them which have obtained the first places then the King with his owne hand bestoweth a reward on each of them He to whom he giveth the first gift being the chief of all the rest hath a particular name belonging to him ever after as also to the second and the third The first they câ—ll Chuam Yuen the next Pham Yuen the third Thoan Hoa and this name is of so great esteeme and reputation that in a few daies after the examination there is scarce any person through out the whole Kingdom that doth not know them by these names and not by the names of their fathers and Countrie which is a wonderfull thing in so vast a Kingdom as that is The honour is as great as that of our Dukes and Marquesses As well for the respect which is paid them throughout the whole realme as for the places of authority and trust where they are put to govern being the very same which were anciently conferred upon those great Lords whose authority was in another way correspondent to that which now these Doctours have These ceremonies being accomplisht there is yet another examination which although it be voluntarie there are few that absent themselves from it A new point is given they make their compositions and according to them there is an Election made of those who are to be admitted to the royall colledge They select only 30 of the most deserving and of them they admit five every year who only for being entred in so smal a number are alway providing with profitable places of government The other twenty five have particular Palaces assigned them where they assemble and become as Scholars under the discipline of a Colao who almost every day causeth them to compose somewhat and exercise themselves in all that belongeth to their learning and speculative government This continueth til the next examinations at which new persons enter and the other go forth and according to their degrees and antiquity are provided with the places of greatest importance at the court from whence unlesse it be to be Presidents of the examinations or some other particular imployment that lasteth but a short time and by the Kings order they never go out no not to be vice-royes which imployment is accounted below them because only those of the royal colledge are capable of the dignity of a Colao All the new Doctors are that year put into some employment unlesse there be any that is not of competent years That which helpeth this multitude to imployments is that the same year there is held a generall visitation throughout the whole Kingdome by which there are so many of the old Mandarines turned out that there are many places made void for the new ones and as this degree is of high account the visits congratulatious Feasts and Presents which are made upon this occasion are almost incredible The reward for bringing the first newes is many times worth 200 Crownes to the Messenger but commonly 50 assoon as the friends and kindred of those who are named among the three first above-mentioned hear of their promotion presently they erect unto them triumphall arches in their Cities or Villages not of wood coverd with Canvasse or past-bord but of pure Marble sumptuously wrought in the front whereof is engraved the name of the Person for whom they were erected the place he hath obtained and the year of his Doctour-ship in a word the world is the same throughout It is a vain thing to beleeve that he which hath not power should be admired heard or received with applause whether it be done out of zeale to the truth or out of flattery and interest CHAP. 10. Of the Books and Sciences of the Chinesses OF the Sciences of the Chinesses we cannot speak so very distinctly and clearly because really their Authours have not been so fortunate as Aristotle Plato and other Philosophers and wise men who have methodically handled them under their several Classes divisions and titles whereas the Chinesses have written little or no thing of many of the sciences and liberal arts and of the rest but superficially except those which concern good government and policie From the very beginning it hath been their chiefest aim to find out the best way of government the first that began this were the Kings Fohi Xinon and Hoamsi These three at the beginning gave themselves to their morall and speculative Sciences by way of mysticall even and odd numbers and other ciphers and notes by which they gave law to their subjects and from hand to hand these were alway communicated to the Kings who were the wisemen of that time and by this means did govern the Kingdome untill the Monarchie of Cheù which began 1123. years before the coming of our Saviour at which time Venuam and Checuam his youngest Sonne published these numbers and ancient notes and made a booke of them intitled Yechim giving likewise many morall precepts documents and orders to the whole Kingdome and following the steps of other Philosophers which lived according to the Stoick rule they had alway great care of the Government and publique good untill the time of Confusio who composed five bookes in order called by them Vehim which are at this day held as sacred He made also other bookes and of his sentences and sayings there have been since also many more bookes composed This Philosopher flourished about 150. yeares before the coming of Christ he was a man of a good nature well inclined to vertue prudent sentencious and a lover of the publique good He had many disciples which followed him he had a great desire to reform the world which even at that time began to lose its sinceritie and veracity changing the ancient manner of living and introducing moderne customes And so he governed in severall Kingdomes for when he saw that they did not live conformable to his precepts and counsells in one Kingdom he went to another yet not uncensured by many other Philosophers of that time who seeing the evill course which men tooke retired themselves to their villages and becoming husbandmen in their owne persons tilled their grounds Now it happened that one day Confusio passing along and being to go through a river whose ford he was not acquainted withall sent one to enquire of a man that was labouring thereabouts who was a Philosopher He asked the messenger who he was and being answered that he was a disciple of Confusio's who sate in his Coach expecting his answer The Philosopher replied let him go in a good houre he knoweth the way and hath no need of a guide signifying thereby that he went from Kingdome to Kingdome endeavouring to Governe in a time that was not proper for Philosophers to reigne in Neverthelesse in after times this man was in so great favour with the Chinesses and the bookes which he composed were held in so much credit as also the sayings and sentences which he left behind him that they do not only
Arts which belong to their persons families and Monarchie which shall be the subject of the following chapter CHAP. 11. Of their Sciences and liberall Arts in particular GRammar the gate of the other Sciences if we reduce it only to the terminations of a language as Cornelius Nepos and other grave Authours have done is but in little use among the Chinesses for all their words being Monosyllables and undeclinable there is not much paines required to put them together in syntax yet notwithstanding all this there is a great deal of difficulty in composing the which consisteth in placing of adverbs and certain termes which are not significant but if we should enlarge the Grammar as far as Angelus Politianus and some other have stretched it it is certain that there is great use of Grammar among them for their humane learning is very large and vast and although they have but few fables or mysteries yet they have many Histories Sayings Sentences and Apophthegmes which they must make use of for the ornament of their compositions For Logick they have no other rules but what are dictated to them by the light of nature Rhetorick is much in use among them although they have no rules belonging to that art but rather take it up by way of Imitation observing and practising what they find to be good in the compositions of other Arithmetick they have in perfection for as much as concerneth the four Species and kinds thereof they have also their demonstrations and figures as I have seen in their books Of Algebra they know nothing at all nor do they much practise the ordinary Arithmetick The way of account through the whole Kingdom and also in the neighbouring Countries is with an instrument called by the Portughesses Gina and of the Chinesses Suonpuon that is a Table of account it is made like a small square divided into ten parts with certain little rodds or wyres of brasse upon each of which are threaded seaven little balls or beads about the bignesse of those we use in our Chaplets or Rosaries five beneath for the wyer is divided into two parts which stand for vnites two above which signify tens and with this instrument moving up and down the little balls they make their accounts with great facilitie and expedition In Geometrie they have a sufficient knowledge for although not being acquainted with remote Countries and Kingdomes they have not been able to distinguish their bounds nor to assign them their proper confines yet they have very exactly divided their own country of which they have very perfect maps Add to this that anciently all their land was divided by very exact measures because the King had not his revenue then in that manner as he hath it now that is that every land should pay so much but every one divided his land into ten equall parts and one of those parts which lay nighest to the middle they tilled and sowed and the profit was the Kings and even now a daies in buying and selling of land they measure it if there be occasion The measure which they use upon this occasion as likewise to measure any other continued quantity is in this manner The least of all they call Hâ—fuen and is three graines of wheat Ten of these make the second measure called Huzum ten Huzums make a Che and ten Che's make their greatest measure called Hucham bigger than an Italian yard These measures the which they have perfectly divided in the manner above-said are used by all Officers as also by taylours to make their garments taking measure by them as we do in Europe with a piece of thread or Parchment so likwise the Carpenders frame a house though never so big with all its pillars beames joyces etc. Without so much as trying a piece of timber where it is to stand only by meanes of these measures and having framed a house thus in severall pieces they will on a sudden ioyn them together and set it up without missing in the least Their wayes they measure by paces but still according to the same measure making a Geometricall pace to consist of 6 Che and one Li of 300 paces and of 100 Li one Stadium or daies journey So that from North to South it appeareth that 250 Li make a degree for we allow to every league 15 Li and 16 leagues to every degree To measure corn rice pulse and such like the greatest measure is that which the Portughesses call Pico and the Chinesses Tan. This is composed of smaller measures the least is as much as a man can hold in the hollow of his hand ten of these measures make one Xim and this of rice is the ordinary allowance of a man for a day ten Xim make one Ten and ten Ten make one Tan which cometh to weight about 100 Cattes which make 125 pound of Portugall-weight 16 ounces to the pound The third manner of measuring which is by weight is divided after the same manner We will begin with an Hao and it is the tenth part of a piece of their mony which the Portughesses call Caxà or Li as the Chinesses call it and answereth to our half Iulio or three-pence ten Li make one Condrin ten Condrin one Mas ten Mas one Tael and 16 Tael one Catte which is their pound but bigger than ours for 16 Tael make 20 of our pounds 100 Catte make one Pico or as they call it one Tan. In weighing they use not the Balance but the Stillyard or statera as wel for little as great weights For great weights they do not use an Iron-beam but of wood divided into its parts by points or marks of Brasse or else of silver In weighing of gold silver medicines and the like they make use of certain little weights with a beam of white bone divided by strokes of black They make these Stillyards very perfectly and of severall fashions The middle sized have three rowes of pricks and three threads neere the Centre in stead of a cord the first row of pricks giveth any weight from 3 ounces to five the second goeth further and weigheth to ten ounces the last row to 20. The larger sort of Stillyards weigh more or less the least sort are divided into so smal parts that although those ten parts into which a Li of silver is divided do not use to be divided in brasse-mony for they coine no mony but of brasse neverthelesse in the weighing of silver they distinguish and divide them very exactly For the better understanding whereof it is to be supposed that throughout all the Kingdome of China excepting the Province of Yunan they use no other money but of brasse and all the silver goeth by weight so that if I would give a crowne I give as much silver as a crowne weigheth and so of a six-pence or three-pence c. And for this cause there are an infinitie of founders as also mint-houses for silver and to buy some things especially such as are
THE HISTORY OF That Great and Renowned MONARCHY OF CHINA Wherein all the particular Provinces are accurately described as also the Dispositions Manners Learning Lawes Militia Government and Religion of the People Together with the Traffick and Commodities of that Countrey Lately written in Italian by F. ALVAREZ SEMEDO a Portughess after he had resided twenty two yeares at the Court and other Famous Cities of that Kingdom Now put into English by a Person of quality and illustrated with several MAPPS and FIGURES to satisfie the curious and advance the Trade of Great BRITTAIN To which is added the History of the late Invasion and Conquest of that flourishing Kingdom by the TARTARS With an exact Account of the other affairs of CHINA till these present Times LONDON Printed by E. Tyler for Iohn Crook and are to be sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Ship in S. Pauls Church-yard 1655. The Epistle to the Reader Courteous Reader I Present thee with that long exspected most exact History of the Lawes Government Manners and present state and condition of that great Monarchy of China in its circuit little less then all Europe Heretofore as zealous of its rare treasures shut and locked up from the curious eyes of strangers so that this booke first yeilds to thee a full discovery thereof I dare say the most valuable that this our world hath been acquainted with since that of America whereby now the furthest East as well as West is disclosed and laid open to the present age For as for some former relations thou mayst have seen thereof thou wilt by this discerne them to be as fabulous as they are compendious and imperfect It was written by one who after first a strict education in all sorts of learning for two and twenty yeares space lived in that Kingdome was resident at the Court and in the greatest Cities thereof and in all that time as designing such a worke was a diligent Observator and Collector of all their manners and customs as likewise after much paines taken in the Language a great student of their Histories and Writings Whose laborious worke after it had already bin clothed in many other Languages besides the Authors and welcomly entertained in most states of Europe it was thought fit no longer to be concealed to a Nation either for curiosity of knowledge or industry of forraigne commerce no way yeilding to her neighbours The variety of the subjects handled therein is so great as comprehending the whole fabricke of that nation their Politicks Oeconomicks Sciences Mechanicks Riches Merchandise c. that those of whatsoever profession may reap no small benefit in reading the designes managements and practices therein of so ingenious a People Whose manners also as their site are so remote and different in most things from ours that I may say in this piece is happily united with the truth of History the delight of a Romance where it will be no small pleasure to thee to see their braines as well as their bodies as it were of a severall mould from the Europeans and their inventions in many things to walke antipodes to us and yet in these no way below us but in many superiour or what in them appears less compleat yet will the knowledge thereof not be ungratefull unto thee because t is new and singular As for many morall vertues thou wilt find them so far to transcend us therein that they may be proposed as an excellent patterne as also they are a shame to Christian states Lastly to correct and reforme any their defects and make the nation perfectly happy the light of Christianity hath of late visited this people who sate in darknes so that now after America also enlightned there is no end of the world left wherinto the sound of the Gospel is not gone forth The foundation of which being there already laid there is great hopes that it may sooner come to a ful purity reformation perfection the indefatigable pains undaunted courage of those laborers who cultivate it in the East provoke a greater diligence andemulation therein in our planters in the West where the Gospel as following a conquest may be advanced both with much more safety and authority To the end of this Treatise I have added the History of the Tartarian invasian of China much enlarged freed from divers Erratas of the former Edition which gives thee an account of the Chinesse affaires till the yeare 1653. Reader thus much I thought good to advertise thee in the front of this Booke that thou mayst not be so great an hinderance to thy selfe as not to be acquainted with so curious and beneficiall a discourse Farewell The Preface WHo writeth of things farre remote doth almost alwayes incurre the inconvenience of many and those no small defects hence it is that we see many Books whose Authours for their personal Qualities might deserve more credit than may justly be given to their writings As for those who have written of China I have perused some of them who leaving in oblivion almost all Truths take the liberty to wander in discourses altogether fabulous for this Kingdome being so remote and having alwayes with much Care avoided all Communication with Strangers reserving onely to themselvs the knowledge of their own Affairs with a most particular Caution hence it followes that nothing is knowne without the Confines thereof but what doth as it were overflow into the skirts of the Country of Cantone a part of this Empire whither the Portugheses have been suffered to come so that the most internall and secret knowledge thereof hath been reserved either for the Natives of the Country who know well enough how to conceale it or for those who upon a better Motive have to discover it little lesse then forgotten their own nature their language their customes and manner of living and transformed themselves into the naturall humour of that Country Now this last hath by divine dispensation fallen to the lott of the Religious of the Company of Iesus who although they came late to the Culture of the Church are notwithstanding arrived to that honour to be reckoned among the first that after Saint Thomas the Apostle did cultivate those remote Confines of the world It is now fifty eight years that they have laboured under this so distant Climate where directing all their force and endeavours to the conversion of Souls they account it a manifest Theft to employ any otherwise that time which they owe to the Service of God and is of so much importance for the Eternall Salvation of men Hence it is that never any yet did or would it have been permitted him if he had desired it to employ himselfe in writing the Relation of this Kingdome except it were Father Nicolaus Trigalzius after he had by permission with-drawn himself from the culture of Christianity among the Chineses and passed from thence into Europe Vpon the same occasion I have undertaken to give a
have recourse to their vocabulary as we do when we meet with a Latin word that we do not understand From hence it is evident that he is most learned amongst them that knoweth most letters as amongst us he is the best Latinist that is most verst in his Calipines-Dixionary To form all these multitude of letters they use only nine strokes or touches of the pen but because these only would not be sufficient for so great a fabrique they do joine figures or perfect and significant letters one into another by which means they make other new and different ones and of a different signification So this line signifieth one crossed with another line ten and having another stroke at the bottome signifying the earth and with another stroke at the top of it it standeth for King adding a stroke on the left side of it between the two first strokes it is taken for a precious stone and by adding certaine other lines it is meant for a pearle And this last figure is every letter to have that must signify a precious stone or any other stone that is of price and esteeme although not counted precious So every letter which signifieth any tree must have joyned with it the letter which signifieth wood and the letter that signifieth mettall must be annexed to the figure which it is put to signify as Iron Copper Steel yet this is no infallible rule They have also in the composition of their Letters had respect to their significations and so that square figure which we spake of before to signifie the Sunne joyned with another very little different standing for the Moone is called Min and signifieth Brightnesse Another which hath the likenesse of a Portall called Muen signifieth a gate there is another which signifieth a heart to which it hath some resemblance Now if this letter be placed between the two perpendicular lines which form the letter that standeth for a Portall it signifieth Sadnesse and Affliction that is a heart streightened and prest in a narrow doore and every word of Sadness must have a heart annexed to it They who write well are held in great esteeme and they make more account of a good writing than of a good picture And for a set of ancient letters well shapen and formed they do not care to spend a good summe of money and letters from being first esteemed have come at length to be reverenced They cannot endure to see a written paper lying on the ground but presently take it up and in the childrens schooles there is a place appoynted for the keeping of them and afterwards they burne them at certaine times not out of religion or superstition as the Turks do but only out of the reverence they beare to Letters Their way of writing is from the top of the paper downwards to the bottome and beginning at the right hand of the paper proceed to the left as the Hebrewes and all Eastern nations do They formerly made use of the inner barkes of some trees in stead of paper as other nations have done For a stile or pen they used certaine Bodkins of Iron with which they dexterously formed their Letters They wrote also many things on Lamins or plates of mettall and also on vessels of molten mettall of which there are yet some remaining which are held in no small esteeme by the owners all that see them But it is now 1800 years since they have had the invention of paper which is there of so many sorts in so great plenty that I am perswaded that in this China exceedeth the whole world is exceeded by none in the goodnes thereof That which aboundeth most is most used for printing is made of a certaine Tree which is called in India Bombù and in China Cio the art in making of it is like ours but the best and whitest is made of Cotton-cloth In stead of pens they use pensills made of the haire of severall creatures the best are of those of a Hare They are more easie and convenient to write with than pens the ordinary ones cost three foure or five farthings the best come to six pence a piece Their standishes are made of stone of severall formes and are commonly handsomely wrought and of a small price yet they have some of thirty crownes a piece In these they dissolve the inke which is made up in little molds and dried The best is made of the smoake of oyle which they gather by art it is sold at a small price commonly the dearest being a crowne or seven and six pence the pound but the best of all from ten to twenty crownes The Artezans which make it are not held for Mechanicks so noble is this art esteemed by them They use sometimes red ink especially in their Annotations upon books and sometimes but very seldome write with it It is their greatest care and ambition to have all their instruments of writing to be of rich materials neat proper and in good order with the same pride and delight as the most accurate Captain or Souldier among us taketh in his armes In printing it seemeth that China ought to have the precedence of other nations for according to their books they have used it this 1600 years but it is not as I said before like unto ours in Europe For their Letters are engraven in Tables of wood The Authour of the book ordereth what kind of letter he will have either great little or middle-sized or rather he giveth his manuscript to the graver who maketh his Tables of the same bignesse with the sheets that are given him and pasting the leaves upon the Tables with the wrong side outwards he engraveth the letters as he findeth them with much facility and exactnesse and without making any Errata their writing not being on both sides the paper as among us but on one side only and the reason that their books seem to be written on both sides is because the white side is hidden within the fold They print likewise with Tables of stone with this difference that then the paper is made all black and the letters remain white because when they print thus they lay the ink upon the Superficies of the stone but in the Tables of wood they put it only in the hollow of the engraving This last manner of printing serveth only for Epitaphs Pictures Trees Mountains and such like things whereof they do desire to have the memories preserved and they have very many prints of this kind The stones which serve for this use are of a proper and particular kind their wooden Tables are made of the best Peare-tree So that any work which they print as they do in great numbers remaineth alwaies entire in the print of the Tables to bee reprinted as often as they please without any new expence or trouble in setting for the presse as there is in our printing Every one hath the liberty to print what he pleaseth without the
Supervising Censure or Licence of any one and with so small charges that for every hundred letters perfectly engraved in the manner abovesaid they pay no more than foure pence half-penny and yet every letter consisteth of many strokes CHAP. 7. Of their manner of study and admittance to examination THey are put to learn from their tender age They have for beginners certain little bookes containing good rules and precepts of vertue good manners obedience to their parents and superiors or some such like matter A few months after they give them Classicall books which they get all by heart both the Text and the Glosse as perfect as we do our Pater Noster After this commeth the Masters explanation They say their lesson likewise by heart the Scholars back being turned towards the master with the book lying open upon the table and they use no other phrase for saying their Lesson but only Poixú which signifieth to turn their back upon the book and this is done that they might not cast their eies upon it to help themselves They are kept to their studies with so much rigour even the youngest of them that they are allowed no manner of recreation or divertisement Every day they write something and their masters copy is laid under the paper like the black line among us and the paper being thinne and transparent the letters easily appear through which the boy that learneth doth easily imitate forming other letters like those which hee seeth under his paper and by using this for some short time he becometh accustomed to the fashion of his Masters hand which he imitateth after this manner Therefore after some time spent in this exercise they write one line upon the Masters copy and another upon the blank paper by the side of it for as I have said the lines are made from the top of the paper to the bottome till at length when they can well imitate the copy they give over writing upon it In fine they take very much paines to gain a good hand in writing for in their examinations where their compositions are copied it is sufficient to have their Grace denied if there be but found one ill-shapen letter before their exercise be read they presuming that no man can be learned if he read or write ill although among us there be many examples to the contrary For it is wel known that the excellent Doctour Navarra wrought a very ill hand our Bartolomeo Philippo a singular Scholar writ so perfect an ill hand that to the universall grief of all learned men his most learned works were lost although they were many and no doubt full of most admirable knowledge because there was not found any one that was able to read them as may be perceived by those workes of his that have escaped out of that pernicious Chaos Next when the Chinesses have learned a good quantity of their letters and have had some acquaintance with their books they are instructed in the rules of composition First they give them some disordered compositions which they are to reduce into order then some abbreviations for them to enlarge upon and afterwards in due time they give them only the point or Theme in like manner they do at their examinations And because every three years the most approved compositions of those who have taken degrees are put in print others take great paines in them and get as many of them by heart as they are able They have no Universities where they study together but all that are able take a Master into the house for their sonnes and sometimes two if there be much difference between their childrens ages This Master is alwaies with them without any interruption and teacheth them not only letters and sciences but whatsoever concerneth Civill government good manners moralitie and the way how to carry themselves in every thing If they are persons of Quality the Scholar never goeth abroad without his Master who serveth to instruct him in all Civilities and good behaviour particularly in visits where as there are many Ceremonies used there is something of difficultie and they might easily commit an errour if their Master did not help them And without doubt this way is most decent for their reputation and more profitable for their studies and lesse exposed to those venemous practises and company which are apt to teach them such customs as infect their minds and spoile the Decorum of a Gentleman and much more in China where if any one have this evill fame he cannot be admitted to examinations There are neverthelesse many Schools for children of a meaner condition where the Masters have this good quality that they receive no more than they are well able to teach that they might not go from them as if they had never come thither as it falleth out too often in Europe where each Master endeavoureth to have many Scholars rather for his own gain than their advancement For indeed a man let him be never so able is but still one man whence it commeth to passe that some of their Schollars know the School but are not known of it This inconvenience is avoided in China each taketh no greater charge upon him than he is well able to give an account of and each Master admitteth no more Scholars than he can well teach He is with them all the day long behaving himself with much gravitie neither do they ever go out of the School unlesse it be at meales and if any one of them doth live far off his dinner is brought to the School Their play-daies and time of vacation are only fifteen daies at the beginning of the new year and some few daies in the fift and seventh moon and as there are there no Holy-daies they make all the rest of the year an un-interrupted application to their studies So sensible are they of this truth That it is necessary to take very great paines to bee learned and that seldome any one passeth with the reputation of a knowing man without much labour and industrie When they are grown up and past these rudiments and their parents are not able to provide a master for each in particular some of the kindred and neighbours joyne together and take a master in common who dyets with them day by day in course and receiveth his Salary from them all which is not much but more or lesse according to the custome of the Countries and many amount each year to 40 or 50 Crowns the common Salary being from ten to twenty crownes besides the presents which they make them at certaine feasts consisting of stockings shoes and such like things At meals although it be in the houses of persons of the greatest quality they are to sit with the father of the scholar or at least with the scholar himselfe Many times they stuâ—y not in their fathers house having others more proper for that occasion either within or without the City but never farr off and as much as
hold him for a Saint and a Master and Doctour of the whole Kingdome and whatsoever is cited of him is esteemed as an Oracle or sacred thing but also in all the Cities of the Kingdome he hath publique Temples built to his memorie where at set times he is worshipped with very great ceremony and in the year of the examinations one of the principall ceremonies is that all the graduates go together to do him reverence and acknowledge him for their Master Of those that are descended from him he that is the neerest of kin hath a competent revenue and enjoyeth the title of Chuheu which is as much as Marquis or Duke The Governour of the City where he was borne out of respect and favour to him is alwaies one of his family and finally all those of his linage assoone as they are borne have a particular priviledge from the Emperour and are respected by all in regard of their predecessour Confusio This custome continueth to this day although it be 1800. yeares since he died But returning to the Bookes which he published they are these following The first is called Yekim and treateth of his naturall Philosophie and of the generation and corruption of things of Fate or Judiciary Prognostication from these and other things and from naturall principles Philosophizing by way of numbers figures and symboles applying all to moralitie and good government The second is called Xukim containing a Chronicle of the ancient Kings and their good government The third Xikim and is of ancient poesie all under metaphors and poeticall figures concerning the naturall inclinations of mankind and also of diverse customes The fourth named Likim treateth of rites and civill ceremonies of the Ancients and also of those that belong to Religion and divine worship The fifth is called Chuncieu the which treateth also of the History of their Countrie and containeth a collection of examples of severall ancient Kings good and bad to be imitated or avoided There are also foure other bookes which were made by Confusio and another Philosopher called Mensiù In these nine bookes is contained all the naturall and morall Philosophie which the whole Kingdome studieth and out of these is taken the point which is proposed to read or compose on in their examinations for degrees Upon these bookes they have severall commentaries and glosses But there is one of them which by the law of the Kingdome they are commanded to follow nor are they allowed to contradict it in their publique Acts and hath almost the same authority with the text These nine bookes are held as it were sacred and in them and their Glosses and commentaries consisteth the great endeavour of their studies getting them by heart and endeavouring to understand the difficult places of them forming diverse senses upon them whereby to govern themselves in the practise of vertue to prescribe rules for the government of the Kingdome according to those wise dictates and Maximes they finde there And because their examinations are very strickt and rigorous they not being suffered to bring along with them to those examinations not only any booke but also not so much as a fingers breadth of paper it being no easie thing to be very ready in all these bookes the order is That the first examination of Batchelours be upon the last foure and that of Licentiates to be upon the same foure as also upon one of the other five for this reason none is obliged to be very perfect in more than one of those sciences which he doth professe and upon that the point is to be given him But to speak more distinctly to their learning although in their books it is not delivered so clearely and orderly I say they consider in the universe three things that is the heavens earth and man and so accordingly they divide their learning into three members that is into the science of the heavens the science of the earth and the science of man including in the two first all naturall knowledge and in the third all morall In the science of the heavens they treate of the beginning of all naturall things of the Creation of the Universe and of the Formation of man himselfe of universall causes of generation and corruption of elements and elementary qualities answerable to the planets of celestiall motions and relvolutions of the foure seasons of the year of the stars and planets of Iudiciall Astrologie of spirits good and bad what they are and other like matters In the science of the earth they treate of the varietie that is seen in her by reason of the 4. seasons of the yeare of the productions of things and their differences of fields and possessions and their divisions in order to Husbandrie and Agriculture of the situation of the 4 parts of the world of their position and other particulars concerning them of the choise and building of Coemeteries and burying places for their dead in which they are very superstitious In the science which treateth of man they teach all their moralitie and that which belongeth to man in a sociable and politick capacitie who imitating the order manner and proprietie of heaven and earth as the universall Parents liveth in communitie with the observing their five morall vertues which are Pietie Iustice Prudence Policie and Fidelitie They treate also of morall matters and of the respect which they have to the five orders of persons into which their Common-wealth is divided that is Father and Sonne Husband and Wife King and Subjects Elder Brother and Younger Brother and Friends among themselves All their moralitie is divided into two members The first they call Divine Moralitie which treateth only of ceremonies rites and sacrifices which they make to heaven earth the planets parts of the world good and bad spirits of the heaven and earth mountaines rivers tutelary spirits soules of the dead Heroes and famous men c. The second is their Politick and civill Moralitie This is divided into Ethiques which ordereth the manners and actions of mankinde as they are considered in relation to their owne persons and into Oeconomie in order to the government of their families and into Politiques in relation to the Government of the Commonwealth the publick good and conservation of the Kingdome The Government of a single person doth put him in a way to the good Government of his familie and the good Government of a familie to that of the Kingdome as for example A father which doth not well Governe his house how should he governe a City or Province and he that knoweth not how to governe and correct himselfe according to the duty of his single person how should he be able to regulate his familie So that they lay the first foundation of mortalitie in the good manners and behaviour of each particular person from whence proceede well govern'd families and publick Governments well administred Under the same member of the science of man they comprehend the Liberall and all other
only 3 strings and is the usuall instrument of the blind man They use also the violin with 3 strings and its bow they have also another with one only string which they play on like to our Bow vyollin The chiefest stringed instrument which they have is of seaven strings and is in more esteem than the rest and if the Musician be skil-full it maketh tolerable Musick The fift is of wood Of this kind they make certain thin pieces of board laying them together they play upon them all at once like snappers or castagnets the Bonzi also have a particular way by themselves of striking and playing upon a piece of wood and that with much keeping of time The sixth is of those instruments which are sounded with the mouth as flutes of which they have 2 or 3 sorts so sound them very excellently They have also another instrument made of severall pipes like the fashion of our Organ but it is but small and to be carried in ones hand They sound it with their mouths and the Harmony is excellent Now sometimes all these instruments are plaid on together and make a pleasing musick Poesie hath ever been much esteemed in China and in the time when there were many Kings Feudatory to one Emperour when they came to do him homage as they did every three years they were obliged each of them to bring with him out of his Kingdom the Rythmes and Poesies which were there most current and in use that by them he might judge of their manners and customes which truly are much discovered in such compositions In this particular the Chinesses have a great advantage over all others because they are very modest in whatsoever they write and it is very rare to find a loose word in their verses and what is more they have no letters whereby to expresse the privy parts not are they to be found written in any part of all their books They have great variety of verses and do use a consonancie of meeter like to that in the Songs Ballads Sonets and Madregals of Europe and they put also the correspondency of the Rythmes at the end of each and so many verses as we do in our sonets octaves in which they use great variety They compose likewise verses by the number of syllables the which they call words for as in their language all words are Monosyllables there cometh to be no difference betwixt a syllable and a word which consisteth of one only letter which is likewise pronounced a Monosyllable So that all letters being thus after the same manner the quantity of the verse consisteth in the number of them so that as we compose verses here of five seaven or eleven syllables so also the Chinesses make theirs of five seaven or more letters whereas among us two words and sometimes one may take up the whole verse it can never fall out so in theirs because all their words are of one syllable and one letter They have not verses that answer to our latin verses with feet as Dactils or Spondees c. But are all made like our Sonets and Dities and other verses in Rythme in which they use many various forms and manners of compositions The chiefe are eight it will be sufficient to relate one to you to give you some knowledge of the rest In this kind of Poesie the verses are to be eight in number consisting each of them of five letters and the consonancy of rythme to be every other verse in this manner The first may have it or no as they please but the second must rime to the fourth The fift with the sixt the seventh with the eighth The third fift and seaventh have no consonancy of rime but the letters are to be correspondent to one another as also the verses that do observe a consonancy are likewise to have their letters to correspond to one another the first with the first the second with the second c. And this correspondency consisteth not in riming but in the signification wherefore if the first letter of the second verse signifie a mountaine water fire or whatsoever else the first letter of the fourth verse must likewise signifie the same thing which is likewise observed in the second and in the rest of the letters of the whole verse This is a very Artificiall way but difficult In the conceits of their verses and in the figures with which they expresse themselves they use almost the same manner with us in Europe They have another kind of verse of lesse esteeme like ordinary rimes which are every where in request but the Nobilitiá and particularly those of the Kings kindred and blood-royall are much addicted unto the eighth manner of verses above mentioned in which they make many severall Poesies chiefly in commendation of their friends of famous men of the dead and of severall vertues In Painting they have more curiositie than perfection They know not how to make use either of Oyles or Shadowing in this Art and do therefore paint the figures of men without any grace at all but trees flowers birds and such like things they paint very much to the life But at present there are some of them who have been taught by us that use Oyles and are come to make perfect pictures Medicine or Physick is in a very good condition in China because they have abundance of good ancient bookes of that art being all their owne authours for ours are not yet arrived thither They do not let blood nor set on Cupping-Glasses They use no sirrops no potions no pills much lesse have they the use of Cauteries or issues a medicine of great advantage They are only Herbalists using nothing but herbes rootes fruits seeds c. and all drie and for a greater supply that which they have not in some Provinces is brought them from others so that there are whole Faires only of medicines and in the Cities and Townes the Apothecaries shops are very well provided from whence they furnish themselves But neither in bottles nor glasses but of all others the Physicians are well provided because they never write any receipt but give the medicine themselves to the patient whom they visit And all is done at the same visit therefore the Physician hath alwayes following him a boy carrying a Cabinet with five drawers each of them being divided into more than fourty little squares and all of them furnished with medicines ready ground and prepared They are very famous in judging of the Pulse never asking the patient whether the paine be in his head shoulders or belly only they feele the pulse with both their hands leaned upon a pillow or some other such thing observing the motion of the pulse for a good while and afterwards do tell what the patient ayleth I do not say that they hit right on every thing in all patients nor that all Physitians are able to do it there being many which do not study and know
the Kingdome I detained the petitions which were presented me without dispatching them I tooke no care of nominating Magistrates as the Kingdomes need required and I know that at this present there are some wanting I have opened nine mines of gold and silver I have encreased and multiplied the Gabells and Excise I have disturbed the publick peace with tumults of warre whence hath followed discord with the neighbouring princes and great oppression and injury to their people wherefore thinking continually both night and day upon these things I am hardly able to suffer the grief which my soule endureth and which doth now detest her former faults finally I began to take up better resolutions but I am fallen into this infirmity the which doth still so encrease that it maketh me beleeve I shall very shortly lose my life In the mean time I have this only hope left me that my Sonnes and Nephews will amend my faults by leading a better life You therefore the Heire of my Kingdome seeing that you neither want ingenuity nor good disposition and because you have hitherto never forborne the exercise of piety obedience and other vertues be of good courage The inheritance of the Empire of China is yours Let your principall care be well to compose your life and manners Apply your selfe with all study and industry to the well governing of the Kingdome Love those that are good refuse not counsell take not advise in evill part that you might be able to beare the great weight of this Empire do your endeavour that your Sonne my Grand-child follow his studies with all diligence Be kind and loving to your three Brothers assigne them convenient habitations and provide for each of them a good revenue and honourable Titles Use your utmost diligence that all your subjects as well noble as ignoble may live in peace and love concord Take care speedily to make the Colai and other the supreame Magistrates for I do remember to have left two places voyd and above all forget not to elect the Kings Administratours These things I recommend to you that you should endeavour speedily to put them in execution By all means take off the new Gabells at Bridges the Excise of silke stuffs eartherne ware and other things which I have lately introduced Take care that all causes which are depending in the Tribunals be dispatched with diligence by some select Judges and free the innocent The souldiers on the confines of Tartary do want their pay and provisions let them be speedily supplied out of the royall exchequer this last clause is said to have been added by the Prince to his fathers Testament I do recommend to you the souldiers and Captaines which were slaine in the last warre Honour their Mortuaries and their soules with new Titles assist their families by paying their arreares All this I briefly ordaine that you should put it in execution assoone as possibly you may As for my Funerall cause the ceremonies of the Kingdome to be observed Though I had rather for my particular satisfaction that in stead of twenty seaven months as is the usuall custome they should only last for so many dayes All the Magistrates Vice-roys Visitours and Captaines of warre have more need to assist at their governments and charges Suffer not that they be called hither upon the occasion of my funerall It will be sufficient that when each hath newes of my death he cause to be done for three dayes in the place where he is that which useth to be performed at the Funerall of the Kings body The Pastilios and other perfumes wont to be presented on the like occasions may be brought by the inferiour officers in the name of the great ones But for the Magistrates appointed for the government of the forts and the Presidents of Cities and Townes my Will is that in no case they should be suffered to come as also that the strangers who are Tributary to this Kingdome should be excused I do ordaine that this my last Will should be published through the whole Kingdome that it may come to the eares of every one of my subjects This was his will and Testament which accordingly was every where published The other ceremonies I forbeare to write because they are the same with those we have already related CHAP. 18. Of the severall Sects of religion in China THe Chinesses are generally little inclined to Sects neither are there any thing neere so many among them as among the people of Giappon Neverthelesse they have three which although they be different yet that they might not erre in any or to speake more correctly that they might erre the more they joyne them altogether Two of them are proper to China and first sprung up there The third which is of the Idols is adventitious and came from India The first is that of the Litterati and is more ancient among them than some do think who make Confusio to be the author of it They worship no Pagod or Idol but acknowledge a Superioritie or Deitie who is able to chastise and to reward Notwithstanding they have no Churches wherein they worship him nor any divine Offices which they celebrate nor any prayers that they rehearse nor any Priests or Ministers which officiate at his service Yet they speak and write in their books of this Lord very Honourably as of a divine person neither do they apply or attribute any undecent thing to him as our Ancestours did to their Gods But as they did not perfectly and distinctly know the true God they fell to worship three things which are the most renowned powerfull and profitable in the world the which they call San Cai that is heaven earth and man There are in the courts of Nankim and Pekim only very sumptuous Temples for heaven and earth but which do properly belong to the King alone wherein he only in his owne person doth sacrifice he being the Minister also of the sacrifice and in his absence or by his order the chiefe Magistrate of the Tribunal of Rites In the Cities there are Temples for the Tutelar spirits to which the Mandarines do sacrifice as also to the spirits of the rivers mountaines and of the foure parts of the world c. There are also Temples to the honour of some men who have been famous Benefactours to the publick and therein are palced their Images They do the same honour to their Ancestours untill the fourth degree upwards For their soule in the next life they neither expect nor pray for any thing Neverthelesse they ask for temporall assistance in this life good fortune and to be able to imitate their good works and atchivements They pretend by this to stirre up devotion in the people that they seeing how heaven and earth are honoured as universall Parents they might also honour their particular Parents and seeing how famous men of former ages are honoured they might thereby endeavour to imitate them and seeing how their deceased Progreitours
any of these things the Mandarines take themselves large shares of them and if the better sort of people sacrifice such as are the heads of families it is divided among the kindred The ordinary sort of people after they have made their offering which is comonly boyled before hand take up every thing againe then having dressed it anew according to their fancy they make a feast with it where it is all eaten They sacrifice many other things as Banners and Umbrellas all of silk severall figures moulded in gold or silver or else made of Orpine or base gold great summes of mony made of cut paper All these things are to be sold ready made in the market places at the shops of severall Artificers and after they are sacrificed they burn them all Every man offereth sacrifice without any difference they having no determinate ministers appointed for this act neither indeed have they for other things as for offices or Divine service Burialls to sing and officiate at them with any exactnesse It belongeth only to the king to sacrifice to Heaven the Earth Sunne Moone Planets and Starres and if any others should do it in publick he were guilty of a great crime For this end they have two most famous Temples at the two Courts where the King sacrificeth at the foure seasons of the year Spring Summer Antumne and Winter going thither himselfe in person and if he cannot go he sendeth some other to officiate in his stead The great Lords and those who are Titelados sacrifice to the Mountaines Lakes c. The Gentlemen and Officers to the four seasons of the year and particular parts of the earth Hills and the like For the rest as to their Idols their houshold-gods Genij or Tutelar Angells any one sacrificeth that will there being set times and places appointed for it except at sometimes they do accomodate themselves both to the occasions and places as when any one is to take a voyage by water he offereth sacrifice on the day whereon he departeth and that either in the Barke or on the next shore CHAP. 20. Of the Militia and Armes of the Chinesses THe knowledge and skill of Warre and Military affairs is very ancient among the Chinesses as appeareth by their bookes and Histories and it is very certaine that they have conquered many famous Kingdomes it is also commonly beleeved that they did formerly conquer Ceilan and neere to that place in the City of Nagapatam there is to be seen at this day an edifice or building which they call The Pagod of the Chinesses and it is a Tradition among the people of that Countrie that it was built by them Neither truly is it a worke unfit to be compared to any of that Kingdome Neverthelesse their bookes make no mention at all of it but that is not a sufficient reason altogether to refute this Tradition for no more have they any memory left in their bookes of the ancient Christianitie which notwithstanding it is most certaine was there and was also very much dilated and spread abroad However it is manifest that they had 114. Kingdomes Tributary to them but at this day they have only the neighbouring Countries which are nothing neere so many and even of these some of them do deny them their tribute and others have been abandoned by the Chinesses themselves holding it better to retire themselves to their own in peace and quietnesse than to go on stil with warre and troubles to conquer or maintaine other Kingdomes Beside the Conquests and warres made with stranger Kingdomes they have had warre also for many yeares in their own Countrie so that beside many particular books that treate thereof they have one body of historie consisting of ten Tomes which only treateth of the warrs of those times of their Captaines their manner of warfare battailes victories and other things wherein are many notable things to be read which do clearly demonstrate that they have formerly been a valiant and warlike nation although there are but few such at this time The occasions how they came thus to grow lesse were very great as I shall shew hereafter At this day that which they have of warlike in the Kingdome is only the multitude which is very great for besides the Souldiery which they have in the frontiers of Tartarie and in the Armados and fleets which are at the mouths of the great rivers which runne into the Sea every Province and in that every City and Village of the Kingdome hath a proper militia of their own which is paid by them and commanded by their own Captaines and in case that any Province hath need of men they make use of the Souldierie of their own Cities and Townes which by order of the vice-roy is easily brought to one Rendevous And if there be occasion for them on the frontiers or any other place of the Kingdome presently by order from the King or his councell of warre they rayse the Souldiers of one or more Provinces according to the Present necessitie and the possibilitie of the Province all of them not being able to maintaine the same number of Souldiers These Souldiers are alwayes in readinesse and if one of them be wanting or die there are presently enow in the same Town though it be never so little who make suite for the employment and so the place is presently supplied In the City of Nankim they say there are 40000 Souldiers and in that of Pekim 80000. and throughout the whole Kingdome as Father Matthoeus Riccius affirmeth who lived in China many yeares and had very good Knowledge thereof above a million and Father Iohn Rodriguez who went very much up and down China and had opportunitie to see the principall places thereof and was very curious saith that he found by diligent search in their books that in the body of the Kingdome with all the Cities and Villages thereof there are 594000 Souldiers and on the great wals which confine on Tartarie 682888. and yet he did not put into this number the Souldiers of the Armado that guardeth the coast Nor wil this number seem so excessive if we consider that China alone beside that it is much more populous is as big as Spain France Italie Germanie the Low-Countries great Brittain and all the Islands belonging to it In all this multitude if we speak of them who guard the Frontiers there is no doubt but there is found some valour and courage and they have sometimes gallantly repulsed the Tartars and in the yeare 1596 when the Giapponesses after they had passed through all the Kingdome of Corea without finding any resistance would have entred China which they came on purpose to conquer the Chinesses repulsed them in such manner that after the losse of many men they were faine to put up their pipes and returne home without doing any thing so likewise the Souldiers of the Armado have made some assaults wherein they have been victorious But if we speake of
Kings stamp and the Founders name upon them that in case any of them be falsified they might know whom to accuse and in this forme they are returned into the Kings Exchequer The Revenue of the Province is divided into three parts one whereof is put into the Treasure of the City for extraordinary expenses the other into the Coffers of the Treasurer for to defray ordinarie expences This Treasurie beside that the doores and locks are made as secure as can be yet it is guarded every night by a constant watch of Souldiers The third is sent publickely to Court but with a strong Guard This Silver is put into round pieces of wood sawed through in the middle and hollowed within and joyned together with Iron hoops and both ends closed fast with plates of Iron Within every one of these pieces of wood is conveighed as much Silver as two men are able to carrie The revenue of the whole Kingdome according to the supputation of Father Matteo Riccius who lived many yeares in China as appeareth by his book printed in the year 1621 is said to amount to an hundred and fifty Millions of Crownes Father Iohn Rodriquez who also travailed much about China and was very curious to know the affaires of this Kingdome in a writing which he left behind him concerning the foure notable things of China faith That it doth amount but to fifty five Millions To make them both agree my opinion is that the whole Revenue is a hundred and fifty Millions as Father Riccius said that which is brought to Court is but fifty five as Father Rodriquez would have it the rest remaining as hath been said in the Provinces As I have not made any diligent enquiry concerning this matter so I will forbeare to add any thing to the Testimonie of these grave Personages The Fourth Tribunal is called Gan Cha Sci and is as it were a Tribunal Criminal it hath Assessours Councellours and Tauli And as every Province is divided into Shires and Precincts according to the number of the Cities thereof it belongeth to these Tauli to visit them and to do justice in the several places assigned them punishing Malefactours and exercising their jurisdiction which extendeth it selfe even to the Souldierie and the affaires of the Sea if the Province be maritime The Fifth Tribunall is over learning and letters to examine and confer degrees and the like and is particularly set over all them that have taken the degree of Batcheller but Doctors are exempt from their Iurisdiction There is a Chancellour over the whole Province who at set times visiteth all the Cities and Townes holding examinations and informing himself of every ones behaviour and according as he findeth it he reproveth chastiseth and sometimes depriveth them of their degree but leaving them alwayes the libertie as I have said of returning if they please to a new examination There are moreover in every City two whom they call Mandarines of the Sciences Hioquan who belong to the same Tribunall but their Iurisdiction doth not extend it self further than to the Batchelers of the same City and the territorie thereof And although they have not the power to conferre a degree or to take it away but only to punish them neverthelesse it is they that give them the most trouble by reason that living alwayes in the same City they often call them before them examine them c. They are as it were Prefects of the Classes All these offices whereof I have spoken have authoritie over the whole Province and over all the Cities Villages and Townes thereof But the Cities have moreover their particular Government as among us in Europe In every City there are foure principall Mandarines one whereof is President whom they call Chi Fu and is as it were Governour of the City the rest are Collateralls they are called Thum Chi Thum Phuon Chiu Quon Every one of these holdeth his Tribunal apart and hath greater and lesser officers belonging to him Beside these every City hath nineteen lesser Magistrates employed in severall Offices subordinate to the principall Two whereof have a President and foure Councellours the nine others have only one President and an Assistant and the other eight have only one President but they have all of them their Officers Ministers and a convenient number of Servants belonging to their Courts The Villages have a Judge and three Councellours The Judge is called Chi Hien The First Councellour Hum Chim The Second Chu Phn. The Third Tun Su. They have each of them their Palaces and Tribunals apart as also their subordinate Officers Notaries and others The Judge may give sentence of death but cannot put it in execution Besides these Mandarines which reside in the Cities and Villages there are others who have not the power either to Chastise or condemn but only to make their report and are as it were Referendaries There are also of them in Castles if they be great and farre from any City or Village these are made ordinarily out of the inferiour Notaries of Tribunals for out of the great ones are commonly made the Councellours to the Judges of Villages But it must be observed that both the greater and the lesser officers have not so much authoritie as ours in Europe Besides every Hamlet whereof there are almost Infinite in China no labourer or husbandman dwelling either in City or Village but in the Fields hath a Head or Thithing-man called Licham The houses are divided by tens like Tithings or Decuries with a Head or Tithing-man belonging to each by which meanes the Government becometh more easie and the contribution which is exacted more certaine CHAP. 27. Of the Badges of Honour or Ensignes of the Mandarines ALl Officers who either have or have had cōmand have their Ensigns by which they are distinguished not only from the people but from others as well Litterati as Noblemen of another rank These consist in five things that is the Cap the Habit the Girdle the Boots and the Gown The Cap is of black Silk lined with a certaine stiffe strong Stuffe They all of them have it made after the same fashion only in the Caps of the Colai there is some difference it is called in the Chinesse language Xamao The Habit for so they call it and we have nothing in Europe that answereth to it is a square piece which they wear on their breast richly embroydered round about in the middle wherof is the device of their Office and dignitie and as those are diverse accordingly their devices are different It is called Phizu The Magistrates of letters have an Eagle a Hearn a Bird of the Sunne or such like the Magistrates of armes have a Panther a Tiger and Unicorns a Lym c. The Girdle which is not made to Gird them withall for it is so wide that they are fain to fasten it at the sides to keep it from falling is called Quon Thai it is foure fingers broad and
with those Cudgells and by reason the use of them is so frequent they alwayes accompany the Mandarine who maketh use of them in any place and upon any occasion It were a sufficient cause if any one that met him on horse-back did not alight or that he crossed his way which because it is a slight fault is chastised only with five or ten blowes And the Mandarine hath this power not only in the Townes and Cities of his owne Iurisdiction but also in any place whatsoever though it be not properly under his Authority Before I left the City of Nankim the Metropolis of the Province of Kiamsi where we have a Church a house and a good number of Christians there came thither a Mandarine who was Judge of one of the neighbouring Townes and passed through our street which is one of the most frequented of that City There was in a remote corner thereof a fortune-teller one of those who used to sell good fortunes to the people sitting in his chaire with his Table books and other things before him The Mandarine passed once up and another time downe the street and the Suon Mim for so they call these Diviners never moved himselfe off his chaire either the first or the second time After a few houres the Mandarine had occasion to passe through the same street againe and coming to a little Piazza in a corner whereof this unhappy fortune-teller had his seat the Mandarine called out to him saying you make no difference of men neither do you doe your Courtesie to the Kings Mandarines take him away and give him what he deserveth presently in the street before his owne seat they gave him ten Bastinadoes Go your waies now said the Mandarine and learn manners and study better that art of yours since you have not been able to foresee this good fortune that hath befallen you with so much facility do they bestow their Bastinadoes neither do men make any account of them although they alwaies pay them in ready coyn all do give them all receive them and all have felt them neither doth it seeme strange to any one nor doth any hold himselfe aggrieved for them In the same manner do Lords and Masters chastise their servants except only that for the most part they do not take downe their breeches The like do Schoole-Masters use in their Schooles to their Scholars of what quality soever they be beating them on the buttocks with their breeches on and laying them not upon the ground but upon a forme The same also do they use to little children for they have neither whips nor disciplines but rather abhorre them wondring how we can chastise our children with a whip which they apprehend to be a very cruell thing and the children themselves because the whip smarteth more and t is struck upon their naked skin do rather choose the Bambu And that you might want nothing there are in China certain persons who do buy these Bastinadoes at the Tribunals or to speak more correctly do sell the receiving of them in stead of others But this is only in some slight causes for in others they neither may nor will But when the cause is such that this may be done he agreeth with the party for so much a Bastinado and appeareth before the Mandarine in the place of the delinquent and receiveth them for him The Rack is used also in certain necessary cases I do not know that they have above two kindes of it That of the feet and that of the hands For the feet they use an instrument called Kia Quen it consisteth of three pieces of wood put in one Traverse that in the middle is fixt the other two are moveable between these their feet are put where they are squeezed and prest till the heele-bone run into the foot for the hands they use also certain small pieces of wood between their fingers they call them Tean Zu then they straiten them very hard and seale them round about with paper and so they have them for some space of time CHAP. 29. Of some particular things which do facilitate and rectifie the Government in China THe First is that the King doth bear the charges of his Officers furnishing them with all manner of expences by this meanes taking from them all occasions which might through their necessities either engage them to severall Persons or runne them much into debt obliging them by the same meanes more strictly to observe the lawes and to walk more directly in the paths of justice After that a Doctour or Licentiate or any other hath an employment bestowed upon him at Court and departeth thence to go to his Government all the expences of his person Servants and Familie as well in travelling by water as by land including the hire of Boats Carts Horses Porters and other things are all defrayed by the King Throughout their whole journey they never lodge at Innes but in all the Townes and Cities there are Palaces appointed for to entertain them where all things fitting are provided for them They alwayes send a man before as an harbenger so that by that time they arrive all things are in order for their reception And if it fall out as sometimes it doth that they cannot reach to a good Town there are in certain places houses built for this purpose by the King which they call Yeli where every thing is provided for them The worst is that because it is all at the Kings charges it is done more profusely and lavishly than is requisite as for example when the Mandarine hath occasion for ten horses to carry his familie they require fifteen or twenty and there is likewise provision made for so many through the whole journey and the greatest part of them receive this in money Neither doth the matter stop here but goeth yet further There being some who have not so much care of their credit and reputation as of their purse and when they are to have so many dishes and so many severall sorts of meat according to the Kings appointment they give order that the provision should be lesse and receive the rest in money neverthelesse there are but few who dare be guilty of such basenesse Neither doth the King only furnish the expence of their persons but that also which is requisite to sustaine the honour and dignitie of their places as men on horse back and on foot to accompany them from Town to Town through all places where they are to passe The Second is that in the places where their Governments are he provideth them Palaces for their habitation in case they have none of their own as also rich Furniture and moveables and all manner of Servants within doors and without doors even to the pages who are never so few but that he alloweth eight or ten of them to a Judge of the smallest Town yet they do not waite all at one time unlesse it be when the Mandarine giveth a particular command
that which followeth The true law hath no determinate name The Ministers thereof go about in every part to teach it unto the world having no other aim but to be profitable to those that live in it In the Kingdome of Tachin this Olopuen being a man of great vertue hath brought from so remote a Countrie Doctrines and Images and is come to place them in our Kingdome Having well examined that which he proposeth we find it to be very excellent and without any outward noise and that it hath its principall Foundation even from the Creation of the World his doctrine is brief neither doth he found his truth in superficiall appearances it bringeth with it the salvation and benefit of men wherefore I have thought it convenient that it should be published through our Empire He commanded the Mandarines of this Court of Nimfam that they should build there a great Church with 21 Ministers weakening by that meanes the Monarchie of Cheu Olao Fu head of the sect of Tauzu which was carried in a black Chariot toward the West so the great Tam being enlightened together with Tao the Holy Gospel came into China and a little while after the King commanded that Olopuen his Picture should be painted on the wals of the Temple where it shineth and his memorie will alwayes shine in the World VII According to the records of the Empires of Ham and Guei the Kingdome of Tachin bordereth Southward upon the red Sea and Northward on the Mountaines of Pearls Westward on the Forest Delle Fule Per Li Santi Eastward on the Countrie of Cham Fum and the dead water The Countrie produceth a Lake Asphaltitis of fire Balsome Pearles and Carbuncles it hath no robbers but all live in joyfull peace The Gospel only is allowed in that Kingdome and honours are conferred only on those that are vertuous Their houses are great and all is illustrious by their order and good customes VIII The great Emperour Caozum the Sonne of Taizum continued with good decorum the intention of his Grand Father enlarging and adorning the works of his Father For he commanded that in all his Provinces Churches should be built and honours conferred on Olopuen bestowing upon him the Title of Bishop of the great law by which law he governed the Kingdome of China in great peace and the Churches filled the whole countrie with the prosperitie of preaching IX In the year Xim Lie the Bonzi of the Sect of the Pagods using their wonted violence did blaspheme this new and holy law in this place of Tum Cheu and in the year Sien Tien some particular Persons in Sigan with laughter and disparagement did mock at it X Then one of the chief of the Priests called John and another of great vertue named Kie Lie with some others of their Countrie Priests of great same being disingaged from the things of the world began to take up again that excellent net and to continue the thred which was now broken King Hi venzum Chi Tao commanded five little Kings to come in person to the happie house and to set up Altars Then in the year Tien Pao the pillar of the law which had been cast down for a while began to grow great King Taciam Kium gave command to Caâ—lie Sic that the Pictures of five Kings his ancestours should be placed in the Churches with a hundred Presents to honour the solemnitie Although the great beards of the Dragon were afarre off yet could they lay hands on their Bowes and their Swords The brightnesse which floweth from these Pictures maketh seem as if the Kings themselves were present In the third year of Tien Pao the Priest Kiehâ— was in India who guided by the starres came to China beholding the Sunne came to the Emperour who commanded that Iohn and Paul and other Priests should be joyned unto him to exercise Holy works in Kim Kim a place within the palace Then were hung up in Tables in the Churches the Kings letters richly adorned by publique order with red and blew colours and the Kings pen filled the emptines it mounted on high and transcended the Sun his favours and donatives may be compared to the tops of the Mountaines of the South and the abundance of his benefits is equall to the bottom of the eastern Sea Reason is not to be rejected there is nothing which the Saints cannot do and their deeds are worthy of memorie For this cause king Sozun Ven Mim commanded that Churches should be built in this Limvu and in five Cities He was of an excellent nature and opened the Gate to the common prosperitie of the Kingdome by which meanes the affaires of the Empire began to flourish again XI King Taizum Venvu caused happie times to return again doing things without labour and trouble alwayes at the feast of the nativitie of Christ he sent Heavenly perfumes to the Royall Churches to honour the Ministers of this holy law Truly heaven giveth beautie and profit to the world and liberally produceth all things This King imitated heaven and therefore he knew how to sustaine and nourish his subjects XII King Kien Chum Xim Xin Venvu used eight wayes of government for to reward the good and chastise the wicked and nine wayes to renew the estate of the Gospel Let us pray to God for him without being ashamed of it He was a man of much vertue humble and desirous of peace and ready to forgive his neighbour and to assist all men with charitie These are the steps of our holy law to cause the winds and the raines to retire at their seasons that the world should live in peace men be well governed and affaires well established that the living should prosper and the dead be in happinesse all this proceeds from our Faith XIII The King gave many honourable Titles in his Court to the Priest Y Su a great Preacher of the Law and also a garment of a red colour because he was peaceable and took delight in doing good to all He came from afarre off into China from the Country of Vam Xe Chi Chim His vertue surpassed our three famous Families he enlarged the other sciences perfectly He served the King in the Palace and afterward had his name in the Royall book The little King of Fuen Yam who had the Title of Chum Xulim and called himself Cozuy served at first in the warres of these parts of Sofam King Sozum commanded Y Su that he should assist Cozuy very much above all the rest neither did he for this change his ordinarie custome being the Nailes and Teeth of the Common-Wealth the Eyes and Eares of the Army He knew well how to distribute his revenue he was not sparing in any thing he offered a precious Gift called Poli to the Church of this place of Lintiguen he gave Golden Carpets to that of Cie Ki. He repaired the old Churches and established the house of the law adorning the chambers and galleries thereof making them
Baptise such as had not yet been converted and partly to endeavour to found a house in that his native City of Hamcheu The first happy encounter there was that of Doctour Yam named afterwards at his Baptism Michael who is much celebrated in our yearly letters He was a Mandarine of great account and a Kinsman of Doctour Leo and had been for seaven years together Chancellour of the whole Province of Nankim which is an Office of very great importance and was very rich of a great House and allyed to the principall Families of that Citie and above all he was very devout towards the Pagods in so much that he had built a Temple for them within his own Palace with a certain number of Bonzi to serve them whom he maintained at his own charges But he did this more out of ignorance than malice and therefore the Lord shewed mercy unto him He was one of the first that visited the Fathers and being very much addicted to the defence of his Religion he began a very hot dispute with a more than ordinarie zeal for the upholding of his Sect the which he continued likewise the day following and the next day and so for nine dayes together alwayes producing new arguments and proposing new difficulties not that he had a design to impugnâ— but only to discover the truth The ninth day he yeelded himselfe crying out A true God A true Law A true Doctrine And after he had been very diligently Catechised and instructed he was Baptized to the great consolation of the Fathers and also of Dr. Leo who did much rejoice at it and to the singular griefe and shame of the Bonzi who were presently discarded and their Temple converted into a Church dedicated to the Saviour of the world Now did these two Heroes seem two firme and stable pillars very proper to sustaine that infant Church with a certain hope that their example would draw many others to the law of Christ and that there would be a flourishing Christianitie founded in that so populous a Metropolis which in my opinion is the richest the most delicious and magnificent in Temples and other structures of any in that Kingdom But for the generalitie the least disposed to receive our Holy faith whether it were then for this cause or because their hour was not yet come which required a greater disposition there was so little fruit of the Gospel at that time that the Fathers judged it better to give place to time and for the present to leave that abode and to finde out some other place better disposed to receive the seed of faith They proceeded so farre as to propose their intention to Father Nicolaus Longobardus superiour of that Mission who would neither approve nor reject their opinion but remitted the businesse to the judgement of the House at Nankim where I was then at that time and by the grace of God we were there in all nine of the Societie The matter was debated and it was resolved by all of us that according as experience had taught us they should proceed with patience and longanimitie greater difficulties having been overcome by those weapons So without any more thoughts of change the Fathers remained labouring in that City not knowing the great good which the Lord had there prepared for them and which time afterwards discovered not only by founding there one of the most numerous and best instructed Churches that is in China but because that house was ever a safe Port to us in all Tempests and a secure refuge in all persecutions as shall be seen hereafter Christianitie also was much encreased in Xaâ—hoi the Country of Dr. Paul for his Father and all his houshold had been Baptized and many other people of that place and although we had there no setled house there was neverthelesse a Church and every year the Christians were visited both to confirme the old ones and convert new ones In the foure ancient houses the Fathers said Masse preached and exercised the Mysteries and Ceremonies of our Holy Faith very quietly and without any disturbance at all The Christians exercised their devotion and many Gentiles endeavoured to finde the way of their Salvation the Christian Religion flourished every day more and more with an abundant number of new Converts and also of new Labourers which were sent to us from Macao where they were first instructed in the language and custome of the Country In the mean time we were sent unto from many places and from severall persons to desire us to come into their Country and to preach the Gospel to them This City of Vamcheu which is neere unto Nankim had so great a desire to be made partakers of our doctrine that the Litterati there wrot a letter to Father Alphonsus Vagnone in Nankim where he was at that time superiour which was subscribed by forty of them wherein they did invite the Father to come to them with many prayers and entreaties and very earnestly desired him that he would not deferre his comming that good which they so much longed for They did also the like in many other places whether the fame of our Holy Faith was arrived either by the books we had printed there or by the relation of the Gentiles for these do sometimes serve as a guide to the rest and I had once one of them who did help me to Catechise or else by their conversation with Christians themselves And this was done with so much fervour that really it seemed to us the time was come wherein after all storms and tribulations were blown over the winter was passed away and the spring time began to appeare bringing forth flowers worthy the sight of that celestiall Gardiner or rather that the crop was now ripe and expected a happy harvest The Fathers being animated with these successes and well pleased with the many occasions which continually presented themselves were not sparing to make good use of them hoping that they would have been dayly encreased But who is able to comprehend the judgements of the Lord Or who hath been his Councellour Whilest things stood in this prosperous condition whether it were for the sinnes of that Kingdom or for ours in particular or because the Lord was pleased to prove and exercise his servants there was raised in Nankim where that house was founded with much quiet and had continued in greater tranquility than the rest the following persecution CHAP. 8. A fierce persecution is raised against the Christians in Nankim THis Persecution which was the most terrible of all we have yet suffered began in the year 1615 upon this occasion which I shall relate There was this year sent from Pekim to Nankim a Mandarine called Qui Xin to be an assistant of the third Tribunall named Lipu which taketh cognizance of all Rites Sects Strangers and such like This man besides that he was extreamly averse both to our Holy Faith and to the Fathers and on the contrary very
the greatest fury of that persecution wherein the Fathers were banished the Kingdom eight of them concealed themselves in that City not only maintaining what they had already gained but also encreasing it so much that whereas about 8 or 10 years before there were but three Churches in all China we have at this day many in eight Provinces as also twelve Houses the number of the faithfull being very much encreased every where Dr. Leo made continuall progresse in the Christian religion and shewed in act upon all occasions what he had before embraced and resolved in his minde When he went to take possession of the first office which was given him after he was a Christian he was advertised by the Ministers and Officers that according to the custome he should go and worship and take his oath before the Idols which in great number were placed in a certain Hall of that Palace where he was to lodge The Doctour went and being come to the roome where the Idols were the Ceremonie he performed was to cause them to be all overturned and throwne to the ground and then to be broken in pieces so that the Sergeants themselves who were constrained to execute this Commandement which seemed to them a very great impiety said among themselves Sure this new Lord of ours is not very well in his wits So great was the horrour and hatred which he had conceived against the devill He was in this particular very severe and terrible all the time of his life neither did he account them men that were deceived in that point had so little sense as to believe Idols to be gods and those who had any occasion to heare the Law of God or to read the books which treated of it and did not judge it to be true to want braines and to be voyd of understanding He perswaded himselfe that all they who could read and took a delight in the reading of books that it was not possible but that they should have a great passion for the Learning and Sciences of Europe and that by means of them they must needs arrive at the knowledge of the true God and receive his Holy law Therefore his greatest care always was to perswade the Fathers to apply themselves to the translating the books of Europe and he himselfe did help them in it all he could which was not a little Hence it was that ever since he knew the Fathers which was about the space of thirty years he almost alwaies busied himselfe in this exercise which he followed with so much study and application that even in the Country at recreations visits and banquets he never went without a book in his sleeve or in the chaire wherein he was carried on mens shoulders and when he was alone he did either read or write although it was more troublesome to him than it would have been to another of lesse ingenuity and capacity by reason of his want of sight in one eye which he had almost lost and the little sight he had in the other which was left so that in writing or reading he was faine almost to touch the paper with his eye And truly he made such progresse in our Sciences that he could have discoursed upon any subject better than many in Europe that esteeme themselves learned men He perfectly understood the first six books of Euclid which are now translated into the Chinesse tongue he had learned all the kinds of our Arithmetick with many particular rules and subtleties which are taught in that Art of which subject he composed seaven Tomes he was very well acquainted with all that belongeth to the Spheare and such like curiosities But what is most of all he understood very well and helped to translate the books of Aristotle de Caelo together with the questions which are handled upon them by the Schoole of Conimbra so that he had perfectly penetrated into that matter and finally he learnt a great part of our Logick concerning which he left 20 Tomes in the Chinesse language to be printed besides he discoursed so pertinently of all these and other matters with so much ease and delight that it was not so facile for others who were well versed in them to follow him He never made account of those curious commodities which came from Europe and which were so much esteâ—med by others all his delight and content was to see some new and curious book that was brought out of Europe Then would he sigh to see himselfe old and alone not finding in other Christians the zeale which he had of a thing so important to the conversion of that Kingdom as was the helping us in the translation of such books With the Fathers he never discoursed of any thing but either of God or of our Sciences It was a knowâ— thing among us that when he saw us which he did many times a week the first thing he would ask was What book it was we were about translating and if he knew the subject how much we had already translated And I can speak it with truth that of fifty works which the Fathers have translated into the Chinesse tongue both of Divinitie other Sciences among which there are some which do consist of many Tomes there is hardly one which hath not passed through his hands he either correcting it himselfe or helping us to do it or revising and fitting it for a new impression or else reâ—ding it of more Authority with the addition of prologues and other compositions of his owne He had an unspeakable pleasure in those works neither could â—e have a greater Present sent him than one of our books newly printed in the Chinesse language From hence there grew in him a great 〈◊〉 iâ—satible desire wherein he seemed to consume himselfe which was to have many Fathers come into China and it was so vehement in him that it made him fall into complaints against our Superiours saying They did not understand because they could not see with their eyes the importance of that businesse that therefore they did not supply that want so much as was necessary One day falling into a great heat upon this subject the Father with whom he discoursed mildely replied Sir we thank you for your zeale and do acknowledge the favour you shew us in complaining on this manner but our Superiours have many places to succour and supply and it is not possible for them to do it to the satisfaction of all To which he replied very gracefully Your Reverence doth reprove me for daring to murmure against our Fathers and Superiours but it is not so but only I say That I should be very glad to have the opportunity to speak in person with our Reverend Father Generall in these very tearmes he spake it in the Chinesse tongue and when ever he mentioned the Superiours of the Company he alwaies called them Our Fathers and Superiours because I would very earnestly desire of him that he would be