occasions among the Chineses to pray for Rain by publick Prayers and Sacrifices which he offers to the Supream Lord of Heaven and Earth being much more enlightned in this point than most of the Modern Chineses who being in this fundamental point of Religion degenerated from their Ancestors as they are in many other points do adore the Material Heavens in lieu of that Supream Intelligence which governs the Universe with an infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness As often as this Prince takes his progress into some of his Provinces which he does from time to time on purpose to be inform'd concerning the true Condition of his People and in what manner they are Govern'd by the Mandarins it is his Custom to appear with a more Affable and Familiar Air than at other times and to permit even the meanest Workmen or Peasant to approach his person He speaks to them with so much Affability and Sweetness as Charms them to the Heart and among other Questions which he commonly askes them he seldom fails to ask Whether they are satisfied with their present Governours If he finds any real Occasion of Complaint against any one of the Mandarius he is sure to be dispossessed of his place immediately as on the other hand if his Conduct is recommended by the general Approbation of the People this is a sure step to higher Dignities It is about seven years ago when the Emperour in one of his Progresses to the Southern Provinces pass'd through Hovingan which is a large City in the Province of Nan-king and the ordinary place of Residence of the Tsong-ho or Superintendant General of all the Waters Rivers and Canals of the Empire which is one of the most Considerable places without the Court This Tsong-ho being accused of Malversation in his Office and upon the point of being displaced besides the paying of a Great Fine the people of this City presented a Petition to the Emperour in favour of the said Tsong-ho who had no sooner perused the Petition much in Commendation of this Mandarin but without taking any further Information he restored him immediately to his Office as an evident Mark that nothing could be able to make a more sensible Impression upon his Mind in respect of the Mandarins than if they treated the people in such a manner as to be considered by them rather like Fathers than Governours Though it is beyond all Dispute that the Emperour of China is the most potent Prince in the World both in respect of his vast Revenues and the great extent and Goodness of his Territories nevertheless is he a great Enemy to Luxury in respect of his own person being in this point an exact Observer of one of the Fundamental Laws of the Chinese Monarchy which forbids all excessive Expences in the Great Ones and the Prince himself unless it be with relation to the publick Good Not but that the Expences of his Houshold surpass without all Contradiction much those of the most Magnificent Courts of Europe by reason of that almost innumerable Multitude of Officers and others who daily have their Subsistance from Court But in respect of his own Person he is the most Exact pattern of Frugality and Modesty 'T is true he is Serv'd at his Table in Gold and Silver according to his Grandeur but in other Matters not regulated by Custom he never shews the least Inclination to Nicety being contented with ordinary Dishes and such is his Sobriety that there cannot be one Instance given when he committed the least Excess in that kind His Pallace is of a vast Circumference resembling in Bigness a considerable City and to look upon the many large Structures which it contains and which are all covered with Tyles varnished with a Gold Colour affording a most Glorious sight it is no difficult matter to judge that this Pallace was intended to be the Seat of a Great Monarch But as for the Appartments and their Furnitures even not excepting the Emperour's Lodgings their Chief Ornament is that they are kept clean and neat there being nothing to be seen but some Pictures a little Guilding and plain Silk Hangings of which indeed there is great plenty because they are so common in China He has built himself a Country-house about two Leagues distant from Peking where he takes frequently his Divertisements and retires thither for a good part of the Year But besides two Great Cisterns and some Canals which have been made by his Orders there is nothing to be seen there that bears the least proportion to the Magnificence of so Rich and Great a Monarch Every thing indeed is very Neat but in respect of both the Structure it self and in respect of the Gardens and the whole Design of the Place it does not approach to some Country Houses belonging to some Persons of Quality about Paris His Modesty appears as well in his Habit as in all other Things which serve for his proper Use. For his Cloaths unless it be some Sables and Ermins which as they are very common in this Court so he makes use of them for the Winter Season for Linings are of a plain Silk which is so common all over China that every body unless the poorest Sort makes use of them In a Rainy day you shall see him sometimes dress'd in a Wollen Cassock such as is worn among the ordinary Sort of people in China so we have seen him sometimes in the Summer appear in a Habit made of nothing but Callicoe which is the ordinary Wear of the Chineses in their Houses Unless it be upon some Festival the only thing which is remarkable and magnificent in his Habit is a very large Pearl which during the Summer Season he wears upon his Bonnet made after the Tartarian Fashion His Chair in which he is carried both within and without the Precinct of the Pallace when he has no mind to go on Horseback is no more than a kind of a Litter made of ordinary Wood Varnish'd over adorned on the Corners with Copper plates or Guild Carvings of Wood. He appears no more Magnificent when he goes abroad on Horse-back the Trappings of his Horse having no other Ornament than a pair
singular Grandeur are not ignorant how rare a thing it is to see their Emperours enter into a familiar Conversation with their Subjects and how difficult a thing it is even for the Greatest Men in the Empire and the Princes of the Royal Blood to approach his person unless it be upon the Occasion of some publick Festival will perhaps be scarce able to believe that we had so free an Admittance especially considering that we were Religious persons and Foreigners The whole Court have been eye-witness to their great Surprize of the private Audiences and Conferences we had duly every day no body being admitted to be present but three or four Eunuchs of the Emperour's Bed-chamber where the Chief Subject of our Discourse was concerning all manner of Sciences the Manners and Customs and what else was worth our Observation in the European and some other States of the World As there was not any Subject wherewith we used to entertain this Prince with more particular Satisfaction than the Glorious Actions of Lewis the Great so I can testifie it my self That there was not any thing of this Nature in which he took more delight to be inform'd in At last he gave us such ample Marks of his great Esteem that he would absolutely command us to sit down near his side an Honour never granted before to any Body living unless to his own Children But if he is lavishing in his Bounty towards us in private he is not sparing of it in publick having given sufficient proofs to the World of a particular Affection and Esteem Every body knows in what manner Father Verbiest was honoured by him both in his Life-time and after his Death Very few are unacquainted in what Splendid manner Father Thomas was invited and received in China and how the first five French Iesuits Missionaries were received with no less Honour at his Court The Muscovites have been eye witnesses of Honours conferr'd upon the Fathers Peyrera and Gerbillon at the Treaty of Peace betwixt their Plenipotentiaries and those of China about eight Years ago It was the Entertainment of the whole Court of Peking at that time when Father Grimaldi was sent by the present Emperour as his Envoy into Muscovy I will leave it to others to testifie how honourable I was Treated by his Special Orders by all the Governours of the Provinces and others and that frequently in the presence of the Missionaries of several other Nations and of the English and Portugese Merchants especially at that time when I received his special Instructions to go into France and how it acquir'd me so extraordinary a Reptitation throughout all the Eastern-parts even among the Enemies of our Nation as is source to be credited We indeed as well as all the other Jesuits which formerly were entrusted with any publick Employments by the Emperour of China made it our constant Business to insinuate both to the Prince and his Grandees that we were not desirous of these Honours which were not very agreeable to the Humility taught by the Gospel but inspite of all our Excuses it was the Emperour's Pleasure to heap upon us from time to time these publick Marks of his Favour looking upon them as the most proper Means to promote our Interest both among the Great Men and common People and to give the more Authority and Weight to the Profession and Doctrine of the Christian Religion The same Curiosity which had led the Emperour towards the Improvement of our Sciences did also induce him to be inform'd concerning the Chief Points of our Religion The first knowledge of them he drew from divers Consultations he had with Father Verbiest under pretext of Conferring with him about some of the most Valuable Sciences of Europe He has also read several Treatises upon this Subject which were presented to him by some of the Fathers Missionaries That which he delighted in most was an excellent Piece of the Famous Iesuit Father Ricei which he kept by him above six Months You may believe we did not let slip any Opportunity that offered to speak to him concerning the true Principles of Christianity He permits to the Jesuits Missionaries the free exercise of our Religion within the precinct of his own Pallace and he has been often heard to say that to judge of the Christian Religion according to its Principles and Progress it had made in China he did not question but that it would become the Established Religion there He has laid aside already many of the most antient Superstitions of the Chineses As for instance there is scarce any body in China unless he be a Christian but what if he is to undertake any thing of Moment chuses a certain Day and Hour to begin it in There is a special Appartment belonging to the Tribunal of the Mathematicks where their whole Business is to chuse by many Superstitious ways Places Days and Hours for any thing of Moment that is to be taken in hand It is no longer than in the Minority of this present Emperour that three Mandarins of the Mathematical Tribunal were condemned by the Regents of the Empire to lose their Heads for no other Reason than having been not careful enough in Observing the exact Hour when the Emperours Brother's Funeral was to have been begun they looking upon this Neglect as ominous if not Fatal to the whole Imperial Family 'T is true the Emperour has hitherto out of a Principle of Policy not abolished this Tribunal but he has more than once told us himself that he makes not the least Reflection upon their Observations and it is certain that in all Matters relating to his own Person he takes his Resolutions beforehand which he afterwards sends to the Tribunal Thus for instance when he was going to Marry his eldest Son the Mathematical Tribunal unto whom it belongs according to a most antient Custom among the Chineses to determine which of the several Persons proposed ought to be preferr'd before the rest received his Instructions to chuse the same Person the Emperour had pitch'd upon before which was done accordingly The same Method he makes use of when he intends to take a Progress when he always sends his Orders to this Tribunal what day he intends to set out and their Resolutions are always agreeable to his prefixed Time It is next to a Miracle to see a Prince so Potent so Absolute whose Commands are a Law and executed without delay surrounded with such a number of Courtiers addicted to their Pleasures and all manner of Luxury so moderate in his person and so great a Master of his passions as this Monarch He is naturally of a Colerick Disposition notwithstanding which it has been observed upon many Occasions both in respect of publick or private Affairs that he so absolutely controuls his Anger as scarce ever to punish an ill Action immediately but generally delays it to another time sometimes for Weeks and Months looking upon this as the most proper means to make
backward in furnishing them with what new Discoveries are made here for the Benefit of the Chineses which as we hope may be made use of with good Success to meet with the easier an Access among the Learned Men the Great Men of the Court the Princes and Empe our himself and will furnish us with frequent opportunies to enlarge our selves upon the Fundamentals of our Religion which by degrees thro' the Grace of God may dispose them to the embracing of the Faith For it has been sufficiently prov'd by the Experience of this last Age That since God has pleased to make the Missionaries Instrumental in introducing and planting the Christian Religion in China of all other natural Means nothing has contributed so much to the accompllishment of this Great Work than their knowledge of all useful Sciences from whence we may rationally infer that even to this day he would have us have recourse to the same Methods to root out Paganism in this Empire It has been a general Observation That the Chineses whose Genius is much elevated above all other Pagan Nations and who consequently are sooner brought to understand and follow the Dictates of right Reason are commonly sooner prevail'd upon than the rest to be instructed in the fundamental Principles of the Christian Religion and to yield to the Truth of the Gospel provided matters be made perspicuous to them and in a Method agreeable to their Genius by such persons as have before deserved their Esteem and acquired a great Authority among them by their Ability and an exemplary Life God Almighty who upon these Occasions is always very Bountiful in shewing his Mercy and regulating the inward Motions of hearts having extended his Mercy in a peculiar manner to the Chineses so that by the affluence of his Spirit many of the most Learned among them have acknowledged their Error in their mistaken Wisdom and submitted with all Humility to the Doctrine of the Gospel All this duly considered who can reasonably doubt but that when by God's singular Inspiration You resolved some Years ago to send some French Jesuits into China to be employed in the Conversion of the Infidels it was by the same Motive that You gave them Your Instructions concerning the Improvement of Arts and Sciences And that Providence having been pleased to second Your Great and Holy Intentions has raised such a favourable Disposition in the Hearts of the Chineses and of the Emperour of China himself towards these Missionaries that this Prince has thought it convenient to Sollicite Your Majesty for a far greater Number of them What is it we may not hope for from the happy Effects of Your Heroick Zeal to which You put no Bounds for the good of God's Cause If we may presume to presage of the future by what is pass'd especially in respect of what Your Majesty has been pleased to do of late Years in favour of the Missions into the Eastern Countries into Ethopia and the Indies only upon a bare Prospect of introducing our Religion among these Pagans we may promise our selves all the hopes for Success from those sent into China which alone are more valuable than all the rest together because they are likely to bring a greater Number of Infidels to the Church than may be expected from all the other Parts of the World provided there were a proportionable Number of Ministers to the Multitude of those who shew a greater willingness to be instructed sent into those parts The present Emperour of China's Bounty in granting free Liberty to all his Subjects to embrace the Catholick Faith is alone a sufficient Motive to induce us to live in hopes that we may see that vast Empire of China entirely reduced under the Obedience of Christ. But if this Great Prince should lead the way and encourage his Subjects by his own Example we have all the reason in the World to hope that we may see this Great work accomplish'd under the Auspicious Reign of Your Majesty It must be confess'd that without almost a miraculous Providence of God it is not easie to hope for the Conversion of so Great and Potent a Prince who is a Pagan But let us consider on the other hand the extraordinary Esteem he has always shewn for and the powerful Protection he affords to the Christian Religion Let us I say consider that this Prince is free from all these Vices which being contrary to the Rules of our Religion proves frequently the Main stumbling-block to Pagan Princes to embrace the Faith of Christ and that he has made all these Moral Vertues which are so rarely to be met with in a Pagan Prince his constant practice all these things considered together we may not without great reason presume to hope that the same God who has raised such favourable Inclinations towards our Religion in the Heart of this Prince may be prevail'd upon to extend his Boundless Mercy towards him especially if the Faithful in their servent Prayers to him do implore his Mercy in behalf of this Prince and his Subjects I say in behalf of this Prince and all his Subjects For as this Emperour is invested with an absolute Power over all his Subjects as he is most Famous throughout all the Orient by reason of his extraordinary Genius Wisdom Learning and uncommon Probity so we have all the reason in the World to believe that if he should be prevail'd upon to embrace the Christian Religion his Examples would be sufficient to induce all his Subjects to tread in his footsteps who for their number exceeed all Nations in Europe And it is not improbable but that considering the light Esteem those Nations bordering on China have conceiv'd of their extraordinary Wisedom and how much they are inclined to follow their Maxims and Customs this would be prevailing enough with many to be entirely reconciled to our holy Religion The most fortunate Opportunity that could be wish'd for the most advantageous for the Establishment of our Church and the most Glorious to Your Majesty who seems to be chosen by Heaven the happy Instrument of advancing the honour of the Church to Crown all the Actions of Lewis the Great with this the most Glorious of all Your Enterprizes Nothing less can be imagined to be a Recompense bearing the least proportion to that Heroick Zeal and Magnanimity of which Your Majesty has given such ample Demonstrations to all the World within these ten Years last past during which after You had protected the Church both by the force of Your Arms and Your unparallell'd Conduct against the Joynt-power of Europe You were notwithstanding all the Advantages on Your side nevertheless disposed to offer Peace to Your Enemies upon very advantageous Terms on their side out of a Generous Motive for the Publick Good and the universal Benefit of the Church Among those Vows and Prayers which we send without intermission up to Heaven for the Conversion of the present Emperour of China and all his Subjects we are never forgetful to offer our hearty Thanks to God for the Conclusion of the last Peace which in all probability will prove more advantageous to China than Europe it self For by the re-establishing a free Commerce our Ships will not want Opportunity to carry every Year some new Missionaries to the utmost Parts of the East so that we may reasonably expect to be Rejoyced with the most agreeable News of the Conversion of many Thousand Chineses by the Assistance of these Fathers who are to be sent thither under Your Majesty's Protection to labour for the Encrease of the Empire of JESUS CHRIST I live in hopes to hear suddenly that some more of our Fraternity are to be sent by Your Majesty with the first Ships design'd for China where I am sure they will be at least as well received as any other Nation And I hope from Your Majesty's Goodness that I may be thought Worthy to be one of their Company to return with all possible speed into that Part of the World where the Sun has its Rise It shall be my Chief aim there to second Your extraordinary Zeal in propagating the Christian Religion among the Infidels in the most remote Parts of the World And as a particular Acknowledgement of these Favours You have been pleased to heap upon me I shall not neglect the least Opportunity of publishing wherever I come Your Great Actions but especially to give an exact Account of what I have seen during my stay here to the present Emperour of China who of all other Princes takes the greatest Satisfaction in hearing of Your Glorious Enterprizes and is the most worthy of Your Esteem and Friendship To conclude I will join my hearty Prayers with all the Faithful Chineses who look upon Your Majesty as their Chief Supporter for the Preservation of Your Royal Person and Family as an unfeigned Testimony of the most profound Respect and Devotion wherewith I presume to subscribe my self Your Majesty's Most humble most obedient and Most faithful Servant J. BOUVET of the Society of IESUS FINIS An. 1697 for the Month of Febr.