house of Entertainment for Ambassadors and Envoys The description of the mighty City Osacca ¶ AS to what concerns Osacca it is an Imperial City and the Metropolis of the Territory of Quioo Near the mouth of the River an obstructing Rock divides the Channel making it troublesom and dangerous for those that pass the River runs up Northerly branching through the middle of Osacca and also through Meaco making many Sands and Shoals and at last looseth it self in a spreading Lake beyond that City On the utmost Point or Promontory of the River stands the King's Custom-House where all Ships must touch that pass by the same there paying such Customs as belongs to their Cargo with which they are Freighted this House rais'd each Story with a several Roof shews very stately and is to be seen far into the Sea Mountains near Osacca On each side appear two rising Hills which hinder the Prospect of the East and West side of the City onely some of the high Spires appear above The Water-Castle of Osacca Opposite to the Custom-house stands the Kings Block-house surrounded with a strong Wall rais'd out of the River ready and fully replenish'd for all Occasions with well-mounted Cannon The Emperor Xogunsama began to build this Fort but his Son Toxogunsama succeeding him in his Imperial Throne Anno 1629. finish'd and Garison'd it in the space of three Years Store-houses against Fire Behind the same are built ten Store-houses opposite to the Sea with a broad Street and a Stone Cause-way These Ware-houses are exceeding large and built all of Stone that they may not suffer Damage by Fire Imperial Turrets There are also several Towers in which the Emperor keeps his Treasure collected from the Isles Chiccock Saycock and Tonsa Besides these foremention'd Buildings Water-Gate is also seen the Water-Gate through which the Custom'd Goods go in and out having a great and broad pair of Stairs which descend to the Sea and a Guard of five hundred Soldiers constantly attending the same Somewhat further is the Emperors Ship-yard which is of a great Circumference having many Docks in the same wherein continually all manner of Vessels are a building whose Hulls they make generally very broad The other part of the City stands behind the Hills but is divided from them by a Rivulet The Governors House A little way up the River from the Sea is the Governors House curiously built and within full of costly Rooms and rises aloft in manner of a Steeple with four Roofs The Temple of Devils Between this Edifice and the Block-house appears the lofty Roof of the Temple of Infernals within which the Japanners worship a horrible Image Their Idols very horrible His Head represents that of a Wild Boar with two great Tusks sticking out of his Jaws and adorn'd with a stately Crown full of Diamonds and other Precious Stones Over his Breast hangs a Scarf which is parted in the middle and that which makes it the more terrible to behold are four out-spread Arms of which one of the left stands upwards holding a Ring on the longest Finger the other hanging downwards holds a Flower not unlike a Lilly The uppermost Right Hand gripes fast a small Dragons Head spitting Fire the lowermost a Golden Scepter trampling with his Feet upon the Belly and Thigh of another Devil which lies along under him He having his Head all hairy and a pair of Ox Horns graffed thereon with an Iron Chain about his Neck a Girdle with great Buttons about his Middle a long Tail between his Leggs and broad Garters about his Knees the Right Arm stretch'd out and the left bended in to his Side is as dreadful a Spectacle as the other These horrid Shapes they nominate Joosie Tiedebak How they call them and God they call contrarily Joosie Goesar The Japanners honor and worship these resemblances of Devils with all manner of Offerings to the end they might not receive any hurt from them The Image of their Devil Vitziputzli The same Opinion have the Western Indians of their Devil Vitziliputzli whom they Worship and Reverence with great Zeal This Vitziliputzli sits on a Silver Foot-stool which stands upon a Bier whose four ends have as many Props with Serpents or Adders Heads fix'd on them The Forehead of this Idol is painted blue with two Streaks of the same Colour athwart his Nose running to each Ear. His Head like a long-Bill'd Bird is impalled with stately Plume of Feathers the tip of the Bill of massie Gold In his Left Hand he holds a white round Box and five white Plumes pleited cross-ways over one another in the middle a Branch which signifies Victory On his Side hang four Arrows which according to the Opinion of the Mexicans were sent him from Heaven His Right Hand rests on a Staff in manner of a Serpent painted with blue Streaks Upon his Bosom appears the Face of a Man with glaring Eyes a high Nose and a wide Mouth opening before or near the Orifice of his Stomach Thus stood he for the most part vail'd with a Curtain his Body almost cover'd with Chains of Pearls Diamonds and other Precious Stones which hung round with various colour'd Plumes like Labels The Devil Tezcatlipuca They no less fear their Demon Tezcatlipuca made of black Jet and cloath'd in a rich Habit In his mouth he holds a Silver Spike about a Finger long in which sometimes stick Green other times Red Plumes of Feathers which distinguish'd Colours they wear as Favors at their several Festivals Between both his Ears hang many Gems of great Value and about his Neck an Emrauld that covers most part of his Breast also wearing Golden Armlets On his Navil a costly Topaz his Left-hand bearing a Fan of Gold being a Plate so curiously pollish'd that it well perform'd the Office of a Mirror or Looking-glass by the Mexicans call'd Itlachcaia wherein they believe Tezcatlipuca sees all the Transactions of the World by which he Judges Determines and Punishes or Prefers every one according to their well or ill doing Therefore he stands ready with four Darts to distribute upon those which commit the highest Offences The Tempell of the Idoll Canon TEMPEL VAN DEN AFGODT KANON The Watch-house in Osacca is very stately ¶ BUt return again to the Description of the Imperial City Osacca Behind the Diabollical Temple spreading it self along the Shore stands a Watch-Tower a more than Royal Building rais'd extraordinary high in the great Street which leads to the City Saccai At some distance from this next you may behold a large and stately Temple in which is a wonderful Idol being fifty Foot high Its Head all of Silver presented by the King of Bom whose Countrey abounds with Mines of that Metal Imperial Banquetting-house On the Left-hand at the lower end of the City opens from behind the Hill a fair Prospect of the Imperial Tower crown'd with an almost unmeasurable
also relates that the Lyflanders believe Adders and Serpents to be gods for which reason they shew'd them all honor imaginable every Master of a Family noble or ignoble keeping one in his House which they worshipp'd and fed with Milk and Cocks-flesh It was held for a certain ill Omen if any misfortune or ill happen'd thereto and the unfortunately wicked Offender that hurt the Vermin was generally cut Limb from Limb. The Prusians Antiquit. Boruss l. 1. according to the account of Erasmus Stella liv'd several Ages without acknowledging any Religion till at last they became devoted adorers of Serpents The same ignorance is at this day a Custome amongst the Samogithes if any ill happen to them they presently judge that it proceeds from their House-Serpent which hath not been well treated Sigismund Baron of Herbenstein tells us that he came from Muscovia to Troki Comment Muscovia where his Host in whose House he had Lodged the Year before told him that at that time he had bought some Bee-hives of a Servant to a worshipper of Serpents who by many convincing arguments was become a Christian for which cause he slew his Serpent which till then he had religiously worshipped but afterwards going to the Field to view his Bees he found by their Hives a Man with his Mouth wide open to his very Ears and of strange shape This deformed Creature cry'd out I have laid violent hands on my god the Serpent and am therefore thus purnish'd and if I do not return to my deserted Religion I shall suffer ten thousand times more Of whom the Japanners have learnt to worship Serpents It appears that the Japanners and also other antient and later People have erected the Images of Serpents in their Temples because Eve was deceived by a Serpent for who will contradict that the Heathens do not hide Gods Truth under their seeming Ignorance and shew through their greatest darkness a glimmering of light although by the Devils policy and falsness of Man-kind the glory and splendor of the holy Bible hath been more and more darkned which the Greek and Latine Poets have neatly adorn'd and chiefly that which they relate of the never-sleeping Dragon that kept the Golden Apples in the Garden of Hesperides which Hercules slew at last bringing away the Golden Fruit to his Father Eurystheus Is not this a likeness of the Serpent in Eden whose Head our Saviour bruis'd to pieces and doth it not represent the Religion of the antient Greeks According to the testimony of the Greek Writers Hesychius Clemens and Plutarch the Greeks say they cry aloud on their Feast-days Clem. in Protrept Plut. in Alex. Eva Eva pointing together at a Serpent And what a pudder the Ophites which came forth Anno 132. made about a Snake may be seen in the Church-Histories Ophites what kind of Hereticks They Preach'd that Christ was the Serpent that deluded Eve and afterwards entred into the Virgin Mary in the shape of a Snake They kept not the Sacrament without bringing forth by Charms a Serpent out of her Hole and sometimes out of a Box judging the Bread to be vile and not holy if the Viper had not tasted or at least touched it The Serpent under the Japan Creator of what kind BUt to return again to the Japan Serpent about the Tree whereon the Idol of the Creation fits This Snake stretches its Head to the right side of the Idol where two horrible Fiends stand on the edge of the Wall that incloses the Water and Tortoise before mention'd Description of a Japan Devil The foremost Spirit hath two hairy Feet a long Tail a Scarf wrapt under his Arms which hangs on his Back about his Neck a rich String of Pearls with both the Hands holding the Serpent close by the Head the Ears are great like an Asses that stand upright but Headed like a Dog with a long Snout In former times Anubis a famous Deity amongst the Egyptians appear'd with a Dogs Head because Isis made use of Anubis that thereby she might seek for her lost Husband Osiris King of Egypt who was murder'd by his Brother Typhon and at last in Syene found him in several Pieces Another very terrible Moreover between the Image with the Dogs Head and the chief Idol stands a second Shape likewise laying hold on the Serpent Clothed in a Coat cut sloapingly above the Knees a Scarf about his Neck made fast on his Breast the longest end thereof hanging over his right Arm His Head is most like unto that of a Roe-buck holding its Mouth wide open with large Ears and a pair of Harts-horns These two Monsters as they say us'd all their Force and endeavor to hinder the Creation of the World Why the Japanners offer them Sacrifice The Japanners offer Sacrifice to them when Herbs and Plants are in their first Growth to the end they should not hurt the tender Plants The worshippnig of the Devil brought from China to Japan Maff. Histor. Indie l. 6. ¶ It seemeth that this worshipping of evil Spirits was brought from China to Japan for the Chineses worship the Devil not for any good they desire of him but because he should not hurt them The Images of these Devils rest on horrible Dragons that spit forth Fire from their gaping Mouths and are made after a terrible manner Of them they desire to know the event of such things as they take in hand which they do thus Strange dealings with evil Shapes They have two Woodden Buttons as big as Acorns which are split in the middle and strung on a piece of Thred which they throw down at the Feet of one of these evil Spirits if they both fall with the flat sides downwards or one on the flat and the other on the round side that they look upon as a bad Omen for which cause they rail exceedingly against their Deity but immediately after as if they repented they again flatter him and sue for pardon by offering Sacrifice and whenever their lot falls out unluckily they fall from Words to Blows throwing the Image into the Water or burn some part off from his Body then they fall again to Praying This kind of scolding and worshipping continues so long till both the Buttons fall flat on the Ground whereupon they all rejoyce thanking the evil Spirit presenting him with all manner of Dainties curiously drest as Ducks Geese Rice and Swines Heads accounted one of their best Dishes and a Can of Wine When they have laid a little scrap of the foremention'd Dishes on the Altar before the Image as the Tip of the Hogs Ear the Claws of the foremention'd Fowls and some drops of Wine they fall upon the rest themselves and eat it up with a great deal of mirth and good appetite There are also Priests amongst the Chineses establish'd by Lanzis whose Mother went big with him eighty years These draw on yellow Paper horrible Shapes of evil Spirits which
when he blessed the twelve Tribes of Israel the Progeny of the House of Joseph he divided to Ephraim and Manasseh whom he likens to a first-born Ox according as Franciscus Junius saith Joseph is represented in Egypt The Japanners Ox-Religion from whom By all this it appears plainly that this kind of worshipping of Oxen had its first original in Egypt and so by degrees spread it self amongst other Heathens and at last reach'd the far distant Japanners not unlike an infectious Disease that runs from City to City and from Countrey to Countrey till at last the Contagion becomes Epidemical The Japanners Opinion concerning the Egg in which the World lay is very antient ¶ BUT concerning the Egg in which according to the Bonzies the World was inclos'd before the Ox broke the brazen Shell the Eastern People have had many strange Opinions before the Birth of our Saviour so that the Japanners conceit thereof is very antient for the famous Sorcerer Zoroaster a Scholar to Azonaces taught amongst the Persians and Medes above two thousand years past That all things had two beginnings the good acknowledg'd Oromasdes extracted from the purer Light for an increase of the World all bad things proceeded from Arimanius and himself came from Darkness That Oromasdes made the Stars and good gods and laid them together in an Egg but Arimanius created the Devil and broke the Egg from whence arose not onely envy between Arimanius and Oromasdes but also a mixture of the good with the bad The most antient Heathens as appears by the Phoenician Writer Sanchuniathon represented the World by an Egg. The Inhabitants of Thebes in Egypt worshipp'd the Creator of all things in the shape of a Man spitting forth an Egg out of his Mouth A strange Representation of the Creator of the World in the Temple at Meaco ¶ MOreover besides the Ox-Temple in Meaco there is also to be seen the stately Chappel dedicated to the Creator of all things who is represented in a very strange manner In the middle of the Temple is a great Pot full of Water surrounded with a Wall seven Foot high from the Ground in the middle of which appears an exceeding great Tortoise whose Shell Feet and Head stands in the Water out of its Back rises the Body of a great Tree on the top of which sits a strange and horrrible Image under whom are laid twelve Cushions reaching a good way over the Tree The Statue placed after the Japan manner with the Legs under the Body hath a Golden Crown on its Head which together with the Breast is as black as Jet the Hair like that of a Negro but the Crown runs up taporing and ends with a sharp Point turn'd and beset with Pearls the whiteness of the Eyes shines exceedingly above the blackness of the Body about his Neck is a double String of Pearls and a rich and costly Diamond ty'd to the same the Coat that covers the Body is open before insomuch that the Breast appears naked down to the Belly which is cover'd with a Cloth ty'd close with a Girdle on its Breast hangs a String of Oriental Pearl and under the left Arm a Scarf of Gold pleited somewhat lower hangs another on the right Side the Edge of the Coat is also beset with Precious Stones and hangs in a Bag over the Belly betwixt the Knees the Image hath four Arms one of the left Arms he holds upright and about its foremost Finger a great Golden Hoop from the Elbow of this Arm appears a second of which the Hand is clenched together holding a Lilly somewhat below the right Shoulder is another Arm the Hand of which grasps a Cruise from whence Water issues continually the other right Hand holds a Scepter The Idol is all over black which Colour among the Japanners signifies Joy Brazen Tree whereon the Creator sits The Tree whereon he sits is of Brass in which were inclos'd all the Materials of which according to the Bonzies relation this Idol was made about the middle of this Tree an exceeding great Serpent hath wreath'd it self twice whose Head and Body is on the right Side held fast by two horrible Shapes the remaining part thereof to the Tail two Kings and one of the Japan Sages stretch forth Why the Japanners worship Snakes Without doubt the Japanners have left some Place for the worshipping of Snakes in their Religion as also for evil Spirits because they should not prejudice them so that both of them are feared because they are hurtful And indeed India breeds Serpents whose Stings Hist Indic l. 2. as Johannes Petrus Maffeus affirms are mortal Serpent Porphirus what kind The Serpent Porphirus hath a white Head and Purple-colour'd Body but no Teeth his Breath exceeding poisonous Those that catch him hang him up by the Tail putting two Kettles under his Head in the one they catch the Droppings that come from his Mouth in the other the putrifying Matter that comes from the decaying Body The first Poyson in a moment bereaves Men of their Lives in a most terrible manner for all the Limbs of the Body are miserably tortur'd the Eyes turn in the Head and the Brains drop out of the Nostrils the second operates two years after it is taken Moreover some Serpents are so exceeding poisonous that those that tread on the Ground on which in few hours before these venomous Creatures have crept will immediately fall down dead Serpent Polpoch very terrible The Serpent Polpoch so call'd because it makes such a noise bites with its Mouth and stings with the Tail climbs on Trees hides its Tail in the Mouth and winds it self about Travellers whose Flesh thus bruised rots in three days insomuch that those hurt in that manner die like a Man that is laid asleep by drinking two much Liquor Strange power of small Snakes or Serpents There are also little Snakes no bigger than a Quill these set upon Men sleeping and can by no means be taken off they creep in at the Wounds and eat so long till they have quite devour'd him which without doubt is the onely reason that the Japanners have learn'd from the Indians to worship Serpents that they might not be hurt by them A long time before the Birth of our Savior the Egyptians adored an Adder and the Indians Dissertat 38. according to the relation of the antient Writer Maximus Tyrius a Serpent This kind of Idolatry may be said to be deriv'd from China the native Countrey of the antient Japanners and from Tartary bordering on China which brought it thither for it is known that not onely India but also all the North shew'd a great reverencee to these poisonous Animals many Centuries past Julius Scaliger relates In Arist Hist Anim. l. 2. That in the Kingdom of Calicut Serpents with very great Heads not much unlike those of Swine were worshipp'd by the Kings as gods In Sarmatin Euxopaen Alexander Guaginus
Goodness that a Scorpion and most of all other Poysonous Creatures being kill'd and their Flesh laid raw on the Wound which they made cures it in a short time Fasting-spittle hath also a great Operation to dispel this Poyson The ancient Father St. Ambrose relates concerning this Creature Hoxaem lib. 6. cap. 6. That he kills a Lion and is himself destroy'd by Pismires But to return to our Story Strange Battel between the Pismires and Scorpions in the Voyage to Nangesaque ¶ IN the Voyage between Osacca and Nangesaque it is often seen with great admiration that a Scorpion being surrounded with an innumerable Army of Pismires who storm him on all sides biting his Feet so extremely that not being able to bear it nor seeing any way to escape at last kills himself with his own Sting running the same into his Head of which he immediately dies whereupon they joyn all their Forces to carry him away In which Work it is pleasant to behold how they help one another some shoving the Prey forward with their Feet while others haul it along with their Mouths and the remaining part creep under to bear it on their Backs always having fresh Supplies to release those that grow weary God represents in this small Animal the exact Image of Vertue wherefore the Holy Scripture admonishes the Slothful to take Example by them And indeed their Care is exceeding great for they make their Nest with so many crooked Entrances that it is secure from all hurtful Creatures The Earth which they scrape out they stop before their Holes to keep out Rain These Holes are divided into three Partitions in one the Males and Females live together in another the Females breed up their Young and the third serves them for their Storehouse wherein they lay their Provision Majolus relates That near Barleta a City in Terra di Barria he found a strange Nest of Pismires under a great piece of Timber which being easily taken away there appear'd a City with four Corners City of Pismires almost four Foot long and one and a half broad lying so direct as if it had been made straight with a Line a Street going through the same long-ways was a Finger broad and one deep made in a Clayie Ground three lesser Streets also which came into the foremention'd middle-way of the same bredth and depth at one end thereof a Market-place and at the other end a Stile made of Egg-shells On the other side of this Pismires City appear'd several deep Pits so full of Corn that it lay scatter'd on the Ground about them Along the Ways the Pismires pass'd to and fro like the Inhabitants of a Populous Town Towards the South-West exactly in the middle of the longest Wall was the Gate through which some came in loaded with Corn others went out empty to fetch their Burdens the eldest of them creeping before who also climb the Blades biting off the Corn whilst the young ones stand below and pick every Grain out of the Ear that which is too heavy for them to carry they shove before them those that are empty make way for those that are loaden and that the Corn should not sprout they bite that end that uses to shoot and if accidentally it happens to be wet they bring it forth laying it to dry in the Sun which is a certain sign of Fair weather Moreover they labor continually resting neither Night nor Day Hist Anim. lib. 6. ca. 50. A conceited Passage of the Pismires Aelian relates That Cleanthes once observ'd some Pismires which carried away a dead one to the Hole from whence it was us'd to come forth when living and coming before it stood all still they belonging to another Hole upon which some Pismires that were in the same came immediately to the Strangers and went several times in and out as about Business of great concern at last bringing out a rotten Pear as a Ransom for the dead Prisoner and a Reward for their Labor they took the Deceas'd with them to bury him as it is very common amongst them By this Spectacle Cleanthes concluded That Beasts could speak and especially the Pismires about which Opinion Pythagoras Cicero Celsus and other Learned Heathens have often held great Disputations Farther Voyage of the Ambassadors ¶ BUt to return again to our Ambassadors Frisius and Brookhurst who proceeding forward in their Journey and Sailing by the Islands Fibi Simeia Samnik Syrais Caroto Szuwa Jowe Camro Mianofimi Moeko and Mettagamma left on their Starboard upon the main Coast of Japan Binga Bignatum Mewarri Tantonomi Jocosimi Caminagari Cammenosacci Simonisicci and Ximontchequi In this Voyage they met in several Places and chiefly about the Islands divers Japan Fisher-men who have generally their Wives with them The Men commonly have the Crown of their Heads shaven Japan Fisher-men how cloth'd onely a Ring of Hair just about their Heads not unlike the Roman Priests Their Coats they fold over their Breasts being girt with a broad Girdle in which they stick a great Cutting-knife On their Shoulders they carry a Yoke at which hangs on each side a long and square Vessel wherein they carry their Water and also keep their Fish alive when they bring it to sell The Women wear a Scarf wound about their Heads with a Tuft hanging down on their Foreheads their Breasts cover'd with a square Cloth interwoven with several Flowers of Silk about their Necks a long Cotton Cloth that hangs down their Backs their Coats both full and long hanging down to their Ankles their Shoes or rather Soles onely are made fast behind with a kind of Strap and betwixt the two great Toes with a Knob Frisius and Brookhurst arrive at Nangesaque ¶ THeir Excellencies Frisius and Brookhurst at last Sail'd through the Straights where on the one side upon the main Coast of Japan lies the City Simonisicci and on the opposite Shore the great Island Bungo So Weathering the Point they got into the Bay Kokero thence getting into the Corean Sea they run between the Island Simissima and the Bongian Village Assia by Jobeco Auroo Firando Nanatzjamma Zetta and Foucunda into the Haven of Nangesaque on the twenty second of May Anno 1650. where they found their Countrey-men all in good health and were inform'd of the strict Customs and Laws of the Japanners After what manner the Netherland Ships sail to Nangesaque about the Netherland Ships who when they come between the Priest-Mountain and the low Cliffs call'd the Hen and Chickens passing by the Emperor's three great Block-houses must discharge their Guns three times at which the Japan Barques full of Soldiers come aboard taking an account of the Ships Crew setting them down by their Names and also their Age and Conditions which they are again demanded at their going away therefore every one must well observe how he hath describ'd himself for being found in a Lie is as much as
by the Wealthiest and those that are less able according to their abilities If what they thus present is receiv'd the business is concluded and Marriage presently confirm'd by the Nuptial Bed The Formosan Men live 〈◊〉 with their Women Notwithstanding the concluding Ceremony the Husband and Wife dwell not together but live apart by themselves but in the Night he is allow'd in a clandestine way to steal to his Enjoyments whether making his approaches he is neither allow'd Fire nor Candle but with all silence and secrecy steals into the Bed neither there must he speak to his Bride but if he want any thing that he signifies by Coughing upon which guessing what it may be his Wife administers and her Houshold-business being done she comes to Bed a hard Lodging where indeed they have no Bed neither Pillow nor Bolster but a Buck-skin spread upon the Floor yet others have a Bedstead spread with Rushes These hardships as they suppose makes them fitter for the encounters of Venus and more stirs up Loves fervor than warm dalliance in softer accommodations Neither may he linger there but ere the Dawn visibly appear thence he must that so his departing with an appetite he may be the more earnest for a second fruition But all this while neither of them are a burthen to one another but each provide themselves and follow their own affairs and if they meet by chance in the Day they pass by like Strangers the Husband not daring to speak to his Wife without her License May not speak to them in the day-â—ime The Charge of bringing up of the Children is left to her Care till they are above one and twenty years of age then their Father receives and keeps or disposes of them as he thinks fitting ¶ BUt the Formosan Women have a barbarous Custom void of all Motherly affection and humane reason for whoever proves with Child before 37 years of age when the Fruit of her Womb waxeth ripe and fit for Delivery they cruelly and in unspeakable manner destroy for in stead of a Midwife that should assist them in their Labor or Childbed-throws they employ a cruel Dame who laying them in a fit posture on their best and softest Bed Horrible Murder of their Infants crushes and kneads the tender Infant in the Womb till it become like a lump of Dough which departs from them with more extreme torture than if they were naturally deliver'd Georgius Canidius a Minister of the Gospel residing in Formosa Anno 1627 relates that he knew a Formosan Woman who was deliver'd of 16 Children in that horrible manner her first abortion being in her seventeenth Year and he being inquisitive to know why she thus made away what would have been her own dear Issue and to be esteem'd most of all worldly joys by her received this answer from her That her shamefac'dness and modesty forbad her to be a Mother before she was of age of discretion being accounted amongst them 37 Year In what Year the Formosan Men begin to keep House with their Wives The Husband as we said before in the 40 Year of his age forsakes his solitary abode and lives with his Wife spending the remainder of their days together in small Huts or Hovels in the Field but upon the least jangling or falling out they part so that sometime they change their old for new Wives once a Moneth If he can clearly convict her shewing just reason for this separation he recovers her Dowery seizing those Gifts which he presented before Marriage but failing either in his Arguments or Proofs the divorced Wife preserves her own Estate Some Marry two Wives but they are look'd upon as committing Fornication or Adultery but of late Custom and the common practice makes the offence not altogether so hainous ¶ THeir Youth and Batchellors have their peculiar Residence for in every Village as we said before 16 Houses have their Chappel Uâ—marry'd People have their Dwelling apart in which they have distinct Lodgings as in a Colledge where they keep their Batchellors Place though Marry'd till such time as they go to live with their Wives The Formosan Houses are artificial The Formosan Houses are the handsomest and exactest built of any after the Indian manner for in stead of digging deep they raise a Foundation six Foot high of firm Clay the Walls of the Fabrick are rais'd onely with Reeds and Rushes artificially strengthen'd with interweavings having four Doors opening to the four Winds but the prime Buildings have eight Their Houshol-sluff The Ornament without and Furniture within are Stags Crested Heads and wild Boars Chinesie Raiments and Deer-skins and also Assagays or Javelins Shields Swords Bowes and Arrows Cattel Axes Cans Pitchers and Troughs Vessels of Barks of Trees and Earthen Ware But they pride most in the Bones Sculls and hairy Scalps of Enemies Conquer'd by their own Hands They use no private Feasts but publick Feasts to which every sixteen House-Parish repair being kept in their little Temple or Chappel where after their Devotion to their gods they spend the rest of their time in Feasting Singing Dancing and all manner of Idolatry and he that appears there in a Dogs-hair Coat is the bravest Fellow Strang ordering of their Dead ¶ THe manner of disposing of their Dead and Funeral Obsequies are thus When any dies the Corps being Laid out after 24 hours they elevate it upon a convenient Scaffold or Stage four Foot high Matted with Reeds and Rushes near which they make a Fire that so the Corps may by degrees dry to which Place the Friends of the Deceased daily flock together and that they may keep up sorrow the better bring along with them store of Mans-flesh and several strong intoxicating Liquors But before the sick Person departs being just ready to give up the Ghost thus they begin their inebriating grief One beats on a Drum made of a hollow Tree which gives notice of a Person deceased at which Summons the Women come from all Parts near bringing Pots and Vessels of strong Drink with them and making themselves Strange Dancing and the Relations of the Deceased Drunk They Dance all Night before the Door after this manner They take a Trough like a Chest but longer and broader and turning the bottom upwards the Women get up and two by two Back to Back move their Legs and Arms in a Dancing time and measure which pace or taboring tread sends a kind of a murmuring or doleful sound from the hollow Tree when these mounted Couples are weary they come down and others supply the Place thus the Maudlin-Drunkards Dance nine days together whilst the Body lies parching by the Fire sending forth a very noysom stench then having bathed the Corps nine days over they wrap it up close in a Mat and lay it higher than before so covering it with a fitted Canopy from all light there lying three year till such time as nothing remains
the Clouds and middle Region of the Air. ¶ THis Countrey abounds in Mines Mines from whence the Inhabitants gather their greatest Riches whose special care invites foreign Merchants to Trade and Barter with them Trees A wonderfull Tree in Japan ¶ THeir Trees or Plants which they set either for use or pleasure resemble ours unless their Palms which are of a tender and strange quality contrary to all Plants whatsoever for they endure no manner of moisture for if the least wet touch the Roots they fade and wither immediately being destructive to them as Poyson which to save and cure they dig up and dry the taken up Roots in the Sun then set it in a new Hole fill'd with dry Sand where being so Transplanted it soon recovers and reflourisheth in full verdure those Boughs or Branches that are cut or torn off with Winds or any other accident they Nail on which grows to the Body as well as if Graffed or Inoculated Cedars in Japan very great Several places abound with Cedar some of them so tall and large that the Carpenters use their Limbs or Branches for main Timber in their stateliest Buildings and Shipwrights make Masts of them Japanners live on Venison ¶ THe Japanners neither breed nor keep Sheep Swine Geese nor Poultry nor eat scarce any other flesh but Venison the Desarts are full of wilde Cattel and untamed Steeds of a good race The Woods are full of Wolves Bores Stags and Conies Beasts and Fishes there Amongst their several sorts of Fowl they want not Pheasants Ducks wild Pigeons Turtle-Doves Quails and Partridges Here they have also abundance of Fish amongst which the Eells and what they call Voom they most esteem Butter they know not nor the use of Sweet Oil but what they spend is prest out of Whales which are often driven ashore upon their Coast The meaner sort of People use neither Tallow nor Wax but carry up and down to light them Branches of Pine Trees in stead of Candles and Torches Their shape and strength ¶ THey are something tall of Stature and well Set and easily endure Watching and other hardships signs of a strong Constitution From twelve to sixty years of Age they are liable to Musters Impresses and Martial Affairs They suffer their Beards to grow something long Difference in Hair and use several fashions in Shaving their Heads Youths keep onely their Foreheads bare the Rusticks and common sort imploy the Razor but on half their Heads the Nobles leave onely a Tuft or Lock of Hair near the Nape of their Necks which if any touch they look upon as a high affront and a great dishonor The Japanners are a strong People They much exercise their patience in all manner of sufferings and are so inur'd by Custom that Hunger Cold Heat and Thirst Watching and Travel are their Play-Fellows for as soon as born though the weather happen to be extream cold and pinching they carry out the Infants and wash them in the Running Streams where whilest they are cleansing they let them paddle in the Water to save themselves from sinking So soon as Wean'd their first Lesson is the Art of Hunting kept from their Mothers and all Female Relations their Schools of Learning wherein they commence in Hardiness are wild and unfrequented places believing that nothing makes them more tender and effeminate than to be near Women Their manner of sleeping and eating ¶ THe Floors of their Houses are Matted all over very curiously and that they may tread the softer stuft like a Quilt which indeed are rather their Couches or Beds where laying themselves down under their head in stead of a Down-Pillow a Log or Stone whereon they well and quietly Repose These Mattings are their Tables also on which sitting cross Legg'd they take their Repast Are very politick Yet in their Diet they are no less curious or dainty than the Chineses and like them use two Sticks one in each hand with which they take up their Hash'd Service needing neither Knives nor Forks which they handle so dexterously and these Tools are so fitted for their purpose that they never let any thing fall nor foul their Fingers entering their Dining-Room for the more cleanliness they pull off their Shooes The meaner sort especially those that live poorly near the Coast fare hard eating onely Rice Fish and Sallets but the Inlanders Feast daily and feed plentifully like the Chineses Rich Feasts In stead of Table-Clothes and Napkins their Dishes are serv'd up on little Boards or Tablets being either Pine or Cedar curiously Painted after their manner with various colours Their prepar'd Dishes are heap'd up with variety of Meat like our Bisks or Olapotreeds trick'd up with Leaf-Gold the edges stuck about with Cyprus Branches But when they Treat Noblemen they gild the Bills Feet and Leggs all over with Gold They entertain their Friends and Strangers Chearfully with hearty Welcome During their time of Eating and Drinking they haâ—e several Customs which they perform with strange and Mimick Gestures the whole Nation every where punctually observing the like The Blood of the Grape is altogether unknown to them but in stead thereof they make their Wine of Rice but above all they are most delighted with Water heated mixt with the Powder of Chia Their Drink is made after a peculiar manner In nothing they are more curious and diligent than in making this Compound which the Grandees themselves pride to prepare when they entertain their Friends for which purpose to make this their special Liquor they have peculiar places in their Houses where in a kind of Furnace over a gentle Fire it stands infusing from whence when they are visited by Strangers lifting up the lid they take it up in Dishes and present it hot trowling the Cup about one to another The Japan Treasures wherein they consul Their several Vessels which they use in this Preparation are a kind of Limbeck or Furnace Tunnel Stone Cruses Spoons and Pots in which they keep both the Herb and Powder of Chia Their last Complement which they are most proud of is to shew them their Wealth boasting their accumulated Treasure But their foremention'd Drink the Japanners esteem and value more than we our Precious Stones and Inestimable Jewels They also set a strange Rate upon Sword-Hilts especially when made by some peculiar Masters Their Houses and Cloysters Most of them dwell in Houses of clinch'd Wood cover'd with slit Plankings because of the frequent Earthquakes which happen there so with falling they suffer not much harm and are soon repair'd some dwell in Edifices built of Stone no less Costly than Artificial Their Temples also are most Magnificent with stately Cloysters and Inclosures where their men and women are aparted The Japanners Tongue is very strange ¶ THe Japanners have one Tongue or Language in common yet it is so various in Pronounciation that it seems to be of
Children for they shew by their Looks and Conversation that they have a magnanimous Soul But these their good Qualifications they shew not always for they stand tax'd with as many Vices insomuch that all which we have said before may be thought rather to be a counterfeit and well acted Part as in a Play than otherwise Japan Religion is abominable ¶ THeir Religion or abominable Idolatry and Superstition by several perswasions inclines them not onely excellently well to dissemble and cover their ill nature under the Cloak of Zeal but also help'd by the inspiration of evil Spirits their gods we may suppose they take delight in cruelty bloodshed and the like of which their Preachers and Doctors are the Bonzies Bonzies Doctrine These though differing amongst themselves yet all agree concerning the Immortality of the Soul Some hold forth in publick to Congregations others of the superior Dignity inculcate their Divine Doctrine and are as Chaplains in Noble-mens Houses and the Families of Princes but these Grandees to whom they belong they little or seldom trouble with punishments for Offenders in the World to come but publick Ministers that openly Preach to the common People always belabor the Pulpit with terrors of tortures and eternal damnation in Hell Amida and Xaca are two Japan gods Besides these two Orders there are others who always make their Theme the praises of Amida and Xaca These are their Saviors on whom they build their Faith and are to them as Law and Gospel whom they must always implore not onely in calamity and trouble but also in their times of Joy and greatest Felicity That they would graciously be pleas'd by their merits to wash away their sins and offences that so their Souls may come to everlasting Bliss these and their other supreme gods they call Frotoques As also the Frotoques They have also their inferior or lesser rank which they follow onely for worldly benefits Praying for Health Wealth Children and all transitory blessings these they style Camis And Camis How they make Men gods Though their gods are numerous yet still they add and make more of their Princes for when any King famous and much honor'd for his great Exploits and valiant Atchievements deceases they also in the midst of their Funeral Solemnities Instal and Register in the Lift of their Deities paying them ever after Divine Worship as the antient Greek and Romans did so several of their eminent Hero's they having gods much resembling these such as Mars Bacchus Venus Mercury and others making them first Examples Wickedness of the Japanners after call upon them as Protectors in their hainous Debaucheries as Lust Drunkenness and the like Amongst other seeming Vertues one especial ability they have their Looks and Gestures still denote them to be the onely practisers of Piety and pure Zeal when their Bosoms swell with projects of all manner of mischief and where they bear the greatest and most inveterate malice resolving to be severely reveng'd there they Smile and Fawn and in their Speech Face and Gesture express nothing but their dear respects love and honor that they bear them This is so common amongst them that whosoever deals plain and honestly speaks as he thinks and performs what he promises becomes a mocking-stock and their onely May-game They murder one another on small occasions Revenge is so sweet to them that the first occasion of having any advantage in the very Streets where stealing close behind the Person drawing their Scymiter if the first Stroke fail the second dispatches him which done the Asassinate wipes his Sword and Sheathing it walks away unconcern'd as if a Jest or nothing done Nay sometimes having no Quarrel in a meer Frollick they will try whether the Edges of their Blades be so tender as to be bated or turn upon one anothers Heads Their cruelty on those which they Conquer But those Towns or Villages have a sad destiny which are taken in War by force of Arms for they grant no Quarter no respect of Age Sex or Degree but are all promiscuously and without mercy put to the Sword and so left weltring in one mothers Gore And in like manner any Party or Army when they are defeated in the open Field of those not one escapes either they are kill'd upon the Spot valiantly Fighting or if they flye are barbarously murder'd by the Countrey People all one to them Friend or Foe for whomsoever they find stragling they without mercy dispatch upon no other account but to strip them and enjoy what they have Filching and Stealing as we said before that they all abhor but Robbery and Bloodshed they glory in therefore all the whole Countrey groans under the Murders committed in Robberies by their Highway-men and the Sea as much molested with Pyrates Women with Child murder their Infanis ¶ THeir Women also are as strangely merciless to their own Issues murdering without any Motherly compassion their tender Infants either before their Birth or if failing soon after to which purpose the Bonzies their good Confessors teach them a Drink to cause Abortion which if by strength of Nature overcoming as soon as born they worse than brutish Tygers tread upon the Infants Neck and so dispatch it which they commonly do either hating the trouble of Nursing them up and giving Education or else counsell'd by ill advising Poverty as not being able to maintain them Poor and Needy Perish in Japan ¶ FOr Persons that are Sick Lame and Infirm or Travellers they have no publick Hospital or other private Reception but they are forc'd to take up their Lodgings under the cold Canopy of Heaven fled from and deserted of all Men so that either they must recover of themselves or else die there in a miserable manner and when dead thrown upon the Dunghil as Offal or Carrion ¶ FOr all Crimes or Offences whatsoever Punishments they use but three Punishments viz. Drubbing on the Soles of their Feet Banishment or Death their Heads being cut off by a Scymiter which they see not But in some Places the Robbers being accounted the greatest Offenders they carry and show them about in Waggons which done they Crucifie them and leave them nail'd to their Crosses in the High-ways near the City Strarge Punishment for the Robels in Japan When Persons are suspected for Treason or Plotting Rebellion the King sends a Party which surrounds the House so close that none can escape then makes them onely two Proffers either to kill themselves or yield to Mercy which if they accept they are stigmatizi'd with hot Irons so to be distinguish'd and known to have been Quondam-Traitors wheresoeuer they go but if they chuse rather to be Self-Executioners They cut up their own Bellies they rip up their own Bellies some of them with strange courage in a horrible manner open athwart so that when their Bowels hang out to be the sooner dispatch'd they lay down
according to their merits either to worthier or baser Creatures himself giving out that he had once been Aethalides Son of Mercury who granted him a Boon to ask one favor whatsoever he desir'd excepting Immortality whereupon he requested That he might know and remember what-ever happen'd to him after his death and not be forc'd to drink Lethe the River of Oblivion so after Aethalides his Decease he was transmigrated into Euphorbus a Trojan Heroe slain by Menelaus next Hermotius then Pyrrbus a Fisherman of Delier and lastly the foremention'd Pythagoras the Philosopher who broach'd this so much follow'd Doctrine The Idol Omyto This Sect which they style Xenxus worship the Deity Omyto commonly call'd Amida The Fables which the Japanners relate of this Idol are beyond all apprehensions and above our Faith to believe It will be enough to relate how they ascribe Salvation and everlasting happiness to this their god Amida The Ido Amida always invoking him with these words Namu Amida Buth that is Save us Blessed Amida save us which oft repeated Prayers they number upon Beads as the Roman Catholicks do their Devotions the Image holding a String of Beads like theirs The Secth Foqueux worship the Idol Xaca The third of the Grand Sectaries being Foqueux pay their Devotions to the Idol Xaca to whom they use commonly thus to Pray Namu Mio Foreo Qui Quio which whosoever speaks best and pronounces best seems to them so doing to be a good Omen of their future happiness notwithstanding there is no Japanner extracted from India that well understands these words These Worshippers of the Idol Xaca are Cambadagies and Cacubo's both esteem'd very zealous and religious amongst the Japanners Mord des Keisers Kubo Vermoorde vande Keyser CUBUS The Murdering of the Emperor CUBUS Cambadagi teaches Idolatry Cambadagi taught them first to offer Sacrifices to the Devil and use Necromantick Arts the other Divination and Witchcraft like the Chinese Priests Most of these live in Hills and desolate Places remote from all humane Society In the Village Dubo on the Skirts of the Mountain Dubojamma a Mile from Meaco stands a Temple the Residence of the great Idol Xaca The River which near Osacca discharges it self in the Ocean runs through the City The chief Building of Meaco This City is surrounded by Suburbs and hath a Bridge with two Towers on each side of the River near the Gate through which runs the Way that leads to Oets and Jesi are very strong Watch-houses both for Horse and Foot where constantly they keep a strict Guard Somewhat farther stands the high Tower from whose top the Emperor may behold the great Lake near Jesi and the pleasant Hill Pauromama Temple of the Boâ—zi Next to this is another Tower which is the Emperors Armory On the right side of this Structure appears the magnificent Temple dedicated to the six Orders of Bonzi where the chief of this Priesthood call'd Xaximofins dwell and have their Residence The Palace of the Gayro But in the Center or middle of the City stands what out-shines all the glorious Palace of the Dayro whom they so much reverence esteeming his Royal Person to be so sacred that his Feet are not suffer'd to touch the Earth nor the Sun to shine on any part of his Body nor will they allow him to breathe the common or open Air neither must the Hair of his Beard and Head be Clipt or Shav'd nor his Nails Par'd his Table is always plentifully supply'd and every Course dress'd and serv'd up in new Dishes The Emperor's Court. On the right hand is the Emperors Court built more obscurely under the jetting side of a Mountain and therefore scarce seen by those which travel from Osacca to Meaco onely some of the Pinacles appear above the Hills Great Costs and Charges did Nobunango bestow in the re-building of this Palace after the burning of the same by the Rebels Near this is the Imperial Garden full of Trees and odoriferous Flowers which are so curiously Planted that the Eye which beholds them seems never satisfi'd with so pleasant an Object Palaces of the Japan Kings On both sides of this Garden are the Courts in which the Kings that commonly attend the Emperor have their Residence every one striving to exceed the other in Building so that end of the City seems all one Palace being adorn'd with so many sumptuous Edifices The left side of the Dayro's Palace is shaded by an exceeding high Turret Banquetting-Turrets cover'd with a Golden Plate below the Court towards the River are twelve more large and stately Houses which make one Seraglio The Seraglio in which the Dayro keeps his Concubines Besides all other Buildings the House of the chief Bonsjosen call'd Eglanmith that is The light of understanding makes a most glorious shew Somewhat lower you may see the Wall built by the Emperor Dayfusama when he extended Meaco four Leagues in circumference No less costly is the great square Temple with three Roofs rais'd very high which incloseth the gilded Idol Dai Buth to whose Worship the Japanners repair and flock from all Parts both far and near On the left side of the Custom-house a beautiful Temple shews it self three stately Spires rising from the uppermost Roof which contains as many gods or Idols as there are days in the year Daily in order they take down an Image which with great Ceremony they carry to the Chamber of the Eglamnith where after staying all Night the Priests next Morning waiting upon it carry it with great solemnity to the Temple affixing it in its former Place The Emperors prime Herald or King at Arms call'd Honroccou Racclaybono resides in another fair Court with three Roofs Next this a Watch-house under whose Roof two thousand Men constantly keep Courts of Guard always ready under Duty At the farthermost part of the City stands the Emperors Stables and Store-houses wherein are kept all the Furniture and Arms belonging to Horse and Man within whose utmost Bounds they may exercise forty thousand Horsemen The Citizens themselves dwell also in little Palaces with such variety of Rooms Lodgings and Apartments as they think fit which when they please they divide into many more with Partitions curiously Gilt and Varnish'd after the Indian manner which they set up and remove with small trouble so altering their whole House upon all occasions for their conveniency Meaco flourishes beyond all the Cities in Japan because all others suffer much and often by Civil Wars when this being the Seat of the Dayro after he was degraded of his Imperial Authority they bearing so much respect and reverence to his Person that they never look'd that way nor drew their Armies near that Place not so much as once to disturb him Father progress of the Netherland Ambassadors Oets ¶ ONe Night the Hollanders stay'd in this City and towards Noon on the one and twentieth of January travell'd to the great Village
between Meaco and Quano stands more Northerly into the Countrey the famous City Piongo which in the War that Nobanunga maintain'd after the Emperor Cubus's death was quite ruin'd For when Cavadonis Vocata Brother of the deceased Cubus who was the onely Person that was left alive of that Imperial Family escaping from his Enemies and flying to Vantandonus for Aid which he obtain'd was not onely nobly treated by him in his Castle but also endeavor'd by perswasions to stir up his neighboring Kings to take revenge on the Emperor's Murderers amongst whom Nobanunga King of Voari willingly embraced this opportunity to the end as he pretended to help Vocata to the Crown of his deceased Brother Cubus but contrary in a Civil War he embroil'd the whole Countrey for when Nobanunga had quell'd the Rebels and made Peace with their chief Commanders Mioxidoni and Diondoni he never so much as thought of establishing Vocata in the Throne but turn'd his victorious Army against other Japan Kings of which he brought thirty under his subjection as is said before and by these Conquests made himself Master of the whole Empire Amongst which fluctuating Commotions and Turmoils of an intestine War Piongo bore no small share for being taken by force it had not quite worn out the marks of Nobanunga's cruelties and soon after in the Year 1596. was totally ruin'd by a terrible Earthquake that more than half the City with Houses Temples and People were swallow'd up in the Earth and the remaining part thereof turn'd so topsie-turvie that it represented nothing but a heap of Ruins and Rubbish and miserable marks of Divine severity Terrible Earthquakes in Trugillo ¶ THese Earthquakes in Japan are very common as also in America and amongst other Places Trugillo a City in Peru Anno 1619. the fourth of February was exceedingly shaken by the like Trepidation a little before Noon the Ground began to move and in few Minutes ran the space of an hundred and sixty Leagues continuing very fiercely for fifteen Days all which time a dreadful Comet hung over their Heads which added if possible more terror to the Inhabitants expecting their utter destruction and the end of the World Two being struck with a consternation became dumb Besides those great numbers that were destroy'd and had scarce room to lie buried under the ruin'd Buildings it is worthy our observation how Peter Flores a Councellor Johannes Pontinus de Leon Secretary to the Peruan Bishop both Spaniards were struck with such a wonderful consternation that they became dumb and never spake after A strange accident Amongst others also happen'd another strange Accident which may serve as a fit pattern of Divine Justice A publick Notary coming over thither and being busied about drawing some Articles of Agreement by which a poor Man suffer'd much injury and great damage he having false Witnesses ready to Sign the same one there present discover'd the Cheat who falling out with the false Witnesses was by them drove out of the House and he no sooner being got in the Street but the House tumbled down killing him and his false Witnesses Great Earthquakes in Canada No less terrible was another late Earthquake in Canada The first of February Anno 1663. there arose a great noise and rumbling like Thunder in the Air whereupon soon after the Bells fell a Jangling as if they had Rung of themselves the Walls rent asunder great pieces of Timber and Stones fell on the Ground the Roofs of Houses and the Trees struck and fought one against another Near the Village call'd The Three Rivers two great Mountains with Woods were turn'd with the bottoms upwards Rocks and Mountains thrown into the River so making several Channels in the same and the Waters made new Inroads into the Countrey In other Places Hills were swallow'd up whole Woods remov'd and by Pauwels Village a Mountain was wash'd off by the Floods and became an Island and is still to be seen in the River But no Countrey in the World suffers so many Calamities and more almost total Ruines than this our Japan ¶ FRom Quano the Ambassadors took Shipping for between Quano and Mia the Ocean makes a great Bay so that none can travel by Land but with great Charges loss of Time and through bad Ways for which cause they hir'd sixteen Japan Vessels in which they Shipp'd their Goods Horses and Men so hoising Sail and having a small Gale of Wind it was Midnight before they reach'd Mia the Bay being about seven Leagues over Description of the City Mia ¶ THis City is very curiously built and adorn'd with many Temples and fortifi'd towards the Sea with a strong Castle Here the Hollanders stay'd a whole Night Narromi Siriomi and the stately City Occosacci ¶ THe Ambassadors parted from Mia the twenty fourth of January in the foremention'd Year 1646. travelling through the great Village Narromi and Siriomi to the stately City Occosacci full of curious Buildings and fortifi'd with a strong Castle which defends it from the sudden Onset of the Enemy To this City leads a Bridge of an hundred eighty eight Paces long over which the Hollanders carry'd their Goods Here they Din'd and in the Afternoon march'd on through Fintzara to Accasacci The Road thither is exceeding pleasant in some places of it divided by several Rivulets others with easie Ascents and delightful Valleys but each shaded with Trees The Retinue of the Lord of Bungien very strange About ten a Clock they reach'd the Village Ftagawa where they met with some of the Lord of Bungien's Soldiers who according to the Relation of the Interpreter came with a Commission from the Japan Emperor residing at Jedo to take possession of the Castle and Places belonging to Osacca The first Train was follow'd by the Lord himself who was carried in a Sedan after him follow'd his Ammunition and Houshold stuff guarded both by Foot and Horse which Rid on stately and well-train'd Steeds Arm'd with Bowes and Arrows Launces two Scymiters one short the other long with a Dagger and Helmets on their Heads and Wax-leather Boots The Foot as well as the Horse march'd very orderly and in good Martial Discipline not making the least noise nor any one Voice heard notwithstanding they were half an hour passing by in great Companies About eleven a Clock the Netherlanders descending a Hill entred the Village Siraski Siraski bordering the Sea being wash'd by the same on the right side and the left verg'd by a high Mountain cover'd with Trees Leaving Siraski they reach'd to Arei Arei where the Sea makes a Bay of a League and a half broad but is very shallow which put them to much trouble in carrying over their Goods because the Vessels oftentimes ran aground On the opposite side of this Bay lies on a Promontory Meisacca the Village Meisacca From hence Riding on in their Journey they went through several Villages along a Road on
upper end of the City close by the River Toncaw appears an exceeding large Watch-Tower being Four-hundred fifty eight Foot and a half high Guarded with twelve hundred Souldiers On the East side of this the Emperors Magazine a large Structure in the West rang'd in order stand several Temples of their Idol Fotoques one consecrated to Camis and another to their Evil Natur'd god which we call the Devil In the middle of the City rises a most delightful Banqueting-House in which the Emperor Chiongon Toxogunsama us'd to Recreate himself The Emperors Garden Moreover those that view the West part of Jedo will first see the Palace of the King of Bungo to which is joyn'd his Imperial Majesties Garden which is so exceeding pleasant and delightful that those famous Orchards of Semiramis being reckon'd amongst the Seven Wonders of the World are much inferior to it Nature and Art striving to out-vye one another Next to this stands the Palaces of the Lords of Chiecow and Firando His Imperial Majesties Councellors Bungono Nognicono Vonemo Ingando Cambano Rimo Cuno and Texinucano The Camies also Resides in a very sumptuous Building Somewhat farther is another fair House in which Utrandono the Emperors Groom-Porter dwells Southward from thence is the Temple of Xaca close by which stands the Custom-house near this are several large Buildings for the Emperors Generalissimo somewhat farther a Wall'd Plain where two thousand Horse may be drawn up and Mustred The Temple of Xantay to what end and by whom built Amongst other Temples is also very Beautiful that which is consecrated to the Idol Xantay having three Roofs one above another The Emperor Nobunanga after he had brought thirty Kingdoms under his Subjection and by that Victory obtain'd the Imperial Crown spar'd no Cost in the building thereof that by that means his Name might be ever after kept in memory He would also have been honor'd as a God and with more Zeal than any other of the Japan Deities but being murther'd by the Prince Aqueche Anno 1582. with his Death the Ceremony of his Service a Divine Worship was utterly ceas'd and his Temple consecrated to Xantay Temples full of Images Not far from thence you pass by the Court of the Chief Governor of the South part of the City Jedo which being built long in Front hath in the middle a Portall with a square Tower Farther into the City are two Temples of the Ickoisen almost touching one another both full of little Images Next to these are two more that belong to the Priests which they call Bulgru within these are no manner of Statues found except one representing the shape of a horrible Monster This City hath also several other fair Buildings in that part which is beyond the Mountain Tocajamma for there is a strong Garrison wherein are Quarter'd Three thousand five hundred Souldiers On one side of which is the Palace of the Mayor or Chief Governor of that part of the City to whom all the Inferior Officers are to render an account weekly of what hath happen'd in that time in their several Wards The Watch-Tower which is seen at a great distance both by Sea and Land and the Garrison with the Chief Governors Court make most ways a Triangular Prospect somewhat farther stands a Temple Dedicated to all sorts of Beasts with a very high double Roof On the North side of which appears a large Court in which four of the prime Bonzies live together having also three Temples built in a Row The Temple of Camis and Fotoques ¶ AT last appears the Temple Consecrated to the Idol Camis and Fotoques which Names are not peculiar for one or two but general for the Japanners call all their gods to whom they Pray for future Bliss in the world to come Fotoques and those from whom they expect Transitory Happiness as Health Wealth and a fair Race of Children that should enjoy what they are possess'd withal after their Deaths they call Camis The Emperors Seraglio In the List of Superior Deities many of their Princes and Emperors for their great Atchievements when living have been Registred by their Subjects and after departure Worshipp'd as their gods as the Antient Greeks and Romans heretofore But on the other side of the Imperial Garden stands the Seraglio for his Women being in thirty large Divisions which the Japanners call the Chandran nearer the Sea are more Palaces belonging to the Kings Quicougeu and Date and beyond those the King of Saxuma hath his Court much resembling Quicougeu his Palace onely the last hath a large Porch built Arch-wise high like a Steeple TEMPEL met Duysend BEELDEN ¶ BUt that which Crowns the City and appears above all the rest is the Empresses Magnificent Palace which they call Miday rising aloft with three Galleries or Stories according to their manner one surmounting the other The King of Figens Court makes also a stately show But on one side of the Empresses Palace are Houses being large built all of Stone wherein lies the Inexhaustable Emperial Treasures and heap'd-up Mountains of Gold and Silver not to be valued within the compass of Arithmetick the Riches of St. Mark and the Golden Mines of Potosi with the whole Revenues of all the European Kings cast up together would scarce Ballance the unimaginable Audits and vast Accompts thereof Phaiglerodano Cammangon the Empresses Brother being the King of Jamaystero dwells here also in a sumptuous Palace near which are three Courts belonging to his Unckles the first being the King 's of One way the second of Mito the third of Cinocuni all three Brothers to the Emperor Xogunsama surnam'd Conbosama These three Palaces stand very near one another the largest and fairest is that in which Cinocuni Resides having two Roofs one above another Xogunsama Son to the Emperor Daifusama succeeded his Father in his Throne Anno 1616. Other Palaces in Jedo Near this place also stands a fair Building belonging to two Brothers of the King Amanguci Somewhat farther is the Court of the King of Tacata and next that the Residences of the Kings of Zanuaquq Fanga and Omura About the middle of the City are five Palaces more in which reside the Princes Amacusa Beyond these the King of Arima hath a large Court The Temples of the two Emperors are also very beautiful on the North end is a Light-house of Five hundred ninety four Foot high A Light-house for ships to steer into the Harbor Some distance from hence is a fair Cloyster for Widows And near this the Palace in which the Chief Governor of the East part of the City resides Six Streets farther a Temple Dedicated to the Idol with four Heads But that which exceeds all the Buildings at this end of the City is a stately Cloyster whose height largeness and magnificence deserves no small wonder in this Colledge the second and third Son of the Emperor have their Education bred up to several Arts and Eastern
Learning Towards the East end of Jedo appear two fair Temples both Dedicated to their god Amida The Temples of Amida But distinguish'd by calling the one onely Amida and the other The Golden Amida At the farthest end of the City opposite to the Village Tonquerba is the Court of the Emperors Chief Custom and Collector in the East part of Jedo The Empress worships Amida ¶ FAther Lodowick Frojus relates in his Letter from Canga an Island in Japan dated Anno 1565. That the Emperor Cuba his Royal Consort had built a Chappel in her own Palace Dedicating it to Amida in which she daily attended with a great Train of Ladies there paying her Devotions to his Statue representing a comely Youth Crown'd with Gold that Reflected Rayes like Sun-Beams for when the Emperor Cubus was slain by the Rebels Diandono and Mioxindono and the Empress making her escape took Sanctuary in a Monastery near Miaco where being discover'd the Priviledge of the place not protecting they sent an Executioner to take away her life she preparing to obey the hard Sentence call'd for Pen Ink and Paper and Wrighting to her two Daughters which were also Imprison'd in the next House Informing them That she was to be unjustly Murder'd but she rejoyc'd and would be glad to Imbrace Death because she doubted not but that Amida had found this means to bring her to a better Habitation and the sooner to enjoy that Paradise where her Dear Husband so lately Murder'd remains expecting by her company the full accomplishment of both their Happiness Then Sealing the Letter she thank'd the Bonzi for his kind entertaining of her in their Colledge and drawing near to Amida's Altar where kneeling she lifted up her Hands and call'd twice on the god for to forgive her her Sins Then the Bonzi laid his Hand upon her Head as a Token that she had Absolution from all her Offences then going from thence into a private Room she lifted up her hands again to Heaven and cry'd Amida Amida which said Was beheaded she was Beheaded Images of Amida are divers Furthermore it is to be observed that there are several Images Representing this god for whereas he sometimes is made as we said before with a Dogs Head riding on a Seven-Headed Horse another resembling a Naked Youth with Holes in his Ears sitting on a large Rose Carv'd of Wood and in a strange Shape with a Fantastick Cap on his Head slit before with two large Buttons on the top with a comely and youthful Countenance in his Ears hang two Rings one within another about his Neck a Scarf his Breast cover'd with an Oval Plate curiously Engraven over his Shoulders and Back hangs a Coat of Feathers neatly Wrought and joyn'd together in his Hands a String of Beads his Breast and Belly exceeding large sitting on a great Cushion before him stands several Japan Letters Engraven on a square Stone They also place oftentimes near their god Amida another Idol with thre◠Heads which are cover'd with one flat Cap or Bonnet joyn'd close together their Chins Hairy about the Neck a Pastboard Band on each side four Arms and Hands the Breast and Waste girded with five Strings of Pearl the Belly appears like the Body of the Sun darting Rays with several Characters in the middle the Walls are all hung with rich and costly Japan Habits and before them many burning Lamps A very stately Temple with a thousand Images near Meaco But besides these two Temples of Amida in Jedo there is a most famous Chappel about a League from Meaco being of more antiquity erected by some of their antient Emperors and since by the Modern enlarg'd and beautifi'd being four hundred and twenty Foot long having two great Porches with Portcullises in the middle where entring you may first see a large Seat on which sits an Image bigger than the Life resembling a Giant with Holes in his Ears Bald-headed and shaven after the manner of the Indian Brachmans over this huge Figure hang several Cups on both sides divers shapes of Armed Soldiers Morisco Dancers Exotick Wizards and other dreadful Figures with antick Gestures Their Wind and Thunder also are personated in terrible Figures Then they enter the Chappel ascending on seven Steps having five hundred Idols on each side fix'd to the Wall all representing Canon the Son of Amida with amiable Looks each having thirty Arms two of which are of ordinary size but all the other very small and in every Hand two Arrows on their Breasts are engraven seven little Faces on their Heads Golden Crowns with Strings of Diamonds Moreover not onely the Chains Bells and other things belonging to these Images but also the Statues themselves are all Massie Gold wrought by the Goldsmith insomuch that the beholders Eyes dazle at the glory and splendor of Canon's Chappel To which most People from all Parts of Japan repair to perform their Devotions and the rather because there are many more Temples near it to which they also resort upon the same account Description of an University in Japan ¶ ABout two Miles from the aforemention'd Chappel is a famous University built at the Foot of a Hill and divided into several Halls Colledges Cloisters surrounded by a pleasant Stream near which are many Chappels in some of which they worship a horrible Image representing as we suppose the Devil On the top of the Hill appears three great Temples built of Wood on exceeding large and thick Pillars the Ground Pav'd with polish'd Marble Of the Idol Xaca In one of these stands a very large Image of their god Xaca having many lesser Statues plac'd on both sides of him at his back hangs a Piece of Parchment to which are joyn'd two thousand broad Seals near which stands forty Representations of two-year-old Children on each side of the Temple are two foul and horrible Monsters Arm'd with great Clubs All these Images and Seals are richly Gilt. In the second Temple or rather a Theatre for there they keep all their Commencements promoting of Students according to their several Merits to Places and Dignities which they perform thus The Proficient and the Master of this Ceremony are placed in the middle of the Stage with Penons and Flags hanging over their Heads where the Graduate in a formal manner beseeches a Prime Doctor to put him in Orders and prefer him according to his Deserts which done he takes Place as he is advanced The Temple for the Porcupine This Edifice is dedicated to the Porcupine amongst them the Embleme of Learning but they erect no Altar nor Image for him as for other gods but onely hang the dead Animal up in the Roof of the Hall that when the Students implore this Deity to fill them with Arts and Sciences they may lift with their Eyes their Hearts also to Heaven The third exceeds the other two in heighth and beauty Palaces for Scholars Here are other several Halls adorn'd with
large Image which make up their University where Scholars Study and have their Residence in each of them are fair Libraries Japan Library stuft with innumerable Catalogues of Books where with a Skrew or turning of a Wheel what Book soever they desire to see presents it self Many Churches in Japan ¶ THe Number Magnificence and wonderful Riches of dedicated Places and Temples for Divine Worship are beyond admiration and almost incredible The greatest have dwelling in them to perform the Rites and Ceremonies twenty Priests the second Rate fifteen others ten and the least two Make bad use of them But these Structures built for religious intentions and commonly in the most luxurious and pleasantest Situation of the whole Isle are made by their dissolute and gormandizing Priests the Academies of all Debaucheries and especially the Schools of Gluttony Drunkenness and Lust who in their Frollicks in open view of all their Idols in a gallanting humor will not spare to prostitute their wanton Mistresses and for their more conveniency lay them at the Feet of their gods and make them Bolsters for their Adulteries Hendrick Hagenaer relates that he saw six Temples near Osacca at whose Doors stood large Images of Wood holding Boxes in their Hands into which the Japanners throw Pieces of Copper by them call'd Caxa A strange Chappel There is also a Chappel through the middle whereof runs a Stream into which the poor Women throw several Written Papers The Dining-Room wherein the Bonzi eat is very costly On one side of the Temple stands the Colledge of the Bonzi which is as glorious to behold and as strong being an hundred and twenty Foot long and thirty six Foot broad And also the Places where they sleep their Lodging-Rooms about the same are reckon'd to be an hundred and eighty besides many stately Halls whereof one stands on twenty four Cedar Columns in which is the Library of the Bonzi full of the choicest Japan Books Here are also several fair Stoves in deep Vaults and provided with all Necessaries Their Kitchins are very curiously furnish'd their Kettles made of the best Copper are two Foot and a half deep three in circumference and two Inches in thickness before these runs a Rivulet of fresh Water In the Nights they hang up twenty four Lanterns with lighted Candles in their Chambers Before this Colledge or Court of the Bonzi is a Pool that abounds with all sorts of Fish of which if any one should adventure to steal he is without mercy put to death This Temple Cobucui hath been built above seven hundred years The like Temple is also in Jedo in which the Idol Xaca of an exceeding huge stature may be seen This Image was erected formerly by the Widow of the Emperor Taykosame who caus'd it to be made hollow pouring it full of melted Copper and the out-side to be Gilt very costly Description of the Idol Xaca ¶ THe Head of this their god Xaca hath the likeness or Face of a middle-aged Man with a thin Beard the Hair of his Head cropt above his Ears his Cap folded like a Scarf about his Neck are Chains of Gold interlaid with Diamonds about his Middle a Scarf woven of Gold and Silver his Hands he holds forth but a little asunder in a praying posture about his Wrists are Strings with long Tassels and sits cross-Legg'd on a great Golden Plate before and behind him are two large Vessels in which they put their Offerings the Golden Plate whereon he sits covers a square Altar on whose Brim hangs twelve Pots by Gold Chains in which both Night and Day they burn Incense which are still supply'd with odoriferous Gums the Altar being square stands on a broad Foot cut with several Japan Characters What Xaca was formerly But this their god Xaca whom they worshipp'd when living was a great Proficient in the Pythagorean Doctrine which of old was most generall and a Religion most spread through all the World and much follow'd by the Greeks and Latines from whence the Grecian Fables of Transformation took their rise who according to Plato generally believ'd Plato 17.10 de Legibus that Orpheus after his death became a Swan Thamyras a Nightingale Ajax a Lyon Agamemnon turn'd to a Crane Ambros Lib. De Bono Mors. Cio Ambrose relates they also believ'd That the Souls of their Learned chang'd into Bees or Nightingales because that whilst living they had pleas'd the Peoples Ears with their sweet and eloquent Language but the Souls of the malicoius turn into Serpents Thieves and Robbers into Wolves Cozeners and Cheaters after their Death become Foxes every one changeth into such Creatures as best analogizeth with their several Vertues and Vices Plato and Pythagoras according to Herodotus first taught the Egyptians this Doctrine Zamolxis spread the same amongst the Northern Goths for which they worship him as a god The Druides spread it all over Gaul and Germany and the West Indians I know not how are much of that belief And Josephus tells us Joseph L. 18. Ant. G. 11. that the Pharisees amongst the Jews were much biassed with this Perswasion Julian fondly imagin'd That the Soul of Alexander the Great inform'd and gave life to his Body and therefore sleighted all dangers This their god Xaca saith Father Kircher the Indians call'd Rama the Tunkmensers Chiaga by the Chineses Xen Kian The Chineses derive him from India in the Province of Tien Turk Gnoe Moreover the Japanners have this Tradition concerning Xaca The Dream of Xaaca's Mother That his Mother dream'd that she saw a white Elephant issuing out of her Mouth and went into her left Side Why the white Elephants are of so great esteem in India From hence proceeds that great esteem which the Indians and chiefly those in China Lai Tunchim Siam and Pegu have of white Elephants for they are kept and attended on like Kings and feed on all variety of high Fare and in Golden Dishes The Nobility visit them in humble and submissive postures No other Quarrel than a white Elephant caus'd a great War Anno 1576 between the King of Siam and Pegu in which the Siams were so defeated that they not onely lost their white Elephant but were utterly subdu'd and brought under by the King of Pegu But this Yoke the succeeding Princes did soon shake off and were Masters of two white Elephants which in short time after dying caus'd great lamentation to the King and People of Siam judging them to be sent from Heaven as an evidence and earnest of future blessings Xaca Murder'd his Mother But the first piece of divine service which this their god Xaca in his humanity perform'd was offering his Mother which he himself kill'd lifting up his right Hand towards Heaven and his left pointing to the Ground said with a loud voice Behold neither Heaven nor Earth affords a greater and more holier Saint than I This done he withdrew to a dark
so to be After their departure Spex took some Wax-Work along with him which in his Journey thither he had bespoke and went on to Fissima where Segerszoon and John Cousins were arrived with their Goods Here meeting one another They meet again they went all aboard of a Bark in which they Sail'd to the Suburbs of Osacca where the Wind blew so hard against them that they were forc'd to Land not being able to get further They travel to Saccai to observe trade In the mean time they went on to the City Saccai famous for Trade being three Leagues from Osacca to enquire out the manner of their Dealing and very happily met there with Melchior Zantfoort who suffering Shipwrack on that Coast staid in this City where he had narrowly observ'd all their Customs of which he inform'd Spex who gave them such satisfaction that they no way repented their Journey thither They come to Firando Thence from Cussima the Suburb of Osacca they went on their way and on the nineteenth of September Anno sixteen hundred and eleven they came to an Anchor before Firando where they were honorably entertain'd by old Foyesamma and the young Governor Donnesumi and after the reading of the Letters deliver'd written by the Council in Surunga and Jedo and especially the Emperors the two Waiters were immediately Commanded from the Netherland Ship call'd The Brake then lying in the Harbor The Governor of the Countrey of Firando is the cause of the Trade of the Netherlanders in Japan Foyesamma obliged the East-india Company exceedingly in this Embassy for he not onely provided Spex and Segerzoon with a Gentleman to recommend them at Court but also Anno 1603. fitted out a Jonk at his own Cost and Charge to carry Quackernaek and Melchior Zantroort who lost their Ships on the Japan Shore to Patane there to declare the benefit of the Japan Trade to the Netherlanders This Voyage cost Foyesamma about two thousand Pieces of Eight Afterwards Anno 1609. when the first Ships being the Red Lyon with Arrows and the Griffin that came from Batavia to Firando he furnish'd the chief Merchants which sought for a free Trade by the Emperor with a Galley of fifty six Oars which was out two Moneths and return'd so sadly Weather-beaten that she was soon after broke up Mean while the foremention'd Ships left great store of Pepper at Firando which Foyesamma bought in at the dearest Rate because Saphedonne the Emperor's Governor in Nangesaque should not ingross the Pepper-Trade to himself so that no other Merchant durst proffer any Price for it but Foyesamma losing above twelve hundred Pound thereof the Charges and Damage which he suffer'd for or by the East-India Company was very great Neither were his Losses repair'd though he receiv'd the year before out of ten Chinese Jonks above four thousand weight of Pepper in Presents Presents made to the Governor of Firando The Netherland Council at Firando taking this into consideration that Foyesamma might not be discourag'd for his great Favors and his noble Undertaking they thought it fit to present him with some rich Presents though their small Cargo could scarce allow of the same yet they were as bountiful as they could and gave the old and young Governor and his Unckle such Gifts that they were all kindly received And this was the second Embassy which the Netherlanders sent to Daifusama the Emperor of Japan Why Daifusama promoted the Foreign Trade Daifusama first call'd Ongoschio and at last Goyssio Samma was exceedingly pleas'd with such foreign Courtesies He also endeavor'd by means of the Outlandish Trade to enrich and employ his Subjects and therefore all Strangers were protected by the Emperor and secur'd from all Affronts yet not long after a bloody Persecution of the Christians began in his Empire Persecutes the Roman Christians The Jesuit Cornelius Hazart mentions several Martyrs as Johannes Gorosaimon Simon Giffioje Magdalena Agnes Melchior Bujandono Damianus Leo Xiquigemo Michael and Martha besides several Children which were either beheaded burnt or Nail'd on Crosses Moreover as to what is related concerning Fayaxinda his Wife Martha Daughter Magdalena and his young Son Jacob besides Adrian Tacafaxi Joanna Leo Canyemon and Paulus Danyemon I leave to the pleasure of the Reader to believe Father Hazart relates their Martyrdom thus Hazarts Relation of some Martyrs ¶ HAlf a Mile from Arima stands a House in a Valley built on eight Pillars cover'd with Straw and the Walls of Wood. On the seventeenth of October Anno 1613. they were led out of the City at which time it was present death to be a Christian and yet twenty thousand Christians came together and divided themselves into several Companies carrying lighted Torches and wore red Caps walking six and six in a row in the same manner as they go in Procession in Rome and Antwerp strowing the Paths which they pass'd with Coral and Bays to the honor of all the Saints The Martyrs went forth from amongst the Company into the foremention'd House where every one embrac'd a Wooden Pillar but whilst the Executioner was tying them fast one after another to the Posts Leo Canyenon none knew how got upon the top of the House and call'd from thence with a loud voyce saying Brothers this day appears the power of Faith in Jesus Christ whilst we gladly endure the Flames which can scarce devour our Bodies but we shall be rais'd out of the Ashes to be preserv'd at the day of Judgment from everlasting Fire in a most blessed Life Brothers be constant to the Law of God and account him above your lives and fortunes Thus having finish'd his Discourse he descended and suffer'd himself to be ty'd to the eighth Pillar When they were all bound the Jesuits Commander Gasper shew'd them the Picture of Jesus ty'd to a Post and miserably Whipp'd in the Synagogue and calling upon them said Look how much you resemble our Saviour when he suffer'd under Pontius Pilate This is he for whose love you die who exprest his affections before-hand when he dy'd for you to live in him that arose alive from death He will crown you in Heaven with glorious Crowns The Executioners staid for the finishing of Gasper's Speech then setting the Stakes about the Straw-house on fire the Martyrs standing about three Foot from it that so they might roast by degrees Mean while the Strings with which Magdalen Fayaxinda's Daughter was made fast being burnt she fled not from the Fire but went and took many glowing Coals placing them on her Head like a Crown The Cord of Jacob's young Son was also burnt and he ran to his Mother Martha who bid him call upon Jesus Maria. Thus much in short of what Hazart relates with many Circumstances of Words and Deeds describ'd at large Daifusama persecutes the Roman Christians But it is very well known that Daifusama did persecute the Christians very severely and by strict Edicts commanded all his
Substitute Kings to prosecute and punish them according to the Laws so that in the Kingdom of Bungo they were burnt and in the Province Chicuin hang'd up by the Legs And here Orbedono sat in the City Facata representing the King at the entrance of one of their Temples with four Judges holding a great Book indors'd thus A Catalogue of the Names of those that deny'd Christ In which every one were to subscribe that return'd again to their former Faith and those that would not were sure to suffer intolerable punishments and death Amongst great numbers were onely Thomas and Joachim that did not apostatize from their Christianity therefore they were immediately Hang'd on a Tree by the Feet on two Boughs that the uppermost his Head touch'd the lowermost his Feet thus they hung half a Day and a whole Night the Japanners deriding them as they pass'd by looking upon them as Fools that would suffer so cruel a Death for a strange Religion but they not regarding their Discourse were soon after beheaded Cruelties us'd against them in Xiqui and Arima In the Island Xiqui the Christians were carry'd about naked Nail'd on Crosses beheaded and with many other exquisite tortures put to death But above all the Apostate King of Arima exceeded them in their tortures having amongst other things two sharp Pieces of Wood between which their Legs were put and after beat close together which occasion'd such a grievous Pain that most forsook the Roman Faith Hazart Church Hist The Reasons which stirr'd up Daifusama to this cruelty and chiefly since the Year 1613. the Jesuit Hazart saith are chiefly four The first Reason why the Japan Emperor persecuted the Christians The first was Daifusama's suspecting the Spanish Forces which spread daily more and more over India insomuch that great Islands and vast Provinces did already bow to them In the West they had subdu'd a whole new World call'd America and still not being satisfi'd with so great a Conquest was come through the unknown South-Sea and had there made himself Master of several Territories in the East the Molucca Islands the Castle Malacca and the far-spreading Philippines being all under his subjection from whence he might when he pleas'd send over his Forces to Japan not that they are so near that the Philippines may be seen from Japan as Hazart without reason sets down their nearest Promontories being at least two hundred Dutch Miles distant from each other but that Japan being already full of Foreigners which were up in Arms and also well stor'd with Christians who knew but that together in a short time they might deliver it up to a Christian Prince The second Reason The second Reason Hazart tells us was this A Ship lying at Anchor in a Japan Haven one Yamondono a Gentleman of that Countrey desirous to see the same went Aboard where he found the Master looking over the Map of the World Yamondono entreated him to instruct and inform him concerning the Territories Mountains Rivers Cities and Havens therein Nothing more amaz'd him than to see the Spaniards have Command over so great a part of Europe America and Asia and that they still held their Possession But the Master being examin'd farther told him That his Countreymen drove a Trade with all the World and that no People suffer'd any damage by them but what wrong any did them they righted by Arms with which they had subdu'd many Kingdoms Yamondano desir'd to know if they did not send their Ministers beforehand to gain the hearts of the Inhabitants by Preaching the Doctrine of Christ and to stir them up against their Heathen Governors to the end that when any Insurrection should happen they might by a conjunction with the male-content Natives enable themselves to a more easie Conquest The Master acknowledg'd that was the Design of their Priests which Yamondono laying up in his mind soon after sent word thereof to the Emperor who slept not upon so weighty a Matter but resolv'd suddenly to free himself of the Popish Clergy as his Predecessor Taicosama did Anno 1587. commanding them all in twenty days to depart from Japan Fathom the Japan Harbors This News of Yamondono was back'd by another casual Information given to Daifusama That a Spanish Pilot had fathom'd and with a Plummet sounded the depth of several Japan Harbors which was suspected to be done for no other end but that they intended to Land in some of those Places and to subdue Japan as they had done many Provinces both in the East and West The third Reason of the Persecution Hazart lays upon the English and Hollanders The third Reason of the Persecution Hazart lays the blame thereof upon the English and Hollanders who reported that the Spaniards had aim'd along time to make themselves not onely Masters of Europe but the West part of the World and to that end not many years since they had made great slaughter in Peru Mexico France Netherlands and other Places that no Age ever heard of so many and so cruel That they sent their Priests beforehand to prepare the ways and under a cloak of Religion to draw the People to their humors extorting great Riches from them and making them believe that the Pope hath an absolute and unlimited Power to dispose of all Kingdoms and Provinces according to his will and pleasure and that Subjects therefore are not ty'd to be always obedient to their Heathen Governors but might release themselves when they saw a convenient opportunity That the Jesuits crept in every where and by subtile Plots and Contrivances sought to dethrone Princes causing many Murders and Uprores where-ever they came for which cause several Christian Princes oftentimes banish'd them from their Courts and Countreys In France stood a long time an Iron Plate whereon was Engraven all the Villanies for which they were banish'd out of that Countrey The Sorbonne in France presented some years past a Writing to the Court wherein they shew'd that the World never bred more traiterous and bloody Villains than the Jesuits The Cities Antwerp Padua Bruges Tholouse Bourdeaux Prague and other Wall'd Places oftentimes for their horrid and abominable actions have thrust them forth And had not the wisdom of the Venetian Governors been deluded along time by their dissimulation of Zeal they had not so long been pester'd with them But quickly the English Scots and several other Kingdoms had rid their hands of them by banishment This Hazart being himself a Jesuit sets down as the most prevailing Reason and Motive that stirr'd up Daifusama against the Roman Christians and chiefly the Priests The fourth Reason But the last Fast Fault he lays upon the Japan Prince Portasius who being King of Arima pretended to be highly in Favor with the Emperor because his Son had married Daifusama's Niece and therefore sought no small share of the Province Figen which by Inheritance he laid claim to For the obtaining this
Polycrates his Daughter dream'd the Night before her Father went away to wit that she saw him taken up into the Air and wash'd by Jupiter and dry'd again by the Sun which Orcates perform'd in crucifying Polycrates when the Heavens pour'd down upon him and the Sun scorch'd him in such a manner that his Fat dropp'd and ran down by the Cross Plutarch in Vit Herod in Coll. In like manner did Alexander the Great crucifie the Physician Glaucus and two thousand Tyrian Slaves and Xantippus the Athenian the Persian Artyacta They perform'd this bloody Office themselves purposely to delight the Spectators who satisfi'd their Eyes by beholding them shrink up their Bodies working of the Sinews and Veins and pleas'd their Ears with the doleful cries of the miserable Wretches dying by degrees The Germans and Gauls us'd this kind of punishment to Traitors and Rebels But nore were more expert at it than the Africans and amongst them the Carthaginians oftentimes so using their Generals if they came off vanquish'd notwithstanding they had fought valiantly nay sometimes though they came home Victors for if any thing of misdemeanor could be found against them they died without mercy Divers ways of Crucifying But they do not observe in all Places one manner or way of Crucifying for first the Crosses differ'd in shape and when great numbers were condemn'd they oftentimes made Trees serve for that purpose At other times they us'd single Poles on which they Nail'd their Hands and Feet one over another Others were made of two Pieces of Wood or more sometimes both Pieces are of an equal length joyn'd together exactly in the middle so that the hindmost part of the Crucifi'd comes just to the Place where it is joyn'd and his Hands and Feet being stretch'd out are made fast by four great Nails The Church Histories tell us That the Apostle St. Andrew suffer'd in that manner Tertullian adds hereunto the Actions of Jacob Tertul. de Bapt. c. 3. which laid his hands across when he blessed Ephraim and Manasseh whereby he signifi'd that future blessedness should accrew to Mankind from the Cross of our Saviour At other times the Crosses were made of two unequal Poles the longest of which being set in the Ground and the shortest fastned towards the top so that a small part of the longest appear'd above the other on which was Written the Crime for which they suffer'd or else they carry'd the occasion of his Death on a Board before him to the Cross or by a Cryer made it known to all the Spectators Some Crosses had more than two Pieces of Timber for besides the upright and thwart Poles there was a crooked Piece of Wood in which the cross Pole rested or on the upper end of the longest were two Pieces of Timber nail'd cross one above another or else from the middle Piece hung two other Pieces of Timber downwards or else the long Pole had two Sticks nail'd across one above and the other below on the uppermost of which they made fast their Arms and on the undermost the Feet This last was in use amongst the Japanners How the Japanners make them fast But in stead of nailing they ty'd them sometimes laying the Cross down on the Ground and there raising that and the Crucifi'd up together At other times they first made the Cross fast in the Ground setting three Ladders against it on the middlemost of which the Sufferer ascended being pull'd up on both sides by Ropes made fast to his Hands Sometimes they tie the Condemned to a cross Pole by his Hands and then by two Ropes with a Pulley hoise him up to the top The Japanners also torture their Crucifi'd after another manner than the Romans Greeks Syrians Persians Africans and other People The Romans and Greeks caus'd them to be Whipp'd with Scourges full of sharp Rowels either ty'd to a Pillar in the Court-house or else all the Way till they came to the Cross The like relates Philo how that the Roman General Flaccus caus'd a great many Jews in Alexandria to be nail'd to the Cross which had before in the open Court been miserably Whipp'd And Curtius relates Curt. l. 7. That Alexander the Great resolutely caus'd the Sogdian Arimazes to yield up and withdraw from their invincible Rock with thirty thousand Soldiers of which he took the chiefest Commander and Crucifi'd him at the Foot of the Rock How the Japanners Crucifie Moreover others strip them stark naked as they were born but the Japanners tye them on two cross Pieces of Timber with their Clothes on This Custom was also us'd by the Romans though but seldom Concerning the Apostle St. Andrew Abdias Hist Apol. l. 3. the Historian Abdias relates That the Vice-Roy Aegeas in Edessa gave strict command to the Executioners not to nail him to the Cross but to bind him that he might be the longer dying for at other times they use great Nails whose number was left to the pleasure of the Executioner most commonly they drove one through each Hand near the Wrist and the Feet near the Leg but at other times they strike several through their Hands which they doe chiefly when they fear that the Nails will not hold Cruelty us'd in Crucifying but slip through the Hands by which the whole weight of the Body hangs The Martyr Agricola being made fast with divers great Spikes died under the Executioners hands This cruelty seem'd less barbarous than that when they made a great Fire under the Cross so burning the Malefactor or choaking him up with the Smoak This kind of Death thousands of Christians suffer'd while they were persecuted above three hundred years Tertul. Apol. Cult wherefore according to Tertullian they generally went by the Name of Takkebos-Men because they were burnt by the Boughs of Trees on the Cross The same Death the Martyr Polycarpus died Euseb l. 4. c. 17. It is remarkable what Eusebius Writeth concerning him when the Executioners would nail him to the Cross he said Let me stand loose in the Fire I shall be able by Gods assistance to endure it with patience whereupon they onely bound him to the Cross without Nailing It was accounted also a merciful Death to the Crucifi'd to let Lyons Tygers Bears and other Beasts of Prey eat them from their Feet upwards which manner of cruelty Nero us'd to the Christians But commonly the Heathen endeavor'd to make them undergo a long and lingring Death therefore sometimes tying them with their Heads downwards Nailing their Arms athwart underneath and their Feet on the upper part of the Cross The Martyr Victorinus being thus Crucifi'd by order of the Emperor Nerva Martyrâ—l Sep. 5. Mai. 3. liv'd three days and Timotheus and Maura nine admonishing one another to be constant in their Faith so that they oftentimes dy'd of Hunger whilst the Blood slowly dropping from them occasion'd great faintness and at last death nor did their tyrannous rage
Ground heats and causes the Water to boyl as if a Pot hung over a Flame But that Opinion is not grounded on Reason for it is the nature of Fire being inclos'd in Caves under Ground to break forth with great rage if it hath the least vent Here also it is to be observ'd That the Fire dries up the Water or the Water extinguishes the Fire so soon as the one gets the Mastery of the other So that without contradiction the force of the Fire must either dry up the flowing Waters and consume the Earth underneath to Ashes or else the Water which has pass'd through it so many Ages must needs have quench'd the Fire For who will believe that Water and Fire are of one force and power under Ground and so agreeable in Nature that the one should not extinguish the other Moreover where is there any scalding Waters by burning Sulphurous places yet if it be any where it must be there The Italians reckon little less the fifty boyling Waters but not one of them by which any fire hath been found The Mountains Vesuvius Aetna Hecla and others which continually belch out hideous Smokes into the Air and sometimes horrible Flames yet produce no manner of hot moysture The best reason of the hotness of the waters But the wisest Philosophers judge the occasion of the heat in Sulphurous Waters to proceed from the swift motion with which it pours down from steep descents into the Crevises of the Earth and so still running forwards that it becomes hotter and hotter for experience learns us that a quick motion occasions heat This reason seems to our stupid judgments to be nearest the truth yet we must herein acknowledge a great ignorance and a Bridle for our understanding which seems to be wanting and stops as amaz'd at such mysteries Who can disclose the reason why the Fountain near Matilga a City of the Garamantes hath from Noon to Midnight Water boyling hot which from Midnight to Noon is as cold as Ice as Augustin Isidorus and Pliny witness why the Fountain Consecrated to Jupiter Hammon as Diodorus Salinus Amianus Lucretius Plin. lib. Hist 5. cap. 5. Wonders of waters and Pliny thus relate changeth also hot and cold of which Ovid saith Horn'd Hamon's Water in the Morning hot And at the Evening boyling like a Pot Yet from what reason to the Learn'd unknown Grows Chill like Snow and cold as Ice at Noon Who will dive with his judgement into the Mysteries which the Territories of Epirus manifest by a strange Fountain which not onely lights a Torch when held to it but also puts out one that is lighted What man will find out the reason that a Lake in a Jewish Plantation if Isidorus deserves to be credited drys up Sabbatical River or rather stands still every Sabbath day And why the Fountain of the Hill Anthracius when it overflows signifies Plenty and by its scarcity of Water as is to be seen by Pliny foretels Famine Those that are tortur'd with Singoks water Apostatize ¶ BUt to return to those miserable Wretches at Singok who when they began to pant for Breath by reason of their unsufferable Pain were deliver'd up to Chirurgeons to prolong their Lives to enable them to more sufferings for so soon as they recover'd any strength they were sure again to be brought to Singok They spent most part of August in this cruel Persecution insomuch that all those which resolv'd to be constant became Apostates except one Youth who scarce had attain'd the eighteenth year of his age was the onely person that dy'd under the hands of the merciless Torturers Horrible cruelties inflicted on the Japan women The Women generally suffer'd more than the Men for besides dropping Singoks Water upon them they drove the Maids stark naked along the Streets forcing them to creep on their Hands and Feet and causing them to be publickly ravish'd The Widows they stripp'd of their Clothes provoking their Sons to commit Adultery with them some Women they held fast by their arms and legs under Stone-Horses so committing all the outrages of Sodom they forc'd the Children to pour Singoks Water on their Parents and the Parents on the Children standing close together betwixt Stakes drove round about them some of the Women suffer'd no less by shame than other by torture their Privities being stuft full of Flax and Hemp with which also they ty'd up the young Mens Members and the Daughters were forc'd to set fire of the heaps of Wood which were to consume their Fathers Several hundreds went in companies ranging up and down in the Woods all Stigmatiz'd on their Fore-heads every one being commanded on pain of death not to give them any sustenance Tortures with water In several places near the Sea-side many Inclosures were erected in which they lock'd up whole Families which at low Water sate dry but at the time of Flood above half way in the Salt-Water these having leave to eat and drink Of Children with their Parents liv'd generally twelve or thirteen days Moreover the Parents were hoodwink'd whilst their Children which were miserably tortur'd night and day cry'd Fathers and Mothers take pity of us forsake the Christian Religion it is impossible to endure these cruel Torments which doleful cry took such deep impression into some of their hearts that for meer grief they dy'd Several had their Nails par'd off Inhumane cruelties others had their Arms and Legs boar'd thorow with Drill-Irons which occasion'd great pain also they fill'd some of their Bellies with Water which they pour'd into them through a Tunnel then being laid on their backs on the ground the Executioners stamp'd upon them so vehemently that they made them disgorge the same through their Mouths Noses and Ears After these kind of Cruelties they us'd another more barbarous placing the Martyrs on a Bench bending their Arms across on their breasts they made their bodies fast behind to a Post and then drove betwixt the Nails of their Hands and Feet sharp Spikes which tortures they renew'd five six or more days together Moreover they plac'd some Women in a large Coope full of Snakes and Serpents which crept into their Privities eating up their Bowels Hanging them up by the legs an intollerable pain for the Japanners But amongst all the tortures the most cruel was hanging them by their Legs on a Gallows with their Heads down in a Well over which a Gibbet was plac'd and at the end thereof a Block was made fast through which a Rope was drawn and ty'd to the Legs of the sufferer who being thus ty'd was let down with his Head into the Well so low that his Feet appear'd just on the top thereof In the Heads of those that hung several Wounds were cut cross-wise to the end the bloud might by degrees drop out and not overwhelm their hearts some liv'd five six nay more days before they gave up the Ghost Francis Caron relates
in the middle so hoisting and retching their Bodies with the Ropes pulling them up a great height then on a sudden let the Cords go at once that the Tortur'd fell with great force to the ground which in a manner bereav'd them of Life whereupon the Executioners ran to them with all speed pouring Cordial Liquors into their Throats by which means they reviv'd again but no sooner did these miserable Wretches breath but they were afresh afflicted With Canes fill'd with sulphur At other times they fill'd hollow Canes with Sulphur and other strong burning Ingredients shutting their Mouths close together and putting one end of the Reed or Cane into their Nostril and set the other a fire which made not onely the skin come off from their Faces but scorch'd their Heads inwardly With sharp Reeds lighted Torches and Scourges They also cut their flesh with sharp Reeds or Flags tearing the Wound open to the Bone then burning the body with lighted Torches insomuch that the Skin shriveling together hung like Lappets Others were stript stark Naked and ty'd by their Arms and Legs cruelly beaten with Japan Canes Cruelties against the Mothers Mothers of young Children suffer'd above all others for the Executioners with great violence struck their Childrens Faces against theirs and the more the Children cry'd the more the Mothers were tortur'd To others they apply'd green Flags which making very hot they laid them on their naked Bodies till all their Skin from Head to Foot was burn'd black they also put glowing Coals into their Hands which if they threw away should be a sign of their denying the Christian Religion according to the Verdict given by the Japan Judges And Children The Children had their Flesh torn from their Bones with hot Pincers and their Ears and Noses cut off In Ximabara Bungodono kept fifty Christians Prisoners which in a disgraceful manner were led through the Streets of the City to a Plain near the Sea-side against seven of them he was very severe namely Thomas Chibioius Paul Nagata Leonardus Sacuzaiemon Joannes Gonzaiemon Jenixus Dines Maria and Clara Nagata's Wife because they had been instruments to the spreading of Christianity therefore in the foremention'd Field were digg'd seven Pits three Fathom deep and six wide at an equal distance one from the other in each of them stood a thick Post with a piece of Timber nail'd on the top thereof like a Cross the Condemned sate down whilst their Arms being stretch'd out A cursed way of Execution were made fast to the cross piece their Necks were lock'd betwixt two thick Planks made hollow in the middle so that their Heads appear'd immoveable above them Bungodono was one of those that perform'd this Office first Sacuzaiemon's right Arm was leisurely Saw'd off then they began to file the Necks of those that were made fast with sharp tooth Canes strowing Salt into the Wounds five days they continu'd their filing without unbinding them or letting them have the least rest The Executioners releasing one another the Physicians were also ready which thorow small Tunnels pour'd Cordial Liquors down their Throats to the end they might be the longer dying The remaining three and forty stood the first and second day as Spectators but on the third and fourth they were ty'd Hand and Feet and plac'd on a sharp piece of Wood with a great Stone in their Laps close by the Martyrs Against the Evening they were carry'd through the City to their Prison the Japanners shouting and hallowing at them when any chanc'd to fall from their sharp piece of Wood. In the Jayl their Tortures began with lighted Torches pieces of sharp Canes drove betwixt their Nails Pails full of Water pour'd thorow Tunnels into their Bellies and trampling On their Bellies to make them disgorge it but in a short time all the forty three became Apostates The tortur'd Apostatize except Michael Xozaburo a Youth of Conga The seven also which were near Ximabara remain'd not constant for on the first day five forsook their Baptism and on the last night Nagata also deny'd the same onely Thomas Chibioius endur'd all their Tortures full seven days when on the last of May Anno 1630. the Executioners being tired with their bloody work Saw'd off his Head The others were let loose out of the Pits but Nagata Sacuzaiemon and Gonzaiemon though they had renounc'd yet by order of Bungodono were slain Clara dy'd soon after those Tortures which she had endur'd by the excessive pain being so bereav'd of sence she never came to her self again and Gonzaiemon repenting of his Apostacy had his Head cut off by a Woodden Saw Some recal the renouncing of their Religion and cut thorow in the middle with a Scymiter Horrid Prison in Japan ¶ NOt far from the City Tomioca in the Island Xiquo the Governor Tobioio had erected in a Field a large Prison with several Apartments for Men Women and Children but so little that every Prisoner was forc'd to sit on his Knees not being able to rise up nor stir himself the one way nor the other the Walls and Roof being stuck full of sharp Canes and Spikes so that many for want of sleep and continual pain gave up the Ghost in the Prison In Amacusa they nail'd up their houses so starving them to death Emperor Toxogunsama dies ¶ ANno 1653. The Emperor Toxogunsama dy'd without Issue so that Daifusama his Family ended all in the second Generation The next to the Crown was Prince Quane who was immediately after Toxogunsama's death set on the Throne under the tuition of five Overseers Congono Bongono Inhano Oyemo and Sannikino The Christian Religion was now fully rooted up wherefore those strict Edicts heretofore Issu'd out against them began to be forgotten it seem'd as if the Emperors Overseers had a greater mind to a foreign Trade The Peers govern more mildly and therefore Govern'd a quite contrary way to that of the Emperors They first wink'd at those Sanguinary Laws so letting them decay by degrees by which means many Traders suddenly came ashore The Spaniards also had no small hopes to regain their former Trade and the Japanners themselves had leave to Trade in other foreign Countreys which liberty they had been debar'd of a long time Jesuits intend to return to Japan Haz. Church Hist fol. 182. But chiefly the Jesuits took fresh courage who immediately spread themselves over the neighboring Provinces of Japan as Tunquin Councina and other places to the end they might be near at hand that as soon as any fit opportunity presented they might Land on Japan and go on afresh with their former design but it hath to this day had no success for the Overseers of the Emperor Quane kept strict Watch against their incroachings though they seem'd not so eager in erecting the foremention'd Blood-baths according to those strict Edicts publish'd by Toxogunsama Toxogunsama a great Sodomite ¶ IT deserves
not stir one Limb. This Sight did not a little terrifie the Hollanders who were again strictly examin'd concerning their Voyage and chiefly the Spanish Priest which came with them from Namboe ask'd If their Ship Breskens had not taken in some Portuguese Priests either at the Manilla's or Macau and put them on Shore in the Bay of Namboe at unseasonable hours If they were not Roman Catholicks Both which Demands Captain Schaep answer'd with No Sieuward Johnson opening his Breast shew'd them also the great Wounds scarce whole which he had received from the Portuguese at Ceylon and therefore would never desire a move joyful Day than to revenge himself on the Portuguese Nation in which Relation Sicungodonne and Sabrosaimondonne took peculiar delight The Names Age and Offices of the Hollanders are written down Then the Hollanders return'd again to their Quarters where at Night they were visited by the Spanish Priest and two Commission'd Lords which were to write down every Man's Name Age and Office so that they writ down in a Book Henry Cornelison Schaep Captain aged thirty two years William Byleveld Merchant four and twenty Sieuward Johnson Purser thirty three Peter Gerritson Cooper twenty six Abraham Pieterson Spelt Gunner twenty two Henry Elsford Mate twenty Jurian Sholten also his Mate twenty seven Hans Slee Boatswain twenty Aert Bastianson a Youth fifteen and Jacob de Paw a Boy of fourteen years old Two Japanners discover themselves The Two Lords making themselves known told them That they had served their East-India Company for Interpreters and that one of them was call'd Kitsbioye and the other Phatsiosaimon and were sent from Nangesaque to conduct the four condemned Jesuits thither They told them moreover that there were two Dutch Interpreters coming from Firando to Interpret for them before the Magistrates who would for that purpose be in Jedo within thirty days at last telling them that they should Lodge in the House with a Priest that had apostatiz'd from the Christian Religion yet they should no ways be daunted for there was not the lead danger in their Concern and they ought the less to fear because they assur'd them of the Lords Sicungodonne and Sabrosaimondonnes Favors and Sicungodonne had given order to their Landlord that he should not let them want for any thing After this nothing happen'd to them of any remark in nine days time onely that the Interpreters now and then visited them Hallanders are exceedingly frighted But the first of September seem'd to put an end to their Tragedy so that they all prepar'd themselves for Death for the Interpreters Kitsbioye Phatsiosaimon Siovan and a considerable number of the Emperor's Guard carry'd the Hollanders out of the City Jedo Description of the Japan Horse and Foot the Foot wearing little round Helmets wrought like a Shell on the top their Coats being of Mayl hung half way over their Bellies ty'd about their Middle with a Sash in every ones Girdle stuck two Scymiters one long and the other short which below the Handles have round Shells of Ebony-wood by which they hang their Breeches like the Noblemens hung over their Feet on their Shoulders they carry'd Musquets not unlike the Europeans onely the Cocks thereof struck from them and instead of Bandileers or Powder they had square Baskets pleited of Rushes But others belonging to the Emperors Life-guard Rode on Horses which being train'd up daily by skilfull Riders Curvetted all the way they went with rich Caparisons Edg'd with costly Fringe their Heads also cover'd with a rich Cloth but in Service they wear Helmets adorn'd with Plumes of Feathers and Scarfs coming under their Arms and made fast on their left Shoulders a thick silken Cord with two Tassels hangs about their Necks and on their Backs a great Bowe under their left Arm a Quiver full of Arrows in their Girdles stick two Stilletto's or long Daggers with their left Hands guiding the Bridle in the the right holding a great Lance their Legs cover'd with Wax'd Boots Hollanders prepare for Death The Hollanders thus Guarded on all sides both with Horse and Foot were carry'd out of Jedo Close by the City is a great Palace about the bigness of a small City which entring after having past several Avenues they came before a dismal and dark Prison before the Grates of which the four condemned Jesuits sat loaden with great Fetters and Chains with some other Japan Christians from thence they were conducted into a spacious open Court in which stood Gibbets Crosses Gallows and great Wells full of Water The Place swarm'd with People and chiefly one Leaded Entry Pav'd with Free-stone was continually full of all manner of Courtiers private Officers Executioners and Hang-men which passed to and again expecting Commands At last the Jesuits and the Japanners were brought out of their Dungeon to come before the chief Magistrate of Japan And whilst the Judges were busie in examining them most part of the Day was spent Mean while the Hollanders stood in the open Court next the Guards which had brought them from their Inn thither where they saw all Passages and that they might not faint in so great a Crowd they had Sweet-meats given them to eat which they judg'd was by Sicungodonne's order At last they were led through a small Gate to a very pleasant Place having on one side a Woodden Gallery cover'd with Mats through which passing and entring into a Princely Hall they were commanded to kneel before Sicungodonne sitting on a high Throne surrounded with a great number of Councellors who by the Interpreters ask'd the Hollanders these following Questions Questions ask'd the Hollanders to which they return Answers From whence whither and when they put to Sea Why they Anchor'd in the Haven Namboe The Hollanders answer'd That they set Sail the third of February Anno 1643. from the Road before Batavia and steer'd their Course towards Ternata from whence they weighed Anchor the fourth of April but afterwards driven by great Storms were necessitated to Anchor in the Haven Namboe Then Sicungodonne ask'd them if they were Christians though no Papists If they did not desire to speak with the four Jesuits in private Their Answer hereupon was That they were Christians but no Papists and believe in one God Creator and Governor of Heaven and Earth for which Religion they were ready to die and had nothing to say to the Jesuits but held them for their greatest Enemies The other Questions which they were ask'd were these following How many Netherlanders Chineses and others liv'd in Batavia Where their Governor kept his Court How many Ships hath he in his Service What Places do they Sail to Do all manner of Artificers live in Batavia Do Shoemakers Taylors Weavers and other Handicrafts reside there The Hollanders told them That there liv'd about twelve hundred Hollanders in Batavia besides three thousand Chineses and a considerable number of Malabars Javans Bandaneesen Amboiners and Mardikers and also all
it fell not out so well with a drunken Sea-man belonging to the Graveland who took oft the Emperors Straw Seal with which the Hatches were seal'd when on the Morning the Interpreters coming aboard with the Workmen that brought the Balast which consists of little Chests full of Copper weighing a hundred and fifty pound weight observ'd that the Emperors Arms were torn from one of the Hatches They immediately made it known to the Bonjoises which continually sit on the Prow of the Ship upon a costly Carpet The Bonjoises seal'd the Hatch again and immediately inform'd the Governors who instantly sent twenty of the Emperors Soldiers aboard to demand the Man which had so presumptuously spoil'd the Emperors Arms or else they would carry all the whole Ships Crew to Prison Whereupon he that was guilty discovering himself was carried ashore before the Magistrates who cutting him in at the left Shoulder made their Sword come out under his right Arm. How the Japanners cut their Servants in the middle ¶ In this bloody Office they use no Executioners but every one that buys a new Hanger tries it either by cutting a Man Woman or Child through with both his Hands This kind of Exercise happens often and chiefly when any Christians stand condemned for they take them and hang them up by the Feet on a Gibbet with their Heads downwards into a Well in which they cut several Holes that the Blood may so drop out by degrees Near the Gibbet on one side burns a continual Fire on the other side waves a white Pennon taken in every Evening and put forth in the day-time till the Malefactor be dead and burnt But the nearest Relation to the so tormented Christian as also three of his Neighbors die without sparing either Wives or Children by the foremention'd way of cutting them in at the left Shoulder so bringing their Sword out under the right Arm. Chinese Merchant cannot sell their Goods ¶ AFter this the Chineses in Coxenga's Name complain'd again about the taken Jonk which was call away before Tayovan but were order'd to go to Batavia to seek for redress there Upon which they gave out That if they should come in Batavia they should be murder'd which Report of theirs was but little regarded And they had not much better Success with their raw white Silk of which they sold not one pound at Nangesaque whereas on the contrary the East-India Company exchang'd al their Tonquean and Bengala Silk for good Silver the Japan Merchants having agreed to bestow all their Moneys on the Hollanders before they bought any thing of the Chineses Mean while they finding nothing to do were necessitated to depart from thence with their Merchandize not without great damage and should they but one or two Years more meet with such a bad Market it would without all peradventure weaken and dishearten their great Navigation and hinder them from sending yearly fifty loaden Jonks to Japan to the great prejudice of the East-India Company who in many things are forc'd to give way to the Chineses ¶ WHilst Wagenaer was preparing for his Voyage to Batavia he receiv'd twenty one thousand seven hundred and sixty pieces of the best white Porcelan A Month before the delivery of them another Person had brought a considerable Parcel of Porcelan to sell on the Island Disma but because they were too full of Flowers most of them stuck on his Hands The Japanners have some few years been more eager in making of Porcelan than heretofore Japanners make great store of Porcelan so that not onely the Hollanders but also the Chineses vend a great deal thereof The best place for this Commodity is the Lordship Fesen of the Earth of which place they make it being finer and whiter than elsewhere The Japanners grow every Year more and more experienc'd in this Art so that they make their Porcelan better and better Wagenaer contriv'd a small Flower to be made on a blue Ground but was exceedingly amaz'd when not long after he saw all the Shops full of them But whereas Fesen produces the best Porcelan in Japan so in China the Village Sinktesimo It is worthy our observation That the Earth which is not unlike fine Sand of which they bake their Porcelan is digg'd up near the Metropolis Hoeicheu lying in the Territory of Nankin where they onely knead it into Balls or Pellets How it is made which seal'd with the Emperors Arms are sold at a certain price and sent to Sinktesimo for this Village onely by a hidden Power or Operation in the Waters there makes the best Porcelan Those that bake are Rustical Clowns brought up to that Trade from their Infancy They prepare the Earth two several ways Sometimes they work it so soon as it comes from Hoeichen after the same manner as our European Potters prepare their Clay for their Pots and Pans At other times they let it lye so long till it is grown as hard as a Stone which they afterwards stamp to Powder sift it through a very fine Sieve then mixing it with Water knead it into Balls and at last press it into a Wooden Frame according to what fashion they please Then they are first dry'd in the Wind and put into an Oven which fifteen days together is continually hot and afterwards kept close as many days more that so they may cool by degrees or else they would break all to pieces After thirty days the Oven is open'd in the presence of one of the Emperors Officers who narrowly looks on every Piece thereof and according to the Laws of the Countrey takes away every fifth Piece of Porcelan to the Emperors use The rest the Potters at Sinktesimo sell to the Inhabitants of Uciengen a Village lying at the Lake Poyang on the left hand Shore of the River Can. The Place is above two Miles long rich for Traffick and replenish'd with handsom Buildings every Year so full with those that Trade in Porcelan that one can scarce pass the Throng The River lyes generally full of Barques wherein they load and so transport it over all the World From hence appears the old mistake of their Opinion in Europe believing Great mistake That the Stuff of which they made the Porcelan was the Powder of Sea-Cockles or Egg-shells or else of Earth which their Fore-fathers prepar'd and kept it a hundred Years after under Ground so their Succeffors valu'd it according to its Age. How the Japanners carry the Dutch Ships out of their Haven ¶ WAgenaer setting sail in the Ship Hilversom for Batavia so soon as ever his Guns were brought aboard and the Rudder hung was forc'd to be gone notwithstanding a great part of his Goods lay upon the Deck The Japanners hold it for an ancient Law That as soon as ever the Hollanders Ammunition is brought aboard whether in the Night or Day contrary or fair Winds they must go to Sea but if by reason of contrary
before the Store-house Planted after the Dutch manner and chiefly in the strange European Commodities and also in the Presents which were to be sent to the Emperor Indiik thought to entertain him with Preserv'd Persian Fruits Brandy and Tent but he neither tasting the one nor the other took his leave and departed A sad accident at Nangesaque ¶ SOon after Ficojemon met with some trouble by means of a Citizens Daughter who hang'd her self in the Night in Nangesaque He made strict Inquiry after the Reason that provok'd her thereto which at last he discover'd to this effect A Chinese Commander of a Ship being enamour'd of the Maid had upon great Promises and by the assistance of a Japanner crop'd her Virgin-Flower which she afterwards seriously considering with her self and fearing that if she should be with Child then her Crime would be publickly known and bring her into utter disgrace to prevent the same she laid violent Hands on her self But the Criminals being taken and put in Prison ran great danger of their Lives yet at last by many Intreaties a milder Sentence pass'd on both the Chinese being for ever banish'd from Japan and the Japanner to the Islands Goto and his Goods seiz'd upon by the Law were most part of them given to the Parents of the foremention'd Maid Jeffiesamma's cruelty ¶ NOt long after this Accident Joffiesamma shew'd the People a Pattern of his Cruelty by cutting asunder two of his Servants for a small Offence the one thirteen and the other fifteen years old A Fire in Nangesaque The Night after hapned a Fire Nangesaque which in four of the eminent'st Streets consum'd a hundred Houses which undid many great Merchants for they putting all their Goods in the Stone Store-houses judging them to be very safe they were all burnt ¶ THe nine and twentieth of November Nangesaque was also shaken by an Earthquake which sometimes seeming to abate soon after made the whole Town tremble which was chiefly on the third of January in the following year when this Trepidation threatned no small danger in the night The Joynts of the houses beginning to gape the Timber and Walls tumbling down which occasion'd a general out-cry in the City yet with the day-break the noise and Earthquake ceased but the whole City was in a hurry occasion'd by five and twenty Roman Christians Cruelty us'd to Roman Christians that after intolerable Tortures yet remain'd constant in their Religions and were now going to be led out of Nangesaque there to be hung with their Feet upwards and their Heads flea'd downwards so to die a lingering death when they had hung a day and a night in that miserable manner two of them desir'd that they might appear before the Magistrates of the City of Nangesaque who thereupon coming to the place of Audience heard that they were not able any longer to endure the unsupportable torture but were ready to renounce their Christianity and imbrace the Japanners Doctrine on which promise How the Japanners deny Christianity being let loose they spat at a Woodden Cross then stamp'd upon the Picture of our Saviour Christ and the Virgin Mary to the great grief of their Brother Sufferers which refus'd to be releas'd on these terms but pittifully crying said Surely we shall soon depart out of this Wretched World and go to Paradise where we shall be out of the Power of the Japan Tyrants and enjoy Everlasting Beatitude Seventy four Christians beheaded And when these foremention'd had hung seven days in that manner with their Heads downwards there were seventy four more new discover'd Christians brought thither which were all to be Beheaded these cry'd as loud as their faintness would permit them Remain stedfast in the Christian Faith we shall e're long meet in Heaven The seventy four amongst which were not onely Women and Children but also sucking Babes were altogether Beheaded their Heads set on Iron Pins and their Bodies thrown in a deep pit Indiik being an Eye-witness admir'd at their Constancy and the more because the Martyr'd Japanners had so little knowledge of the Christian Religion but the Netherland Interpreters inform'd him that several of them gave themselves out to be Christians Why they suffer themselves to be Executed that with their Wives and Children which for want of Provisions and chiefly Rice they were not able to maintain they might die together and so be rid of the Miseries of this World Freezes hard in Japan ¶ THe fourth fifth and sixth of February it Froze so hard that the Ice would bear the weight of three Men. Moreover Fire at Miaco News came to Nangesaque that the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the same Moneth a Fire happen'd in Miaco which consum'd not onely seventy Streets to Ashes but also the Dayro's stately Palace Nâ—â—rlyckhydt 〈◊〉 The Lordship ONNAYS The Town Coyo In this part of Japan the Town Coyo Consecrated to a Bonzi call'd Conbodaxi is very famous being held for the Burying-place of the Prince of Bungo or if they chance to be Interr'd elsewhere there must at least a Tooth of theirs be found at Coyo Indiik's Voyage ¶ BUt Indiik Sailing from Cokero to Simonisicci he found the Barque there which he had sent before thorow the Corean Ocean with his Goods So going Aboard on the seventh of March in the Haven of Simonisicci in seven days he arriv'd in Osacca The Hollanders Landlord Icubia Serojemon and the Interpreters made Indiik's arrival known to the two Governors before which he appear'd and brought Presents the next day which by both were kindly accepted And Indiik provided with Horses His Journey by Land to Jedo came thorow Firaskatta Jonda and Fissima to Miaco where the old Host Koffe Sabrojemon carry'd immediate News thereof to the Grand Judge Mackino Sandosamma which that Evening permitted him Audience kindly accepted the Presents and gave him a new Letter of Conduct wherefore he neglected no time but went on his Journey and Lodg'd afterwards in Cusatz and next in Sacca and forcing over from Quano he got late at night to Mia where he rested Moreover he found the House for the Hollanders Entertainment in Occosacci Lock'd and Guarded because the Master thereof being fall'n out with his Neighbors was in danger to be slain by them Leaving this Town he Lodg'd in the Village Accosacci Ferry'd over the Bay between Arei and the Village Meisacca and was forc'd by reason of the great Showres of Rain to stay in Fannama he design'd to Lodge the next night in Caneia but finding the usual Inn there Guarded notwithstanding it was almost dark and Rain'd hard he went on and Ferrying over the River Oyengauwa refresh'd in Simanda At Merico he was again forc'd to pass by the old Inn no body being at home the Master thereof being gone to Surunga there to release his Son who was committed to Prison for fighting with one of the Villagers Arrives
which may be seen a great distance off at Sea In these Temples the Bonzies worshipp'd that great God which formerly not onely Created the Sun Moon and Stars but also the fifteen lesser Deities which some Ages since convers'd upon the Earth The Prime God commanded the Substitute Gods that they should make a Brazen Egg in which they were to enclose the four Elements Water Earth Air and Fire and also the four principal Colours Red Yellow Blue and Green Out of this Egg the four Elements and Colours being tempred ran together in such a nature that the visible World appear'd The World thus created Man was wanting Not long after a Woman growing in the Shell of a Callabash had no Soul which the Chief God pittying made a Stier come to the Callabash who through his Nostrils blew Breath into the Callabash which came to be a Soul in the growing Woman who then coming forth was familiar with the inferior Deities by which means Mankind not onely increas'd in number but also in wickedness differing more and more from their Heavenly Extract growing still worse and worse mocking at Thunder Rainbowes and Fire nay they blasphem'd the great God himself whom when the Interpreter nam'd he bow'd his Head to the Ground whereupon he call'd his inferior Deities about him telling them That he resolv'd to destroy and ruine all things kick the Sun Moon and Stars out of the Firmament mix the Air and Water together and make a round Globe in which the four Elements should be all resolv'd into their former Mass And chiefly he commanded the Idol Topan to make Thunderballs to shoot through the Air and fire all the Kingdoms with Lightning which was no sooner said but it was done the whole World on a sudden lying together like a heap of Rubbish so that none were saved except one Man and his Family that had entertain'd and duely worshipp'd the Gods The Chief and Supreme Deity took care in this general Ruine for the innocent Man locking him in a deep Cave before which he put a great Shell that the Water might not run into the Pit or Cave Japanners acknowledge the Fall of Adam and the Hood Who doth not observe by this Discourse that the remotest Heathens acknowledge though darkly the fall of Adam and the Flood in which Noah and his nearest Relations were sav'd The Romans and Greeks also represented the same in their Golden Silver Copper and Iron Ages and also with Deucalion and Pyrrha strangely preserv'd from a Deluge The foremention'd Japan Interpreter judg'd that the Portuguese Castilians English and Hollanders had also their Original from the Man that was secur'd in the Cave against the Flood the Reasons of which his Discourse were grounded on these Arguments When said he the Supreme God destroy'd all things yet Nipon that is Japan Mangy so they call China and the Kingdom Lechy bordering on China were preserv'd therefore the Inhabitants differ much from those of Europe because they have not such great Heads nor such Camosie Noses hollow Eyes broad Eye-brows and well compact Bodies as the Japanners Strange Relation of the Japan Interpreter Moreover the vertuous Man got out of his Cave when the Idol Canon call'd back the Seas to their respective Bounds and Topan gather'd the scatter'd Thunderbolts together and setled himself in the Province Koejelang where he got several Children which intermarrying grew to a considerable number But when these Generations increas'd so fast the Gods which were commanded up to Heaven ask'd leave of the Supreme Deity that they might return again to the Earth and there be familiar with Men Einholung der gesanten zu mia t Inhalen vand AMBASSADEURS The Reception of the AMBASSADOURS which being granted them they descended into a pleasant Wood where whilst they were consulting how they should best take the Venison the Inhabitants of Koejelang joyning their Heads together said These are the Gods which drown'd our Forefathers let its take Revenge for so hainous a Crime And considering which way it might best be done they judg'd that the readiest would be to set Fire on all parts of the Wood which in few Hours consumed all the Trees Some of the Gods that went to escape from the Flame were cut to pieces by the People that had encompass'd the Wood others were burnt yet seven of them getting up to Heaven complain'd of that execrable Plot to the Chief God who being exceedingly enrag'd at so great a piece of Villany immediately commanded an Angel whom he impower'd to punish them for their Crime The Angel no sooner descended but he drove the Offenders out of the Province Koejelang to the Boyling Waters at Singock in which they are continually tortur'd without the least respite or cessation Holland Ambassadors reception at Mia ¶ MEan while the Holland Ambassador proceeded forward on his Jourhey and Ferried over from Quano to Mia where he had no sooner landed the Emperors Presents but the Governor of Mia with a considerable Train of People came out of the City to receive and conduct him Just without the Gate several Copper Basons were hung on cross Poles on which the Japanners tabering made a great noise Moreover several Norimons or Sedans were carried towards the Water-side every one guarded with a considerable number of Soldiers At the foot of a high Rock stood the Ambassadors four Trumpets each of them sounding a Levit. The Governor Obirham Giantodono had no sooner gotten sight of the Ambassador but stepping out of his Sedan he went to meet him and bow'd himfelf after the Japan manner to the Ground Behind stood some of the Guard with Musquets others with Pikes and Halberds Lastly the Ambassador going from hence soon after arriv'd at Jedo where having staid some time and dispatch'd his Business he had leave to go for Nangesaque again Description of a Whale ¶ NEar Firando he found the Whale-Fishers which go yearly to Corea to catch Whales The bigness of these Sea-monsters is to be most admir'd their Pizzles being generally fourteen Foot long which they hide in their Bellies When they couple they rage with Lust holding their Bellies together and embracing one another with their Fins above an Hour at a time after which according to Julius Caesar Scaliger Dist c. 13. sect 150 they bear their Young ten Months The ordinary Whales are commonly a hundred and twenty Foot long and their Heads are the third part of their Body On their Noses are two round Holes at which they suck in abundance of Water and spout it out again an exceeding height Their Eyes are three Yards long and a Foot and a half broad Their Ears with which they hear any small noise are less without than within they open their Mouths five Fathom wide their Tongue eighteen Foot long and ten broad rests on eight hundred Supporters full of downy Hair The Whale-catchers seldom find any thing in their ripp'd-up Bowels more than some handfuls of Sea-Spiders and