Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	eternal_a	life_n	lord_n	11,091	5	3.8914	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49911	Memoirs and observations typographical, physical, mathematical, mechanical, natural, civil, and ecclesiastical, made in a late journey through the empire of China, and published in several letters particularly upon the Chinese pottery and varnishing, the silk and other manufactures, the pearl fishing, the history of plants and animals, description of their cities and publick works, number of people, their language, manners and commerce, their habits, oeconomy, and government, the philosophy of Confucius, the state of Christianity : with many other curious and useful remarks / by Louis Le Compte ... ; translated from the Paris edition, and illustrated with figures.	Le Comte, Louis, 1655-1728.	1697 (1697)	Wing L831; ESTC R15898	355,133	724

lighted All the Inhabitants of the place thronged after him with Torches they searched for her all Night to no purpose and the Mandarin's only Comfort was to see the willingness and readiness of the People every one of which seem'd as if he had lost his own Sister because they lookt upon him as their Father The year ensuing they made Fires upon the Shore on the same day they continued the Ceremony every year every one lighted his Lanthorn and by degrees it commenc'd into a Custom The Chineses are pretty Superstitious in that respect but there is no probability that such a small loss should have such a lively influence upon a whole Empire Some Chinese Doctors pretend that this Festival deduceth its Original from a Story which they report in the manner following Three thousand five hundred eighty three years ago China was governed by a Prince named Ki the last Emperor of the first Race whom Heaven was pleased to endue with Qualities capable of constituting an Hero if the love to Women and the spirit of Debauchery that took possession of his heart had not reduced him to a Monster in the Empire and an Object of Abhorrence in Nature He had rare Parts a winning pleasing way with him great Courage and of such extraordinary strength of Body that he broke Iron with his Hand But this Sampson had his Mistresses and grew weak amongst other Extravagancies they relate that he exhausted all his Treasures in building a Tower of precious Stones to honour the Memory of a Concubine and that he fill'd a Pool with Wine for him and Three thousand young Men to bathe in after a Lasclvious manner These Excesses and many other Abominations prevailed with the wisest of his Court to offer him some Advice according to the Custom but he put them to death yea and he imprisoned one of the Kings of the Empire who endeavoured to divert him from these Disorders At length he committed a Fact that consummated the Destruction of himself and all his Family One day in the heat of his Debaucheries and Jollity complaining that Life was too short I should be content says he to the Queen whom he doted on if I could make you eternally happy but in a few years nay in a few days peradventure Death will in spight of us put an end to our pleasures and all my Power will not suffice to give you a Life longer than that which the lowest of my Subjects hopes to have this thought continually troubles my Spirit and dispenses into my Heart a bitterness that ●inders me from relishing the sweetness of Life Why cannot I make you reign for ever And seeing there are Stars that never cease shining must you needs be subject to death you that shine more bright upon Earth than all the Stars do in Heaven 'T is true My Lord saith this foolish Princess that you cannot make your Life eternal but it depends on you to forget the brevity of it and to live as tho' you should never die What need have we of the Sun and Moon to measure the duration of our Life The morning Star that rises every morning and the night that comes every evening do continually put in us mind of the beginning and end of our days as those begin and end so do ours that are begun advance with precipitation and will speedily be at an end Come come Sir let us no longer cast our Eyes upon these Globes that roll over our Heads Have you a mind once for all to cure your imagination Build your self a new Heaven ever enlightened always serene always favourable to your desires where we shall perceive not the least footstep of the instability of humane things You may easily do it by erecting a great and magnificent Palace shut up on all sides from the light of the Sun you may hang up all around magnificent Lanthorns whose constant splendor will be preferrable to that of the Sun Cause to be transported thither whatsoever is capable of contributing to your pleasure and for fear of being one moment distracted by them break off all correspondence with other Creatures We will both of us enter into this new World that you shall create I will be to you in lieu of all things you alone will there yield me more pleasure then all the old world can offer yea Nature it self that will be renowed for our sakes will render us more happy than the Gods are in Heaven 'T is there that we will forget the vicisatude of days and nights Time shall be no more in respect of us no more incumbrance no more shadow no more clouds nor change in Life And provided My Lord that you on your part will be always constant always passionate my felicity will seem to me unalterable and your happiness will be eternal The Emperor whether it was that he thought he could deceive himself or whether he had a mind to please the Queen is not certain but he caused this inchanted Castle to be built and there immured her and himself There he past several Months steeped in delights and wholly taken up with his new Life but the People not being able to endure such Excess obliged one of the wisest Kings of the Empire to declare against him So soon as the Emperor had notice of the Conspiracy he appeared presently in the old World which whether he would or no stuck more to his heart than the new He appears at the Head of an Army to punish this Rebel but seeing himself abandoned by the People whom he had so foolishly deserted he thought it his wisest course to abdicate and betake himself to flight During the three remaining years of his Life he wandered from Province to Province incognito in a poor Condition always in danger of being discovered as if God by his disquietness and continual agitation had a mind to punish him for that soft and effeminate Repose wherein he thought to have found constant Delights and eternal Felicity In the mean time they destroyed his Palaces and to preserve the Memory of such an unworthy Action to Posterity they hung up Lanthorns in every quarter of the City this Custom became Anniversary and since that time a considerable Festival in the whole Empire it is solemnized at Yamtcheou with more magnificence than any where else And the report goes that the Illuminations there are so splendid that an Emperor once not daring openly to leave his Court to go thither committed himself with the Queen and several Princesses of his Family into the hand of a Magician who promised him to transport them thither in a trice He made them in the Night to ascend magnificent Thrones that were born up by Swans which in a moment arrived at Yamtcheou The Emperor saw at his leisure all the Solemnity being carried upon a Cloud that hovered over the City and descended by degrees and came back again with the same speed and Equipage no body at Court perceiving his absence This is

to West is little less so that on the whole China which is almost of a Circular Figure is very near Fourteen hundred Leagues in Circuit This Account My Lord I can warrant to be just and grounded on very exact Remarks You see My Lord that I have left out the Islands Formosa Haynan and others of less Note which of themselves would make a very great Kingdom as also all the Province Leauton because it is without the Wall As for the Corea Tunquin and Siam they depend indeed on China so far as that they pay a Tribute to that Crown and that their Kings at their admission are Confirmed by its Emperor but they are separate Kingdoms and differ much from that of China which whether in respect of the Product and Fertility of its Soil or the Beauty and Number of its Cities the Wit Politeness Religion or Manners of its Inhabitants is quite another thing The Chineze know it and are so proud of it that they call all the rest Barbarous Nations taking great care in their Marriages not to match with them or any of the other Indians and fearing nothing more then that their mean Blood should run in a Noble Chineze's Veins I also omitted a great part of Tartary which belongs to this State to the great increase of its Power for the Tartars are Valiant and withal Men of Sence and besides tho' Tartary be full of Woods and Sandy Desarts yet it is not wholly unfruitful those sine Furs of which they rob their Zibelines Foxes and Tigers a great diversity of Simples useful in Physick and the fine Horses which come from thence are Commodities China could not be without Yet tho' they reap so great a Profit by it it cannot be imagined what a Vexation it is to them to be so strictly united and mixt with that Nation and one must be well acquainted with the Excess of their Vanity and of the Conceit they have of their Grandeur to know how grievously the Tartarian Conquest has humbled them I question not My Lord but you have heard of it but perhaps have not had the leisure of inquiring into Particulars and therefore a short Account of that great Revolution may not be unwelcome One of the Petty Kings of the Eastern Tartary for there are not afew whose Subjects called Mouantchéou had settled a Trade near the Long Wall having complained at Pekin of some Knaveries committed by the Chin●se Merchants and having received no Satisfaction resolved to right himself and entered the Province of Leauton with a numerous Army The Emperor presently sent some part of his Forces to oppose him and the War continued some time with equal advantage But one LI a Chineze took that Opportunity to hatch a Rebellion in the Provinces which were most remote from Court Great numbers of Malecontents flocked about him who having made themselves Masters of the greatest Cities like a Torrent overflowed the whole Country driving all down before them The Sacred Majesty of their Emperor could not save Pekin from their Fury the Rebel who knew the best Forces were drawn out of it marched directly to attack it There was indeed a Garrison of Seventy thousand Men but most gain'd upon by the practises of Li's Emissaries so that while some with a pretended Zeal perswaded the Prince to remain in his Palace others open'd the City Gates to the Traitor who solemnized his Entry by a Cruel Slaughter The unfortunate Monarch finding himself betrayed would have marched out against him with Six hundred Guards who still remained with him but at the mentioning of this Heroick Proposal their Hearts failed 'em and they ungenerously abandoned him Then knowing no greater Evil then that of falling quick into the Hands of his Enemies he retired into a Garden with an only Daughter he had and having wrote with his Blood these words on the bordure of his Vest My Subjects have basely forsaken me spend thy Rage on my Body but spare my People He first stabb'd the Princess whose Tears must needs have rent a Heart of Flint and then hang'd himself on a Tree more Unjust to his Daughter and Cruel to Himself then could have been the most barbarous Foe The Emperor being dead all bowed to the Usurper except Ousanguey whom the late Prince had intrusted with the Command of the Forces he had sent against the Tartars who never would acknowledge him and chose rather to pull down his Tyranny then ignobly to accept of a share in it The new Monarch having in vain bes●eged him in the Province Leauton to engage him to Surrender himself shewed him his Father loaded with Irons protesting he would put him to Death in his sight if he did not immediately submit But that generous Lord more Faithful to the Memory of his deceased Prince then tender of his Father's Life suffered the Duty of a Subject to prevail over of that of a Son and seeing that Blood spilt of which his once was Part resolved to dye or revenge at once his Fathers and his Emperor's Death He made his Peace with the Tartar who having joyn'd him no sooner enabled him to Cope with his Enemy but he marched against him But the Tyrant whose Cowardize was even greater then his Cruelty durst not appear against those two Armies He fled to Pekin where having burned the Palace and all that had not perished at his first Entry he retired into the Province of Chensi loaded with the Spoil of the Empire and the Curse of all He was pursued but in vain for he met with so private a Retirement that all the Art of Man could never find him out In the mean while the Tartars entered Pekin and so imposed upon the poor Chineze that of themselves they begged their new Guests to take care of their distressed State The others too Cunning not to improve so favourable a Hint whether by Force or Policy are since grown absolute Masters of it And here it is hard to determine which is most to be wondred at the Courage and Conduct of that Nation which gave them Success in so Noble an Enterprize or the Supineness or ill Management of the Chineze who thus basely submitted to a People so inconsiderable for their Number that they would have been ashamed not long before to own them for their Subjects So true it is we ought not to look on any thing as beneath us since all Temporal Grandeur is subject to Change and that nothing is Constant in this World but Inconstancy The Tartarian King Tsouté had not the leisure to enjoy his Conquest scarce had he taken Possession but he died leaving the Administration of the Government and Care of his Son who was then but Six years old to his Brother This Brother of his named AMAVAN conquered all the Provinces which had not yet submitted a Prince deservedly admired not only for his Valour and Conduct ever attended with Success but also for his Fidelity and Moderation For the young Prince being come

them concerning God I had made but an indifferent Progress in understanding and pronouncing their Tongue especially when I first began to preach which nevertheless gave them no manner of Offence so far from it that if they could but never so little apprehend what I meant they never were cloy'd with hearing me I have moreover taken notice that they had always rather I should preach my self how barbarous soever my Language might appear than that I should get them instructed as I sometimes did by the help of a Chinese Catechist that had been formed some time before to Exercises of this Nature But my Visits not being so frequent as I could have wished I endeavoured to make them up by godly Books with which by God's Blessing China is very well stored there having been some Missionaries sufficiently zealous and able to compose Books and that very politely upon all the Points of Religion They have very curious and complete Catechisms wherein the intire and complete Body of the Doctrine of Christianity the Life Miracles and Death of our blessed Lord the Commandments of God and the Church are clearly explained There are likewise to be found particular Expositions upon the Gospels Treatises upon Moral and Christian Duties some solid Controversies adapted to every Body's Capacity Practices of Piety for the different Conditions of Life Prayers and Instructions for the Use of the Sacraments a Body of Divinity for the Leanned for they have translated some part of Tbo Aquinas and last of all St. Ignatius's Exercises for those that mind heavenly things Insomuch that this spiritual Seed of the evangelical Word is scattered all over and multiplied an Hundred-fold I could have wished there might have been a Translation of the Missal upon the account of saying Mass in Chinese together with an exact Version of the holy Scriptures Conformable to the Permission obtained for that purpose the Missal was finished and Father Couplet presented it some Years ago to the Pope However after having duly examined the Matter it was not thought convenient to make use of it but they continued to say Mass in the Latine Tongue as in other Places As for the complete Version of the Bible there are such weighty Reasons why it should not forthwith be published that it would seem a rash piece of Impudence to do it and so much the more because there is already expounded in divers Books what is contained in the Gospel yea and even whatsoever is most Instructive in the rest of the holy Scriptures The Second Method to increase the fervent Zeal of Christians was Prayer Besides the time appointed for Mass I assembled them Twice a day to make publick Prayers They sung in Two Choirs with such marvellous Devotion that it made me wish that the European Christians might have been witnesses of their Piety for their rude and sometimes scandalous Deportment before our altars will certainly be condemned at the great Tribunal by the Modesty of those later Christians They do not understand either singing by Notes or Musick as we do yet have they Tunes of their own composure no ways unpleasant which seems to me abundance more tolerable than what are used in several Societies of Europe They had likewise several sorts of Instruments Consorts they seem to admire and our Villages in France would serve their turn well enough in that point The Chinese are of that Temper that they had need of something sensible to heighten their Devotion sumptuous and magnificent Ornaments Singing pompous Processions the Noise of Bells and Instruments and the Ceremonies of the Church are very taking with them and allure them to divine Service I took extraordinary care in that matter to procure for them all that the Church out of her most wise Conduct hath permitted to the servants of God yet always distinguishing that which Superstition if one have not a care of it is wont in process of time to put into the common Peoples head I applyed my self more especially to inspire them with respect to our M●steries they made their Confession usually every Fortnight Their Confession was not only attended with Tears for the Chinese are more subject to Weeping than we but also with severe Penance in the Evening in the Vest●y The lively Faith they had for the adorable Sacrament made them constant attenders on the Altar and when I permitted them to receive it they communicated with affections of veneration capable of inflaming not only such who are but Lukewarm but almost Christians You might see them prostrate at several times with their Face on the ground lamenting and commonly shedding abundance of tears Such like postures more frequent and ordinary amonst Asiatiques than Europeans yet evermore edifying and submissive do exceedingly contribute to excite Devotion in the Soul and to impress upon the Mind that profound Veneration which the Majesty of our Mysteries deserve at our hands This respect extended it self also to the Images Reliques to the Medals Holy Water and in general to whatsoever bears the Character of our Religion They bore more than that ● particular veneration for the Virgin Mary which perhaps had gone too far if care had not been used to regulate it They call her the Holy Mother Chin-Mou and do invoke her in all their Straits and Exigencies The experience they have had of her Protection hath confirmed them in this warm Devotion and the benefits they receive daily from her persuade them she is acceptable to God The Women are yet more animated with these Sentiments than the Men. All their Churches are dedicated to her under the Title of Chin-mou tam that is to say the Temple of the blessed Mother There they meet together for they never enter into the Church of the Men as the Men dare not presume to set foot into theirs But the passionate love that the Christians have for Jesus Christ make them really Devout and walk worthy of the Profession they have embraced They continually repeat these following words Iesus the Master of Heaven who shed his blood for us Iesus who died to save us Being it is the Mystery wherein we most carefully instruct them so it is that they most stedfastly believe Every one shall have their Crucifixes in their Chambers and notwitstanding the nakedness of our Images did at first give some offence yet have they in process of time accustomed themselves to them We distribute them to the People with some precaution for fear they may chance to fall into the hands of Idolaters who might either through ignorance or malice be apt to profane them And this was the reason why after Mass was said I commonly removed from the Altar a large graven Crucifix the Pagans do oftentimes come out of curiosity to see our Churches now they might have stole it away or spoken of it irreverently and blasphemously which nevertheless was not brought to pass by the Paints of Christ's Passion which I left with them Now as for Christians we are far from

bestowed on the Priests of the Pagan Gods after he had violently taken away the sacred Monuments of our Religion He issued out Proclamations much more rigorous than the former he threatned the Father with his Indignation if he did not abandon his Flock and he caused several Christians that had but too openly declared themselves to be apprehended some of them were haled to Prison they severely punished others and then the Persecution became bloody by the Torments that these generous Confessors suffered for the Name of IESUS Amongst those who signalised themselves a Physician more eminently made his Faith appear he was much grieved to see the Altars of the true God violated and despoiled Crosses broken in pieces the holy Images exposed to the Scorn Laughter and Impiety of Idolaters To repair this Loss and that Believers might not be left destitute of the ordinary Marks of their Religion he distributed to each of them Images and Crucifixes He went from door to door with the precious Pledges of our Salvation animating the Weak confirming the more Couragious in their Faith do not fear said he to them ●im who can only exercise his weak Power upon the Body but fear that Great God who as he has deprived you of Life can also punish your Soul with an eternal Death and rather suffer all sorts of Torments than for sake his holy Law The Mandarin offended at the Boldness of the Physician commanded him to be loaden with Chains and having caused him to be dragged before his Tribunal they prepared all things for his being cruelly Bastionado'd when his Godson who came running thither with other Christians threw himself on his Knees at the Judge's Feet and begged of him with Tears in his Eyes that he would permit him to receive the Chastisement for his Godfather This zealous Physician who aspired to nothing more than Martyrdom was so far from giving his Place to another that he constantly and stedfastly forbid it and at that time there arose such a Scuffle between them that the Angels admired and that made the Christian Religion to be respected by the very Idolaters The Judge stood amazed at it and turning towards those eminent Confestors of Jesus Christ go your way sa●es he to them this forwardness to suffer the Punishment of your Faults deserves some Indulgence I pardon you but henceforward think of pleasing the Vice-roy and be more careful to obey the Emperor's Orders When the Spirit of God hath once seized on the Heart Men's Words are not capable to touch them This Zealous Physician whom the sight of Execution had made more couragious continu'd his Acts of Chatity as before and his Zeal made such a Noise up and down that the Mandarin durst no longer mince the Matter he seemed much concerned at the Contempt he used of his Threatnings Insomuch that he gave Order to his Officers to bring him out to make a severe Example of him In effect he caused him to be beat so cruelly in his Presence that those who were present were equally surprised at the Severity of the Judge and Patience of this good Christian. This bloody Execution once over some of his Relations who came running at thi● doleful Spectacle were thinking to carry him to his House but he positively desired to be carried to Church and what endeavours so ever they used to divert him from it yet he had Strength enough left to crawl thither himself born up by the Arms of several Christians He came thither all bathed in his Gore and kneeling down at the Foot of the Altars O Lord saith he thou seest this Day that I prefer thy holy Law to all the Sweetness of Life I come not to demand Iustice of thee for all t●● Blood t●y Enemies have spilt I come to offer thee that which remains of mine own I do not deserve to die for such a good Cause but thou O my God deservest the intire Sacrifice of my Life and then turning towards Father Intorcetta who began to comfort him Ah! Father answer'd he I shall be now at the height of my Ioy if it were not my Sins but my Zeal that had brought this light Chastisment upon me This Example and many others that I forbear to relate made such Impressions upon the Idolaters hearts that a great many of them resolved to embrace the Christian Faith being persuaded that Sentimen●● so opposite to corrupt Nature could not possibly proceed eithe● from Passion or Error Among them whom the holy Spirit did effectually touch were Three who appeared full of that very Faith that made in former time almost as many Martyrs in the primitive Church as Believers they were Young handsome of Quality and what is more engaged by their Condition blindly to comply with the Vice-roy's Inclinations Nevertheless counting their temporal Estate as nothing they demanded publick Baptism The Father to bring the Faith of these Neophite● to the Test hid nothing from them that might anywise stagger them but it was all in vain to represent to them the rigour of the Edicts the Vice-roy's Indignation the Desolation they were like to cast their Families into the Danger of losing their Estates Honour Life and all these Considerations served only to animate them the more so that after a pretty long Tryal they were initiated into our sacred Mysteries and took part as others did in the Cross of Christ. Their Conversion fortified the Feeble-minded and comforted Father Intorcett● for all the Evils that the Persecution had made his Church to suffer But the Vice roy was so much the more provoked because he had not the Liberty at that time to shew his Resentment for just then they delivered him Two Letters from Prince Sosan one of them was for Father Intor●●tta the other that was directed to himself was full fraught with Reproaches for that he seemed to make no account of the Prince's recommendation I could never have believed saith he to him that to please a Company of ill affected People who have exasperated your Spirit at the Christians you would have deviated from the Counsels I gave you It is as a Friend that I endeavoured to inspire you with better Sentiments think upon it once more and reflect seriously with your self that it i● I that speak to you I expect three Things from your Friendship First that you deliver the Letter your self to Father Intorcetta according to the Superscription The Second that you do so well satisfie the Father that he may have Occasion to bless himself for the kind Offices you render him and that he himself may testifie the same to me And the Third is that henceforward you do not any longer disturb e●ther Missionaries or Christ●a●s in short I am extreamly sorry for being obliged to write to you so often about this Subject If you for the Future mend your Manners I shall write to you a third Time to thank you but if your Passion continues this is the last Letter you shall ever receive

even in their Capital City over Pagan Superstition When we were come to the Burying place the Missionaries in their Surplices read the Prayers of the Church before the Mandarins The Body was besprinkled with Holy Water and perfumed with Incense in the usual manner then it was let down into a very deep square Vault enclosed with four good Brick Walls It was like a Chamber under-ground and in the Scripture Phrase became to him an Everlasting Habitation Having pray'd near it some time we remained on our Knees to hear what the Emperor's Father-in-law had to say to us which was this Father Verbiest has been considerably serviceable to the Emperor and the State of which his Imperial Maj●sty being sensible has sent me with these Lords to make a Publick Acknowledgment of it on his behalf that all the World may know the singular Affection his Majesty did ever bear him while he lived and the great Grief he has received by his Death We were so moved with the Dismal Ceremony the Christians continual Lamentations our own great Loss and the Emperor's surprising Bounty that we were not able to Reply Every one melted into Tears but that P●ince who expected another Answer from us was obliged to press us for it when at length Father Pereiva thus spoke on our behalf My Lord our Anguish was not so much the cause of our Silence as the Emperor 's unparallel'd Goodness for what can we say or think when we consider that so great a Monarch uses us who are Strangers Unknown Useless and perhaps Troublesome to him as if we had the Honour to be in his Service Were we his Children he could not love us more he takes care of our Health of our Reputation of our Life He honours our very Death not only with his Elogies his Liberality the Presence of the most Noble Lords of his Court but which never can enough be prized by his Grief What Return My Lord can we then make not to all his Favours but to that alone which your Highness has been pleased to deliver We will only be bold to beg your Grace would acquaint his Majesty that we Weep because our Tears may indeed make known our Sorrow but that we remain Silent because no Words can express our Gratitude The Emperor was informed of what had passed and some days after the Chief Court of Rites presented a Petition That his Majesty would suffer them to Decree some new Honours to be paid that Illustrious Father's Memory The Emperor not only granted it but willed them to consider that Stranger of so extraordinary a Merit was not to be look'd upon as an ordinary Man In the very first Meeting they ordered seven hundred golden Crowns should be laid out on a Tomb for him and the Encomium which the Emperor had wrote should be ingraved on a Marble Stone and that some Mandarines should be once more deputed to pay him their last Devoirs in behalf of the Empire Then they promoted him that is gave him a higher Title than any he had enjoyed during his Life While the Emperor honoured the Saint on Earth he no doubt pray'd for him in Heaven For it is very observable that that Prince never was more inquisitive about Religion then at that time He sent one of his Gentlemen every Minute to the Fathers to inquire about the Condition of Souls in the other World about Heaven Hell Purgatory the Existence of a God his Providence and the Means necessary to Salvation So that God seemed to move his Heart after an extraordinary Manner and to affect it with those Holy Doubts which usually precede our Conversion But that happy Moment was not yet come However who knows but Father Verbiest's Prayers and the Care of several zealous Missionaries who have succeeded him may hasten the Execution of those Designs which Providence seems to have on that great Prince I am most respectfully Madam Hour Highnesses most humble and obedient Servant L. J. LETTER III. To his Highness the Cardinal of FURSTEMBERG O fthe Cities Houses and Chief Buildings of China My Lord AMONG the several Empires into which the World has hitherto been divided that of China has ever obtained so considerable a Place that a Prince cannot be wholly ignorant of what concerns it without neglecting one of those Sciences which seem a part of his Prerogative This My Lord was no doubt the Motive that induced your Highness to inquire so particularly into the State of that Country and to desire an Exact Account of the Number and Bigness of its Cities the Multitude of its Inhabitants the Beauty of its Publick Buildings and Manner of its Palaces By this it plainly appears that the vast Genius you have for Business does in no wise lessen the Acuteness of your Judgment in the Sublimest Arts and especially in Architecture of which the most Excellent Works raised by your Directions at Modave Saverne Berni St. Germans and above all in the famous Cathedral of Strasbourg are several Instances It having been my Business to run over all China where in Five years time I have travelled above Two thousand Leagues I may perhaps satisfie your Highness with more ease than any one besides and shall give a Description of what has seemed to me most worth my Observation Pekin that is the North-Court is the chief City of China and the usual Seat of its Emperors It is so named to distinguish it from Nankin the South-Court another very considerable City so called from the Emperor's Residing there in former Ages it being the Finest the most Commodious and best Situated of the whole Empire but the continual Inc●rsions of the Tartars a Warlike and very Troublesome Neighbour obliged him to settle in the most Northerly Provinces that he might be always ready to oppose them with the numerous Army he usually keeps near his Court. Pekin was the place fixed upon being Situate in the 40th Degree of Northern Latitude in a very Fertile Plain and not far from the Long Wall Its Neighbourhood to the Sea on the East and the great Canal on the South afford it a Communication with several fine Provinces from which it draws part of of its Subsistence This City which is of an exact Square Form was formerly four long Leagues round but Tartars settling there forced the Chinese to live without the Walls where they in a very short while built a new Town which being more Long than Large does with the old one compose an irregular Figure Thus Pekin is made up of two Cities one is called the Tartar's because they permit none else to inhabit it and the other the Chinese as large but much more full than the first Both together are Six great Leagues in Circuit allowing 3600 Paces to each League This I can aver to be true it having been measured by the Emperor 's special Command This My Lord will seem strange to those who are acquainted with Europe only and think Paris the Largest as