King Lovangus his heart not able to bear such a desolation of the Citie of his people and Subjects as he foresaw King Loving as love to his Subjects gave such an example of his Humanity and Piety as Europ never saw for he mounted upon the City Walls and calling upon his Knees to the Tartarian Captains he begged the life of his Subjects Spare not me quoth he I will willingly be my Subjects victime and having denounced this unto them he presently went out to the Tartars Army where he was taken This Illustrious testimony of his love to his Subjects had not wanted a reward to Crown so Heroick an Action if it met with a generous Soul like that of Alexander or of Caesar VVhen they had the King Prisoner they commanded the Citizens to shut the Gates and keep the VVals least either their own or the Kings Souldiers should enter the City and presently they fell upon the Kings men whom they butchered in a most cruel manne but yet the water destroyed more then there Swords or Arrows for many cast themselves headlong into the great River of Cianthang which is a Liege brood and runs neer the City others leaping and overcharging the Boats in the River were presently sunck Many of the Kings Souldiers drowned oothers flying away full of fear and confusion thrust one another at the River side into that unmerciful Element and by all these many thousands perished The Tartars wanting boats to pass this River having thus expelled or killed the Souldiery they returned Triumphant to the City Hangcheu is taken where they used neither force nor violence by which means this noble City was conserved whose beauty greatness and riches I hope to describe elsewhere not by hear-say but by what I saw the three years space I lived in it and what I found when lately I came from it into Europ This City of Hangcheu hath an Artificial Channel or Dick to pass by water to the Northern parts of China This Chanel is onely separated by the high part of the way like a Cause way from the River which as I said runs on the South part of the City The Tartars therefore drew many Boats out of this Chanel over the Causeway into the River Cienthang and with the help of these Boats they pass the River without resistance and found the fairest City in all China called Xaoking prone enough to submit to their victorious Arms. This City in bigness yields to many others but in cleaness and comeliness it surpasses all it is so invironed with sweet waters as a man may contemplate its beauty by rounding it in a Boat it hath large and fair Streets paved on both sides with white square stones and in the middle of them all runs a Navigable Chanel whose sides are garnished with the like ornament and of the same stone there are also built many fair Bridges and Triumphant Arches the Houses also which I observe no where else in China are built of the same square stone so as in a word I saw nothing neater in all China They took this Town without any resistance and so they might have done all the rest of the Southern Towns of this Province of Chekiang But when they commanded all by Proclamation to cut off their Hair then both Souldier and Citizen took up Arms and fought more desperately for their Hair of their Heads The Chineses defend their Hair than they did for King or Kingdom and beat the Tartars not only out of their City but repulst them to the River Cienthang nay forced them to pass the River killing very many of them In truth had they past the River they might have recovered the Metropolis with the other Towns But they pursued their victory no further being sufficiently contented that they had preserved their Hair resisting them only on the South side of the shore and there fortifying themselves By this means the conquering Arms of the Tartars were repressed for a whole year But the Chinois that they might have a Head chose Lu Regulus of the Taimingian Family for their Emperour who would not accept thereof but would be only stiled the restorer of the Empire In the mean time the Tartars had sent for new forces out of Peking with which they left nere a Stone unturned that they might get over the River Cienthang but all was in vain The drooping Affairs therefore of the Chinois had a breathing nay having gathered together more Forces they promised hemselves greater victories But a desire and emulation of ruling frustrated all their hopes For the Commanders and Presidents which fled the Province of Chekian into the Country of Fokien carried with them one of Taimingas Family called Thangus and this man they chose King in the Country of Fokien which confines with Chekiang This Prince pretended that the K. called Lu. should yield up his right to him both because he had but a few Cities under him and also because he was further removed from the Imperial race then he was But King Lu pretended he was Proclamed by the Army before him and wanted not to set forth his victories over the Tartars By which two contentions the Tartars came to the Crown for these two Royalets would never yield to one another nor so unite their Armies as joyntly to repress the Tartars Since therefore this petty King Lu had onely eight Cities under his cōmand whose Contributions were not able to maintain the necessary pay of his Army he never durst venture to pass over the River but endeavoured only to defend himself But the Tartars sought all means possibly to get over this River yet they durst not venture to pass in Boats because King Lu had many Ships and good store of Artillery which he had caused to come from Sea But the Tartars felicity and prosperous fortune overcame this difficulty for as it happened that year being dryer then ordinary this River towards the South where it runs betwixt high Mountains which break the ebbing and flowing of the Sea had lost much water and of depth and here the Tartars Horse found it passable and because the rudeness of those Mountains The Tartars pass the River and recover the City Xaoking seemed a sufficient Guard to the Country they found no Souldiers to resist but as soon as the Clowns espied twenty of their Horse to have passed the River they presently advertised the Army and they all betook themselves to flight King Lu himself left the City Xaoking and not daring to trust himself to the Continent he took Ship and sayled to the Island called Cheuxan which lyes opposit to the City of Nimpus where he remains to this day safe and keeps still his Regal dignity which Island being heretofore only a retreit for Fishermen and some Clowns now is become a potent Kingdom by reason that many fly from China to this King Lu as to there sanctuary to conserve the liberty of their Hair The Island
and the dispute was so high that it gave occasion to the Tartars to take to the Province and City of Nankuing some of the Prefects winking at it if not enticing them underhand to this exploit The Tartars vigilant to lay hold of all advantages hearing of these emulations and divisions presently march out into the Territory of the City of Hoaigan and comming to the East side of the River Croceus they pass over speedily by the help of their Boats on the other side of this River stood the Army of China which was so numerous as if they had but cast off their very shoos they had erected such a Rampart against the Tartars as all the Horse would hardly have surmounted it But it is the resolution and valour in War carries the Trophies not the number of men for hardly had the Tartars set foot in their Boats but the Chineses ran all away as Sheep use to do when they see the Wolf The flight of the Cheneses leaving the whole shore unfenced to their landing The Tartars having passed the River finding no enemy to resist enter the most noble City of Nankuing and in a trice make themselves Master of all the North part of the Country which lyes upon the great River of Kiang which is so vast as it is worthily called the Son of the Sea where it deserves particularly to be noted as a rare thing in the Warfare of the Tartars that before they enter into any Country they chuse and name both the Governours and Companies with all the Officers necessary for all the Cities and places which they aym to take so as in a moment they run like a lightning and no sooner they possess it but it is fortified armed and defended There was one City in these Quarters which made a generous resistance to all their re-iterated assaults called Yangcheu The City Yangcheu resisting the Tartar is taken and burnt where the Tartars lost the Son of a little Royalet This City was defended by that faithful Imperial Champion called Zuuis Colaus but though he had a mighty Garrison yet he was at length forced to yield and the whole City was sacked and both Citizen and Souldier put to the Sword and least the multitude of the dead Carcases should corrupt the Air and ingender the Plague they laid them all upon the tops of the Horses and setting fire both to the City and Suburbs brought all to ashes and to a total desolation By this progress the Forces of the Tartars much entreased The Tartars take several places for the Governours of many places and several Regiments came to submit to his Dominion To all which he commonly continued the same Commands and Offices they were established in before and advanced many of them to higher dignity and so by this humanity with which he treated all that came flying to him and by the cruelty he used to those that resolved to make resistance to the Force of his Arms he gained this that most men resolved to partake of his sweet treaty rather than of his cruelty so he easily conquered all that which lyes on the North side of that River which I named before the Son of the Sea This River being a German Leage in breadth and rising from the West of China holds its course to the East and divides the Kingdom into Northern and Southern Quarters it also divides the Country of Nankuing in the very middle though Nankuing the Metropolitan and Royal City be placed in the Southern part To Master this great City they were to pass this River They gathered therefore together many Ships to Conquer this new Emperial seat and also the new setled Emperour The Fleet of China commanded by the most generous and faithful Admiral called Hoangchoangus lay towards the other side of this River Here the Admiral fought so gallantly and resolutely that he skowred all China and made it appear to the world that the Tartars were not invincible Till at length one of his own Commanders called Thienus born in the City of Leaotung being corrupted by the Tartars shot him with an Arrow to death which Arrow fixed the unconstant wheel of Chinas fortune and lost the whole Empire But the Traytor not contented with this perfidious Act began himself to run away and by his example draw all the rest to imitate this Ignominious Action His impudence passed yet to a higher strain for comming to the Imperial City and finding the Emperour preparing to retire he joyned himself with him as a faithful friend participating of his adversity till he heard the Tartars who passing the River followed the Kings flight with all imaginable diligence were come near him The Emperour Hunquangus is taken and killed and then he took the Emperour Prisoner and delivered him to the Tartarian army in the year MDCXLIV This unfortunate Prince being thus betrayed before he had reigned full one year was sent to Peuking and there upon the Town Walls was hanged publickly in a Bow string which kind of death the Tartars esteem most noble The pretended Son to the Emperour Zunchinius whether he were true or false run the same course of fortune when they had discovered him still alive Prison for they did not onely put to death all those which belonged to the Imperial Family of the Taiminges by Consanguinity but after a diligent search extirpated all they could find which belonged to them even by Affinity for it is a custom in Asia if any one Conquer a Kingdom to root out all belong to the Royal Family After this they divided their Army into two parts the one they sent to Conquer the Mediterranean Provinces of Kiansi Huquang and Quangtung which are all of a marvellous extent the other like a swift Torrent over-run all The Tartars run to the City Hangcheu till they came to the very VVals of the renowned and vast City of Hangcheu which is the head City of the Province of Chekiang Into this City the principal fugitives of the Army of China were retired and those not only of the common Souldier but many great Commanders and Prefects where they resolved to choose a new Emperour called Lovangus of the antient Family of Taimingus But this Prince would never assume the Title of Emperour but contented himself with the Title of King thinking his fall would be less and his death not so bitter as if he fell from the Throne of an Emperour but yet to the end to animate them to fight with more vigour than they had done heretofore he promised them to take that title when they had regained one Emperial City He had not reigned three days a shorter space than their personated Kings use many times to reign in their Tragedies but the Tartars arrive Which the fugitive Souldiers seeing and thinking by this pinch of necessity to force their pay from the King and City refused to fight before they had received their salary It was on this occasion that
receive victuals from the Emperour Jungley but by Cancheu which is the natural descent of the River and therefore when he heard of Lihuzu's defeat he presently besieged that City with his whole Army But whilst he was besieging this City their came unfortunately a new Army of Tartars from the Emperial City of Peking which had order to recover this Province of Kiangsi and therefore Kinus was forced to raise his Siege to oppose their entrance by the Northern parts of the Country And at first having a vast Army and used to the Tartarian warfare he fought both valiantly and happily but not being able to sustain any longer their redoubled violent assaults he was forced to retire for his security to the Nanchang Kinus besieged by the Tartars the chief City of that Country which City the Tartars durst not venture to take by force but resolved to reduce it by a long Siege for which end they gathered together a Company of Country Clowns to make a large and spacious Trench round about the City to the River and there they placed Ships so as no Provision could possibly enter This City of Nanchang is great and extremely full of inhabitants besides the multitude of Souldiers which defended it at that time so as although Kinus had made great Provision for a Siege yet after some months he came to great want and penury and yet he held it out though many dyed expecting still some succours from the Emperour Jungley which could not be sent because the Souldiers of Quamgtung could never subdue the City of Chancheu by which his succour was to pass wherefore Kinus being brought to great extremity expressed his mind to his Souldiers in these words There is no further hope my faithful Companions but in our own valour and strength we must force our way through the Tartarian Army by dint of Sword be couragious and follow my example And having ordered all affairs Kinus breaks out of the City he suddainly made a Sally out of the Town upon their Trenches where though he found a vigorous opposition yet with great difficulty he passed and forced their Trenches by which means he saved himself and his Army having killed many Tartars for it is constantly reported that Kinus with his Army lives in the Mountains expecting there some good occasion to renew the War The City of Nanchang is destroyed He being thus escaped the Tartars Pillaged the City and put all the Citizens to the sword for it is the Tartars custom to spare all Cities which submit to them and to those which have made resistance before they were taken they are more troublesome but they never spare or pardon those Cities which revolt after they have once been taken In this Slaughter they killed the two Priests which assisted the Christians and their antient and fair Church was burned in the City After this the Tartars easily recovered the whole Country and having appeased all and left new Garrisons in all places the Army returned victorious to the Royal City of Peking In the mean time this Court prepared new Armies to reduce Quamgtung with the other Provinces which acknowledged Jungley for the Emperour of China for the Tutor to the young King of Tartary finding the defections and rebellions in the Southern parts to be very frequent resolved to give those Quarters over to some Tributary Royolets Three Kings created with as many Armies against Jungley the Emperour of China the better to contain those Countries in their duties wherefore in the year MDCXLIX he sent three Armies consisting partly of Tartars and partly of Chineses under three Tributary Princes to govern these Provinces with absolute power and Dominion one of these was King of Fokien another of Quamgtung and the third of the Province of Quangsi but with this condition that first of all they should joyn their Forces to recover the Country of Quamgtung and drive away the Emperour Jungley But we shall say more of this hereafter now having seen the Rebellions of the South let us look a little back on the Rebellions in the North against the Tartars also In these Northern parts the Chineses shewed their desire of Liberty as much as they had done in the South where the Commanders though overthrown yet not taken retired into the abrupt and precipitious Mountains where they held Counsel how they might shake off the Tartars Dominion three of these heads inhabited the thickest and highest places of that mountanous Country the chiefest of which was called Hous this man being strong in men invited the rest to joyn with him to deliver his Country from this miserable thraldome one of them consented the other could not come but sent him two thousand men to assist him Hous riseth against the Tartars so as Hous marched out with five and twenty thousand men which was no contemptible Army if they had been as couragious as numerous He put out a Proclamation in which he challenged the Tartars and threatned them all extremities and to the Chineses he promised all liberty and freedom and upon these hopes many Towns and Cities admitted him very willingly Sigan the Metropolitan of the Country was the only place able to resist him having in its Walls three thousand Tartars and two thousand selected men of China who served the Tartar The Governour of this Town hearing of Hous his motion gathered all things necessary for a long Siege till a new supply of Tartarian Forces could be sent him But when he heard that all the Towns and Cities in the Country did voluntarily submit themselves to Hous The barbarous resolution of a Tartarian Governour to prevent the like effect in his own City he resolved to murder all the Citizens most barbarously nor would he ever be removed from this unhumane sentence till the Vice-Roy commanding and perswading and the Citizens promising all faithful service at length he changed this Tyrannical Counsel But he commanded under pain of death that whereas hitherto the Chineses who loved so much their Hair that they only cut a little of it away about their Temples should hereafter shave it off wholy and totally that so he might distinguish the Citizens from any others if perchance they entred he ordained besides that if any spoke more than two together they should all be presently killed he forbad all men to walk upon the Walls or to walk in the Streets by night or to keep a Fire or Candle in his House by night and finally disarmed all declaring it death to infringe any of these orders These things being thus ordered The chief City called Sigan is besieged he sent out some Scouts to discover the enemies strength who were partly killed and partly came flying back to the City but this Tartarian Governour as well to make an oftentation of his strength as of his security commanded the City Gates to be lest open nor would he permit the Draw Bridge to be raised or pulled up to
persecution against them which God of his goodness did turn so much to their good as they had permission to teach and Preach publickly the Law of Christ But after this Tyrant came into the Country the chief of these Heathenish Priests was apprehended for some words let fall against him and in the presence of the Fathers who by accident were then at audience with the Tyrant he was beheaded And although they had learned of Christ to do good for evill yet knowing the phrenetical anger and fury of this monster who used to punish those that interceded with the punishment of the offender they durst not make any motion for the least favour It is true this cruel Beast loved these Fathers and would often converse with them whom he experienced wise and learned and he would often call them to the Palace to entertain him in discourse but they knowing well his precipitous anger went ever prepared and expecting death and indeed they were thrice deputed to death and the fourth time escaped by Gods particular providence as we shall relate in time and place But he was not contented with the death of one of these same Heathenish Priests but having got together about twenty thousand of the same profession For one Mans fault he kils twenty thousand he sent them all to Hell to visit their Masters whom they had served And then he would applaud himself as if he had done a very Heroical Action saying to them These Men would have taken away your lives but Thiencheu so they call God which signifies the Lord of Heaven has sent me to revenge your cause and inflict due punishment upon these wretches He would often confer also with the Fathers of Christian Religion and that so properly as a man would take him for a Christian He praised and highly extolled the Religion of Christians which he well understood partly by the conferences which he frequently had with the Fathers and partly by reading their Books which for the Instruction of Christians they had writ in the China Language and hath often promised to build a Church to the God of Christians worthy of his magnificence when he once came to be Emperour of China and indeed all the works he erected were very splendid and magnificent but he polluted them all with the blood of the Workmen for if he found they had but committed the least errour or the least imperfection he presently put them to death upon the place He endeavours to take Hanchung On the North part of the Coūtry of Suchuen where it confines with the Province of Xensi lyes the strong City called Nanchung which though it be seated in the County of Xensi yet in respect it is both so strong and of so great an extent it is held to be the Key of both the two Provinces The Tyrant endeavoured by all industry to make himself Master of this important place as being a convenient passage to the rest wherefore in the year MDCXLV he levied a vast Army consisting of one hundred and fourscore thousand men all Natives of the County of Suchuen besides those of his own which had alwaies followed him This numerous Army besieged the Town a long time but found so rigorous resistance that they began to be weary and about fourty thousand of those Souldiers of Suchuen revolted to the Prefects which governed the beleagured City by which means the Army was constrained to return to the Tyrant He kils 140000 men most cruelly without any memorable Action and he being enraged with anger to see them return commanded all the rest of the Souldiers of the Province of Suchuen which were in number one hundred and forty thousand to be all massacred by the rest of the Army This horrible Butchery lasted four days in which slaughter he commanded many of them to have their skins pulled of which he filling with straw and sowing on the head commanded to be carried publickly and visibly into the Towns where they were Born so to strike more terrour into the hearts of the inhabitants and after all this yet he had such a malitious hatred against this Country that they did not rejoyce that he was King as he never ceased to vex and torment it even when it was in a manner left desolate Many unexpert persons without head or guide did take Arms against him but he quickly dispersed them being wholy unexperienced in Military Discipline others that were wiser leaving the City retired into the Mountains which were in a manner the onely Men who escaped his fury After this he called all the Students of the Country to be examined for their degrees He kils all the Students promising to give those honours to whomsoever should deserve them best and the Chineses are so bewitched with the desire of these dignities that they did not conceive the perfidious Stratagem of the Tyrant Their appeared therefore in the publick Hall deputed for that Ceremony about eighteen thousand persons all which he commanded his Souldiers to massacre most barbarously saying These were the people who by their cavilling sophisms sollicited the people to rebellions He kils the Children and exposes the Matrons I have a horrour to relate so many unhumane slaughters and yet I see my self over-whelmed with new ones for what an addition is it to all his related barbarities to tell you that he never spared Children Boys nor Girls no nor Matrons with Child and ready to lye down what an excess of all inhumanity to take the Prefects Wives when their Husbands were condemned but yet alive and to expose these Women to all kind of villanies and then to kill them This was so sensible to many as they rather chose to kill themselves than to undergoe so infamous and publick an opprobry by their honesty I forbear to relate more of such detestable and execrable examples lest I offend the ears and minds of the Reader by such abhominations Let us therefore suppress these impurities and pass to what happened in the year MDCXLVI when the Tartars entred into the Province of Xensi to give him Battail so as he was forced to go out to meet them And to the end he might leave the Country behind him with more security he resolved to cut off all the inhabitants except those which inhabited the North-East Quarters by which he was to pass and therefore must needs reserve these Creatures to assist and furnish his Army with all necessaries and therefore he deferred their death to another time He therefore commanded all the Citizens of what quality or condition soever they were that did inhabit his Metropolitan City of Chingtu to be bound hand and foot He kils 600000. in the City Chingtu which was done by a part of the Army which he had called in and then riding about them which vast multitude is related to have been above six hundred thousand Souls he viewed them all with less compassion than the cruelst Tyger would have
BELLUM TARTARICUM OR THE CONQUEST OF The Great and most renowned Empire of CHINA By the Invasion of the TARTARS who in these last seven years have wholy subdued that vast Empire Together with a Map of the Provinces and chief Cities of the Countries for the better understanding of the Story Written Originally in LATINE by Martin Martinius present in the Country at most of the passages herein related and now faithfully Translated into English LONDON Printed for John Crook and are to be Sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Ship in St. Paul's Church-yard 1654. The Liuely Effigies of Theinmingus the present Emperour of the Western Tartars who hath Lately ouerrun and Possest himselfe allmost of the whole Empire of China TO THE READER WWhereas in the course of this insuing History there occurs frequent mention of the chief Provinces and Cities in China which have either been assaulted and defended subdued or destroyed by the severall Armies aswell from North to South as from East to West least the pleasure and delight of this History should be any way diminished by the frequent re-encounter of harsh and barbarous names of Countries and Towns unknown to the European Reader whilst his attention follows the victorious Army I thought it good to prefix a little Geographical table of the Countries and chief Cities which might serve as a guide to conduct the eye of the understanding in the pursuit of the mentioned victories I confess it is not so exact as the rigour of Geography exacts but yet it is such an one as was drawn by the hands of their learned Philosophers and may well give us a sufficient notion of all the places mentioned As for more exquisit and rare Maps both universal and particular as well of the Countries as of the Cities and of all the rarities they contain together with the exact knowledge of their Longitudes and Latitudes and of all that does belong either to Astronomy or Geography relation to them with what may be expected from Natural or Humane History I reserve all these rarities and curiosities to my Atlas of China which I am composing taken from their own antient records ever since the time of Noah all which I have with incredible pains and industry both gathered up together and transported with me to Europe I will not therefore for the present deflower that worth of its greatest beauty by an unseasonable exposition of it to the Readers view but expect till it grow to that perfection as I hope will ravish the unsatiable appetits of this our curious Age. SITVS PROVINCIARVM IMPERII SINICI M.DC.LIV Occidens Septentrio Oriens Auster TANYV TARTARORVM REGNVM NIVLHAN Yupi NIVCHE TARTARIA ORIENTALIS Crocous fluv XENSI Sigan Hanchung XANSI Taitung Taiyuen Pucheu Kiangcheu PEKING Peking XANTVNG Tâ—ncu Cinan LEAOTVNG Xuâ—â—ing Quangâ—ing Tuocun Legoyang Caiyuen Xanghai Taoyuan COREA Kingki GIAPON HONAN Caifung SVCHVEN Chingtu Mahu lacus HVQVANG Kiang fluv Filius Mar Tungting lacus Vnchang NANKING Yangchai Hoigan Nanking Poyang lacus CHEKIANG Taâ— lacus Sungtiang Hangcheâ— Cientang flu KIANGSI Nanchang Kiucheu Canchou FOKIEN Kinâ—oa Veâ—cheu Kienning Fochen Cheuxan IVNNAN Iunnan QVEICHEV Queicheu QVANGSI Queilin QVANGTVNG Nankiung Chaoking Quangcheu Hainun Macao BELLUM TARTARICUM OR The History of the Warrs of the Tartars in China c. THE most antient Nation of Tartars in Asia which was the Parent of many Nations had been an Enemy of the Empire of China The Tartars were antient Enemies to China above Four Thousand years during which time as they had many sharp Warrs with those of China in which they were somtimes conquered so also more often they remained Conquerers of the Provinces of that Nation I call that Nation Tartars Who are the Tartâ—â—s which inhabiting the Northern parts behind that famous Wall which stretching out above 300. German Leagues from East to West hath ever served for a Rampart to hinder their irruptions into the said Empire This Country the Chineses having a defect of the letter R. antiently called Tata comprehending under this name as well the Oriental Tartars hitherto unknown to us in Europe as the Occidental containing the Provinces Sumahania Tanyu Niuche Niulhan and the like from the lesser Tartary and Kingdom of Cascor to the Oriental Sea above Japony where they are separated by the Streight of Anian from Oviora in America if yet it be a Streight and not a Continent But it is not my intention to write all the Warrs which have passed betwixt them but only of such as have happned in our memory and in my presence All the rest shall appear at large in my Abridgement of the History of China And that we may proceed with more Order it will be necessary to reflect how and from whence those Troubles had their begining It is therefore first to be known The Tartars conquered China heretofore that the antient Western Tartars of whom Paulus Venetus and Ayton make mention under the names of Cataye and Maningin waged war against China after they had subdued almost all Asia to their Power and this before the times of great Tamberlain Tamberlain never tooke China who never reigned in China as some have falsly writ for he florished about the year MCCCCVI in which time Taichangus Emperour of China and the second of the Taimingian Family the Tartars being before beaten out of his Kingdome governed peaceably all the Provinces included within the compass of that Vaste Wall which before I mentioned But the War which Paulus Venetus toucheth betwixt the Chineses and Tartars began in the year MCCVI. as their History and Chronology testify which lasting 77. years at last in the year MCCLXXVIII having totally conquered all that potent Empire they extinguished the Imperial Family of the Sungas and erected a new Regal Family which they called Juena of which Tartarian Race nine Emperors by descent The Tartars Empeâ—ours of China governed in the Kingdom of China for the space of LXXâ— years in Peace and Quietness and about the end of that War came Paulus Venetus into China with the Tartars as appeareth by his Writings In this tract of time the Tartars forgetting their antient Vigour of Mind and warlike Spirits which the pleasures and delices of that Country had quailed and tamed being also weakned by so long a Peace became of a sweeter temper and received a deep Tincture of the Nature and Disposition of the Natives of China Whereupon a contemptible person who was servant to one of those deputed to offer Sacrifice to their Idolls called Hugh presumed to rebell against them This man commiserating the condition of his enslaved Country and also touched with the ambition of Reigning first acted the part of a Thief or High-way man and being of a Generous Nature bold and as quick at hand as in wit wanted neither Courage nor Art nor Companions nor Fortune to gather such a multitude as in short time made up the vast body of an Army
Corps as many Servants Women and Horses with Bows and Arrows as may fit to atend and serve them in the next life Though now since they conquered China they have left off this barbarous custome being reprehended and corrected for it by the Chineses themselves After this superstitious Vow advancing his revenging Arms he besieged Leaotung The chiefe City of Leaoyang besieged and taken which was the chief City of the Province of Leaoyang with 50000 men But the City was defended by exceeding many men who generally were all armed with musquets The Tartars had nothing but their Scymetars with Bows and Arrows which they discharge with strange dexterity Art But because they chiefly feared the musquet bullets they resolved by a Stratagem to make that unknown Instrument less hurtfull to them than their Enemies did imagin A Stratagem against musquets For the Tartarian King commanded such as made the first onset to carry a thick hard board for their Shield which was as good to them as a wooden Wall these men were seconded by other Companies who carried Ladders to climb up the Walls and the Horse came up in the Rear In this manner he set upon the City in four quarters and received the discharge of their Musquets against his Wooden wall Then in a moment the scaling ladders being applied before they could charge again they were upon the Walls and enterd the City for such is the quickness and nimbleness of the Tartars in which they excel all Nations and in which also they place their chief art that in a trice they either prevail in their Designs or retire and the little skill the Chineses had in the use of Musquets was no small hinderance to the War For the Tartars quickness and nimblenes not giving them time to charge again being astonished with the suddain inundation of armed men they presently fled which way soever they could but being pursued by the swift Tartarian Horse most of them perished in the taking of this great City This City being taken the Tartar like a Torrent over-run many others of less note Many other Cities taken but amongst others he took that noble City Evamgning and over-runing most speedily the whole Country of Leaotung he entred the Province of Pekin and coming within seven Leagues of the very Imperial City He durst not advance fearing the Enemy might compas or surround him because he heard that a world of men came in to help their distressed Prince But the Tartar struck such a terrour into the hearts of all the Countries he had passed as both Souldier and Citizen leaving their Houses left the empty walls to the Tartarians possession knowing the Tartar to have that custom and practice to destroy and put all to fire and sword that did resist and only pillage the Cities that submitted How the Tartars used their conquered Towns leaving the Citizens alive and under a milder Government By which means having collected a world of Riches he returned to Leaotung victorious And because his Southsayers had perswaded him that the standing of the old Walls were unfortunate he beat them down and compassed them about with new fortifying them with new Munitions and there proclamed himself Emperour of China The Tartar calls himself Emperour of China An. 1618. For although as yet he had taken nothing of China but only the skirts of the Eastern Country of the Province of Leaotung yet in his hopes and aspiring thoughts he had devoured the whole Kingdom wherefore he was called in the China language Theienmingus in the third year of his Reign which was in that of one thousand six hundred and eighteen In this year some in authority about the Emperour Vanley demanded the banishment of the Priests who did then preach the Christian Religion to that Nation But the Emperour who in his heart loved Christianity and those particularly that first planted that Religion amongst them gave no ear for a long while to their Demands But at length overcome by the importunity of a chief Commander who had ever been a sore Enemy to Christian Religion and was called Xinchio it was ordeined and proclamed that all those Fathers that did propagate Christian Religion should be banished the Kingdom Upon which some of them were secretly concealed in several Provinces by some Christian Governours God punished China for their persecution of Christians others being taken were carried in great Cages to Macao where being shut up day and night suffered extremely whilst others also be-being whipt out of the Country rejoyced to suffer somthing for his sake whose name they bore and that which added more affliction to all these miseries was the Emperour Vanley's Prohibition to all his to profess Christian Religion But upon this occasion the Christians of China who from the horrid wilderness of Infidelity had been brought to the pleasant Pastures of Christianity gave illustrious examples of their Faith Constancy but the longer Narration of this glorious persecution is reserved for another place I only touch it here to admire the Divine Providence of God who raised so sharp War against China when they neglected Christian Peace and permited at the same time these Tartars to take so deep a root in this Empire of China as afterward grew to that height as both to extirpate the Royal Family of the Taiminges together with the Kingdom at the very same time they went about utterly to destroy all Christianity But it happened in this as ordinarily it doth for by this very persecution Christian Religion grew to that height and greatness that the Church glories to behold and unless God vouchsafe to lend a potent helping hand the vast Kingdome of China is utterly overthrown In the mean time the Chineses were very solicitous to expell this Enemy from the bowells of their Country and first they selected very chief and eminent men for Commanders and Governours then they gathered an Army of six hundred thousand choise Soldiers The King of Corea also sent to the Emperour of China twelve thousand with this potent Army therefore they went out in the begining of March MDCXIX to give Battail to the Enemy The Tartars resolved to meet them with an undanted courage and for a good while the event and victory was very doubtfull but in the end the Army of China was wholly routed and their chief Commanders with fifty thousand men were all slain The Tartars according to their custome prosecute the victory with all quickness and diligence for the same day they took and sacked two Cities which they burned After this they over-run that whole Country and came to the very Walls of Pekin the Emperours Court but durst not venture to besiege it because they knew besides the infinite number of Canons it contained there was lodged fourscore thousand Souldiers in it But the Chineses confess that there was such a fear and consternation in the City that the King thought to have left that City and gone into the Southern
Souldiers suspected the business and therefore mad with anger they all jointly rose in Arms for hm swearing they would live and die with him and that he should not present himselfe at Court. It is our duty say they to conserve thy life which hast been so carefull of ours and we have strength and courage enough to resist all the force of thy perfidious Enemies But Ignatius was deaf to al these allurements He chuses rather to die thatn either to reign or to serve the Tartars and studied by all means to sweeten their exulcerated minds alwaies inculcating to them to the true and loyall to their Sovereigns service chusing rather to water that ungratefull Soil of his native Country with the streams of his Blood than either to spill his Enemies blood by the force and pow'r of his Souldiers or retire to the Tartarian king which offered him so fair preferments But many of his Captains fell off to the Tartars following in this not his example but that of many others whom they saw eminently promoted amongst the Tartars Some of those that then fled from the Emperour are now chief Commanders under the Tartarian King in their China Empire some also have obtained the dignity of Princes or Riolets in several Countries for the reward of their Valour and faithfull service against China So efficacious is that wedge which is made of the same wood But although hitherto these Tartarian Warrs had caused great troubles and tempests in the China Empire yet all things now seemed calmed and pacified so as they seemed secure from any further danger for the Western part of Leaotung was strongly fortified and there was a great Army in the Island of Cu and the bordering quarters which hindered the Tartars of the Eastern part of the Countrie which they posessed from further passage But now the chiefest danger was from the Traitors and Theeves which were in the very Bowells of the Country The Theeves in China a chief occasion of its overthrow who finally destroyed it and gave it up in Prey to the Tartars I touched somthing of their Commotions before now we must treat a little more largely of their proceedings that the Reader may see how the Tartars came to subdue and conquer China The first Combination of these Rovers appeared in the remote Country of Suchuen Severall Theeves who having pillaged divers Cities and emboldened by prosperous success ventured to besiege the chief City of that Country call'd Cingtu which they had infallibly taken if that valiant Amazon whom I mentioned before had not come to relieve it with her Army but by her valour they were beaten off with great loss They are defeated but not vâ—â—quished and not being wholly extinguished they retired into the mouÌ„tains to recruit their Forces These were seconded by a like Race of people in the Province of Queicheu who took occasion of rising by reason of an unjust Sentence passed in a Sute betwixt two Grandees of that Country and one of these great persons being offended with the Governors These roving companions first kill'd all the Magistrates which had pronounced that unjust Sentence then they defeated the ViceRoy his Army yet afterwards he routed them again with a new Army but could not extinguish them Besides these Famin augments the Theevs the Famin increasing in the Northern quarters in the Countries of Xensi Xantung by reason of a great inundation of Locusts which devoured all there rise up by this occasion many loose felâ—owes which lived by Rapin. These men at first were few in number and small in strength and only preying in little places they presently fled to the Mountains but finding they got both Meat and Riches with little labour and less cost they quickly got Companions to reinforce them This Sedition being much augmented by the Emperour Zungchinius his notable avarice And the Emperour his avarice who so exhausted the people by Imposts and Taxes as if it had been a year of the golden Age. The Prefects of the Provinces not being able presently to repress the insolency of those people they daily increased in courage and strength Insomuch as in several Countries they had eight very considerable Armies They chose the strongest and valiantest men amongst them for their Commanders and these persons being grown rich and potent by preying deposed now the person of the Ringleader of Theeves The Commanders aspire to the Empire and aspired to no less than to the Empire of China And at first they fought one against another every one laying hold one what he could But at length things were brought to that pass that two of the Commanders being only left alive these two prevailed with the souldiers of those that were killed to follow their Ensignes and Fortune and they knowing well that if they were taken by the Emperors Officers they could not escape a most certain death easily resolved to shelter themselves under the Arms of these two victorious persons The names of the chief Felons The name of one of these chief Brigands was Licungzus the second was called Changhienchungus two notorious bold roguish fellows who lest they should destroy one anothers fortunes by their ambitious emulation they separated themselves far from one another resolving both to persue their prosperous fortunes Licungzus therefore possessed himself of the Northern parts of Xensi and Honan and the other tyrannised the Countries of Suchuen and Huquang But that we may not interrupt our discourse by delivering the Acts of both these together we will first treat of Licungzus his feats being it was he was the cause of the Tartars coming to the Empire which he himself might have possessed if his proceedings had been moderate and human and of the other we shall speak hereafter Therefore in the year 1641. these pilferers having got immense riches in the Province Xensi made an irruption in a vast body into that delicious sweet Provincs of Honan They vex several Provinces and went strait to the chief City called Caifung which they besieged There was in that place a very great and strong Garison who by the benefit of artillerie mouned upon hand-wheeling Chars forced them to quit the siege then they fell upon all the neighbouring Cities Plundring spoiling and burning all they could master Having horded up store of provision of Corn and augmented their Army by a company of Rascally Vagabonds and loytering fellows They besiege the noble City Caifung they returned again to besiege the Metropolitan City but despairing to take it by Force or assaults they resolved to ruin it by a long Siege that they might enjoy the immense Riches of that noble City and though this Town be three great Leagues in circumference yet they rounded it so by their lines as nothing could enter the City this drave them to some straits for although the Purveyer for victualls had brought in good store of provision in the two moneths space in which they
were absent yet because that Province which used to be most plentifull was lean in Corn they could not make sufficient provision for six moneths siege for such an infinite multitude of people as were retired within the Walls Yet it held out most obstinately for the space of six moneths in which time though they were brought to hard shifts yet hoping alwaies for succour from their Emperor they would never submit to any conditions I dare not relate to what an excesse this Famin came too but it seems it surpassed the Famin of Hierusalem An unheard of Famin. a pound of Rice was worth a pound of Silver a pound of any old rotten skin was sold at ten Crowns dead mens flesh was sold publikely in the Shambles as Hogs flesh and it was held an act of Piety to expose the dead in the Streets for others to feed on who shortly were to be food for others but I will pass over conceal yet more horrible things than I have related This City lies towards the South side of that vast precipitate River which the Chineses call Hoang because the Streams alwaies appear of a yellowish saffron colour because the River is higher than the plain levell downs of a Leagues distance from the Town they built upon the River side a long strong Bulwark of great square stones to prevent all inundations The Emperours Army after long expectation came to relieve the Town and advanced as far as these Bulwarks and having considered the situation of the Country and Enemies Camp it was thought the fittest and easiest way to raise the siege without giving battail to let in the water upon the Enemies Army by some breaches made in that long Wall or Bulwark It was in Autumn when they took this resolution and the River by reason of extraordinary rains was swoln bigger than ever before and they making the Sluces or Inlets too great and the Breackes too wide gave way to such an Ocean of water as it overrun the Walls of the Town which were very stately and high involving not only many of the Enemies in its ruin and destruction The City of Caifung is drowned but also 300000. men and the City it self perished in those floods of water So the antient City which heretofore had been honored by the Emperor's Residence appeared no more a place of pleasure but a vast Pool or Lake for Monsters of the waters to inhabit for the houses of the Town were not over-run with water but also beaten down and also the Church of the Christians together with their Priest who was one of the Society of Jesus it was well known he might have saved himself but being there were many Christians perished he willingly chose to die with those he had gained The destruction of this City happened the ninth of Oct. 1642. about which time this famous Conductor of Theeves took the name of King The General of the Theeves takes the Title of a King with an addition of Xunvang which sounds as much as Prosperous and so was stiled Licungzus the prosperous and having in a manner taken all the Country of Honan into his Dominion he returned into the Province of Xensi He takes the Country of Xensi and wonn it wholy to his subjection When he came to Sigan which is the Metropolitan of Xensi he found some resistance from the Garrison but he took it in three daies and for a reward and encouragement to his Souldiers he gave it to them to pillage also for three daies space and then he gathered up all the Corn of the whole Province as well to keep all the Country in their duty to him as also to leave no Forrage for the Emperours Army And now thinking himself secure of the whole Empire he took the name of Emperour upon him Calls himself Emperour and stiled the Family wherein he thought to establish this Dignity Thienxunam as much as to say Obedient to Heaven By which Title he perswaded the Souldiers and the People that it was by the disposall of the Heavens that he should reign that he might deliver the people from the Emperours Avarice and extirpate those wicked Governours that so much vexed the people and deliver them from all their perfidious Plots For he knew well that this Glorious Title would be very acceptable to them of China who believe that Kingdoms and Empires come only from Heaven and are not gained by any Art or Industry of Man and that his actions might carry a face correspondent to his illustrious Title he began to use the People with all humility and sweetness The Theeves good Government not permitting any Souldier to wrong or iujure them only he persecuted all the Officers call'd Presidents which he could find and all those he put to death and as for those that had been Presidents because he found them rich he made them pay great Fines and let them live remitting all Taxes in the places he subdued severely commanding that the Subjects should be treated with all Civility and Curtesie So as all men applauding and loving so sweet and milde a Government easily submitted to his Power and Dominion but where the Governours use Tyranny there the Subject hath little care of Fidelity There were in the City two Priests which served the Christians that were Jesuits and suffered much in the saccage of the City but being afterwards known for Strangers they were used with all humanity In the mean time a third cause of this Empires ruin grew up in the Court The Prefects Discord was another cause of the ruin of China which was hatched in the Emperour Thienkius his time For that Emperour exalted an Eunuch called Gueio to such a height and power as he gave the absolute Power and soveraign Command into his hands and passed so far as allway to stile him by the name of Father This extravagant power caused much Envy Dissention and the banding one against another amongst the Governours Presidents Commanders and Counsellours and the Eunuch also added much to incense the flame by his indiscreet usage of the favour he possessed for if any man had touched him either in word or writing or expressed less respect unto him in conversation or behaviour or did not flatter the base fellow he would presently give order to put him to death though he were a very eminent person or at least degrade him from all Office or Dignity By which means he exasperated many and amongst the rest he offended the Prince Zunchinius who now by the death of his Brother without issue was come to be Emperour of China This Emperour knew that the Eunuch had moved Heaven and Earth to hinder his coming to the Crown but seeing he could not effect that at least he maintained a seditious faction against the great ones which finally proved the destruction of the Estate For these men banding in two factions studied more how to destroy one another than to
advance the publique good yet both parties pretended the general good but both neglected it Every party endeavouring to extoll and exalt his own Creatures into places of trust and power All which when Zunchinius the Emperour went about to redresse he exasperated the minds of many of the Commanders against him for as soon as he came to the Crown he cruelly persecuted all that favoured the Eunuch and in fine killed this very Eunuch which had been his Predecessors Favourite together with many more of his kind of which Tragedy I will only relate the Catastrophe The Emperour Zungchinius resolving to destroy both the Eunuch and all his power sent him an order to go visit the Tombs of his Ancestors to consider if any of those antient Monuments wanted reparation the Eunuch could not refuse so honorable an imployment which seemed rather an addition to all his honours but he had not gone far upon his journey but there was presented to him from the Emperour a Box of silver gilt with a Halter of Silk folded up in it by which he understood he was to hang himself by the Emperors order which he could not refuse being that kind of death amongst the Chineses is counted honourable when it is accompanied with such formalities But by this occasion the Emperour raised new Factions and more Traitors which held secret correspondence with the Theeves Army Hence it came to pass that no Army was sent to oppose them or if any went they did no manner of action being alwaies hindered by the emulation of others nay it happened often that when they might have taken great advantages yet the occasion was neglected lest the Commanders should increase their Power and Credit by their Victories with the Emperour These Dissentions and Emulations happened so seasonably to the Roving Army of Theeves as that to come to see and conquer was to them one and the self-same thing as I shall declare unto you Whilest these transactions passed in the Court The Theevs take the Province of Xensi Licungzus Conductor of the Theeves having setled all things in the Country of Xensi passed to the East and coming to the famous great River of Croceus finding on body to defend it he passed over with as much facility as it might have been maintained with ease if there had been placed but a handfull of Souldiers For this River runns with a violent rapid course and with as vast a Sea of waters from West to East but being there was no man to defend it they passing it easily presently seizd upon the chief and richest Citie in all those quarters called Kaiangcheu which is situated neer the South bankside of that River and being carried on with a strong gale of Fortune he seized upon all other Cities every one desiring either to free themselves from further vexation or blindly and fondly submitting themselves to any new change of Government For we commonly delight in varieties and novelties and hoping for better we find worse Only the City of Thaiyven made some resistance but being presently subdued was fined with great vast summes of mony for their temerity The Emperour Zungchinius hearing the Theeves had passed the River Croceus and were advanced to the very Confines of Xensi which borders upon the Province where he had placed his Throne Royall Seat he sent an Army under the Lord Marshal of China to hold them at least in play if he could not overthrow them But this Army did just nothing nay most of the Souldiers ran to the Thieving party in so much as the Lord Marshal himself called Colaus Lius seeing Affairs grew so desperate Hang'd himself for fear of further shame and dishonour The Emperour of China is troubled The Emperour hearing of the ill success of his Affairs began to think of leaving the Northern parts where his Royal City of Peking is situated and to pass to Nankuing which is far more Southward but he was disswaded from this intended course as well by his loyal as disloyal Subjects by these that they might give him up more speedily into the enemies hands before their treachery was discovered and by the others lest his flight might trouble the Kingdom more and discourage all his Subjects from giving their best assistance for they thought the City impregnable being fortified with so strong a Garrison nor did they doubt that the Kings presence would draw the forces of the whole Kingdom to him And their Counsel had been good if the Court had been purged of Traytors The Stratagem of the Theef In the mean time the Theeves Conductor who was no less quick and nimble in execution than witty in invention sowing a Fox his tayl to the Lions skin caused many of his Souldiers in a disguised habit to creep into that Princely City and gave them mony to trade in trifling ware till he assaulted the Wals with the body of his Army for then they had order to raise sedition and tumult in the City and considering they were a Company of desperate Fellons of a very low base fortune it is stupendious to think how they could keep so profound secrecy in a matter of so high concernment But to this mine which was prepared in the bowels of the City he held a secret train of Intelligence with the Lieutenant of the City who seeing the Emperours Affairs desperate is said to have dealt with the Conductor of these Brigants about giving up the City unto their power But however it was these Pilferers came in a short time to besiege the Royal City of Peking There was in that City a vast Garrison and as great a quantity of Artillery but on the Quarters upon which the enemy made there assault there was none charged with Bullets but only with Powder Wherefore being secure from any annoy from that side The Royal City of Peking is taken in the year MDCXLIV before the rising of the Sun they entred the Metropolitan City of all China by one of the Gates which was opened to them nor was there any long resistance made even by those that were faithful to their Prince for the Souldiers of the Theef which lay lurking in the City made such a tumult and confusion as none knew whom to oppose in which respect they made a great slaughter so as Licungzus in this Babylonian confusion marched victorious through the City till he came to the very Emperours Pallace where though he found some resistance from the faithfullest Eunuchs yet notwithstanding he presently entred that famous and renowned Palace And that which exceeds all admiration the enemy had passed the first Wall and Precinct and yet the Emperour being alive knew nothing of so strange a passage for the Traiterous Eunuchs which were of most Authority fearing he might escape by flight deferd to admonish him of his own danger or of the taking of the City till they saw he could not possibly evade Who hearing this doleful news he first demanded if
of Cheuxan becomes a Kingdom In this Island they are now found threescore and ten Cities with a strong and formidable Army which hitherto hath contemned all the Tartarian Power and Forces and watch for some happy occasion to advance again their Kingdom in China But by this means the Tartars took all the Cities and Towns of the County of Chekiang into their Dominion One only City of Kinhoa whose President was aswel a Native of the place as also the Commander in Chief and my very singular friend sustained the Tartars assaults for some months But to the end the resistance of this City should not be a hinderance to the course of their victories the Tartars divided their Army into three parts The first part marched towards Kiucheu by the Mountains the second went by the City Vencheu and the Sea shore The City of Kinhoa is taken and destroyed into the Province of Fokien and the third obstinately besieged the City of Kinhoa In this Siege the Tartars by reason of great Guns which continually played upon them and by the wise Conduct and courage of their noble Commander suffered many and great losses insomuch as he forced them to pitch their Camp further from the City But at length they also brought Artillery from the chief City by which they made so many breaches in the Walls as being in a manner dismantled they found entrance and burned and sacked it with all imaginable Hostility The Governour blew up himself and all his Family with a Barrel of Gunpowder in his own Pallace least he or his should fall into the Enemies hands The Province of Fokien is invironed with the bordering Countries of Quamgtung Kiansi and Chekiang from all which it is separated by a continual Chain of Mountains which are even in breadth of three days journey to pass over and withall so full of ragged and ruggy Clifts and obscure Vallys as they make the very Paths horrid dark and obscure at Noon day The Tartars take in Fok en very easily Insomuch as without any exaggeration they may well be paralelled either to the Grecian Straits of Thermopolis or to the Asian ruggy and strait passage of Taurus These places might have been easily defended if they had but placed a few Clowns to repel the Enemy or overthawrted the ways by any incumbrances but the very imagination of a Tartar was grown so terrible to them as they fled at the very sight of their Horses leaving therefore these Mountains wholy ungarnished the Tartars found a passage but so very painful and full of difficulties as they were forced to leave much of their Bagage behind them and lost many of their Horses in those fearful precipices but by this means they took the Province of Fokien with as much ease as it might have been defended for they hardly spent as much time in taking it as a man would do to walk the extent of it The King himself whom I named Lunguus as signifying a Warlike Dragon shewed himself a fearful Sheep flying away with a good Army of men if that word of good can be applyed to a numerous multitude that had no hearts King Lunguus slain but his flight served him for nothing for the Tartars following him with their swift and nimbâ—e Horses shot all this heard of silly Sheep to death with Arrows It is thought the King himself was involved in this Massacre for he never appeared nor was heard of afterwards Now because the whole Province submitted it self voluntarily unto him without any resistance it did not only suffer little from the Tartars but he may choose and select Souldiers out of it and having thus again recruited his Army he made another irruption into the Country of Quamgtung and its worth remarking that the other Tartarian Commander who when the Army was divided as I related before had order to subdue the Mediterranean Countries The Provinces of Quantung is taken this man with some felicity and expedition passing victorious through the Provinces of Huquang and Kiangsi entred also on one side of this Country of Quamgtung whilst the other came in by Fokien and because the Town of Nankiung resolved to fight it out they consumed it all by fire and sword So the poor Country of Quamtung oppressed by a double victorious Army was quickly over-run and subdued After the Glorious Trophies one of these victorious Armies enriched with all the rarites of China was called back to Peking but yet they left a Garrison in every City assigning in the name of the King of Tartars both Civil and Martial Officers for the Countries Government The happy success in taking the impregnable Province of Fokien is attributed by wise men to whose judgement I also submit to a more remote and hidden cause which I will briefly relate There was at this time a famous and renowned Pyrat called Chinchilungus this man was born in the Province of Fokien of which we are treating he first served the Porteguise in Macao then he served the Hollander in the Island called Formosa A famous Pyrate in China where he was known to all strangers by the name of Iquon After this he became a Pyrat but being of quick and nimble wit he grew from this small and slender fortune to such a height and power as he was held either Superiour or equal to the Emperour of China for he had the Trade of India in his hand and he dealt with the Portugise in Macao with the Spaniards in the Phillippins with the Hollanders in the Island Formosa and new Holland with the Japonians and with all the Kings and Princes of the Eastern parts in all manner of rich commodities He permitted none to transport the Wares of China but himself or his to whom he brought back the riches and the Silver of Europ and Indies for after he once rather extorted then obtained pardon of the King of China for his Pyracies he became so formidable as that he had no less than three thousand Ships of which he was Lord and Master Nor was he contented with this fortune but aspired privatly to no less than to the Empire But because he knew he never should be accepted of the prefects people as long as there was any of the Emperial Family of the Taiminges alive he hoped by the Tartars means to extinguish them wholy and after this was done then he resolved to display his Banners and Ensigns in so pious a cause as the driving out the common Enemy from the bowels of the Kingdom and no doubt but under this pretext they would all have followed helped and even adored him as their Saviour It was therefore evident that he had secret correspondence with the Tartars and that he favoured them for his own profit And that which made the business more suspicious was that at that time when the Tartars made their irruption into Fokien he was then declared Lord Marshal of the Kingdom and all the Generals Commanders and
of thirty thousand persons as my own friends writ unto me and not content with this they set fire on the Town and brought it all to ashes by which means the stately Church erected by the Christians for the service of God was also consumed by that devouring flame yet the Priests that served in that Church got out miraculously as Lot did out of Sodom which name was appropriated to this City by reason of that infamous vice This City being taken it was no hard matter to recover the Country for some fled to save themselves in the Mountains others ran to the Sea and so when this new Army had pacified all they were called back to Peking where it is not amiss to observe the policy which the Tartars use in the Government and ordering of their Army they are ever calling back some and sending out others in which proceeding they aim at two things first to keep the Countries in awe and subjection by seeing variety of Troops continually passing up and down and secondly to provide for the poorer sort of Souldiers for the wealthy Souldier is call'd back to recreate and ease labours and the poor Souldier seeing his Companion grown rich takes heart and courage to run the course upon hopes of the like good fortune Yet for all these preventions and cautions their Empire was not so established but by frequent rebellions it was often indangered and particularly by one Rebellion which now I will relate which shaked shrewdly the foundations of the new Empire The Kingdom of China is of so vast an extent How the Tartars dispose their Garrisons as it is a business of main importance to distribute judiciously the Armies and Garrisons Now because the Tartars alone cannot suffice to furnish both they are forced to use the help of the Chineses themselves although they have a special care never to leave or place either Commander or Souldier who is a Native of the same Country where they sojourn yet this care could not exempt them from several Treasons and Rebellions yet they distribute and order their Militia with great circumspection for the chief Commander or Governour resides in the Metropolitan City whom all inferiour Officers obey This man maintains alwaies a compleat Army which he commands to march when he hears of any risings Every City has also their own proper Governour with a competent number of Souldiers but those for the most part are Tartars and these are Chines But all this Political and well-established Government could not defend them from Traitors amongst themselves The first man that did revolt from them was one Kinus Governour of the Province of Kiangsi Kinus Gonour of a Province rebelleth This man was born in Leaotung and because it is a Country that borders upon Tartary the King commonly most confides in the Natives of that Province It happened I know not how that this Governour by reason of some corruptions and Avarice of the Visitor of the Country The hatred betwixt the two Prefects disturbs the Country of Kiansi had some difficulties with him which grew by little and little to open hatred and although they both dissembled their private malice as usually they do in China yet at length the flame broke out to the ruin of the Country for being the one was Governour of the Arms and the other of justice there was a necessity of oft meetings feastings also It happened once that whilst they were feasted with a sumptuous Banquet they were also intertained by a pleasant Comedy in which the Actors were attired with the habits of China which were more comely and fairer than those which the Tartars use upon which occasion Kinus turning himself to the Visitor said Is not this habit better graver than ours This innocent speech was interpreted by his corrival Judge as if he had contemned the Edict about changing of Habits and expressed too much love to the Chines Garments before those of the Tartars and of this he sent and Express to advertise the Emperour But the Governour Kinus had a corrupted Secretary which served the Lord Chief Justice who gave him intelligence of all that passed in word or deed in his Masters House And as soon as he had notice that this Letter was sent to the Court he presently dispatched those who intercepted the Packet which the Governour having read went presently armed to the Judges Palace whom he suddainly killed Then presently he with the whole Province revolted from the Tartars and with the great applause of all the Chineses he submitted himself to Jugley the new elected Emperour One onely City called Cancheu which was governed by an incorrupted Tartar refused to submit which was the whole and onely cause that the Tartars did recover the two Provinces Kiansi and Quamtung both which Provinces revolted at the same time with their Commanders and both submitted also to the new elected Emperour Many places revolt from the Tartar Lihusus was Governour of Quamtung at that time who resolved to joyn his Forces with Kinus and so to cast the Tartars out of the Empire which it is believed they might have affected if the Governour of Cancheu which is the Key and entrance into four Provinces had not cunningly undermined all their designs and intentions But this man hearing that Lihuzus had revolted and marched to joyn his Army with Kinus dispatched to him this deceitful Letter The deceipt of the Governour of Cancheu I have not hitherto submitted to Kinus because I knew his forces were not equal nor able to resist the Tartars But seeing thou my most renowned and valiant Captain begins also to march against them my hopes are at an end I am thine and imbrace thy cause whensoever thou shalt come or send I will render my City to thee or thine But in the mean time he sent to all the Governours in Fokien to send him secretly all the possible succour they could raise altogether Lihuzus having received the Letter marched towards him as cheerfully and as confidently But though hee found the Gates of the City open yet he was furiously repelled by the Tartarians opposition which unexpected accident so astonished his Souldiers as many of them perished and amongst the rest it is thought himself was killed for he was never heard of after This reverse and cross fortune did much disturb the progress of the Emperour Jungley's affairs though Kinus in the mean time had many singular victories over the Tartars for when the chief Governour of all the Western parts of China who had placed his chief Seat in Nankuing had gathered great Forces to repress this aspiring mind yet he was several times routed and overthrown by him and if Kinus had pursued the course of his victories he might have come to the very Walls of Nankuing but he was sollicitous of the City of Cancheu which obliged him to a retreit for neither was it safe for him to leave an enemy behind him nor could he
one time sent as a present from the Occidental Tartars to the King of China Which boundless power of the Tartars The Tartars subdue the rest of China as it cannot be contained within any limits so also it broke out into the Province of Quamtung which they wholy subdued and out of that like an impetuous Torrent they ran into the Province of Quangsi which they likewise conquered to their Empire So as the King of China called Jungley with his chief favourit the Eunuch called Pang Achileus who professeth Christianity were feign to fly to the confines of Tunking being in a manner excluded the whole Empire In so much as a friend of mine writes out of the Province of Fokien that the King Jungley fearing to fall into the Tartars hands was feign to leave the Land and fly to Sea But upon what Coast that unmerciful Element may have cast him we know not for we hear no news of our Father Andrew Xauerius Koffler who ever followed the Court of King Jungley having had the happiness to have Baptized his Queen his Son and his Mother with many others of that distracted Court. In the mean time whilst one Cang a Royolet amongst the Tartars subdued the Province of Quangsi the Governour of the Country whom they call Colaus fell into the Enemies hands and the Tartars hoping by rewards and promises of dignities to soften the mind of this so gallant a Man The great fidelity of the Governour to his King and so eminent a Philsopher abstained three days from any cruelty or ill usage But he scorned to prefer his life before his alleageance and fidelity to his King and therefore lost his head But yet this generous Action was admired and honoured by those brutish Souls who presently erected a magnificent Tomb in memory of so honourable an Act for although the Tartars sollicit the Chineses to revolt from their Prince yet they honour and praise such as shew themselves constant to him And this memorial I owe unto his memory well for his singular friendship he was pleased to contract with me as also to his eminent vertues of which I my self and the whole Church of Christians in China were both Spectators and Admirers for the space of twenty years And that his name may not perish nor his Country he was Born in the Province of Nanquin in the City Changcho being called Kiu Thomas a name worthy of eternal memory in the Temple of vertue During the saccage of these Provinces news arrives from the Country of Suchuen that the notorious Brigand called Changhienchungus famous for his infamous cruelty and abhominable villanies See fol. 197. was broke out again and wasted all that Province with severall tempests of War for though he seemed to be quite vanquished in the last Battails yet he appeared again to trouble and vex the Empire with new Garboyls and further Designs of War The Province of Fokien also began to grone under the same miserable condition of VVar for the Reverend Father Peter Canevari Native of Genua writes out of the City Changcheu which was besieged the 30. of March 1652. that Quesingus having made a descent from his Ships into that Province had overrun the whole Country taken some Cities and Towns and carried on the War with great terrour to the Inhabitants Insomuch as the Tartarian Commanders kept themselves and their Army in their Forts and other places of strength not daring to appear in the field to oppose them but yet he sayd they expected new Forces and Succours from Peking by which they doubt not but quickly to subdue him This Quesingus who now vexeth this Province of Fokien Quesingus the Pyrat is Son to the famous Pyrate Iquon or Chinchilungo whom the Tartars imprisoned by a slight as I recounted to you in my former History And to let you know what I heard from some passengers of China who in the month of January 1653. were cast in a Ship of China upon the Coasts of an Island called new Holland whither I had been brought before by their Barks and Souldiers as their Prisoner These Men related that a great Army of Tartars was arrived to subdue Quesingus whose Commander thought it fit to joyn art to his great Force and therefore he commanded a handfull of Men to charge the Tartarian Army and presently by feigning flights to retire to more advantagious and surer places But in the mean time he had placed a number of Horse in a deep valley behind a Mountain towards which Quarters the fugitive Troops retired This flight gave courage to the Tartars and the desire of victory made them venture so far from the River Chang where their Ships lay at Anchor as they found themselves environed by the Tartars Army This desperate condition which excluded the Chineses from returning to their Ships caused a very sad and bloody Battail in which there perished above 8000 of the Chineses Army Quesingus defeated whilst Quesingus a spectator of this sad accident from the Mast of his Ships and as they relate was heard to say that he would once more try his fortune against the Tartars but if she proved again adverse unto him he then would submit and shave his Hair like a Tartar Having briefly related the State of the Temporality in this Kingdom it remains I should touch a little of the State of Christianity since these great revolutions In which subject I can onely say that being at Brusels this last June in the year 1654. I received Letters from China in which they gave me notice that the Father Jesuits were very favourably treated by the Tartars yea better than before for they permitted free exercise of the Christian Catholick Religion through an their Kingdoms granting them leave not onely to enjoy their antient Churches but did also liberally contribute to build new ones So by the goodness of God that which endamaged others proved gain to them But I reserve all particulars to a larger relation in a greater volumn which shall continue Trigautius his History of the missions dispatched into China and considering he concludes that History in the year 1610. it shall be my endeavour to produce the rest of those memorable Actions to these our present times FINIS