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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89620	Bellum Tartaricum, or The conquest of the great and most renowned empire of China, by the invasion of the Tartars, who in these last seven years, have wholy subdued that vast empire. Together with a map of the provinces, and chief cities of the countries, for the better understanding of the story. / Written originally in Latine by Martin Martinius, present in the country at most of the passages herein related, and now faithfully translated into English.; De bello Tartarico historia. English	Martini, Martino, 1614-1661.	1654 (1654)	Wing M858; Thomason E1499_2; ESTC R208642	67,043	251

whereupon deposing the person of a Thief he became a General and with a bold attempt presumed to set upon the Tartars and having waged many Warrs against them obtained many singular Victories so as in the year 1368. he finally drove them out of the Kingdom of China receiving for so memorable an action the whole Empire of China as a worthy reward of his Heroical Actions It was he first erected the Imperial Family of the Taiminges and being he was the first Emperour of that Race stiled himself by the name of Hunguus which signifies as much as The famous Warriour After such an illustrious Action it was no wonder if all the Provinces submitted to him both as to one that was a Native of their Country and also because they looked on him as a man who had redeemed them from Thraldome for it is the Nature of the people of China to love and esteem their own as much as they hate and vilify Strangers Wherefore he first placed his Court at Nanking neer to the bank of that great River of Kiang which the Chineses in respect of the huge Mountains of water which it discharges into the Ocean call the Son of the Sea And having speedily ordered and established that Empire fearing no Insurrections from these new redeemed Creatures he was not contented to have chased the Tartars out of China but he made an irruption into Tartary it self and so followed the point of his Victory as that he routed them several times wasted all their Territories and finally brought the Oriental Tartars to such streights as he forced them to lay down their Arms to pay Tribute and even begge an Ignominious Peace This Storm of War fell chiefly on the Tartars of the Province of Niuche whither the Tartars of China being expelled were retired And those Tartars every year either as Subjects or Friends came into China by the Province of Leaotung to traffick with the Inhabitants For being brought to poverty and misery they thought no more of making war against China The Merchandise they brought were several as the root cal'd Ginsem so much esteemed amongst the Chineses and all sorts of pretious skins as those of Castor Martais Zibellens and also Horse-hair of which the Chineses make their Nets and the men though madly use it in tying up their hair as the handsomest dress they can appear in But those Tartars multiplyed so fast as they grew quickly into seven Governments which they called Hordes as much as to say into seven Lordships and these fighting one against another at length about the year of Christ MDL came to erect a Kingdom which they called the Kingdome of Niuche Thus stood China in relation to the Eastern Tartars but to the Western Tartars they payed Tribute masked under the Title of Presents that they might desist from War For the Chineses esteem it very unhansom to make war against any if by any other means their Country can be conserved in Peace and quietness being taught this by their Philosophers But in the mean time being over jealous of the Enemies to their antient riches A great Garrison upon the Wall against the Tartars they never left that great Wall which extends from East to West without a Million of Sorelgers to guard it Therefore this Kingdom of China being thus established in the Taimingian Family A long Peace in China enjoyed a constant Peace and quietness for CCL years and whilst the seven Lords or Governors made Civil wars that renowned Emperour of China known by the name of Vanley being the thirteenth Emperour of Taiminges Family governed happily the Kingdom of China from the year 1573. to the year 1620. with as much Prudence as Justice and Equity But in this time the Tartars of Niuche had so multiplied and spred themselves The Tartars think of invading China as that being incorporated into a Kingdome they became daily more formidable to China And therefore the Governors of the bordering Countries consulted privatly amongst themselves how they might curb and restrain these people within their limits For their Governors have so much Power and Authority that although they live as Slaves to their Prince yet when there is question of a Common and publick good they govern absolutely and uncontroulably unless by some higher Powers their Orders be restrained First therefore the Prefects or Governors The first cause of the Tartarian war did abuse the Merchant's Tartars of Niuche when they came into Leaotung which is a Province confines next to them The second cause Then again when the King of Niuche would have married his Daughter to another King of the Tartars they hindred this marriage by representing some pretended reasons of State The third cause And finally when the King of Niuche suspected nothing from them he conceived his friends they took him by deceit and killed him perfidiously Wherefore to revenge these injuries The first irruption of the Tartars into China the Kings Son gathered a strong Army taking his time found means to get over the great Wall I mentioned and the great River being frozen he presently set upon the great City Kaiyven or as others call it Taxun which lies upon the Confines of Tartary which he took in the year MDCXVI From this City he writ a Letter in Tartarian Characters to the Emperour of China which though writ in Barbarian Characters The Tartars Protestation against China yet contained nothing barbarous By this Letter which he sent by one of their Indian Priests whom they call Lama in a very humble and submissive manner he declared to him that he had invaded his Country to revenge the injuries he had received from the Governors of the neighbouring Provinces But yet that he was ready to restore the City he had taken and depose his Arms if his Complaints might be heard and satisfaction given him The Emperour of China called Vanley having received this Letter though otherwaies of an eminent wisdom and of as great experience yet being now broken with Age in this business seems to have proceeded with less Prudence than that which accompanied the former Actions of his life For thinking it not to be a business of that moment as it deserved to be treated before him in his own Court he remitted the business to the chief Governors and Commanders And these men puffed up with their usual pride thought it not sit so much as to give an answer to the Barbarian King but resented it very highly that any durst be so bold as to complain to the Emperor of any injury receiv'd The Tartarian King seeing they vouchsafed no answer to his just Demands The barbarous and superstitious Vow of the Tartarian King turning his anger into rage vowed to celebrate his Fathers Funerals with the lives of two hundred Thousand of the Inhabitants of China For it is the custom of the Tartars when any man of quality dyeth to cast into that fire which consumes the dead

lest he should bring his Armie into the City with him Yvenus therfore knowing he had many chief men about the Emperours person who were both his favourites and friends and that none of them gave him the least sign of any distast the Emperor might conceive against him he boldly and securely presented himself at Court and as soon as he appeared he was presently arrested and after some few questions the Emperour commanded him to be kil'd The perfidious General killed The Tartars hearing of his death before the China Armie had a new General assigned ransack all the Country round about and after they had made excursions to the next bordering Province of Xantung The Tartars forrage all the Country of Peking and depart richly laden with all manner of Spoiles they returned to their first residence in Leaotung And from these times till the year 1636. the event of their Warrs was very various but in general we observe that the Tartars could never fix a foot in China The King of Tartary dies another succeeds but they were presently beaten out again In this same year Thienzungus King of the Tartars died after whom succeeded his Son Zungteus father to him that now governs China of whom we now must begin to Treat This Prince before his Reign expressed much judgement in severall Occurrences Zungteus the new King of Tartary prudent milde surpassing all the Kings of Tartary in Humanity and obliging curtesie For when he was young he was sent by his Father into China where he lived secretly and learned the China's Manners Doctrine and Language and when he came to be Emperour of China he changed and far surpassed all the Examples of his Predecessors For having observed that their too hard and cruel usage of the Chineses had been the principal obstacle of their advancement to the end he might conquer that Empire he so much thirsted after as well by love as by Arms he curteously entertained and cherished all those of China which came unto him Mildeness and Gentleness to be used in Conquering Nations using all Prisoners with great sweetnes and invited them either to submit freely to his Government or take their course with full freedom The fame of his humanity was spred far and neer which induced many Commanders and chief Officers to fly unto him by whose means and help he became Emperour of that spacious and florishing Country For experience shews us that Love and Humanity doe work more upon mens hearts in conquering and conserving Kingdomes than Arms and cruelty of the Conquerors hath lost that which strength of Arms had happily subdued Wherefore when the Chineses came to understand that the King of Tartary did not only afford them a Sanctuary but a favourable Haven many great persons flying the Indignation of the King of China sheltered themselves under the Tartars protection For in respect of the China's Avarice and perfidiousness it 's a necessary but a most inhumane Maxim A barbarous Principle of the Chineses that those Officers perish who have managed the Kingdomes Affairs with less success For they easily are brought to believe that such unhappy events do not proceed so much from the frown of a scornfull Goddess called Fortune as it doth from the perfidy and negligence of the Commanders So as if any fought unhappily or if he lost the Country committed to his charge if any Sedition or Rebellion happened the Governors hardly ever escaped alive Seeing therefore they found so much Humanity in the Tartar and so much Inhumanity in the Emperor they rather chose to fly to the former By this occasion give me leave to relate what happened to that incomparable Commander renouned both for Fidelity and Fortitude called Ignatius Ignatius the chief Commander of the Christians unjustly killed This Heroick mind preferd his fidelitie to his Prince before his life before the Tartarian's protection yea even before the strength of his formidable Army and chose rather with his unparallel'd Fidelity to submit his head to a Block by an unjust sentence than to abandon his Country or once accuse the least default in his Sovereign's judgment Ignatius his fidelity though prevented by very unjust impressions He might perchance have swayed the Sovereign Scepter of China if he would have hearkened to his Souldiers but he rather chose to die gloriously than to be branded with the name of a Traitor in posterity This man therefore after he had gained several Victories against the Tartars and recovered many Cities from their possession so as he hoped shortly wholy to extirpate them out of China His Souldiers being long without pay seditiously plundred and pillaged a Town which had ever been faithfull to the K. Ignatius by several petitions and Remonstrances to the Emperour had declared his wants of mony and their want of Pay but because he fed not those venal souls that managed the business with mony and presents they alwaies suppressed his humble addresses for relief Besides this man being a very pious Christian he did nothing in his government Ignatius his Piety but what was conform to Reason and Justice which was the cause he incurred the hatred of all the antient Prefects who usually receiving Bribes from the contesting parties demanded favour of Ignatius for their Clients But it was in vain to intercede for any unless the justness of the cause did also ballance their Petitions And these men attributing this proceeding not to vertue but to his Pride thinking themselves undervalued by him dealt under-hand with the Prefects in the Court to stop the Armies pay that so they might destroy this innocent man Moreover he was envied the Commāders in the very Court because he came to this eminent dignitie by his own valour and industrie which they imagined was only to be given to Doctors and Ignatius was but a Batchelor as if the most learned must needs be also the most valorous In this conjuncture of affairs the Souldiers not contented with the seditious pillage seeing the most imminent danger hanging over their most esteemed and beloved Governour by reason of their folly they go about to perswade him to make himself King of that Country nay more to take the whole Empire to himself as a thing due to his Prowess and Merits promising their whole strength to effect the business and also to extirpate those men about the Emperour that aimed more to compass their malicious ends than to promote the general affairs of the Empire But Ignatius by pious admonitions staved them off from further violence made them obedient and quiet commanded all to stand faithfull to the Emperour of China and punished the chief of that fedition This Supreme act of fidelity deserved a better esteem and acceptance than that which was framed by the Emperour and his Court who slighting this his allegeance sent another Vice-Roy in his place and commanded him to appear in Court He then perceived they aimed at his life and the

Souldiers were either of his affinity or wholy at his Command and Obedience And therefore it is no wonder if he found an easy admittance into the Country of Fokien of which they presently made him King Pingnan as much as to say Pacifier of the South and they added many other Dignities and Offices of trust that they might more speciously illude him for either they knew his aspiring mind The Tartars deceive the Pyrat and take him Prisoner by meer Art or else his great power and authority was suspicious and formidable to them but yet all the while the General of the Tartars remained in Fokien they never expressed the least diffidence in him but both with favours courtesies presents and honours they studied how further to ingage him and promised the Government of many more Provinces He made himself therefore secure of the Government of all the Southern Provinces but all happened quite contrary to his expectation for when this General of the Tartars who was observed as a little King was to depart to Peking the custom was for all the Officers of the Kingdom to conduct him for some part of his journey to give him an honourable farewell which last duty of Civillity Iquon could not handsomely avoid nor indeed had he any reason to be diffident of any distrust in him so as he left his Navy in the Port of Focheu and accompanied the Royolet with great splendor and magnificence But when he came to take leave and demand Licence to return the General of the Tartars invited him a long to Peking where he promised him yet greater honours from the Kings own person to reward his Merits He endeavoured by all imaginable occasions to excuse this journey but nothing was accepted he was forced by their kindness to accompany them to Peking and so he was taken by Art who by Arms seemed Insuperable He yet lives in Prison in Peking because his Brothers and Kindred hearing of his Captivity presently ceased on the Fleet with which they have much infested China as we shall touch hereafter In the mean time the other Army which had passed the Mediterranean Provinces of Huquang The Tartars overthrown Quangsi Kiansi and Quamgtung invaded the Country of Quangsi But here it was that the Arms of the Tartars which hitherto were held invincible were shewed to be weak and where they least expected opposition there they found the greatest destruction It happened that in this Province of Quangsi the Vice-Roy called Khiu Thomas was a Christian and the chief Commander also of all the Militia of that Country was commanded by Ching Lucas whose family for five Genetations has served the Emperours of China with as much constancy and fidelity as they did Christ These two having gathered many together which fled from all parts into Quangsi after the Tartars had taken many places in the Country overthrew the Tartarians in a set Battail and passing into the confining Province of Quamgtung they recovered all the Western part of it After this that they might have a head to fight for and who might command and govern them in all Occurrences and withall to draw the minds and hands of the Chineses to the common defence of the Country knowing that in the City of Queilin Jungley made Emperour of China which is the head City of Quangsi there was one of the Taiminges Family living who was Nephew to the Great Vanleius they elected him Emperour and called by the name of Jungley This Prince fixed his Imperial seat in the noble City of Chatking in the Province of Quamgtung and hitherto has fought several times with the Tartars with good success And in this Princes Court the chief Eunuch called Pang Achilleus is the greatest favourite and a great Servant of Christ whom he hath long professed to serve both by word and deed for to propagate Christianity he has ever mantained a mission of Jesuites about him by whose painful endeavours many have embraced the Faith of Christ And amongst others the very Mother of this Emperour his Wife The Heir to the Empire becomes Christian and his eldest Son Heir of the Empire called Constantin did all imbrace Christianity May this Man by the prayers of all Christians prove another Constantine to the Empire of China The Emperour himself is not averse from Christiany but hitherto he hath deferr'd his Baptism but yet he permitted his Wife to send a Father of the Society to do homage to the Sea Apostolick as all Europe has heard God of his goodness grant him that felicity which may redound to the universal good of China and Gods greater Glory But it was not only in Quangsi that the Chineses began to resume their courage Theeves infest the Province of Fokien but in the Province of Fokien also for no sooner was the Tartarian Army called back to Peking but a petty Heathen Priest broke out of the Mountains of Fokien with a band of seditious fellows and subduing the Tartarian Garrisons he took the fair City of Kienning and many others from their subjection and others which lay lurking in the Mountains following his example recovered also many other Cities about which time also the friends and Kindred of the Captive Iquon did extremely infest the Sea and making descents upon the Land vexed the Province extremely about the Quarters of Siuencheu and Changcheu At this time the Governour of the Province of Chekiang was Vice-Roy of two Provinces who hearing of these commotions came presently by night in great hast with all the force he could make towards the Mountains of Fokien for he with reason feared lest they should take possession of the passages of those places which if they had done the whole Province had been regained But when this Vice-Roy called Changus found the Mountains and passages clear and no opposition made in such difficult places he then proclamed himself victorious and his enemies perfidious Rebels Changus the Commander of the Tartars besieges Kienning in vain wherefore comming without resistance into the Country he besieged the City Kienning which was defended by Vangus This Siege held some weeks but he never could take the place by force and therefore having lost many of his men by assaults he judged it best rather to block up the place a far of than to besiege it so close and neer But yet by this he hindred other forces from joyning with Vangus so that he was not strong enough to sally out upon them When the noyse of these commotions came to Peking It is at length taken and ra●●d the Emperour presently sent a new supply to appease these tumults and this fresh Army comming to joyn with the other brought the City to great streights but yet they could not win it till at length they found means by a rare invention to transport their Canons over the Mountains upon Porters Shoulders by which means they dismantled the Town and put all whatsoever to the Sword to the number

shew he feared nothing But for all this the Commander Hous besieges this City a far off which was three Leagues compass and out of the reach of their Artillery and to the end he might make a shew of greater forces than indeed he had he joyned to his Army a Company of dull headed Clowns by which means he made up a Body of thirty thousand men The Governour of the City seeing such an Army as appeared believed them all to be Souldiers and lest his Citizens should joyn with them he thought again of cutting all their throats but his friends ever diverted him from this outragious cruelty and therefore to divert himself from such horrid projects he used to walk upon the Walls and recreate himself in seeing the Chineses under his colours fight so valiantly against Hous for when he saw this he used to cry out in their Language Hoo Manzu as much as to say O good Barbarians for so the Tartars call the Chinaes as conquering Nations use to expose the conquered to scorn and derision and he crowned this scoff with these words Mauzuxa Manzu as much as to say let the barbarous kill the barbarous yet notwithstanding when they returned victorious he did not onely praise them but gave them Mony and other pretious rewards which were exposed to publick view upon the Walls to animate them to high and generous exploits so as Hous finding no Body stir in the City as he expected could do nothing besides their came new succours to the Tartarian Army which when Hous understood by his spys he presently retired But yet this flight did not serve his turn nor could he wholy escape the Tartars hands for the Horsemen pursuing them fell upon the rear and killed many carrying away great store of Riches which the Commander distributed in such proportion as he gave most to such as were wounded what became of Hous after this action is unknown and therefore I conclude that these Northern revolts produced no other effect but the spoyl Rapin and Plunder of all those Quarters as it had produced the like in the Southern parts The Tartars having happily overcome all difficulties hitherto The Tartars insolencies produced great dangers fell into another by their own insolency from the yeare MDCXLIX the Emperour of the Tartars being now grown up to mans Estate desired to Marry the Daughter of the King of Tayngu who is Prince of the Western Tartars hoping by this match to conserve the friendship of him whose Forces he feared for this end he sent his Uncle to him who was King of Pauang This Prince passed by the impregnable City of Taitung which as it is the last City towards the North so also it is the Key and Bulwork of the Province of Xansi against the irruption of the Western Tartars for it commands all the Souldiers which keep the many Fortifications of those Quarters where a fair Level down extending it self beyond that famous Wall I mentioned heretofore gives a fit occasion for the incursion of the Tartars The Women of this City are held the most beautiful of all China and therefore it happened that some of the Embassadours followers did ravish some of them and also carried away by a Rape a Person of quality as she was carried home to her Spouse which was a thing never heard of heretofore amongst the Chinese The people had recourse for these injuries to Kiangus who governed those Quarters for the Tartars who hearing of this gross abuse sent to that petty Prince Pauang to demand the new Married Lady to be restored and to desire him to prevent future disorders in that nature but he gave a very slight Ear to such complants and therefore Kiangus himself went unto him who was not only slighted but even cast out of the Palace His anger was quickly turned into rage Kiangus riseth against the Tartars which made him resolve to revenge that injury by the Tartars bloud he therefore Musters his Souldiers and presently falls on the Tartars kils all he could encounter the Embassadour himself being let down by the Walls of the Town hardly escaped by swift Horses Then Kiangus displayed a Banner wherein he declared himself a Subject to the Empire of China but named no Emperour in particular because perchance he had heard nothing of the Emperour Jungley by reason of so vast a distance Kiangus gathers great Forces But however he invited all the Chineses to the defence of their Country and to expell the Tartars and many Captains as well as Souldiers came in to him yea even the very Western Tartars against whom he had ever Born Arms being promised great rewards sent him the Forces which he demanded This accident extremely troubled the Court for they knew well that the Western Tartars did both aspire to the Empire of China and also were envious at their prosperous course of fortune they also knew that they were more abundant Men and Horses than they were for from hence it is they bought all their best Horses and they feared that now they should have no more and therefore they resolved to send presently a good strong Army against him before he should gather a greater strength But Kiangus who was as valiant as crafty and one who by long experience knew how to deal with the Tartars first feigned to fly with his Army But in the rear he placed very many Carts and Wagons which were all covered very carefully as if they had carried the richest Treasures they possessed but in real truth they carried nothing but many great and lesser pieces of Artillery with their mouths turned upon the Enemy all which the Tartars perceiving presently pursue they fight without any order and fall upon the prey with great Avidity but those that accompanied the Wagons Kiangus overthrows the Tartars by a stratagem firing the Artillery took off the greatest part of the Army and withall Kiangus wheeling about came up upon them and made a strange carnage amongst them and after this he shewed himself no less admirable in Stratagems than in fortitude and courage He beats the Tartars again when he fought a set pitched field with a new recruited Army of the Tartars in which he obtained so noble and renowned a victory that he filled all the Court at Peking with fear and trembling for by this means victorious Kiangus had gathered so vast an Army as he counted no less then a hundred and forty thousand Horse and four hundred thousand foot all men having recourse to him to defend their Country against the Tartarian Army And therefore Amavangus Tutor to the Emperour thinking it not fit to commit this business to any but to himself resolved himself to go against Kiangus and try the last turn of fortune for the Tartars Amavangus himself goes against Kiangus he therefore drew out all the eight Colours that is the whole Forces that were then in Peking for under these eight colours are comprehended all the Forces

Captive Priests which they had found in Chains as a present most acceptable to the Tartarian Emperour there I saw then and left them in great veneration and honour in the year MDCL But this victorious Conquerour returning crowned with Laurels One of the Emperours Uncles is ill received was ill received and worse recompensed by his Brother the great Amavangus who was the Emperours Tutor and instead of a deserved tryumph he received an unworthy death for being to make a march of many Months to undergo much labour and many troubles it happened so as he lost more Men in marching than in fighting he was accused of great negligence in governing his Army and being of a generous nature he thought he deserved high praise but no blame and therefore he took his Tartarian Cap and scornfully trampled it upon the ground which is the greatest sign of indignation which they can express upon which fact he was committed to a Prison proper to those of the blood Royal which he accused of any Crime But he scorned to be the first of the Tartarian Family which should suffer this first opprobry in China and therefore before he was carried to this Prison called by the Chinese Coaciang he hung himself miserably in his own Palace He hangs himself A Gallant Prince and worthy of a better fortune Many think this disgrace to have grown from Amavangus his eldests Brothers emulation but I think that Amavangus was affraid that this Man wanting neither courage nor wit would quickly ruin the Tartarian affairs by his rash proceedings And here I will put a period rather then an end to this brief Narration of the Tartars War to the year MDCLI in which year I was sent to Europe by those that may command me In which relation if there be nothing else worthy of admiration yet it seems admirable to consider that in seven years space they conquered more ground in Longitude and Latitude then an Army could have walked in that space of time for they over-run twelve vast Provinces of China besides the immense extents of Leaotung and the Kingdom of Corea VVhat since has past in such vicissitude of fortune I know not but as soon as God shall bless me with a prosperous return into my beloved China or that my friends acquaint me with any new Occurrances by Letters I will procure all Europe shall understand the Issue of these prodigious revolutions FINIS An Addition to the former History taken out of the last Letters from China Written in the years 1651. 52. and 53. AFter the Printing of this our History of the Tartarian Wars returning to Brussels from Amsterdam where I used all possible expedition to bring my Atlas Sinieus to the Press I there received my long desired Letters from China sent by my friends from Rome some of which being dated the 14. of November 1651. were writ by a Sicilian called Father Francis Brancatus who sojurns in the City of Xanchai in the Province of Nanking and reflecting that happily it would not be ungrateful to our Europeans if I made a private relation of publick use I resolved to draw out this little ensuing Narration from those Letters written in severall years The Empire of China is now grown to a more fixed and setled Estate See fol. 165. since the death of Amavangus Uncle to the Emperour who as he was the first Man that suggested to the Tartars the Emperours invasion so also it is to his care and vigilancy they owe the happy success of all and its conservation But yet the opinion framed of him after his death was far different from the authority and power he carried in his life for no sooner was the power of reigning by his death devolved into the hands of his Nephew called Xunchi but that this Emperour though a youth in years began his reign by the approbation of all estates and orders with such maturity of judgement and Councel as he seemed to surpass the gray and hory heads of his wisest Councellors He was no sooner inthroned then he expressed a strange ripeness of judgement and Justice joyned together in the same Action Amavangus suspected and punished after his death for having discovered his Uncles wicked Councels and Designs and traced the obscure track of his abhominable vices which were hid during his life he did so much resent those detestable Acts as he commanded his body to be digged up and his magnificent Sepulcher to be beaten down The veneration of dead mens tombs amongst the Chineses which kind of punishment amongst the Chineses it held to be the greatest that can be inflicted being taught by their Religion to carry all veneration and respect to the tombs of dead persons The Carcass being dragged out they first beat it with Clubs then they scourged it with Rods and finally cutting off the head they made it a spectacle to all Criminal opprobies Thus the splendour of his Tomb was brought to dust and fortune payed him after his death the turn she owed him in his life He punished also all the Officers and Prefects which were privy to his Councels putting some to death and depriving others of their dignities Amongst all which I find the fortune of General Fung to have been very various who though he be no Christian yet being a singular friend protector of my order and particularly known to my self I cannot but rejoyce to hear him restored to his place and dignity after his discovered innocency In the mean time the Emperour Xunchius The Emperour of the Tartars Marriage and their customs growing up to Mans estate and sollicitous to propagate his August off-spring resolved to accomplish his long intended Marriage with the Daughter to the Emperour of the Occidental Tartars In which action the Tartars imitate the European custom for they take a Lady of some illustrious blood or descent But the Emperours of China seem little to value the nobility of blood but select the primest beauty nor will they refuse a person of a mean fortune if she be but graced with beauty In so much as the Wife to the late Emperour of China was Daughter to a Man that got his living by making straw Shoos So King Ahasuerus raised a poor Captive Maid to be Confort with him in his Royal Throne which kind of custom happily the Chineses drew from the Persians or else the Persians had it from them But to return to the subject that caused this little digression The Emperours VVedding was performed with a Pomp and splendor proportionable to such an Empire nor was there any magnificence wanting on the Spouses part for according to the fashion of the Nation she came accompanied with whole Armies of Men and so many Troops of Horse as they seemed innumerable nature seeming to have framed the riches of the Tartars more for warlike affairs than for pleasure Nor is this infinit multitude of Horse incredible for I my self have seen eighty thousand Horse all at