Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	child_n	husband_n	wife_n	7,705	5	7.0226	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59154	The history of that great and renowned monarchy of China wherein all the particular provinces are accurately described, as also the dispositions, manners, learning, lawes, militia, government, and religion of the people : together with the traffick and commodities of that countrey / lately written in Italian by F. Alvarez Semedo ... ; now put into English by a person of quality, and illustrated with several mapps and figures ... ; to which is added the history of the late invasion and conquest of that flourishing kingdom by the Tartars ; with an exact account of the other affairs of China till these present times.; Relação da propagação da fe no reyno da China e outros adjacentes. English	Semedo, Alvaro, 1585-1658.; Martini, Martino, 1614-1661. De bello Tartarico historia. English.; Person of quality.	1655 (1655)	Wing S2490; ESTC R22006	355,366	359

glutton of play soundeth as ill as any other vice which we abhorr here CHAP. 15. Of their Marriage IN the Kingdome of China as doth plainly appear by their books and Chronicles formal Marriages and indissoluble after contract have been in use above 2400 yeares and in ancient time they used certain particular Ceremonies at the celebration thereof one of which was giving the hand But these have been changed by time some being taken away and many others added Alwaies from that time to this there hath been among them two kinds of Marriage one a true one with a matrimoniall contract for their whole life between the two parties and then the woman is called a wife and treated as such and received with extraordinary Ceremonies The second is rather a Concubinage permitted by their lawes in case they have no children by their wife especially sonnes but now it is grown so common that although some do forbear having them upon the account of vert●e yet it is very ordinary among rich men to take Concubines although they have children The manner is very different from the true and legitimate Marriage for although they contract after some sort with the Father of the maiden and that they treat one another as kindred yet in truth she is bought and sold and many times by a Person that hath no relation to her but only that he b●ed her up for that purpose for there are many in China which breed up young maidens and teach them Musick and dancing and other perquisites of womens breeding only to sell them afterwards for Concubines at a great price Yet however it is not accounted a Matrimony nor hath it the solemnitie of Marriage belonging to it nor any obligation of perpetuity but the man may put her away and she may marrie with another there being no law which prohibits it in case she be wholly withdrawn from the company of the first The manner of treating them is very different They eat apart by themselves in their own chambers and are in subjection to the true wife and serve her in some things as her Servants The children which they beare do not do them reverence as to a mother but they pay it to the true wife whom also they call mother Hence it is that if the Concubine die that bore them they are not obliged to three years mourning nor to deprive themselves of entrance into the examinations nor if they govern to quit their charge which as you shall hear hereafter is to be done at the death of their parents Therefore although he be an only sonne he is not obliged to these duties but only when his Fathers lawfull wife dieth although she be not his true mother When the Husband dieth the government of the estate and family falleth to the lawfull wife and to the children whether they be by her or by the Concubine But when the lawfull wife dieth it falleth to the Concubine and her children if she have any Sometimes it falleth out that they take a Concubine and keep her only till she bring them a sonne for if the lawfull wife will not suffer her to stay assoone as the child is born they send her away or marry her to another the child which staieth behind never knoweth her who bore him acknowledging only for his Mother his Fathers lawfull wife It happeneth also many times that a man taketh an excessive affection to his Concubine and then all goeth amisse but only in what belongeth to the outward observance which must not be changed Widows may marry if they will but they that are women of qualitie seldome or never do it no although they be young and have no children They are to live in their Father in laws house and are for this reason much esteemed In the legitimate Marriage for the most part they observe an equalitie of estate and condition but in their Concubines they have regard only to their naturall endowments They may not marry with any of their kindred on their Fathers side in no degree whatsoever nor with any of the same Sir-name but they may marry with their kindred on the Mothers side if they be in a remote degree but that is not so exactly observed A young maid will hardly marry with a widdower which they call patching up the house and the bed They never marry although they be never so great friends without a Mediator or one that goeth between both parties wherefore they chuse whom they please there being as well men as women who perform this office The Bride-groom never seeth the Bride before he entreth the doore to take her for his wife there Fathers marry their sonnes ordinarilie very young promise them in Mariage even from little children sometimes before they are borne which promise these punctually performe although their Fathers die before the time or one of the parties fall from his honour or estate c. excepting both parties voluntarily agree to break off the contract if by chance the sonne for some respects will not stand to the contract made by his father they compel him by law to perform it In China before the Father die there is no formall portion given either to sonne or daughter among the meaner sort of people the ordinarie custome is not absolutely to buy their wives as some say but the husband giveth a certain quantitie of mony to the Father of the maid with which to buy her clothes and ornaments for her head suitable to her qualitie This summe is alwaies of the largest for that purpose but the Fathers save as much out of it as they can what remaineth being to accrue to them Hence it is that some have said that the Chinesses buy their wives there being not wanting some ground for this beleefe for to this day they agree with the Father of the maid for so much money which if it be not given them they wil not part with their daughter Among the Nobility there is no talk of giving any money but the Father of the Bride is obliged to comply with what the stile and custome of that Kingdome requireth each according to their abilitie and commonly that which he giveth is all necessary Furniture for her apartment excepting the bed which although all things are very cheap in that Country will sometimes cost fifty Crowns He giveth her four or two maid servants to wait upon her and some money and of all this more or lesse according to his ability But land or possession they almost never give unlesse the Brides Father be very rich or that he would match her to some principall Person and that only in case he have no sonnes After the contract is performed between their Fathers then there follow many curtesies and compliments as first the Bride-groom sendeth the Bride a present of things to eate as flesh wine and fruit Secondly a day is chosen for their Marriage which when it is resolved on by advice of Astrologers is

their parents sustaining them while they are in health and taking care to have them cured while they are sick serving them while they live and honouring them with funerall obsequies when they are dead Y according to their exposition is Iustice Equalitie Integritie condescention in things reasonable and just In this manner the Judge is to give every man his owne The rich man To take heed he be not proud of his wealth and To give some part of it to the poore To worship heaven To respect the earth Not to be contentious Not to be obstinate To yeeld to what is just and conformable to reason Li they say is Policie Courtesie to honour and reverence others as is fitting which consisteth In the mutuall respect one man is to beare another In the mature consideration circumspection which is to be used in the ordering of their affaires In the modestie of their outward deportment In obedience to the Magistrates In being affable to young men and respectfull to old men Chi signifieth Prudence and Wisdom the which they place In reading of bookes In learning of Sciences In being perfect in the liberall arts To be learned in matters of Antiquitie To be well versed in the knowledge of moderne affaires To observe well what is past thereby to better regulate the present and future occasions To discerne right from wrong Sin they say is Fidelitie and Veritie It consisteth in a sincere heart and a reall intention To do only that which is good To imitate what is just To make their works and words agree and that which is hidden within to that which appeareth outwardly According to this distribution of their doctrine they reduce the Common-wealth to five orders of persons correlative to one another in what concerneth the observance and duty of each that is the King and the Subject Father and Sonne Husband and Wife Elder Brothers and Younger Brothers and Friends one to another The King is to observe toward his Subjects Vigilancie Love and Clemencie and the Subjects toward the King Loyalty Reverence and Obedience The Father toward his Children Love and Compassion They toward their Father Obedience and Pietie The Husband toward the Wife Love and Union She toward her Husband Fidelitie Respect and Complacency The Elder Brothers toward the Younger Love and Instruction The Younger toward the Elder that is to all their brothers that are elder than they Obedience and Respect Friends toward one another Fidelitie Truth and Sinceritie This is the manner of living which they observed in ancient times and in the golden age when their lawes were few and they that gave Obedience to them many being all founded upon the light and principalls of nature as is yet to be seen in their books expressed almost in the same termes they are in ours when men took no pleasure in governing but retired from the Court and left their government if they saw the people were not profited by their authoritie and example or that Kings did not moderate themselves by their admonitions and so withdrew themselves to their owne possessions which they tilled with their owne hands as I have already touched in another place But after that Ambition and Avarice prevailed over vertue and private Interest had blinded Honour and Generositie this manner of living began to decay and lawes to encrease the new Princes changing some moderating others and adding many especially Humvù the first of this familie which raigneth at present who finding the Kingdome by having been some years under the Tyranny of the Tartars to have changed many of their ancient customes for those of strangers wholly altered the form of government and reduced the Kingdom which was formerly divided among many Princes into fifteen Provinces and one Sole Monarch whence he was constrained to make new lawes having notwithstanding alwaies regard unto the ancient ones Moreover the Chinesse have their Commandements and in some Provinces they print them very well and stick them up on the posts of their doores towards the street I believe they are not very ancient and have some correspondence with our Decalogue as Not to kill Not to steale Not to lie To Honour their Father and Mother c. And in this point of Honouring their Parents we have much to learne of the Chinesses as also all other nations who in my judgement are all exceeded in this by China Many excellent ancient things about Honouring their Parents are to this day growne out of use not in their speaking and writing but in the execution of them wherein they are now too negligent But there are others which although anciently they were better ordered yet are to this day in force and vigour enough and are exactly observed from the King even to the meanest Plebeian not only in sustaining their Parents making much of them and having a speciall care of them and so much the greater by how much the elder they are but by respecting of them also with an incredible reverence and submission and this what degree age and condition soever their children are in The King himselfe on certain daies of the year visiteth his Mother who is seated on a Throne and foure times on his feet and foure times on his knees he maketh her a profound reverence bowing his head even to the ground The same custome is also observed through the greatest part of the Kingdom and if by chance any one be negligent or deficient in this duty toward his Parents they complaine to the Magistrates who punish such offenders very severely Nor is the respect lesse which they beare their Masters and Tutours And if Alexander could say that we owe more to our Masters who instruct us than to our Parents who beget us it seemeth to me that in China only this duty is understood and discharged as it ought to be for besides the respect which during their whole life they professe to their Masters they are never wanting at certain times to make them presents and when they are advanced to degrees and offices they conferre on their Masters very considerable benefits and favours The Old men also in this Kingdom have their place and advantage the Chinesses honouring them no lesse than they were anciently esteemed among the Lacedemonians When they meet together although there be some of the company who are of greater Nobilitie if they have not a dignitie or office for these alwaies keep their place the Old men have the precedence and the young men upon all occasions pay them great respect The Magistrates do them honour publickly especially when they are not only Old in years but also in vertue and good life having lived without scandall and reproach and particularly if they have never been cited into any Court not accused of any crime which among them is taken for a Testimony of very great probitie and goodnesse hence came their proverb which saith Xin Pu Kien Quonzieu Xita Pao that is The man who hath never seen a Mandarine

of China who from the horrid wildernesse of Infidelity had been brought to the pleasant Pastures of Christianity gave illustrious examples of their Faith and 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 permitted at the same time these Tartars to take so deep a root in this Empire of China as afterward grew to that height as to extirpate the Royal Family of the Taminges together with the Kingdom at the very same time they went about utterly to destroy all Christianity But as ordinarily it doth by this very persecution Christian Religion grew to that height and greatnesse that the Church glories to behold it whilst unlesse God vouchsafe to lend a potent helping hand the vast Kingdom 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 Souldiers The King of Corea also sent to the Emperour of China twelve thousand with this potent Army therefore they went out in the beginning of March MDCXIX to give Battail to the Enemy The Tartars resolved to meet them with an undaunted courage and for a good while the event and victory was very doubtfull but in the end the Army of China was wholly routed their chief Commanders with fifty thousand men were all slain The Tartars according to their custome prosecute the victory with all quicknesse 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 parts of the Kingdom which he had effectually performed had not some Commanders suggested that his flight would give courage to the Victorious and breed trouble and confusion in the whole Empire being that to fly is nothing else but to yeeld up the land to the Enemy Nay more they say the disorders were such in the City that if the Tartar had come on he infallibly had made himself Master of it But the Enemy was more greedy of Prey and therefore they dispersed themselves abroad spoiling and burning all Towns and Cities and killing and destroying an immense company of Chineses in a most cruell manner and so leaving all these places dismantled and without Garisons laden with infinite Riches they returned victorious to Leaotung where they had their first footing After these things had passed that renouned Emperour of China call'd Vanley died and left his Son Taichangus to succeed him who begun to gather a new Army against the Tartars but after four moneths reign he also died To him succeeded Theinkins who as soon as he assumed the Crown sent an Embassadour with many magnificent Presents and worthy of the China Monarchy to the King of Corea The end of this Embassage was to thank him for the Auxiliary forces sent to his Grandfather as also to comfort him for the losse he had received in the late service of China finally to sollicite and presse for further succours For it seems those of Corea as they are nearer to Iapony so they participate more of that warlike Spirit and Fortitude than those of China do Besides that he might more effectually divert the imminent danger of his Kingdoms ruin he leavied new Forces throughout all the Kingdom which he sent into the Province of Leaotung to hinder the irruption of the Tartars any further into the Countery And for their better supply with necessary Provision he maintained a great Navie in the Haven of Thiencin to carry Corn and other necessaries for their maintenance This Port of Thiencin is a Station to which an incredible number of ships resort both by Sea and Rivers from all parts of China So as by this means by a very short and compendious way they were easily provided with all necessaries For all the whole Country of Leaotung is almost invironed with the Sea and the furthest part is but two daies distant by water from this Port of Thiencin but by land far more time is necessary Amongst other Commanders which came with succours to their Prince there was one Heroick Lady whom we may well call the Amazon or Penthesilean of China She brought along with her three thousand from the remote Province of Suchuen carrying all not only Masculine minds but mens habits also and assuming Titles more becoming men than women This noble and generous Lady gave many rare proofs of her courage and valour not only against these Tartars but also against the Rebells which afterwards riss against their Lord and Emperour But now she came in this War to supply her Sons place whom she left at home in his own Kingdom as being yet a Child and not able to perform that Homage and Duty to which he was obliged For in the mountains of the Country of Suchuen there is a King not subject to him of China but an absolute Prince yet so as he receives the Honour and Title of a King from the Emperour of China after which Investiture his Subjects only obey him and pay Tribute But because they surpasse all others in Valour and Courage therfore they are used by the Kings of China in warlick Affairs By occasion of this war the two noble Christian Doctours Paul and Michael found means to perswade the Emperour to demand of the Portugeses of Macas some greater Pieces and also some Gunnes and Gunners hoping by this means also to restore the banished Fathers of Christianity as also the Religion it self And their Proposition took effect for both the one and the other were sent for and the Fathers who hitherto secretly negotiated the businesse of Religion were publickly admitted again and many new Souldiers of Portugal came to help the Army And God did most abundantly recompence to the Emperour this favour done to Christianity For before the Portugese arrived his Army had cast the Tartars out of Leaotung by means of the Inhabitants of that Country who being much exasperated by the Tartarians cruelty opened their City Gates as soon as the King of China's Army appeared and rising against their Garison gave entrance to the Army Insomuch as they recovered the Metropolitan Town of Leaotung For the King of Tartary being diverted by other Wars at home could not come soon enough to relieve it So as by this means the affairs of China