appearance unto all The Tartars formerly call'd it The Desart Belgian others sometime Samo the Chineses Kalmack others Caracathay that is Black Cathay where you shall find no other Animals but wild Bulls of a mighty bigness Yet the Tartars accustom'd to Desarts wandring to and fro pass over it at all times and there also pitch or fix their Hords where they find a Place or River commodious for the Pasturage of their Cattel their Hords are Pens or Tents fit for the receiving both of Men and Cattel From Lassa or Barantola plac'd under the Elevation of the Pole 29 Degrees and 6 Minutes they came in four Days space to the foot of the Mountain Langur now this Langur is the highest of Mountains so that on the top of it Travellers can hardly breathe by reason of the subtilty and thinness of the Air neither can they pass over it in Summer without manifest hazarding of their Lives by reason of the virulent and poisonous Exhalations of some Herbs No Wagon or Beast can pass over it by reason of the horrible great steepnesses and rocky Paths but you must travel all the Way on foot almost for a Months space even unto the City Cuthi which is the first or Chief City of the Kingdom of Necbal Now although this mountainous Tract be difficult to pass over yet Nature hath plentifully furnish'd it with variety of Waters which break forth of the hollow places of the Mountain in every part thereof These Waters are replenish'd with abundance of Fish for the Sustenance of Man and their Banks afford plenty of Pasturage for Beasts I take this to be the same Tract which Ptolemy calleth Parapanisus which being link'd in the series of the Caucasian Mountains is extended far and wide towards the East and with its Skirts toucheth the South and North. Marcus Paulus Venetus calleth it Belor others give it other Names according to the diversity of Nations through which it passeth From Cuthi in five Days passage they came to the City Nesti in the Kingdom of Necbal in which all the Natives being involv'd in the Shades of Idolatry live without any sign of the Christian Faith yet it aboundeth with all things necessary for the sustaining of Life so that thirty or forty Hens are sold for one Scutum From Nesti they came in five days Iourney to the Metropolitan City of the Kingdom of Necbal which is call'd Cadmendu and plac'd under the Elevation of the Pole 27 Degrees and 5 Minutes where there is a potent King that Ruleth and although an Heathen yet not very much averse unto the Christian Religion From Cadmendu in half a Days time they came unto a City that the Natives call Badda the Regal City of the Kingdom of Necbal From Necbal in a Iourney of five Days you meet with the City Hedonda a Colony of the Kingdom of Maranga being plac'd under the Altitude of the Pole 26 Degrees and 36 Minutes From Hedonda in eight Days space they came even to Mutgari which is the first City of the Kingdom of Mogor From Mutgari is a Voyage of ten Days space even unto Battana which is a City of Bengala towards Ganges plac'd under the Elevation of the Pole 25 Degrees and 44 Minutes From Battana in eight Days space they came to Benares a populous City on Ganges and plac'd under the Elevation of the Pole 24 Degrees and 50 Minutes It is famous for an Academy of the Brachmans which flourisheth there in which all the Sciences proper unto their Religion or rather more truly unheard-of Superstitions are taught From Benares in eleven Days space they came to Catampor and from thence in seven Days to Agran Therefore from Pekin even unto Agran was a continu'd Voyage of two hundred and fourteen Days but if you have respect to the stay of the Caravans it is a Voyage of one whole Year and about two Months And these Relations â— receiv'd by word of Mouth from the above-mention'd Fathers who perform'd the Voyage in the same manner as I have describ'd it CHAP. III. Of the various Habits Manners and Customs of the Men of those Kingdoms which were observ'd and drawn by the aforesaid Fathers Albert Dorville and Gruberus as they pass'd through them AS the Kingdoms which the afore-mention'd Fathers pass'd through by a Voyage never hitherto attempted by any European were unknown to Geographers so also did they observe many things very worthy of consideration in reference to the Habits Manners and Customs of those Nations which on purpose being deliver'd to me what by Pictures and what by Writing they left to be inserted into their Voyage perform'd which I thought fit having now an opportune and convenient time to accomplish Therefore setting forwards from Pekin the Metropolis and Imperial Seat of the Chineses they came in the space of two Months to those most famous Walls at which that vast City Siningfu is situate as it were a certain and most safe Bulwark unto the Walls against the Incursions of the Tartars where in the end of our Book we exhibit the Structure of as much of these Walls as the convenience of the Place would admit of as they were most diligently observ'd and drawn by them and they added that the Walls were of so great a breadth that six Horse-men set orderly abreast might conveniently run a Race without being an hindrance to one another whence they report that they are so frequently visited by the Citizens of Siningfu both for the enjoying of the Air which is most wholsom and which breatheth from the adjacent sandy Desarts and also because they are very opportune for the performing of many other Exercises for easing and recreating of the Mind for they are of that heighth that they easily invite the Inhabitants unto them by their Prospect which is on every side most clear and open and withal exceeding pleasant and also by reason of the great conveniency of the Stairs which give an Ascent unto them now the Longitude unto the broadest part of the Wall even unto the other Port or Gate through which they pass from the Desart unto the City Sucien is so great that it can hardly be pass'd in the space of eighteen Days which many do undertake having first obtain'd leave of the Governor of Siningfu not so much out of any necessity of Trafficking or Merchandise as led by a certain Curiosity and withal being sufficiently furnish'd with Provision for they say that the innumerable Habitations which are within the Wall appear from thence as from an high Mountain but without in the adjacent Desart as the Inhabitants related unto them by word of Mouth they may recreate themselves with the wonderful and unwonted sight as it were from an high Tower of all kinds of wild Beasts such as are Tygers Lions Elephants Rhinoceroses wild Bulls Monoceroses that is a certain kind of Horn'd Asses and all the while being free and out of all danger more especially from that part of the Wall which
from the weight or incumbrance of all extraneous Concernments living in quiet and repose within the private Apartments or Withdrawings of his Palace is ador'd like a Deity and that not only by the Natives but of all the Kings that are subject unto the Empire of Tartary who undertake voluntary Iourneys or Pilgrimages unto him They adore him as the True and Living God and call him The Eternal and Heavenly Father offering a multitude of Presents and Oblations to him He sitteth in an obscure Chamber or Room of his Palace adorn'd with Gold and Silver and rendred resplendent by the multiplicite lustre of flaming Lamps in a lofty place upon a Couch which is cover'd with costly Tapestry unto whom Strangers at their approach fall prostrate with their Heads to the Ground and kiss him with incredible Veneration which is no other than that which is perform'd unto the Pope of Rome so that hence the fraud and deceit of the Devil may easily and plainly appear who by his innate malignity and hatred in way of abuse hath transferr'd as he hath done all the other Mysteries of the Christian Religion the Veneration which is due unto the Pope of Rome the only Vicar of Christ on Earth unto the superstitious Worship of barbarous People The Castle wherein the Great Lama inhabiteth is situate at the end of the City Barantola and is call'd by them Bietala a Draught whereof is express'd in the sixteenth Figure XVII and XVIII The Habit of the Kingdom of Necbal XIX A Northern Tarstar This Great Lama is of so great Authority throughout all Tartary that there 〈◊〉 no Kings Crown'd in any Place who doth not first send his Ambassadors with inestimable Presents to crave his Benediction as an happy Omen of his Entrance upon the Kingdom See what I have said at large in the preceding Discourse concerning the Honor conferr'd on him by the Imperial Monarch of Tartary and China where also I have demonstrated that this whole superstitious Worship of the Great Lama took its original from that famous Presbyâ—â— Iohn who had his Residence in this Kingdom of Tanchut But thus much shall suffice for the Great Lama They saw also strange Habited Women at Barantola which came thither out of the adjacent Kingdom of Coin The Noble Women braid or curl all theiâ— Hair in the manner of Hairlaces or small Bands and wreath it behind them on their Foreheads they wear a red Fillet beset with Pearls on the top of their Heads they bear a Silver Crown interlac'd with Turchoises and Coral Having left the Kingdom of Lassa or Barantola in a Months Voyage they came over the most high Mountain Langur which we have describ'd a little before unto the Kingdom of Necbal where they found nothing wanting 〈◊〉 to Humane Sustenance nor could any Good be wish'd them which they did not enjoy except the Light of the Gospel for they are all involv'd in 〈◊〉 thick Cloud of Heathenish Blindness The chief Cities of this Kingdom 〈◊〉 Cuthi and Nesti It is a Custom in this Country that if you drink to a Woman the other Men or Women that are in the Company pour in the Liquor Cha or 〈◊〉 Wine three times for them and in the time of Drinking affix three pieces 〈◊〉 Butter to the Brim of the Pot or Cup those that pledge or drink after them take them off again and stick them upon their Foreheads The King of Necbal shew'd himself extraordinary courteous to our Fathers by reason of a Present they bestow'd on him which was a Perspective-Glass and other very curious Mathematical Instruments with which he was so taken that he wholly determin'd with himself not to let them go which he had not done but that they made him a faithful Promise to return thither again which if they perform'd he promis'd to erect a House for their use and Exercise endow'd with most ample Revenues and also to grant them a plenary Power to introduce the Christian Law into his Kingdom Departing from Necbal they came to the Confines of the Kingdom of Maranga which is enclos'd in the Kingdom of Thebet whose Metropolis is Radoc the utmost Bound of the Voyage formerly undertaken by Father Andradas where they found many Marks of the Christian Faith in time past there Planted from the Names of Dominick Francis and Anthony by which the Men are call'd From hence they arriv'd at that first City of the Kingdom of the Mogor so well known unto the World by the Name of Hedonda and thence they came to Battana a City of Bengala situate on Ganges thence to Benares a City famous for an Academy of the Brachmans and at last to Agra the Imperial City of the Mogor where Father Albert Dorville broken with the Labors of his Travels and full or replenish'd with Merits leaving this Terrestrial Country departed as we piously believe unto the Heavenly Mansion in a middle Way between Europe and China CHAP. IV. Of the Voyage attempted by Father Amatus Chesaud a Frenchman Superior of the Residency of Isphahan for the discovery of an easie and ready Passage into China extracted out of his Letter written in the Persian Language and directed unto Father Athanasius Kircher The Letter is to this effect I Write not this Letter from Hispahan but in the Way being return'd from the City Hairat Sfahanum from which City it is almost a Year since I departed towards Baich wich is the Regal City of Usbeck that I might discover whether there were any possible way of passing through the foresaid Usbeck and Turkestan into Cathay and hence into China But indeed as I came hither with the Ambassador of Usbeck unto the Bounds of Kezalbax I found that Way both difficult and dangerous therefore I continu'd for some Months at Hairat which City was formerly call'd Sciandria and there I narrowly view'd the Place which the Ancients call'd Bachtra where there is a great University or Academy built by the Son of the Famous Tamerlang which notwithstanding is destroy'd by degrees and runneth to Ruin for want of Repair as also many other Edifices which were formerly there built about the same time in which that City was in the Hands of the Usbequi From this Place at length I came to the City Maxahad which others call Sancta where there is a fair Mesquit adorn'd with Gold In this Place I continu'd two Months and here Disputed with the Learned of whom there are many about the Law and I found that albeit they openly and abroad praise their own Sect yet they hold That others of a contrary Persuasion ought to observe the King's Law Their time is not as yet come I departed from this Place and came to Nixapor and Sabazuar which belong unto Chorasan from whence I pass'd through the Cities Setam Damgan and Iamnam and at last arriv'd at Kaxanum in the Province of Aracand which is thirty Farsang distant from Sfahanum This Tract of Land is for the most part barren
should grant him the Priviledge to implore the Assistance of the Tartars wheresoever they inhabit more especially those that border nearer Armenia and that without any delay they should be oblig'd to aid him 7. That the Priviledges and Iurisdictions of his Kingdom of Armenia which first was possess'd by the Saracens and they being thence expuls'd by the Tartars the Tributary Kings of the Great Cham possess'd should be restor'd to him the King of Armenia The Great Cham having heard these Demands presently call'd a Council of his Nobility in whose Presence he return'd this Answer Because the King of Armenia hath address'd himself to Our Empire not by any Compulsion but mov'd of his own free Will in truth it very much becometh Our Imperial Majesty to assent unto his lawful Requests and by all ways possible to further his Desires Therefore We accept of your Prayers and shall be careful to accomplish all by God's Assistance First of all I the Emperor and Lord of the Tartars will cause my self to be Baptiz'd and will hold that Faith which the Christians hold advising all the Subjects of my Empire to do the same but not with that intention that I desire violence should be offer'd to any Person Unto the second We Answer and effectually Intend and strictly Command That there be a perpetual League between the Christians and the Tartars inviolably confirm'd Also We Will and it is Our Pleasure That all the Churches of the Christians and the Clergy of what Condition soever whether Secular or Religious have and enjoy their Priviledges and Liberties in all the Kingdoms or Provinces subject unto my Dominion and that none molest them As for what concerneth the Holy Land We say That if We could with Our Convenience We would out of Reverence unto Our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ go in Person but because We have much Business in these Our Kingdoms We Will and Enjoyn Our Brother Haolon to bring all this Business to effect as it requireth and becometh the same for he shall free the City of Ierusalem and all the Holy Land out of the Hands of the Pagans and shall restore the same unto the Christians And now for what concerns the Caliph of Baldach We shall issue out Our Commands unto Our Captain Baydod who is General of the Tartars and those that are in the Kingdoms of Turcia and all others that inhabit about those Regions That they reduce them all under their Yoke and utterly destroy the Caliph Our Capital Enemy And as for the Priviledge that the King of Armenia requireth by the Aid of the Tartars it is Our Pleasure that he may have Satisfaction according to his Desire which We are resolv'd also freely to confirm And lastly as concerning the King of Armenia's Demand That we should restore the Lands of his Kingdoms taken from him by the Saracens and afterwards possess'd by the Tartars this We willingly and freely grant unto him and it is Our Pleasure that our Brother Haolon restore all those Lands without delay and also Our Will and Pleasure is that many Tents may be granted unto the aforesaid King and and that by a special Grace for the Augmentation and Defence of his Kingdom Thus Haython the Armenian who was Brother of this King of Armenia and also his inseparable Companion in his Voyage unto the Great Cham into the remotest Parts of Tartary The Points which King Haython requested of the Great Cham were obtain'd with wonderful constancy of Faith and Sincerity for as the Armenian Writer of this History testifieth in his 24 th Chapter he accomplish'd the first Point in reference unto Baptism without delay for after he had been instructed in the Christian Faith he with his whole Court and all his Nobility were Baptiz'd by a Bishop that was Chancellor of Armenia and by his Brother Haython the King of Armenia and having now haply discharg'd his Embassy and accomplish'd his Desires accompanied with Haolon after he was restor'd unto his Kingdom he gain'd the Possession of all Persia being then without a King meeting with very little resistance He despoil'd also the Caliph in Baldach and plunder'd the City which abounded with great Riches and block'd up the Caliph the Head of the perfidious Mahumetan Religion a Person extremely covetous who reserv'd his Money to raise an Army in a Castle or Tower and thence cast out his Gold Silver and Iewels to maintain and preserve his Life if possible but he famish'd him by depriving him of all Provision and thus spake unto him If thou hadst not so covetously and penuriously reserv'd this Treasure thou hadst freed thy self and thy City but now enjoy thy Wealth and eat and drink that which thou hast so dearly delighted in And thus he reposing confidence in his Riches perish'd with Hunger Thence wheeling about his Army he wan all Turcia and reduc'd into his Possession Alepo a most strong and populous City and abounding in Wealth after nine Days Siege which being gain'd and Damascus being also Assaulted and taken by his Valour he then subdu'd with the like success the Holy Land even to the Desart of Egypt and in all the Kingdoms now subjected under his Dominion this was his only Care that whatsoever Christians he found either Exil'd or debarr'd of their Liberty were restor'd unto the same again and also had the Priviledge of their Churches grantâ—d them and those that were demolish'd were re-edifi'd at their Cost being induc'd unto this more especially by his Wife who was nam'd Dioucoscaron and reported to be one of the Linage of the three Kings that were led by the Star and offer'd their Presents unto our Saviour at his Birth for she as having been long before instructed in the Christian Religion so also being inflam'd with a zeal and desire of promoting the Christian Faith made it her whole endeavor by the extirpation of the wicked Sect of Mahomet to restore the Holy Land and the Sepulchre of Christ unto the Christians Therefore it so hapned by the zeal of Haython to the Christian Faith that besides the hithermost Tartary both the Kingdoms of Armenia and Colchis and also Turcia Babylon Syria and Palestine freely and with great liberty enjoy'd the Christian Profession with a great accession of the Infidels unto the Faith of Christ. And in the greater Tartâ—ria all every where following the Example of the Great Cham embrac'd the Christian Profession even unto the utmost Bounds of Cathay St. Antonius confirmeth all this in his 3. Tom. Tit. 19. Chap. 8. Sect. 21. and he whom we before call'd Haolon he calleth Ercaltay a Prince and Brother of Cublai the Great Cham for he a long time after his Baptism being sent in the name of the Emperor to destroy the perfidious Sect of Mahomet out of a great and incredible zeal he had to the Orthodox Religion and also to recover the Holy Land as we have before related atchiev'd many Exploits worthy eternal Memory There is an Epistle of his extant
that doth imposes some glorious Title on the Empire according to his own will and pleasure So in Times past we read that it was call'd Tan which is to say An Empire without Bounds other times Yu that denoteth Rest or Repose then Hiu from the Name of a great Duke I find it also call'd Sciam as if you should say A most Adorn'd Kingdom Cheu signifieth A Kingdom that exceedeth all other Kingdoms in Perfection also Han by which word they denominate the Milky-Path whence it cometh to pass that almost each several Nation doth describe it by the imposition of proper and different Terms Now at this Day it is call'd Ciumquo and by some Ciunhoa whereof the former signifieth A Garden by reason of its pleasantness and abundance of delightful things and the latter implieth The Middle because the Chineses suppose their Kingdom is situate in the midst of the Earth which also they will have to be four-square This whole Empire is divided into fifteen Kingdoms or Provinces bounded or terminated in some places by vast Rivers and in others by inaccessible Rocks and Mountains Of which Provinces nine are reckon'd in the South part and six in the North. Nature in a manner hath contriv'd all this complex of Kingdoms unaccessible unto all others on the East and South the Ocean is scarcely Navigable by reason of the violence of the Tydes and on the West the craggy Ridges of the Mountains admit of no passage and on the North it is at this Day fortifi'd partly by a Desart of an immense vastness and partly by a Wall of nine hundred Italian Miles erected by King Xio about two hundred Years before the Incarnation of our Saviour by the work of 1000000 Men in the space of five Years to restrain the Incursion of the Tartars so that being defended by so many Fortifications it relieth on its own weight If you do but only observe the Wall it is a Work that will cause an amazement which without doubt if the Ancients had arriv'd unto the knowledge of they would have reckon'd it amongst the seven Wonders of the World But let us now subjoin the Names of the Kingdoms or Provinces The Northern Kingdoms of the Empire of China are Honan Xensi Xansi Xantum Peking and Leautum The Southern Kingdoms are Canton or Quantung Quangsi Yunnan Fukien Kiangsi Suchuem Utquang Chekiam and Nankim That I may comprehend all in brief first I shall annex a Geographical Scheme or Map of the whole Empire divided into fifteen Provinces that you may more clearly discover the Situation of each and that we may not appear to have let slip any thing memorable in reference to the Cities Mountains Rivers Lakes and other Occurrences worthy of observation I have here prefix'd this Geographical Table which containeth a Description of all the Kingdoms from which as from an alone Compendium you may find whatsoever presenteth it self worthy of Consideration CHAP. II. IN the Year 1625. when in Siganfu the Metropolis of the Kingdom of Xensi in a certain Village a Trench was digg'd for the fit Foundation of an Edifice or Building it so hapned That in the casting up of the Earth the Laborers found a Stone Table worthy of note for its Chinesian Writing which when they had digg'd out of the Ground they measur'd it's quantity and found it in length nine handfuls and a half in breadth five and in thickness about one whereupon was curiously Engraven a Cross. Those who studiously view'd it report That the Cross was bent inwards like to the Lilies in the manner of that which is to be seen at Meliapore in India on the Sepulchre of St. Thomas the Apostle and not much unlike that which the Knights of the Order of St. Iohn of Ierusalem bore partly hanging on their Necks and partly sew'd to their Garments and Cloaks Under this Cross followeth the Title of the Inscription express'd throughout the whole superficies of the Stone in the Chinesian Language and Character as is manifest from the Figure adjoin'd And as the Chineses are carried as it were by a certain natural propensity unto things curious so also the first Report of the finding of this Stone attracted a great multitude of their Learned Men who resorted thither from all Parts The Governor of the Place being mov'd with the strangeness of this Monument having seriously contemplated the venerable Antiquity of it that he might allure and draw the People from all Parts by the Fame thereof for the Benefit and Reputation of the City plac'd it on a Table or Pedestal curiously wrought within the Court of the Temple of the Bonzii and erected a Roof over it partly that it might receive no damage by the injury of Time and also that as many as were Spectators of this unusual Monument might read examine and describe it at their own leisure And because that on the Margents there were discover'd Characters unknown to the Chineses intermix'd with those of their own they were much concern'd to know what they related unto and at last were satisfi'd by the diligence of our Society as it will appear more at large in the following Discouse Leo the Mandorin being now instructed in the Christian Faith first of all others divulg'd it exactly describ'd unto the whole Kingdom for the great advantage of the Christian Religion which he hop'd might accrue from thence which coming to the Hands of the Fathers of our Society when they had read it they could not sufficiently admire the Providence of the Divine Majesty that should condescend so far to disclose a Monument of so great Concern for the Conversion of the Heathen in this novel Vintage of Christ wherefore not to conceal their Ioy they betook themselves to Siganfu the great Metropolitan City of Xensi that they might be ocular Spectators of it of which the first was Father Alvares Samedus a Portuguese whose words I shall the rather alledge by how much he was the more engag'd unto me by the strict tye of Friendship whilst he remain'd at Rome Procurator or Provincial where he related to me in a familiar Conference all the Observations he had made concerning this Monument Now he thus relateth the whole Circumstance in his History of the Affairs of China Publish'd in Italian pag. 158. Three Years after in the Year 1628. there went some Fathers to that Province upon occasion of a Mandorin being a Christian whose Name was Philip who was going thither those Fathers by the help of the Mandorin erected both a Church and a House in the Metropolis of Siganfu that since our Blessed God who would that so fair a Memorial of a hold taken of his Divine Law in that Country should be discover'd he might also be serv'd and the Restoration of the same Faith Instituted in the same Place 'T was granted to me to be of the first and I fancied that Mansion happy because of seeing the Monument and when I got thither I car'd not for
Stone it self to the Eye of the whole World in the Chinesian Idiome as it was Sculp'd in the Year of Christ 782. that from this most ancient Testimony every one may conjecture how true the Doctrine of the Catholicks is seeing the same was Preach'd in an opposite Quarter of the World amongst the Chineses Anno 636. of our Saviour that is about a thousand years since The Chinesian Original of the Stone is now conserv'd in the Library of the Roman Colledge that belongeth to the Fathers of the Society of Iesus and another Copy is to be seen in the Repository of the House of the Profession I my self also obtain'd from the most Grave Chinese Doctors and Masters at the very time that the Monument was found a Book Printed in the Chinese Language in which the Writing of the Stone was most truly and exactly express'd according to the true Original They advise the Chineses in the larger Preface adjoin'd to the Book that at length they would have recourse to the Masters of the great Occident for so they term the Fathers of the Society of Iesus and discover whether they Preach the same Law amongst the Chineses which their Ancestors with so many Emperors embrac'd a thousand Centuries ago and which the Fathers of the Society of Iesus exhibited in the Books Printed in the Chinese Language before the Stone was found Now it only remaineth that I should declare how this Marble Table was detected When after the Death of St. Francis Xavier the venerable Father Matthew Riccius and other Fathers of the Society of Iesus had introduc'd the Gospel of Christ into the more Inland Parts of China and had erected Residences and Churches in some Provinces and therefore the Propagation of the Holy Faith had made no small progress in that of Xensi Anno 1625. one of the Fathers of the same Society invited by Doctor Philip having Baptiz'd twenty Persons in his native Country of Sanyven he went with the same Doctor to see a Stone which they had found some Months before in the Village Chenche near the Metropolis Siganfu whilst they were casting up the Rubbish for the building of a Wall This Father writes which other Fathers who had fix'd their Abode and erected a Church in Siganfu with the Christians and Heathens also affirm'd That a Stone was found five Hands broad one thick and nine long the top whereof made like an oblong Pyramid of two Hands and one broad on the Vertex the Cross was Engraven above the Clouds that with its Branches seem'd to imitate the Flower-Deluce besides the Chinesian Inscription on the left side and beneath there appear'd the Names of the Syrian Priests and also other Chinesian Names of the same Priests under-written It is the Custom of the Chineses to have many Names whence also the Christians at this Day retain both the Name of the Saints they receiv'd in Baptism and another Chinese Name The Governor of the Place being certifi'd of the finding of this Monument commanded an elegant Composition to be made in praise of it and to be Engraven on such another like Marble Stone causing both of them to be plac'd in the Fane or Temple of the Bonzi that are call'd Tan Su a Mile distant from the Walls of the Metropolis Siganfu as a perpetual remembrance of the same Many other Footsteps of the Catholick Faith Preach'd to the Chineses were discover'd in the following Years which God seemeth not willing to have manifested but only at that very time in which the Preaching of the same Faith arriv'd amongst the Chineses by the Labor of the Fathers of our Society that so both the old and new Testimonies might affect the identity of the Catholick Faith and the truth of the Gospel might be rendred perspicuous and manifest unto all The like Images of the Holy Cross were seen in the Province of Fokien in the Year 1630. In the Province of Kiangsi also a miraculous Light shone forth Anno 1635. which was beheld by the Gentiles and also in the Mountains of Fokien and in the City Cyvencheu 1643. Crosses were found yea the venerable Father Martin Riccius when first he came into China found Xe tsu Kiao to be a Name signifying The Doctrine of the Crosses by which the Christians anciently that were Disciples of that Doctrine of the Cross were nam'd and I doubt not but all that were Christians in the Kingdoms of China when the Tartars about three hundred years past first invaded China and that they liv'd there mix'd with Sarazens Iews Nestorians and Gentiles that is to say in the Time of Marcus Paulus Venetus who travell'd unto Catay which is the very same with that we now call China And now whether St. Thomas or any other Apostle first Preach'd the Gospel to the Chineses is not yet certainly known Father Nicholas Trigautius collecteth from some ancient Testimonies of the Christians of the Church of Malabar in the Arch-bishoprick of Cranganor or De Serra which are termed The Christians of St. Thomas That in that Place as also in Meliapor which formerly was call'd Calamina and now by the Portuguese San Thome the holy Apostle Preach'd by reason that out of their Gaza or Treasury in the Office of St. Thomas is recited or rehearsed That by St. Thomas the Chineses and Ethiopians were Converted to the Truth by St. Thomas the Kingdom of Heaven took its flight and ascended to the Chineses And in the Antiphono the Ethiopians Indians Chineses and Persians in commemoration of St. Thomas Offer up Adoration unto his holy Name Also in an ancient Synodical Canon the Bishops of the great Province viz. those other Metropolitans of China India and Pases do send their Letters of Consent Add withal That he that Govern'd the Church De Serra at the coming of the Portuguese subscrib'd himself Metropolitan of all India and China But in truth things being more narrowly consider'd from those Circumstances and Footsteps which began to be manifest after the time of Father Trigautius we cannot certainly conclude that St. Thomas the Apostle Preach'd the Gospel himself amongst the Chineses for although these Footsteps of the Faith of Christ here found do evidently shew That the Christian Belief hath been in China yet notwithstanding those very Paths or Tracts do demonstrate that the Faith had its entrance into China when the Family of Heuhan Rul'd over three Kingdoms which are now united in Nanking the third Province of the Empire viz. in the Province of Kiangsi at the Shore of the River for Antron-Cross seems by its Inscription to have been fix'd according to the Chinesian Computation about the Year of Christ 239. which Cross weigh'd about three thousand weight whence the Faith and the Preachers of the same are certainly evinc'd to have come amongst the Southern Chineses about a thousand four hundred and fifteen years ago But in some years following the Knowledge of the Gospel being extinguish'd it was again renew'd by Priests out of Tacyu
inhabit And in the eighth Part Line 18. he saith That a great quantity of Gold is gather'd out of these Mountains and divers sorts of Precious Stones and that there is a great Monarch that Ruleth over these Countries All which are agreeable to the Empire of the Great Cham as Marcus Paulus Venetus an Eye-witness in his first Book Chap. 64. delivereth in these words Departing from the Province of Egriaia towards the East the Way leadeth unto Tenduc it is better to read it Tanchut Now Tanchut is a Kingdom of Tartary which comprehendeth many other Kingdoms as the Kingdom of Lasa or that which the Tartars call Barantola the Kingdoms of Nethel Tibeth Maranga and others as I shall shew anon together with the Desart Kalmack which is bounded by the Wall of the Chineses and most Geographers confound this Kingdom with Cathay in which are many Cities and Tents where also that great Emperor term'd Presbyter Iohn so famous throughout the whole World was wont to reside But now that Province is Tributary to the Great Cham having a King of the Progeny of Presbyter Iohn and although there are many Idolaters and Mahumetans yet the greatest part of the Province embraceth the Christian Faith and these Christians are the Chief in this Province especially there is a certain Nation in the Province call'd Argon which is more subtle and eloquent than the other People here are also the Regions of Gog and Magog which they term Lug and Mongug in these Places is found the Stone Lazuli that maketh the best Azure In these Mountains also are great Provinces Mines of Silver and various sorts of wild Beasts All which aptly consent with the Description of the Arabick Geographer before alledg'd Also he thus writeth concerning the Altitude of the Mountains Iagog and Magog in his first Book Chap. 27. Hence if you travel to the Eastern Quarter you must ascend for three whole Days up the steep Rocks of Caucasus until you come to a most high Mountain than which there is not an higher in the World and there also appeareth no Bird by reason of the Cold and the over high Elevation of the Earth which can afford no Food unto Animals And if at any time Fire he kindled there it becometh not light it being obstructed by the over-much coldness of the Region neither is it of that activity as in lower Places And a little after he saith This Region is call'd Belor always having the face of Winter stamp'd on it Thus far Marcus Paulus All which agree unto that Mountain which they call Langur the highest Mountain in the Kingdom of Lasa concerning which Father Iohn Gruberus who travell'd through it on foot relateth that you cannot travel through it in Summer without danger both by reason of the great subtilty of the Air which hardly admitteth a Passenger to breathe and also because of the Vapor of a certain poisonous Herb which by its scent killeth both Man and Beast And about this Kingdom of Belor viz. the ancient Seat of the Sacae the Arabian Geographer placeth the principal Kingdom of Presbyter Iohn in Cathay as the Tractate written by Rabbi Abraham Pizol doth also clearly demonstrate The Nubian or Arabick Geographer calleth it Begarger in which he saith there is situate a very great City his words are these In the Eastern part of it is the Kingdom of Begarger the great City of which is call'd Centaba fortifi'd with twelve Iron Gates Rabbi Pizol with Paulus Venetus calleth it Belor in which he saith the Kingdom of Thebeth was lately discover'd his words are as followeth The Kingdom of Belor is very great and mighty according unto all Historians that have written of it there are many Iews inhabiting in it principally in the Eastern and Northern Quarters And there are moreover other Eastern People not long since discover'd call'd by the Natives Thebeth having a most splendid and magnificent City exceeding all others in magnitude there being not the like under the Canopy of Heaven in which all good things are found Which indeed can be no other than the City Chaparangue situate in the Kingdom of Thebeth concerning the Monuments of which in relation unto our Religion there left by the Christians Father Anthony Andradas a Portuguese of the Society of Iesus relateth Wonders who when he had heard that the Inhabitants thereof were professed Christians he took a Voyage into the same from the Kingdom of Mogor Anno 1624. full of labor and difficulty in which also having discover'd the Fountains or Heads of Ganges and Indus he observ'd many things most worthy of Consideration and admiration as I have it confirm'd by Ioseph a Christian of the Mogors Country who at the time of this my writing with Father Henry Roth Moderator of the new Converted Christians in the Kingdom of the Mogor is yet at Rome strong and lusty although eighty five years of Age who related unto me every Particular There is in the most high Mountains of Thebeth that are perpetually cover'd with Snow a great Lake the Receptacle of the greatest Rivers of India from which Indus Ganges Ravi Athec derive their Currents Hence the River Ganges hath its original falling down from the most high Rocks into a low Valley Indus and the other Rivers make their Outlets through the foot of the Mountains as is evident from the Map Now he affirmeth this Kingdom to be one of those of Great Cathay that are contain'd both without and within the Walls of the Chineses although the Relation be not in every respect conformable unto that perform'd by Benedict Goes of our Society which he undertook by order of his Superiors as we shall see anon And in these vast Regions of Cathay I find by the Relation of Paulus Venetus that most Potent Emperor Presbyter Iohn to have had subject unto his Dominions seventy two Kings partly Christians and partly Heathens although the similitude of the Kingdoms in those vast Regions and the Names arising from the various Revolutions of those Nations the Tumults of War and the other changes of Affairs together with the different Denomination hath caus'd such and so great a Confusion that to this very Day no Person hath been able to free himself out of this intricate Labyrinth for some make him the same with the Great Cham others call him Ascid by Original a Persian so Almachin in the third Book and fourth Chapter of his History of the Saracens Every King saith he of Pharanga so they call the City of Sogdiana is call'd Ascid as the Roman Emperor is call'd Caesar and the King of the Persians Cosrai And there are some that rather by a new Name with the Ethiopians more truly than by the old term him Iuchanes Belul that is to say Precious Iohn Others by no improbable Conjecture do assert That in honor of the Prophet Ionah who is highly respected amongst them all that Govern'd the Empire were so denominated But yet in these Western Parts of the Latin
South there are innumerable Islands of the Sea In which words he so describeth Cathay or China that he differeth in nothing from the modern Situation the Customs of the Nations and other things proper unto China CHAP. VI. Of the Introduction of the Christian Faith into the foremention'd Kingdoms of Tartary and Cathay by the now alledg'd Voyages SEeing that in all the foremention'd Voyages we at all times meet with the mention of the Christians the Reader ought not to doubt but that the Evangelical Doctrine of the Christian Law hath been introduc'd into the utmost Kingdoms of the East from the very first Times of the Primitive Church either by the Apostles themselves or by their Disciples or their Successors in the Apostolical Function which that it may appear more plainly I am resolv'd to treat of the Apostolical Expeditions of all Ages into these Kingdoms and although I have in the former Part of this Book treated of the Expedition of St. Thomas into India and the neighboring Kingdoms yet I shall here demonstrate how by the Assistance and Labors of St. Thomas as also of St. Philip Bartholomew Thadeus and other Apostles the Holy Gospel was propagated in the Kingdom of the Mediterranean India to the utmost Bounds of Tartary Which whilst I perform I must acknowldge that I receiv'd no small Light from the excellent Father Henry Rho who hath travell'd almost throughout all India for being sent from Goa into the Kingdom of the Moguâ— to Dalcan which is now call'd The Kingdom of Visiapour having pass'd over the Mountain Gati he came to Golconda and thence into Montipur and thence by a direct Voyage to Bengala and the Kingdom of Decanum and from hence in a straight Path to the Court of the Mogor in the City of Agra What Rarities and Curiosities he observ'd in so great a Voyage he will publish to the World in due time in his itinerary Discoursing concerning the Kingdom of Narsinga and those so celebrated Relicks of St. Thomas at Meliapor he saith That amongst other things which the Christians reserve in their Library unto this Day there is the Voyage of St. Thomas which that holy Apostle undertook from Iudea into India preserv'd and that he hath it Translated out of the Syriack into the Latin Tongue which when I earnestly requested he freely assented to my Desire and it is as followeth In the general distribution of the Globe of the Earth made by the Apostles at Hierusalem for the propagation of the Divine Gospel it is manifest from Ecclesiastical History that India fell unto the lot of St. Thomas unto which that he might arrive he thus began his Voyage From Iudea having pass'd through Syria Armenia and Mesopotamia he came unto a certain City of Persia which is call'd Soldania where having sow'd the Seed of the Gospel he reap'd a large Harvest of Christian Converts Hence he pass'd through the Kingdom of Candahar and Cabul which is 40 Lucae distant from Candahar now Cabul is also call'd Galabor by which the Holy Apostle pass'd over high Mountains unto the Region call'd at this Day by the Moors Gavorstan that is The Region of Infidels for so they term the Christians which continue there unto this very Day The Christians are call'd The Christians of St. Thomas they are naturally defended or fortifi'd by most high Mountains so that there is no easie Passage to them although sometimes some Saracens pass unto them who are presently stain out of an hatred â—f their perfidious Sect but the Gentiles or Heathens are receiv'd And although these Christians observe various Rites of the Christian Religion as that they imprint a â—hree-fold Cross on their Foreheads and Temples which is done or depicted by an Indian herb â—r Weed call'd Santalis of a red Colour and that in Baptism they dip their Children in Water yet notwithstanding it hath so hapned in process of time that the Church growing full of Brambles for want of Apostolical Men Christianity is much wasted and decay'd some small sparks of the Christian Faith only remaining for the whole Nation is defil'd with the various Superstitions and Blemishes of Error Father Nicholas Trigautius in the Voyage undertaken by Benedict Goes into Cathay farther confirmeth it in these words Afterwards they came into another Town nam'd Passaur where they met a certain Anchorite by whom they understood that thirty Days Iourney thence was a City of the Christians nam'd Caphurstan into which there was no Passage admitted unto the Saracens and those that approach thereunto suffer Death yet the Heathen Merchants are not prohibited the entrance of their Cities but are only excluded or debarr'd admission to their Temples He farther related That all the Inhabitants of that Region go to Church Apparell'd in Black that the Land is fruitful and that there are plenty of Vines found there Which Narration caus'd a suspicion in him that without question there was yet the Habitation of Christians although much degenerated which he had also confirm'd by report elsewhere This was also so manifest unto others of our Fathers the Propagators of the Christian Faith in the Kingdom of the Mogul that no Person from henceforwards ought to doubt of the same whence unto this very Day they are call'd The Christians of St. Thomas and questionless they had long since been gather'd into the Church of Christ if there had not wanted Laborers Moreover St. Thomas is said to have departed from Caphurstan unto to the lesser Guzarata not far from the Kingdom of Casmir of which we have treated above which is situate distant from Labor three Days Voyage towards the North and thence he is said to have the Mountains of Thebet in a long compass of the Land towards Bengala through the Kingdom of Decan to have arriv'd at Meliapor It is certainly related that Letters written in the Syriack Tongue on a most ancient Parchment are yet preserv'd in the Library or Repository of the Church of Meliapor in which St. Thomas is said to have convocated the Bishops Consecrated by him in the aforesaid Kingdom that is from Candahar Cabul Caphurstan the lesser Guzarata and the other adjoining Provinces unto the Council of Meliapor which if it be so it is very much to be lamented that there have no Persons been found who might have translated a Treasury of so great Ecclesiastical Antiquity into Latin But however this be Origen and Eusebius write That St. Thomas first went and Preach'd to the Parthians and Gregory Nazianzen delivereth in his Homily against the Arrians that he Preach'd to the Indians Theodoret consenteth unto these that the Preaching and receiving of the Gospel amongst the Parthians Persians Medes Brachmans Indians and the bordering Nations ought to be ascrib'd unto St. Thomas And Nicephorus also relateth that he came unto Tapraban now call'd Sumatra which seeing it is not remote from the Empire of China it cannot but appear very probable to any one that he visited China also in his own Person any
one I say who rightly understandeth what I have above related concerning the Voyages of St. Thomas the Apostle which is at large handled by Osorius Bishop of Sylva who hath elegantly compil'd the Indian History Whence from these Regions even now declar'd viz. from Cabul Caphurstan Tibet and Mogul he might easily by the Bishops his Successors propagate the Sacred Gospel of Christ into the remotest Provinces and Kingdoms to the utmost Bounds of Tartary This Ortelius openly confirmeth who saith That the Kingdom of Archon situate in the utmost Angle or Corner of the North was Converted unto the Christian Faith by St. Thomas you must understand it of of his Successors so that by this Account there is no Part or Corner of the World which hath not been fill'd with the Light of the Gospel by his Care and Diligence Nicephorus also relateth in his second Book Chap. 39. That St. Philip Preach'd the Gospel in the upper Asia now the upper Asia is nothing else but that vast Space of Asia Minor which the Ancients call'd by the Name of Scythia on this side and beyond Imaus and they are all those Regions which are comprehended in the extreme Limits of the Eastern Sea and about the Caspian Sea as Georgia Iberia Albanior Micrelia Armenia and part of the Transmarine Asiatick Tartary from whence in course of Time the Gospel of our Saviour by a farther sprouting was transplanted into all the circumjacent Kingdoms as Thebet Indostan Tanchut and the like Chrysostome saith That St. Bartholomew instructed the People of the greater Armenia in the Christian Faith Sophrinus saith that he taught the Albanians and Origen that he Preach'd to the hithermost Indians Panthenus a Christian Philosopher saith That when he travell'd to the Indians he found Christianity yet flourishing by the Preaching of St. Bartholomew He that is curious to know more concerning this let him have recourse unto the History of the Armenians which they call Giarrentir that is A Book of Relations which Clemens Galanus a Canon Regular who spent many years in Armenia Georgia and the other Regions of Colchis to propagate the Christian Faith here publish'd at Rome First of all therefore the Christian Faith was introduc'd into the foremention'd Kingdoms by the Apostles Thomas Philip and Bartholomew which afterwards in course of Time being Propagated and Cultivated by their Successors very Holy Men and illuminated with the Holy Spirit diffus'd and spread the Light of the Divine Law throughout the whole East unto the great advantage of Souls until by the want of Laborers the People following a more dissolute and ill mode of Life degenerated from the Rectitude of Faith 〈◊〉 and also blemish'd and bespotted with the Rites of the Gentiles altogether fell off from the True Way for Anno 400. when by the instigation of Satan the cursed Arrius Nestorius Dioscurus and other Hereticks but especially the Nestorians had every where spread their damnable Opinions and in an horrid manner weakned the Orthodox Faith of Christ above all other Parts it infected with the Venom of its pestiferous Doctrine Colchis Armenia Persia Turchestan and the utmost Bounds of the Asiatick Tartary so that as Marcus Paulus and Haython relate there is no Place of the aforesaid Regions which it hath not defil'd Add unto this that in the Year 632. or thereabouts was the cursed rise of the Incendiary of the World Mahomet who swelling and breaking in like an Inundation over a great portion of the Earth subjected the same to his most unjust Laws whence it came to pass that the faithful Christians and more especially Persons of the Priestly Order being exil'd their Native Country by degrees forsook the Provinces of the more inward Part of of Asia either for fear of Persecution or by a voluntary Exile those that were arm'd with a zeal and desire to the House of God being inflam'd with a fervour to propagate the ancient Religion of the Orthodox Faith fled or retir'd into China it self where how much they labor'd to the advantage of the Christian Faith is plainly shew'd by the Syro-Chenesian Monument I have expounded above Now as nothing is firm and solid in Humane Affairs so also the Faith introduc'd into the foremention'd Regions now fading either through the want of Apostolical Men or the extreme degeneration of Christians tended or deflected first to Idolatry then to Mahumetanism anon to the Religion of the Nestorian Hereticks according as the lust of each Persons Genius led or drew them and this Vicissitude or Alteration of the Orthodox Faith sometimes receiv'd and sometimes being rejected continu'd more especially in the Eastern Tartary unto the Year 1252. in which as Haython the Armenian relateth who was of the Blood-Royal Haython King of Armenia his Brother Reigned until he could no longer endure the Turkish Spoilers of his Kingdom wherefore by a Divine Instinct taking a new Counsel and going in his own Person unto the Great Cham Emperor of Tartary whom Paulus Venetus calleth Cublai Cingischan who Rul'd in Tartaria and Cathay both to make a League against the Saracens and to gain the Favor of that most Potent Prince for the confirming of the Christian Commonwealth in a peaceable Estate and Condition after a tedious Voyage he arriv'd at Almalech that is Cambalu the Court of the Great Cham. The Great Cham or Cublai being much joy'd at his coming receiv'd him with great Honor and Respect as he deserv'd bestow'd on him great Presents and advis'd his Nobles to follow his Example and do the same Therefore when King Haython had rested himself some Weeks after the toil of his continual Travels he address'd himself to the Emperor and with much strength and weight of Rational Arguments open'd the Cause of his so far undertaken Voyage The Emperor having duly ponder'd the just Reasons of his Petition and greatly admiring both the Condescension of the King's Person in exposing himself to so great Labors and Danger and also considering that the Quiet of his Kingdom and the Advantage or Interest of the Christian Common-wealth was very much concern'd out of his Clemency promis'd to grant him whatsoever he should demand Haython accepting of the obsequiousness of so free an Offer Presented him in Writing several Points of his Petition which were as followeth 1. That the Great Cham would vouchsafe to embrace the Christian Faith 2. That a perpetual League of Friendship might be confirm'd between the Christians and the Tartars 3. That all the Christians both Ecclesiasticks and Laicks with their Churches might be free from all Persecution and enjoy the Immunities and Priviledges in all the Kingdoms which the Tartars had subjected to the Empire 4. That he should raise an Army to free the Holy Sepulchre of Christ from the Turkish Tyranny and also restore the Holy Land possess'd by the Saracens into the Hands of the Christians 5. That he should joyn his Forces with his to root out the most potent Caliph of Baldach 6. That he
respect Sina in their Language signifies A most brave and famous Countrey Others opposing will have this Kingdom to derive its Name from the Inhabitants of the City Chincheu because these People drive onely a constant Trade by Sea to most Places of Asia so that the Portugueses and Indians by leaving out the same Letters of the word Chincheu might easily give it the Name of China But those are in a very great Error that will have the word China to be derived from a certain word Cinch which by the Chineses is very much us'd The falseness of this Assertion will clearly appear from hence in that the Chineses who Trade with the Indians or Portugueses to those Places and go with their Ships to India us'd on the score of Civility and kind Respect to Greet each other in their Mothers Tongue not with the Name of Cinch but Sia Now that which appears to me to be a most probable Truth amongst the various Opinions of Writers is that which the Iesuit Martinus Martinii a Man of great Learning and Skill in the Antiquities of China has asserted in the sixth Book of his History of China the words whereof are as follow I shall not says he let this pass unmention'd which seems to me most likely That not onely by the Indians but also by Strangers the Name China took rise and original from the Generation Family or Branch of Cina who Govern'd in China in the 246. Year before the Birth of Christ So that we ought not to call it China but rather The Kingdom of Sinen or Cinen for in the time of those Kings which proceeded from this Branch the Name of Siners was first made known by Strangers and especially by the Indians By the Indians the Name of China afterwards came into use and was followed by the Portugueses after the Conquest of India for this Family of Cina Govern'd over the greatest part of the Siners who lived toward the West and continually had Wars with Foreiners When afterwards the Court or Seat of the Kingdom was Planted there received the Name of The Kingdom of China This Family of Cina being risen to the highest pitch of all Prosperity prov'd after a great Invader of others Territories insomuch that it seems no wonder that Strangers and remote Nations had the Name of Cina so frequent among them And though the Sineses call this farther part of Asia or Cina by several Names according to the Governing Families that happen to change yet however Foreiners do reserve the first Name which they heard And this is my Opinion concerning the Original of the Name Sina and according to this Assertion the first Letter of the word ought to be writ not with an S but with a C. All China was formerly divided by the Chinese Emperor Xunus into 12 Provinces afterwards the Emperor Yva who took upon him the Government after the Death of Xinus about 260 years before the Incarnation of our Saviour reduced all China into nine Provinces which onely at that time comprehended the Northern Parts of China and had for their Confines the River Kiang But after that they had Conquer'd the Southern Parts by degrees and somewhat Civiliz'd the Inhabitants the whole Kingdom of China was divided into 15 Provinces Amongst these also they reckon the Province of Leaotung which is situated on the West of Peking where the great Wall begins and the Hanging-Island of Corea both which pay Tribute to the Emperor There are several other Islands beside which pay also Tribute amongst which the Island Haman is the chiefest lying in the Sea over against the Province of Quangsi Among the Islands which are Tributary to this Kingdom is also accounted the Island Formosa which the Chineses call Lieukieu and situated over against the Province of Foken and also the Island Cheuxan over against the Province of Chekiang a very famous Place for Trading But of this more at large hereafter Six of the 15 Provinces verge upon the Sea as Peking Xantung Kiangnan or Nanking Cheaiang Foking and Quantung From hence toward the North lie the Midland Countries as Quangsi Kiangsi Huquang Honan and Xansi and toward the West the other four Xensi Sucheu Queicheu and Iunnan Lastly this Empire which comprehends 15 Kingdoms is also divided into the South and North-China South-China the Tartars call The Kingdom of Mangin and North-China The Kingdom of Catay In the first are nine Kingdoms and in the last six or eight if you will reckon amongst them the Kingdom of Leaotung and the Hanging-Island of Corea By what has been already said it doth clearly appear how far those are mistaken who write of another Empire beyond China which they call Catay as likewise of several Towns as Quinsey Cambalu and many other Fictions whereas in truth beyond the great Wall no other People live but Tartars who have no fixed Abodes but wander up and down the Countries in Wagons and so travel from Place to Place as may be found at large in the Writings of those who have sufficiently confuted this great Error and Mistake as Virgantius and Martinus Martinii in his Atlas of China Amongst the rest the Iesuits have likewise found by experience that beyond the Empire of China no Monarchy of Catay is to be found insomuch that the same People whom we call Chineses are by the Persians call'd Cataians This same Mistake has been likewise sufficiently and Learnedly confuted with undeniable Arguments by the most Learned Iacob Gool a Person of extraordinary Knowledge in all Arts of Literature and especially in the Oriental Languages and at present Arabick Professor in the University of Leyden in his Appendix to the Atlas of China The Kingdom of China is so inclos'd with several Islands and on the East and South with Seas that it seems almost to be four-square onely two great Mountains thrust themselves out toward the Sea which in the Chinese Language are called Tung The one lies by the Town of Ningpo from whence you may Sail in 40 hours to the Island of Iapan the other great Hill is in the Province of Xantung near to the Town of Tengoheu China situated in the farthest part of Asia borders toward the East South and West upon the great Indian Sea and is call'd Tung by the Chineses which signifies Easterly And on the North it is separated from the Kingdoms of Ninche and Nicolhan by that Famous Wall which was made by those of China against the Invasion of the Tartars Higher up toward the North it has for Frontiers the Kingdom of Taniju and a Wilderness call'd Samo which separates the North side of this China from the Kingdoms of Samahan and Cascar Upon the other Provinces situated toward the South joyn the Kingdoms of Prester-Iohn Geo which by the Chineses are call'd by one common Name Sifan as also Tibet Laos and Mien Likewise China reaches as far as Brangale and to some part of Tartary and the Mountains of Damascus which
separates it from Tartary and India The furthest Extent of China taken in the breadth begins in the South upon the Island Hainan which lies in 18 Degrees Northern Latitude from thence it reaches toward the North to 42 Degrees insomuch that China in the breadth extends to 22 Degrees that is 330 Dutch Leagues It s length begins in the Province of Iuunan at 120 Degrees and ends in the East at the Mountain of the Town Ningpo call'd by the Portugueses Nampo at 132 Degrees So that this Part consists of 450 Leagues in Longitude China is not a little secure in regard of the adjacent Kingdoms and the natural and strong Forts whereby this Kings Realm stands so intirely protected against all violence from without that the like is hardly to be seen elsewhere neither are there any Avenues found leading to this Monarchy insomuch that it is so well provided and guarded that it seems to be a World within it self and separated from all the rest as well toward the South as East and where the Sea borders it hath so many Islands Banks Flats and blind Rocks that it is altogether unsafe to approach China on the side with any great Ships of Men of War On the West and somewhat toward the South lie the Woods and Hills of Tamessus which are so thick and high that it is altogether unpenetrable on that side and which separate China from the next bordering Asia and the lesser neighboring Kingdoms all which adds to the Defence and Protection of this Empire Toward the North and West it is also sufficiently secur'd against all Invasions by the Sandy and dry Flats of Samo which endanger all Vessels that attempt any Landing in those Parts Lastly this Kingdom has toward the North a great Wall which the Family and Branch of Cina built against the Invasion of the Tartars 215 Years before the Birth of Christ but in what condition this Wall is at present and how far it extends we shall treat at large in the Description of the Province of Peking In respect the Sovereignty over the fifteen Kingdoms of this China belongs at present to a Monarch the Great Cham of Tartary I shall give you an Account of the number of all the great and little Cities situated in all these Dominions First of all they sum up in this whole Empire 145 Capital Cities which out-shine the rest both in Greatness and Glory Under the Command of this Emperor are 1331 small Cities amongst which 148 may be compared in Magnificence Beauty and People with the chief Cities Beside these there are 32 great Cities more which are not subject to any other yet they must not bear the Name of Capital though they Command over 36 small Cities Beside all these there are 3 Cities more for the Officers and Commanders of the Militia to dwell in The Forts and Castles are 159. beside which 17 great Garison Cities and 66 small Garison Towns which are never without full Companies and of Soldiers who are permitted to inhabit promiscuously amongst the Burgers There is no distinguishing by the greatness and largeness of the Cities the one from the other for some of the small ones exceed some others of the great and prime Cities both in Largeness Wealth and People but according to the Worth and Dignity of the Governors and the Priviledges of the Place she bears the Precedency and is reckon'd amongst the chief Cities No Place must presume to take up the Name of a City but what is Wall'd in for every inferior Town or Situation subjects to the next adjacent Capital City Most of the Cities in China are built after one fashion and form commonly four-square with broad and high Walls adorn'd with quadruple Towers placed at an equal distance round about which runs a deep Moat and that also is surrounded with a Mud or Earthen Wall Each City has a double Gate and two double Doors whereof the first stands directly over against the second that there is no seeing through the last though you stand in the first Betwixt these two Gates opens most commonly a large Court where they Discipline their Militia Upon the Gates are likewise built great Watch-Towers where the Soldiers keep Night-Sentinel Most of the Cities have great Suburbs belonging to them which are as full of People as within the Wall Without the Battlements each Metropolis hath a delightful Plain curiously adorned with Towers Trees and other Embellishments most pleasant to the Eye The Country every where swarms with People so that wheresoever you Travel you shall meet continually with Crowds of Men Women and Children As now these 15 Kingdoms seem not onely to exceed all other Parts of the World for the number of most rare Edifices and rich Cities so they are likewise no less abounding in People for the most populous Country of all Europe stands not in competition with this Those that will take the pains to look into the Chinese Pole or Register-Books wherein is exactly set down the number of the People of each Province except those of the Royal Family will find that it amounts to the number of 58 Millions 9 hundred and 40 thousand 2 hundred and 84 Persons Neither need you wonder which way this can be made out for every Master of a Family is oblig'd upon a great Penalty to hang out a little Board over his Door upon which he must set down the number of his Houshold and their Condition c. And to prevent all Fraud one is appointed over every tenth House whom they call Titang which signifies the Tenth-man or Tyther His Office consists in taking an Account of the number of the Persons upon the Board and if the Master of the Family fail to make that known truly he is to acquaint the Governor of the City with the Abuse Having spoken thus much of the Situation Division and Extent of China I shall add in short what these fifteen Provinces pay annually in Taxes one with another as also how many Capital great little and Garison Cities are in each of the Ten and lastly what each Province Division or Shire disburseth yearly in Taxes to the Emperor of China No Man possesses a Foot of Land in all this Empire without paying to the Emperor something out of it so that we need not wonder that over and above the common Expences which are made upon the account of petty Kings Vice-Roys and Military Officers there are more then threescore Millions of Crowns brought yearly into the Emperors Coffers The whole Sum amounts to 150 Millions of Crowns whereof he cannot dispose as he pleaseth but the Money is brought into the Treasury and if the King at any time desires a Supply in writing to the Treasurer he is not to deny the payment of it The Provinces bring in yearly in Taxes 32 Millions 2 hundred 7 thousand 4 hundred and 47 Bags of Rice and one Bag is enough to serve 100 Men for one day 40 hundred 9 thousand
causes so many safe Harbors and Roads for Shipping in these Parts The Country is in some places flat and even and in others Hilly and Mountainous especially toward the South as we often found to our great inconvenience upon our Voyage This Province produces all things necessary for the sustenance of Man as likewise several sorts of rich Wares and Commodities as well Artificial as Natural It likewise yields the Husbandman Fruits twice ayear as Rice Corn and other Products for in it you have no cold Weather all Winter so that the Chineses have a Proverb among them that there are three very strange things in Quantung viz. The Heaven without Snow Trees green in Winter as in Summer and The Inhabitants spitting Blood for first of all it never Snows here the Trees are never unperwig'd and the Inhabitants continually chewing the Leaves of Betel and Areka prepar'd after their way makes their Spittle red From hence comes likewise great quantities of Gold Pearl Precious Stones Silk Quick-silver Copper Steel Iron Salt-petre Eagle-Wood and several other odoriferous Woods The People in these Parts are very ingenious laborious and nimble and can imitate any thing which they see made before them and whatsoever the Portugueses bring thither out of Europe woven of Gold Silver or the like which is strange unto them they will immediately endeavor to work the same and in a short time will accomplish what they undertake for I gave a Chinese Goldsmith a Silver Button to make a Set by and the next day he brought to my Lodging what I had bespoke very curiously wrought as if he had been us'd to such work though he had never done the like before which argues their Ingenuity to be very great Among other Fowls which are to be seen in this Country are great store of Ducks which the Inhabitants have the art and way to raise and increase beyond all the rest of their Neighbors This Province is Govern'd as also each of the other Provinces in the Emperors Name by Governors who by those of Europe because their Offices and Employments much resemble Vice-Roys are call'd petty Kings who commonly reside in the first Chief City of the Province When we were at Canton Quantung was Govern'd by two Vice-Roys whereof one in regard of his Years was call'd the old and the other the young Vice-Roy The Portugueses call'd the young Vice-Roy Halick Mancebo The Vice-Roys of Quantung take place of all the Governors of the other Provinces because situated upon the Frontiers of the Kingdom and far remote from the Imperial City Peking and borders also upon the Sea by which means the High-ways are troubled with Robbers and the Sea with Pyrates therefore the Emperor orders that the Vice-Roys of Quantung shall Command over the Province of Quantung though this last as the other Provinces has also particular Vice-Roys This Country was formerly a Kingdom of it self and call'd Nainve and first brought under the Command of the Chinese Emperors at the end of the Reign of the Race of Cheva yet however it did not continue long under that Power but revolted and would be Rul'd by none but the Kings of Nainve The Emperor Hiaorus of the Family of Hana at last conquer'd this part since which time it has been subject to the Emperors of China In this Province are ten Chief Cities and seventy three small Cities without reckoning among them the City of Maccao famous for Traffick and Commerce The ten Chief Cities are these Quancheu or Canton Xaocheu Nanhiung Hoeicheu Chaocheu Chaoking Kaocheu Liencheu Lincheu and Kiuncheu The Chief City of Quancheu Commands over fifteen small Cities among which I do not reckon Maccao though it lies under the Command of this Chief City The 15 small ones of this great City are these Quancheu or Canton Xunte Tangvon Cengching Hiangxan Sinhoei Cingyven Sinning Cunghoa Lungumen Sanxui Lien Iangxan Tienxan and Singan The second Capital City Xaocheu Commands over six small Cities Xaocheu Locang Giughoa Iuyven Ungyen and Ingote The Country about this Chief City is for the most part full of Hills The third Chief City is Nanhiung or Nanhung and Commands over two Cities Nanhiung and Xihing The fourth Chief City is Hoeicheu and Commands over 10 small Cities Hoeicheu Polo Haifung Hoiven Lungchuen Changlo Hingning Hoping Changing and Iunggan The fifth Chief City is Chaocheu and Commands likewise over 10 small Cities Chaocheu Chaoyang Kieyang Chinghiang Iaoping Tapu Hoeilai Cinghai Puning and Pingyven The sixth Chief City is Chaoking and Commands over eleven Cities Chaoking Sinhoei Sinhing Yangchun Yangkiang Caoming Genping Teking Quangning Fuchuen and Kalklen The seventh Chief City is Caocheu and Commands over six small Cities Caocheu Tienpe Sing Hoa Vuchnen and Xeching The eighth Chief City is Lieucheu and Commands over four small Cities Lieucheu Knig Lingxan and Xelien The ninth Chief City is Luicheu and Commands over three small Cities Luichtu Sniki and Siuven The tenth Chief City is Kiuncheu situated in the Island of Hainan and Commands over twelve small Cities Kiuncheu Lincao Tingan Veuchung Hoeitung Lohoei Chen Changhoa Van Linxui Yai and Cangen In this whole Province are ten Forts or Castles which serve for the Defence of the Province and the Sea the Names whereof are these Taching Tung Hanxan Ginghai Kiacu Kiexe Ciexing Hiung Iunching and Ciungling The Chinese Toll-Book wherein the number of the People of each Province is set down makes mention of Four hundred eighty three thousand three hundred and sixty Families and Nineteen hundred seventy eight thousand and twenty Fighting Men in this Province The Taxes which this Province pays yearly to the Emperor amounts to Ten hundred seventeen thousand seven hundred and twenty two Bags of Rice and seven thousand three hundred and fourscore Weight of Salt CANTON On the Water side the City is defended with two rows of high and thick Walls which are strengthned with Bulwarks Watch-Towers and other Forts and beside these Works there are two other strong Water-Castles which being built in the middle of the River render this City invincible One of these two Castles which I saw my self and which doth not much differ in any thing from the other I took an exact Draught of which you have here presented shewing the Strength of the Place and in what manner built The City is likewise defended and surrounded on the Land side with a strong Wall and five strong Castles whereof some are within the Walls and others without upon the tops of steep Hills so that this City is sufficiently both by Sea and Land defended against all the Invasions of any Enemy whatsoever and in the opinion of some seems invincible What concerns the Idol-Temples Courts and Palaces of Great Lords and other rare Edifices which are to be seen here there is no City in all Asia that shews the like Here also are several Triumphal Arches which have been erected to the Honor of such as have done their Country Service They are no small
lives in Princely State being serv'd and waited on with extraordinary Pomp and Splendor but has no Command in the least over any of the Inhabitants neither may they depart from that City without the King 's special Licence In this Government are found no old Laws as among those of Europe no Imperial Edicts which had their original from the ancient Romans but those that are the first Founders of their own House and have by Conquest or otherwise resum'd the Government make new Statutes according to their pleasure This is the reason why the Laws which were in use before this last Invasion of the Tartars and are in part observ'd to this day by the People are of no longer standing then the Emperor Humvuo whose Race for his most heroick Actions in the Expulsion of the Tartars was call'd Tamin which signifies Great Courage This Emperor made several Laws and confirm'd others made by his Predecessors Their Emperor is commonly call'd Thiensu which signifies The Son of Heaven and this Name is given him not that they believe he had his Original from thence but because they believe he is better belov'd by being preferr'd to so great a Dignity above all other Mortals for his eminent and natural Vertues and because they adore and worship Heaven for the highest Deity so that when they name The Son of Heaven 't is as much as if they said The Son of God However the Commonalty call not the Emperor Thiensu but Hoangti The Yellow Emperor or The Emperor of the Earth whom they name Yellow of colour to distinguish him from Xangti which signifies The highest Emperor Two thousand six hundred ninety seven years before Christ's Birth their first Prince Reign'd who bore the Name of Hoangti and because of his extraordinary Vertues and valiant Deeds the Chineses have ever since call'd their Emperors Hoangti None are chosen or employ'd in the Government and Management of Publick Affairs but such as are held capable and have the Title of Doctors of the Law Men of great Learning and eminent Parts for whosoever is preferr'd in China to Places and Offices of Trust has given a clear testimony of his Knowledge Prudence Vertue and Valour neither the Favor of the Prince or Grandeur of his Friends standing him in any stead if he be not so extraordinarily qualifi'd All Magistrates both Civil and Military are call'd in the Country Idiome Quonfu which signifies Men fit for Council They are also call'd sometimes by the Name of Lavie which signifies Lord or Master The Portuguese call these Magistrates in China Mandorins it may be from the Latin word Mandando by which Name the Officers of that State in that Country are also receiv'd and understood by us of Europe And although I said at the beginning that the Government of this Kingdom or Empire consisted of one single Person yet it will appear by what has been said and what shall follow that the Government has also some Commixture with that of Aristocracy for although that which the Magistrate concludes and fully determines must afterwards be ratifi'd by the King upon Request made to him yet he also finisheth nothing himself in any Business before he is thereunto first desir'd by his Council It is also very certain That it is no way lawful for the King to confer any Office Dignity or Place in the Magistracy upon any unless he be first requested by one in special Authority But yet he hath Power to present his Courtiers with some special Gifts and this he often does according to an old Custom whereby it is free for any one to raise his Friends at his own Charge The Publick Taxes Assessments Impositions and Revenues are not brought into the King's Treasury neither may he dispose thereof at his Pleasure but they are deliver'd either in Money or Goods into the Treasury and Granary of the Empire which Income dischargeth the Expence of the King's Family consisting of Wives Concubines Sons Favorites and the like There are two distinct Councils in China one whereof not only officiates in Affairs of State at Court but has likewise the Care of the Kingdom The other is made up of Provincial Governors who Rule particular Provinces and Cities A Catalogue of which Officers fills up five or six large Volumes Printed every Month and to be sold at Peking where the Court resides In these Books are mention'd only the Names of Provinces and Cities and the Qualities of those who for that end are employ'd in the Magistracy through the whole Empire These Books are always re-printing in regard so vast a number of Alterations happen daily for some die others are laid aside and new ones chosen in their Places or else preferr'd to higher Offices so that there is hardly an hour but some Change happens amongst them The Grand Council divides it self into six other great ones The first is call'd Pu or The Council of State for they nominate and chuse all the Magistrates of the whole Nation these as they are most powerful have also the greatest Parts Persons able to judge of whom they confer such Dignities for they must be all qualifi'd with Philosophical and other Learning that come to any Place in the Magistracy the general Maxim there being To prefer none but meerly upon Merit and whosoever happens to be degraded for any Misdemeanor they never admit him to his Place again The second call'd Hopu hath the Management and Inspection over the King's Exchequer pays the Armies and other Charges of the Kingdom The third they name Limpu this takes care of the common Offerings Temples Priests the King's Women Schools and publick Places of Learning to see that all things be done in order likewise orders their Holy-days and the Obediences which are to be perform'd to the Emperor upon certain Times and Occasions also disposes and confers Titles of Honor upon such as deserve them takes care for the encouragement of Arts and Sciences sending and receiving of Ambassadors and the writing of Letters into all Parts The fourth Council is call'd Pimpu or The Council of War to whom is left the management of Peace and Military Affairs wherein however they are not to conclude any thing without the consent of the Emperor They dispose of all Places and Offices in the Army and confer Titles of Honor and Dignities accordingly upon such as behave themselves bravely in Conduct and valiantly in Battel The fifth Council call'd Cumym has the care about Buildings committed to it and also appoints Surveyors to look to the Repairs of the Edifices and Palaces belonging to the Emperor his Favorites and Magistrates they also look after the building of Vessels and the equipping of Fleets The sixth Council call'd Humpu Examines and Iudges all criminal Causes and appoints their Punishments All Affairs of the whole Kingdom are dispatch'd by these six Councils wherefore they have in each Province and City Officers and Notaries by whom they are inform'd of all Transactions which happen in each
being Images cut out of one hard Stone and made by the Command of a King who liv'd all his Life here in solitariness Near to Vucheu upon the Hill Vangkiu stands a strange Image in shape and proportion resembling a Man but attended with this peculiarity that according to the several tempers of the Air it receives several colours by the change whereof the Inhabitants know whether they shall have fair or foul Weather The Emperor Xius employ'd five thousand Men to dig a Passage quite through the Mountain Fang for he had heard of the before-mention'd deceitful Mountain-gazers who promise to foretel every Persons Destiny by the shape of the Hills some of whom had given out That they foresaw by this Hills shape that another Emperor should reign wherefore Xius to frustrate his approaching Fate caus'd this Hill to be cut through to alter its shape Near to the City Cing upon the Mountain Loyo stands the Statue of a great Lion out of whose Mouth gushes Water continually Near to the City Xeu in the Province of Nanking upon the Hill Cuking was found a great lump of Gold which they say had the Vertue of curing several Diseases The Hill Kieuquan is call'd The Hill of seven Palaces because the Sons of King Cyugan caus'd seven Palaces to be built upon it in which they resided and studied several Sciences The Hill Lin near to the City Tauleu is very famous for the expert Archery of one Hevyus who in this place shot seven Birds flying one after another Near to the City Ceu is the Mountain Changping very much noted for the Birth of the great and admir'd Philosopher Confutius Here also may be seen the Ruins of some City or Town that formerly stood upon it Near to the City Kioheu lies the Hill Fang not a little frequented by reason of the Tomb of the Ancestors of Confutius The Hill Kieuchin near to Hanyang has its Name from nine Virgins that were Sisters and liv'd thereon studying Chymistry Near to the City Cu lies the Mountain Cu where Report says King Ci buried much Gold and afterwards because he would not have it discover'd put to death all those that were employ'd in hiding it but by chance a young Son of one of the Workmen taking notice of what his Father was doing and bearing the same in mind when he came to years of discretion went and took it away with the cause of his Father's Death felicitating his own Life Upon certain high Hills of the Province of Suchue where it borders upon the Province Honan lies a Kingdom call'd Kiug absolute of it self and no ways subject to the Emperor 's of China only upon the account of Honor and the maintaining of a good Correspondence the King thereof receives from the Chinese Monarch his Crown and Scepter These High-land People will in no wise suffer the Chineses to come amongst them and very hardly to speak to them The People of this Kingdom are the Issue of them who fled out of the Province of Huquang to avoid the Outrages of the Enemy of the Race of Cheva and betook themselves to these high Mountains for safety where ever since their Posterity hath continu'd possessing innumerable brave Vales and incomparable good Lands which are secur'd against the Invasion or Inroads of any Enemy Upon some of the Mountains in China are great store of wild People who by reason of the narrow and difficult Passages to them are not to be brought under Subjection to the Emperor notwithstanding great Endeavors have been us'd to effect the same CHAP. XIV Of Mines of all sorts as Metals Stones c. VVIthin the spacious Continent of this Empire and chiefly upon the Mountains are found many rich Mines as well of Silver and Gold as other Metals in great abundance yet to dig for Gold or Silver out of any of them is forbid although it remains free for any Person to seek for Gold upon the sides and Banks of Rivers where the same is also found in great quantities with which all the Country drive their Trade by Bartering and Exchanging it away for other Commodities Upon the Mountain Yocheu is digg'd up a green Stone which being beaten to Powder affords the Painter a most delicate Vert. There are also several excellent Stone Quarries among which some of Marble whereof they make Tables and other curious Ornaments for their Houses it having such strange yet natural Veins that by their concentring the shapes of Hills Waters Trees Flowers are so admirably figur'd upon the same as if the most exquisite Artist of the World had depicted them with his Pencil In the Province of Peking is found very clear white and red Marble as also Touchstones and several other sorts of Stones which for colour and hardness are much valued And upon the Mountain Xaitung in the Province of Xansi the Iasper of several colours is found as also in Xensi upon the Hill Io are very clear Stones which for their lustre and sparkling resemble Diamonds Out of Mount Kiun is digg'd red Marble In Suchue on Mount Tiexe grows a Stone which being burnt in the Fire yields Iron very fit to make Swords The Hill Cucay near Chingtien brings forth Trees and Stones red of colour and in the Province of Huquang all the Products of the Hill Hoan which signifies The Yellow Hill even to the Earth and Stones are of a Gold colour There are several other Hills which produce strange and Precious Stones as the Hill Xeyen so nam'd because after Rain there are found Stones upon the same resembling Swallows Many other produce variety of Stones held in great Esteem by reason of Experiments which have been made of them in the cure of several Diseases as all sorts of Agues Fevers Calentures c. And as in some places are such variety of rare and Physical Stones so in others are Earth and Medicinal Drugs namely In the Province of Quangsi near to the City Cincheu is digg'd up a certain yellow Earth which is a powerful Antidote against all manner of Poison In the Iurisdiction of Huquang there are several Places where they gather great store of Manna which the Natives take for frozen Dew In the Province of Xansi upon the Mountain Tape they dig up a certain Earth so red that they use it for Vermilion to Print their red Seals whereas upon the Mountain Nieuxu the Earth is so white that it is us'd by the Women in stead of Paint for being dissolv'd in Water it strangely embellisheth the Face which is wash'd therewith Here also they have Mines of Coals which are like those in Europe There is also in divers Places throughout the whole Empire a certain sort of Lime which they press from the Bark of a Tree being tough and sticking like Pitch of this which I suppose I may call a Gum they make a certain sort of Paint wherewith they colour all their Ships Houses and Houshold-stuff which makes them to shine like Glass and
suffer to pass by them unregarded In the Day this Creature lives upon the Land and in the Night in the Water When it is gorg'd with eating and is fall'n asleep with his Mouth full of Meat a small Bird call'd Trochicus and in Italian The King of Birds comes to him as he lies with his Mouth open and cleanses his Teeth with picking and scraping wherewith the Crocodile is so highly pleas'd that he opens his Throat as wide as is possible that so the Bird may scoure the same for which kindness it bears it much friendship The Chineses eat the Flesh thereof with great delight It is reported that Termus King of Egypt swam amongst them stark naked having his Body only anointed with the Grease of them In the River Chaoking is a Fish call'd The Swimming Cow which comes often out of the Water and fights at Land with the tame Cows to their great hazard till its Horns grow weak by staying out of the Water which may be discerned by their turning yellow then with all speed it returns into the Water where the Horns grow hard again Near to Caocheu there is to be seen a strange kind of Creature in the Sea having a Head like a Bird and a Tail like a Fish In its Belly are found some Precious Stones Between this City and the Island Hainan are taken a sort of Crabs which as soon as they are out of the Water become petrifi'd and immediately turn into Stones The Portuguese and Chineses make great use of them for the Cure of Agues In the Province of Suchue near the City of Chunking are great store of Land-Tortoises of several sizes some very large and others very small which the Inhabitants keep in their Houses for their Pleasure But in Quantung near to Hoeicheu there are caught in the Sea such very large Tortoises that they look like little Rocks at a distance The Land as well as the Sea-Tortoises engender after the manner of the Adder-Snake the Male getting upon the Female They lay Eggs like Hens Eggs but lesser and more oval It is said of them that they live under Ground in the Winter without eating They are afraid of the Eagle which makes a prey of them taking them up and letting them fall till they break They make but little noise yet louder than the Snake Whether they are to be reckon'd amongst Flesh or Fish is still to be determin'd Some account them amongst Fish and eat them in Lent others think the contrary because they have Feet and draw Breath The Land-Tortoise Shells are very hard and like Ebony nor will they bend like those of the Sea but they are full of Knobs upon the top and most of them of fine Colours yellow and brown as if they were Painted with Crosses Stars and other Figures They thrust out their Heads and Feet which when they draw in as they can at pleasure they seem to be immovable They differ very much in bigness some being no bigger than a Man's Fist. In Virginia are Tortoises of three and four Foot long with two Heads which are very malicious and given to biting In the Island Mauritius are some Tortoises so large that they will carry four or five Men standing upon them Their Shells are of so capacious an extent that ten Persons may sit in one of them But the Sea-Tortoises are much larger than those of the Land Iohn de Lery writes That there was one taken by their Fleet which gave eighty Persons their Bellies full Their Shells are much smoother and flatter than the other and very curiously wrinkled In hot Water they will bend into any shape which the other cannot do by reason of its hardness so that Artificers make Combs and Boxes of them In stead of Feet they have Fins wherewith they swim as other Fish but they lie much upon their Backs and swim sleeping upon the Water The Flesh of this Creature is luscious and tastes like Veal being interlarded with yellowish Fat The Female lays her Eggs by Night and buries them in the Sand which are hatch'd in six Weeks by the heat of the Sun CHAP. XVII Of some things more than Natural and strange Pools IN the last seven Chapters I spoke of great and admirable things yet such as are not beyond the ordinary Course of Nature but in this I shall treat of some more wonderful which are hard to be credited though the Chineses do firmly believe the same In the Province of Xensi near the City Vucung is a Hill call'd Taipe whereupon if a Drum be beaten presently followeth Thunder Lightning and stormy Weather insomuch that the Magistrates have forbidden all Persons upon pain of Death to beat any Drum there The River Tan has red Fish with whose Blood as the Chineses write and fancy whosoever anoint their Feet they may wade over this River without sinking adding further That if the Water of this River be but stirr'd all the Fish presently rise and swim upon the top of the Water and make it look as red as Fire from whence in probability it had its Name for Tan signifies Red. In the Province of Xantung near the City Niuyang is a Spring in high esteem amongst the Inhabitants for they verily believe that whosoever drinks of 〈◊〉 it makes them long-liv'd In Suchue near the City Chingtu is the most large and extensive Mountain Chingching upon which according to the vain belief of the Chineses the immortal Men meet to Converse In the Province of Huquang upon Mountains of an incredible heighth and bigness inhabit none but wild and unciviliz'd People Near to Liencheng a City of Quantung lies a great Hill call'd Uhoang where grows a sort of Fruit whose like is not to be found any where else for you may eat as much as you please but you must carry none away and while you endeavor so to do you can never find the way down In the Province of Iunnan near the City Chinkiang is to this day a great Stone to be seen where Simulo who possess'd the Kingdom of Mung gave Audience to the Ambassadors of another King who upon the delivery of their Message not satisfying him he arising in anger and taking his Sword naked into his Hand struck with it so violently upon the Stone that the Blow pierc'd above three Foot into it and with threatning words said to the Ambassadors Go and acquaint your King what Swords I have This hapned in the Reign of Iliaouvus the Founder of the Race of Hana which incorporated the powerful Kingdom of Mung to the Kingdom of China Near the City Munghoa in the Province of Honan lies the Mountain Funghoang which tooks its Name from the Phenix because it died upon the same after it had sung there a while most deliciously The Chineses relate That there is a general Assembly of Birds once every year upon this Mountain to lament the Death of the said Phenix of which time the Inhabitants taking notice climb up by
so extraordinarily dexterous that no People in the World are to be compar'd with them The Tartar Women are generally Cloth'd in black Garments which hang loose about them but Persons of Quality wear generally Silk whereas the ordinary sort are content with Cotton Their Hair is neatly plaited and turn'd up only a few Locks hang down And those of the better sort wear upon their Heads Hats curiously wrought These Tartars eat whatsoever they can get but chiefly Flesh and that half roasted or boil'd being not curious of what sort it is whether of Camels Horses or other Creatures They take great delight in Hunting and have very swift Hounds for the Game But when all is said that almost can be we must add That they are in effect a Nation of Plunderers and Robbers being naturally inclin'd to those Vices And no wonder for they live generally without the Profession of any Religion But especially they have a great abhorrency to the Religion of Mahomet and possibly therefore hate the Turks as the Factors of that Religion but a more probable reason may be because the said Hunguvus Founder of the Race of Taicinga expell'd the Tartars out of China by the assistance of the Turks They burn the dead Bodies after the manner of the Indians upon very high Heaps of Wood on which Funeral Pile are also laid the Women Servants Horses and Arms of the Deceased Notwithstanding all which Heathenish blindness they are however very careful and sollicitous about the state of their Souls as whether they are to expect after this Life another or whether they do not presently die with the Body by reason of which many of them are very ready to embrace Christianity and divers of them after the Conquest of China were converted to the Catholick Religion As to their Language which they speak in the Kingdom of Ninche it is not so difficult to learn as that of China but more resembles the Persian Tongue Some of their Letters both for fashion and pronunciation are like the Arabick which in all are above sixty in number and do not much differ in the pronunciation and spelling from those in Europe but very much in the form and make In Reading and Writing they proceed from the top to the bottom after the manner of the Chineses and not from the left to the right side as we do in Europe nor from the right to the left as do the Arabians and Hebrews In this Kingdom of Ninche are found excellent Rubies and costly Pearls besides other Precious Stones Also very large Cattel especially Cows which exceed those in Europe for bigness but have no Horns The Western part of this Country is very full of Rocks and Hills between which lies most fertile and pleasant Valleys and fruitful Fields The biggest Mountain of all is call'd Kin which signifies Gold There is also the Mountain Changpe which reaches a thousand Miles and in the middle of which is a Sea-like Mere at least eighty Miles long from whence two Rivers take their rise the one call'd Yalo running to the South and the other Guenthung taking its course to the North. And thus much shall suffice for the Description of East-Tartary or the Kingdom of Ninche whose Inhabitants in manner afore-mention'd the Chinese Emperor kept in awe But on the contrary to the West-Tartars which possess the Kingdom of Tanyn the same Emperors sent Presents and Tribute yearly that they should not make War upon them for they hold it no Scandal to prevent a War by that means nay they hold it altogether unlawful to enter into a War so long as the Country can be kept from Invasions by any other means But yet although the Chineses on the one Hand kept under their Enemies by force of Arms and on the other bought a Peace with Presents and Tribute yet they liv'd in continual Fears and Mistrust insomuch that they always kept the Great Wall which divides China and Tartary strongly guarded with at least a Million of Men. But to return from whence we have digressed The Throne of China being setled in the Race of Taiminga was by the same enjoy'd in peace and quietness two hundred and fifty years when Vanticus the thirteenth Emperor a just prudent and upright Prince came to Reign which was in the Year 1573 after Christ's Birth But herein he was unfortunate that he as most Princes secur'd by long Peace trusted too much to his Governors and Mandorins and suffer'd the whole weight of his Affairs to lie upon their Shoulders During this time the Tartars of Ninche as is before-mention'd being form'd from a Popular Government into a Monarchy in the Year 1600. their first King was a Man of so great Courage and Magnanimity that all their Neighbors and especially the Chineses began to be afraid of him for he manag'd the Affairs of his State after such a politick and prudent manner that in a short time his Subjects became not only very numerous but formidable for Strength to all their Borderers and being sensible of their own Greatness and that their Fame began to grow terrible they began to call to mind the ancient Glory of their Conquests and to consider how shamefully they had been heretofore driven out of the possession of the honorable Acquisitions of their Ancestors and observing likewise the great Miscarriages and Neglects of the Chineses in the management of the Government they resolv'd upon some sudden and great Undertaking against them therefore weighing with themselves the Yoke of Servitude they lay under as a fit occasion of Quarrel they began first of all to shake off the same and to refuse to pay Tribute and shortly after to appear in their true Colours by publickly opposing the Authority that was over them The Chinese Governors whereof the most in Leaotung the Province bordering nearest to the Kingdom of Ninche are Military Commanders hearing of this concluded very unadvisedly to misuse the Tartars in the most cruel manner thereby the more to incite them to War so hazarding their Countries Weal for their private hoped for Lucre for by the War they thought to have a fairer opportunity to enrich themselves as well upon the Tartars as Chineses These indeed might be and questionless were great Motives to the War But the chiefest Reason of all was the base Murder committed by them upon the King of Ninche for they looking upon him with an envious Eye seeing him increase his Kingdom so very much in Power and Strength which they fancied would be at one time or other employ'd against them consulted and conspir'd to make him away which they contriv'd and in a most barbarous manner they thus effected They came one day upon pretence of a Visit to the King with a feigned Affection who not having the least suspicion of their wicked Design they easily surpris'd him took him Prisoner and put him to death but the better to gloze over the Villany gave out that he died suddenly of an Apoplexy This
whatsoever they found upon the North side of the River Kiang no Place being able to withstand them only the rich and famous City of Iangcheu made some considerable Resistance and kill'd many of the Tartars in their Sallies amongst whom was a Son of one of their Petty Kings This City was Commanded by one Zuus Colaus plac'd there by the new Emperor to whom he prov'd very faithful for he defended the Place wherein was a strong Garrison to the very last yet having endur'd a long and cruel Siege and seeing no likelihood of Relief the Provisions also being all spent he was forc'd to deliver it up to the Tartars who put all as well the Soldiers as Inhabitants to the Sword plunder'd the City and afterwards set it on fire The Tartars hereupon increas'd very much in Power and Authority so that many of the Chinese Commanders went over to them and were either continu'd in their present Employment or else preferr'd to better Which friendly and favorable treating such Officers and Cities as came voluntarily and without force over to them and on the other hand inflicting such great severity and cruelty on such as made opposition was the cause that most of the Places situate on the North side of the River Kiang submitted themselves to avoid the punishment and misusage which they should otherwise undergo by making opposition Having subdu'd these Places the next thing they undertook was against the City of Nanking formerly the Court of the ancient Emperors a stately City lying upon the South side of the River Kiang which separates the whole Empire of China into the Southern and Northern Divisions and runs quite through the middle of this Province And the better to accomplish their Design and to get the new Emperor into their Hands whom they knew was in this Place the Tartars provided beforehand great numbers of Boats to transport them over the River But the Chinese having likewise a considerable Fleet under the Command of the valiant Prince Hoangchoang endeavor'd to hinder their Passage The Tartars in their Boats fell upon the Chinese Fleet with great fury which was as manfully receiv'd and maintain'd the Fight so that both sides fought valiantly but at last the Tartars were vanquish'd and totally routed with a very great slaughter of their Men. But Fortune never constant but in her inconstancy did not long favor this brave General for a while after he was most treacherously kill'd by one of his Commanders a Traytor who had long before been hir'd by the Enemy to perpetrate this Villany one Thienus a Native of the Province of Leaotung who from his very Childhood had serv'd amongst the Chineses And as this Act in it self was direful so the Events that follow'd had a like miserable issue for through the unfortunate Death of this excellent Commander the Chinese Affairs began infinitely to decline and the whole Empire became a Prey to the Tartars in a short time after The Traytor Thienus not satisfi'd in having committed this foul Action but resolving to add Villany to Villany flies with his Men into Nanking under colour of performing his Duty as a faithful Officer but in truth with hopes to effect some other Treason as he afterwards did for the Emperor hearing of the Death of the late General was perswaded by this Thienus to leave the City As soon as the Tartars who were got over the River with their Army understood that the Emperor was fled they sent great Parties in pursuit of him whom the Traytor being present seeing approach commanded his Men to seize him and then deliver'd him up to the Tartars in Iuly 1645. who now having obtain'd what they aim'd at did not presently put him to death but carried him about in Triumph and at length brought him under the Walls of the Chief City of Peking there Strangled him with a Bow-string which manner of Death is held in great esteem amongst the Tartars And thus the Emperor Hungquang came to his End before he had Reigned a compleat Year Then they caus'd the Youth who pretended himself to be the Son of Zungchinius and whom they found in Prison to be also Strangled and not only these but all others they could meet with of the Royal Race for it is a Custom through all Asia that when a Kingdom is taken from another all the Kindred of that King are put to death by the Conqueror These things thus brought to pass the Tartar Army fell upon the Chief City of Nanking and took the same without any resistance or so much as â— Blow given and out of an innate hatred turn'd the Imperial Palace the ancient Seat of the Emperor's Courts and also their Tombs and Sepulchres into a heap of Stones yet never offer'd any hurt to the Inhabitants Houses Marching thence they reduc'd all the other Cities of this Province without any opposition they freely submitting to avoid their Cruelty This Province thus setled part of their Army was sent for Hangcheu the first Chief City of the Dominion of Chekiang and the other part march'd over the River Kiang to subdue the Southern Countries as Kiangsi Huquang and Quantung About this City was got together the remainder of the Chinese Army that had sav'd themselves by flight where they were about to chuse a new Emperor call'd Louangus of the Race of Taiminga But he earnestly refus'd to take upon him that Dignity being contented with the Kingly Title saying That when the Tartars were beaten and driven out of China then he would accept of it His Reign had not continu'd three days but he saw the Tartars coming to Fight with him and to drive him out of the Kingdom but he not frighted therewith being a valiant Prince encourag'd his Men to make a manly Resistance which they not only promis'd but faithfully perform'd behaving themselves with great Valour and Fidelity till they were not able to hold out any longer being overpower'd by Hunger Whereupon Louangus who had not his Fellow amongst the Chineses for Civility and a passionate Affection to his Subjects went to the Walls and entreated the Tartar General upon his Knees that if he would forgive the City and Inhabitants he should do with him what he would for he would willingly offer up himself a Sacrifice for his Subjects safety Which said he forthwith deliver'd himself freely over to the Tartars who by that means became Masters of the City yet being inrag'd by their resistance they neither had compassion on the Soldiers nor Inhabitants but put all to the Sword who could not save themselves by flight After this the Enemy took the City of Hangcheu without doing any prejudice to the Inhabitants thereof And from thence by the help of Boats passing the River Cienthang they came before Xaoking the most compleat and uniform City of all China which presently submitted to their Arms without making the least resistance And without doubt they had taken all the other Southern Cities without any opposition had they
the City of Cancheu but he had â—ot continu'd the Siege many days before there was advice brought him of a new Army of Tartars sent from Peking to reduce the Province of Kiangsi insomuch that Kinus fearing to fall into a Noose broke up his Siege and march'd toward the Northern parts of Kiangsi to defend and preserve the same from being overcome by the Tartars At first indeed he fought with good success but at last finding himself over-power'd he retreated for safety to the Chief City of Nanchang which having suffer'd all the miseries of a tedious Siege was at last taken but Kinus escap'd alive out of it and got to the Mountains as has been already related at large This City thus subdu'd they were Masters of the whole Province and put new Garrisons into most of the Cities and Places of Concern and so march'd back with their Army in triumph to Peking While these Transactions were on foot very great Preparations for War had been making in Peking so that three new Armies were rais'd to reduce the Province of Quantung and others which still held forth and took part with Iunglieus Whereupon the Guardian and Uncle of the Grand Tartar Cham call'd Xunchi who now Reigns in China the better to reduce the Southern Provinces into Subjection and rectifie their Disorder resolv'd to appoint some Vice-Roys over those Provinces who being Tartars by Nation should have absolute Power only with Obligation to pay Tribute yearly to the Emperor This Counsel was immediately put in Execution and in the Year 1649. when the Province of Kiangsi was full of uprore three Vice-Roys were sent with three Armies which consisted for the most part of Tartars from Peking the one was made Vice-Roy of Fokien the other of Quantung and the third of Quangsi with express Order to endeavor jointly the subduing reducing and total conquering of Quantung and to drive the Emperor Iunglieus out of the whole Empire Hitherto we have only spoken of what hapned in the Southern Provinces concerning the Chineses Revolts we shall now proceed to give an Account how Affairs went in the Northern Provinces by which it will appear with how much Zeal the Chineses were concern'd for their Liberties and the Welfare of their Country for the Commanders in Chief over the Northern Provinces as well those that had the Power over the Civil as Military Affairs plotted together which way they should drive out the Tartars Whereupon they raised as many Forces as they could privately and chose one Hous to be their General who coming to the Army which he found to consist of about twenty five thousand Men march'd therewith from among the Mountains into the Plain Country whereupon many of the Natives perceiving his Strength came in to him and several Cities set open their Gates and receiv'd him and his Army only Xigan the first Chief City of Xensi withstood him being in truth compell'd thereto having a strong Garrison of Tartars in it besides the Governor thereof having observ'd that the Chineses made no resistance but rather freely submitted to him and fearing lest the Citizens might carry on some private Design against him resolv'd to put to Death all the Chineses within the City which he had undoubtedly put in execution had he not been dissuaded from it by one of the Vice-Roys yet still jealous of them and willing to prevent any Conspiracy by them he forbad upon pain of Death that any more than two Chineses should converse together at a time and that none should walk the Streets in the Night nor keep any Arms in their Houses Not yet satisfi'd with all this Care but to be throughly inform'd of the Forces of Hous he sends out Spies to bring him intelligence of the Strength and Posture of the Enemies at last Hous comes with his Army which now increas'd with the conflux of Country People that shelter'd themselves there amounted at least to the number of three hundred thousand and Besieg'd Xigan which is at least three Miles in compass When the Tartar Governor saw from the Walls such a vast number of Men he stood amaz'd as supposing they had been all Soldiers which caus'd him again to pass a second cruel Resolution to make away all the Chinese Inhabitants within the City to prevent any Correspondence between them and Hous but finding that those that serv'd him and were sent out to fight behav'd themselves valiantly he forbore to execute such a barbarous Resolve In the mean time Hous perceiving that no Attempt he could make would prevail against the City broke up the Siege which he was the rather induc'd to do because he had receiv'd intelligence that a strong Army was upon their March for relief of the same Hous endeavor'd to save himself by a timely flight but the Tartar Horse overtook the Rere of his Army and kill'd a great number of them but what became of him was never known in regard he never after appear'd publickly and indeed it is more than probable that he was either kill'd in the Fight or ended his days in the Mountains And thus the Chineses effected as little by their Insurrections and Plottings against the Tartar in the Northern Provinces as they had done in the Southern for there follow'd nothing upon it but a total destruction of their Cities and the ruine both of the People and Country drawn upon themselves and with the greatest severity executed in revenge of their Revolt The Tartars having thus successfully pacifi'd all these Troubles and Commotions could not yet be at Peace but fell again into other as great Dangers and Difficulties as the former which they brought upon themselves by their own Pride and Wantonness for in the Year 1649. the young Imperial Cham Xunchius having attain'd the Age of twelve years was desir'd by his Uncle to take to Wife the Daughter of the King of West-Tartary otherwise call'd The Kingdom of Taniju which Alliance would not only strengthen him but also would be a means to establish him in his Throne To that end one of his Uncles was sent in Embassy to the same King in which Iourney he hapned to pass through Taitung the third Chief City and call'd The Key of the Province of Xansi for it is a very strong Place and serves as a Bulwark and Defence against the Invasions of those Western Tartars into China moreover it is reported the most famous of all others for the beautiful Women which live there The Tartars who attended on this Ambassador in their Passage through this Place ravish'd and took away some of these Women and amongst the rest a Bride of great Quality as she was carried by chance through the Street to the House of her Bridegroom a thing that is held very abominable among the Inhabitants of Taitung At this time was one Kiangus a Commander in the Army Governor of that Province for the Tartars to whom the Friends and Relations of the Virgin that was carried away by force came
Law which Governs the Kingdom of China Hereupon the Law of God was promulgated through all the ten Provinces of China the Kingdom enjoy'd a flourishing Peace all the Cities were fill'd with Churches and the People prosper'd under the Evangelical Felicity 8. In this Year call'd Ximlie which is all one with The Year of our Lord 699. the Bonzii Followers of the Pagods making use of their Strength with a huge clamour aloud blasphem'd our holy Law in the Place which is call'd Tum Cieu in the Province of Honan and in the end of another Year call'd Sien tien which answers to the Year of our Lord 713. certain private Men in Sieno the ancient Place of Venvam the Commentator will have it to be Siganfu in the Province of Xensi were so audacious as to rail against our holy Law with Mocks Flouts and opprobrious Language 9. At this time there was one of the Chief Priests a Bishop as it should seem by Name Iohn and another Man of great Virtue and Eminency by Name Kie Lie with other Nobles and Persons belonging to them no less honor'd for their Fame than respected for their contempt of worldly Affairs who began again to revive and Preach their most excellent Gospel and to tie together those Threds which by the malice of the Devil had been broken And the King Hiuen cum chi tao who began his Reign in the Year 719. commanded five of his Principal Officers that they should go in Person into that Happy House meaning the Church and erect Altars Then the Pillar of the Law which for a short time had been laid groveling began anew to rise and flourish In the beginning of the Year Tien pao being the Year of our Lord 743. King Ota Ciam Kuen gave strict Command to Cuolie fie an Eunuch in extraordinary Favor and Power with him that he should carry the true Effigies of the five Kings his Predecessors and Grandfathers and place them in the Church whither also he should send an hundred Measures of Precious things for celebrating the Solemnity the Author Kim Lim saith in honor of the said Kings 10. In the third Year Tien pao being the Year of our Lord 745. there was in Iudea others say India one Kieho a Priest who was conducted into China by the help of the Stars and looking upon the Sun this was a Ceremony of those who are admitted to speak with our Emperor he was forthwith brought into his Presence But the Emperor Commanded that the Priests Iohn and Paul with others of that Profession and the so eminently virtuous Person Kieho should betake themselves to the Palace Him Kim to worship and perform other holy Acts of Devotion At this time his Royal Grants were kept in Tables in the Church according to order richly adorn'd and glittering with red and blue and the empty space was fill'd with the Royal Plume ascending and reaching even to the Sun His Favors and Donations are compar'd to the heighth of the Mountains of the South and the abundance of his Benefits equal to the depth of the East Sea Reason cannot but well like a thing so approv'd and worthy to be remembred Therefore the King Sa Cum nen men or Ven min who began to Reign in the Year 757. commanded Churches to be built in Lim suu seu and five other Cities by a new Proclamation This King was of a most acute Ingenuity under whom a Gate of Happiness was open'd to the whole Kingdom and hereby all the Royal Affairs of State were Administred and prosper'd with applause rejoycing and felicity 11. The King Tai cum nen vu coming to the Throne in 764. and enjoying the benefit of good Times manag'd all the Affairs of the Kingdom without any difficulty At the Feast of Christ's Birth every Year he sent certain excel-cellent Perfumes in a thankful remembrance and assign'd Princely Provision of all kinds in honor of the Ministers of that holy Law Surely the Heaven gives beauty and perfection to the World which therefore produceth all things with so liberal a Hand This King imitated Heaven and therefore knew it was fit to nourish and preserve his own 12. The King Kien cium xim ven vu in the Year 781. us'd eight ways of rewarding the Good and chastising the Bad. He set forth new Orders for restoring and promoting the Gospel His Government was full of Excellency We Pray to God for him not blushing thereat He was eminent for Virtue Peaceable and Learned He lov'd his Neighbor abounded with Charity to help all and was a great Benefactor to all then living This is the true Way and the Scale of our holy Law to cause that the Winds and the Rain return at their wonted Seasons that the World be quiet Men well Govern'd Affairs orderly dispos'd such as yet are on Earth live well and those that are deceased enjoy Rest and Peace To have these things in readiness and be able to give an Account thereof proceeds really from our holy Faith and are Effects of the Strength and Power of our most sacred Gospel 13. The King gave to the Priest call'd Usa and one of the Chief Preachers of the Law these Titles Kin ju quam lo tai fu being an Office in the Court and Sou fum cie tu fu lei being an Office without the Court and Xi tien thum Kien another Office also but the Explication thereof we have not found in the Exemplar He gave also to the said Priest and Preacher of the Great Law a Vestment of blue Colour which the Italians call di color pavonazo This Priest was inclin'd to Peace rejoyc'd to do good to others with all his Endeavors striving to do Acts of Charity He came into China from a remote Country and Place call'd Vam xi ciu chim being Heathenish which is the same as the far distant India He perfectly taught several Sciences and his Acts were famous through China for above three Generations At the beginning he waited upon the King in his Court and afterwards his Name was Entred in the King's Record or Chronicle 14. The Governor Fuen Yam call'd also Co cu y and enobled with the Title of Chum Xulim at first only minded his Military Affairs in the Parts of Sofam but the King So cum commanded Ay su or Y su that he should promote Co cuy with more favor than the rest it seems the King commanded Ay su to make him a Councellor for although his Captain lov'd him extraordinarily yet he did not like his ordinary method of proceeding for as the Chineses speak An Army is the Teeth and Nails the Eyes and Ears of the Commonwealth He knew how to distribute his Revenues and not hoard them up at home He offer'd to the Church a Precious thing call'd Poli made of Glass as it seems the People of this Place name it Cim reguen others Lintiguen Besides he bestow'd Tapestries of these Parts interwoven with Gold call'd Cie Ki repair'd the Churches in such manner
the Chinese Tongue and the Italian Translated from the Portuguese place the Year of the Erection of this Stone in the Year 782. after the Birth of Christ but the Syriack Inscription fixeth the time according to the Compute of the Grecians at the Year 1092. which how different it is from the other Accompt is easie to be discover'd by any one Now that all these Particulars may be the better reconcil'd and this Knot also unloos'd I thought it requisite first to set down word for word the Translations of the aforesaid Inscription Thus the Portuguese hath it No nosso Potentado do Grande Tam segundo Anno deste Kien Cium que eram do Senhor 782. no mes de Autuno no settimo dia dia de Domingo foy allevantada esta pedra sendo Bispo Nim Ciu que governa a Igreia China Thus the Italian Nel nostro Potentato del Gran Tam secondo Adno di questo Kien Cium che erano del Signore 782. nel mese di Autunno nel settimo giorno giorno di Dominica fu inalzata questa pietra essendo Vescouo Nim Ciu che governa la Chiesa della China The Italian Version is thus In our Dominion of the Grand Tam the second Year of this Kien Cium which was of our Lord 782. in the Month of Autumn on the seventh day upon the Sunday this Monument was erected Nim Ciu being Bishop who is over the Church of China The Interpretation of both of them is this In our Potency of the Great Tam viz. the King in the second Year of this Kien Cium which was the Year of our Lord 782. in the Month of Autumn on the seventh day being the Lord's Day this Stone was erected Nim Ciu the Bishop Governing the Church of China The Syriack Inscription BISNAT ALF VE TISSAIN VE TARTEN DIUNOIO That is In the Year 1092. according to the Grecian Accompt Now seeing the Eastern or the Greek Church doth agree for the most part with the Latin in the Compute of their Years it is demanded after what manner these Years may be reconcil'd I answer therefore That this Monument was Mark'd or Sculp'd with a two-fold kind of Computation of the Years us'd by the aforesaid Promulgers of the Christian Law viz. One being the Ecclesiastical Accompt of the Years of Christ which the faithful Christians 〈◊〉 where use in China the other was a Politick or Civil Year which was common to the Syrians Chaldeans Arabians Egyptians and almost to the whole East which that you may the better understand you must observe that the Years of the Grecians of which the Books of the Maccabees make mention are the same with those that are otherwise call'd by the Chaldeans The Years of the Seleâ—cians Syro-Grecians or Syro-Macedonians but by the Hebrews The Years of Contracts and by the Egytians The Alexandrian Years or The Accompt from the 〈◊〉 of Alexander by the Arabians they are term'd Dhul Karnain which is as much as to say Of Alexander holding of two Horns and they therefore call him so either as Christmannus will have it because that he subdu'd both the Oriental and Occidental Parts of the World or as I suppose more probably from Iupiter Ammon who was figur'd with the Head of a Ram whose Son Alexander would be esteem'd or in relation unto the he-Goat unto which Daniel compareth him or lastly they are call'd The Years of Philip which I have shew'd above to be call'd by Albategnius Tarich Alkupti and the Epocha of those Years beginneth 12 Years compleat after the Decease of Alexander the Great as St. Hierome observeth out of Eusebius on Daniel cap. 9. who is follow'd herein by Ribera Torniellus and others Now although before Iulius Caesar these Years seem to have had another form and another beginning of their Month yet notwithstanding by the common Supputation they take their Entrance from the Calends of October The Names of the Months are either Greek or Syro-Chaldean in other respects they agree with the quantity and form of the Iulian Year only that the Intercalary Day is added in this Epocha or Accompt unto the Month Sabâ—th which is answerable unto our Month of February These things being noted beforehand we place the beginning of the Grecian Empire by the consent of Eusebius Scaliger and others in the Year current before the Year of the Christian Epocha or Accompt 310. in the 117 th Olympiad according unto the Chronicle of Alexandria for it is agreed upon by all that Alexander the Great died in that very year in which the 114 th Olympiad began in the latter end of the Month Hecatombaeon as Plutarch writeth viz. before the Christian Accompt 322. for Christ was born in the third year of the 194 th Olympiad consider'd exclusively therefore the years of the Kingdoms of the Grecians beginning or taking place from the year of Christ 310. going on do differ so that the year 310 of the Kingdom of the Grecians beginneth from the first year of Christ whence it cometh to pass that if you add 310 unto the year of Christ propos'd the beginning year of Alexander will arise in the very year of Christ that is current or going on and if you substract 310 from the year of Alexander the year of Christ remaineth in which that year of Alexander is discover'd and finally if the year of Alexander be substracted from 310. the number remaining will shew the year before the Christian Epocha or Accompt in which the year of the Grecians began or in which the Aera or Compute of Alexander had its beginning which Compute the Arabians and Egyptians call Tarich Dhul Karnain This being thus demonstrated if you substract 310 which is the difference between the year of Christ and the year of Alexander from the Grecian or Alexandrian year 1092. that is Engraven in Syriack Characters on the Stone there will remain 782. which is the year of Christ Insculp'd on the Stone in Chinesian Characters exactly answering to the Syro-Grecian or Alexandrian year A Paradigma of the Compute or Accompt Alexander the Great died according to Plutarch Olymp. 114 A. After whose Death as St. Hierome witnesseth twelve years being compleated the Alexandrian Epocha began viz. Olymp. 117 B. Nâ—w Christ was born the third year exclusively viz. Olymp. 194 C. The Stone was erected in the Alexandrian year 1092 D. And in the year of Christ 782. E. This being thus laid down substract the number B. from the number C. and you have the difference of the aforesaid Olympiads viz. 77 Olympiads which being reduc'd into years each Olympiad consisting of four years the Product will be 308. and unto those add the two years compleated of the Olympiad in which Christ was born and they will make 310. which being substracted from 1092. there remaineth E. the number of the years of Christ in which the Stone was erected Wherefore with good advisement they Engrav'd this two-fold Computation of Time upon this Stone that so such
Church he is termed Iohn with the addition of the word Presbyter not because he was a Priest but by reason that after the Mode and Custom of a Chief Arch-bishop he had a Cross carried before him by which he declar'd himself a Defender of the Christian Religion Whence Scaliger supposeth him to be so call'd from the Persian word Prestegiani which signifieth Apostolical which the Western People misunderstanding for the word Prestegiani they write Presbyter Iohn I will add his words In truth saith he I have very often admir'd that a Nation altogether ignorant in Navigation should be so potent both at Land and Sea as to extend the Bounds of their Empire from Ethiopia even unto China for from those very Times we have had a knowledge of that Emperor but that under the Name of Prestegiani in the Persian Tongue which is almost common over all Asia as the Latin is with us in the West signifieth Apostolical by which Name it is manifest they understand a Prince that is Christian and Orthodox for in the Persian Prestegiani in the plural Number signifieth Apostles and Prestegini Apostolical as Padischa Prestegini an Apostolical King in the Arabick Melek Arresuli in the Ethiopick Negus Havarjavi That the Empire of the Ethiopians was extended far and wide in Asia is evident by the Ethiopian Crosses which are seen in Iapan China and other Places yea and the Temple of St. Thomas the Apostle situate in the Region of Malabar is wholly Ethiopick as the Crosses the Structure and many other things yea and what you will most wonder at the very Name Thus far Scaliger From which Discourse we may well collect That certain Colonies were sent out from Ethiopia into India China and other Parts of Asia which propagated the Christian Faith in those Parts which we now endeavor to shew but in that he saith Presbyter Iohn was originally an African or that being forc'd out of Asia he should set down in Ethiopia and there Rule and Govern is altogether improbable and without any foundation as we shall see anon Now that this African and Asiatick Emperor were diverse is consented unto by the greater part of the best Authors And the Empire of the Asiatick flourish'd for many Years until it fell unto one David who as Paulus Venetus relateth being overcome or vanquish'd by a certain Commander nam'd Cingis Cublai his Uncle in a great Battel who was elected Emperor by the Scythians and in stead of Presbyter began to be call'd Uncam or Naiam unto the great loss of Christianity put an end both to the Glory of the Empire and the Name of Presbyter Iohn as we have shew'd in the History of Marcus Paulus Venetus I shall now declare by what mistake the Name of Presbyter Iohn was given unto the Emperor of the Abyssines or Ethiopians At that time in which the Portuguese by a Maritime Voyage sought after new Quarters of the Earth the Name of Presbyter Iohn was very famous through Europe for he was reported to be a most potent Emperor Lord of many Kingdoms a Christian by Religion but in what Place he Rul'd was altogether unknown Therefore when Peter Couillan was sent by Iohn the Second King of Portugal first through the Mediterranean Sea and afterwards by a Land-Voyage to find out this Prince he heard in the Asiatick India unto which he had arriv'd that in that Ethiopia which is beneath Egypt there was a certain Prince very powerful who profess'd the Christian Religion he therefore betook himself to him and when he had found many things there with him which were conformable unto the constant Fame that was reported amongst the Europeans he believ'd that that was the Presbyter Iohn so call'd He therefore was the first Person who began to call the Emperor of the Abyssines by the Name of Preste Iean that is Presbyter Iohn Others also in succeeding times who travell'd into Ethiopia imitated him and easily introduc'd the same Error into Europe All which is Learnedly shew'd by Father Balthasar Tellez in his Ethiopian History which he hath compos'd in an elegant and polite Portuguese Style unto which also subscribeth Alphonsus Mendes the most wise Patriarch of Ethiopia and the great Light of our Society in an Epistle prefix'd unto the Work of Father Tellez concerning the Ethiopick Affairs Therefore when we speak of Presbyter Iohn we understand not the Emperor of the Abyssines for besides that his Empire is situate very far distant from that of the Presbyter Iohn of Asia it is evident from the Chronology of the Emperors of Ethiopia which is to be seen in the Vatican Library that there is no mention of transplanting out of Africa into Asia or out of Asia into Africa yea Damianus a Goes in his Book of the Manners and Customs of the Ethiopians doth expresly deny him to be call'd Presbyter Iohn or that he was ever so termed which is also asserted by the Ethiopian Priests above cited but we understand that Great Prince of Asia of whom we have spoken in the precedent Discourse And certainly at this very day there remaineth some Footsteps of this formerly Great Presbyter Iohn in the Kingdom of Tanchut which the Tartars call Barantola the Saracens Boratai and the Natives Lassa as the Fathers of our Society Albert Dorville and Iohn Gruberus who travell'd through it as they return'd from China into Europe Anno 1661. sufficiently testifie who relate incredible things concerning the superstitious Adoration of this Prince Now there are in this Region two Kings the first whereof hath a regard to the Administration of the Political Government and the other whom they term God or The Celestial Father or else The Great Lama or High Priest and Pope of the Priests remaineth in the innermost Recesses of his Palace and receiveth Adoration and Worship from all his People as a Deity and they have him in such high Veneration that they foolishly persuade themselves that the very Filth of his Body and his Excrements are extremely conducing to the curing of all Distempers whence they do not only compound and mix them with their Medicines but also blush not to carry them about in a Box fastned to or hung about their Necks And by reason that Mortality cannot evade or escape the Bonds of Death his Worshippers that he may not be said to perish as other Persons the Devil their Tutor suggesting it to them have found out the following Stratagem or Device They make Inquisition throughout all the Kingdom to find out a Lama as like as may be unto the former whom when they have gotten they advance him by a clandestine and secret Machination or Plot unto the Throne of the Eternal Father as they call it pretending the feigned Deity upon the account of his likeness to the former to have been rais'd from the Dead who is now said to have been rais'd seven times The Reader may fully understand in the following Discourse the Rites and Ceremonies by which the foolish
People do Adore him with a perpetual Veneration And they report that these Ceremonies and Worship had their original from no other Person than that Prince which Authors usually term Presbyter Iohn whom they are certainly persuaded to have Rul'd in the Kingdom of Tanchut which is now included under the Dominion of the Kingdom of Lassa for as formerly they went in Pilgrimage from all Parts of Tartary unto him as unto an Oracle so at this very time they cease not from all Parts to flock unto this ridiculous God and Father the Head of the Lamae to obtain his Benediction so that Anno 1629. that great Tartarian Monarch of the Chineses as soon as he had subdu'd the Empire of China according to the Custom practis'd by his Ancestors was solicited by the Magistrates of Tartary to do Homage to the Great Lama that is The Priest as to the Supreme Bishop or Pope of the Religion of the Tartars and the Business was brought unto that accomplishment that the Emperor through the Advice of his Council was resolv'd to meet with the Great Lama now coming towards him even unto the Walls of the Empire of China in a Progress almost of two Months space if Father Iohn Adams an intimate Associate of the Emperor out of an extreme hatred unto the thing had not shew'd himself averse and opposite and that by the allegation of many weighty Reasons which Persuasions of the aforesaid Father took so good effect that the Emperor was so far from vouchsafing to go forwards out of the City to meet him that he would hardly give him any farther entrance or admission than the Garden of the Palace of Pequin and at length after the usual Mode being Presented with divers Presents dismissed him unto his own Kingdom wholly neglecting all those accustom'd Ceremonies that were usually perform'd and he that was suppos'd to have conferr'd great Prosperity and Happiness by his Approach and Benediction brought the contrary Effects with him for that ridiculous Archpriest after his departure incurr'd the Curses and Malediction of all Persons as being the seeming Cause of Famine Pestilence and War But to return to our purpose I say therefore That 't is very probable this Presbyter Iohn resided in the Kingdom of Tanchut for he and his Successors Ruling far and wide in Asia and worthily promoting the Christian Faith those Preachers of the Word of God either being call'd or of their own accord out of zeal to advance the Christian Faith or which is more likely being compell'd by Fear and flying from the aforesaid Places in the time of that horrid Persecution which began under the Empire of Dioclesian and Maximianus in which on the Confines of Syria Egypt and the adjacent Places of Ethiopia the Followers of the Christian Doctrine were every where enquir'd and sought after to be put to most cruel Torments they sat down and Planted themselves in the middle of Persia Bactria and Turchestan and then it is altogether probable that by degrees after long Exilement arriv'd in the utmost Regions of Asia and lastly Anno 600. in the time of the Empire of Heraclius persidious and debauch'd Mahomet then rebelling new Colonies were continually transplanted into the aforesaid Regions of the East For it is manifest that the Syrian or Babylonian Priests giving place to the fury of the Infidels ceased not in succession of time to propagate the Christian Religion as the alledg'd Syriack Inscription doth clearly shew where Iidbuzad Bishop of China is call'd the Son of Noah a certain Priest of the City of Balech in the Kingdom of Turchestan as is manifest from the Syriack words above-cited and here again repeated viz-Anno 1902. Iidbuzad Priest and Vicar of the Bishop of the Regal City of Cumdan Son of Noah a Priest Native of the City Belech in the Kingdom of Turchestan Now that Turchestan is the same Region which the Persians call Usbec the beginning of Great Cathay and the City Belech seated in it is clear from the Arabian Geographer Part 8. Climate 4. Line 34. where treating concerning the Turchestians a peculiar Province of the Corafini he placeth the Situation of the City Belech not far from Samarcande the Regal Court of Great Tamberlain formerly a most famous City his words are these as they are Translated by me out of the Arabick Now this is the eighth Part of the fourth Climate and containeth a portion of the Region of Corasina from Karman even to Kasaralkamat fifteen Miles hence to Samarcande six Miles and it is the Road of those that pass from Samarcande unto the City of Belech Whence it is plainly manifest that Iidbuzad Vicar of the Bishop term'd a Syrian by Original or Descent was of the Country of Turchestan or Corasine And it is evident from the Syro-Chinesian Inscription of the Stone that many of the Region of the Pagodes and other Countries of Asia penetrated into China for the advancement of the Gospel All which we leave farther to be enquir'd after by the curious Reader And thus much shall suffice concerning the Transplanting of the Colonies in the Kingdoms of Presbyter Iohn and in China Moreover those who suppose that most of these Evangelical Persons first arriv'd in India out of Syria Egypt and Ethiopia and having converted that Country by their Labors to the Faith of Christ afterwards sent out some Colonies from amongst them into China by reason of the frequent Commerce which at that time was maintain'd by a Maritime Voyage between the Indians and Chineses have much more of certainty than any others for their Opinion And of this Expedition I shall give a clear Account in few words CHAP. II. Of Cathay and its proper and genuine Situation ALthough in the preceding Discourse we have produc'd divers Passages out of various Authors both Latins Grecians Iews Arabians and Persians concerning the Situation of Cathay yet here notwithstanding for the better elucidation and clearing of the Matter we shall declare by divers Voyages and Travels purposely alledg'd for that end what at length this Kingdom of Cathay is and where situate It is not only evident by the diligent search of the Fathers of our Society that China is the greatest part of Cathay but also it is most apparently prov'd out of Marcus Paulus Venetus for he saith That the most vast City of Cambalu or as the true pronunciation of the Tartars hath it Cambalek was the Regal Seat of the Great Cham. The Fathers of our Society say That it was no other than the modern Imperial City of China which they call Pequin or Pekin and that the vastness of the Walls made in a Quadrangular order and the incredible bigness of the City do more than sufficiently demonstrate the same Now Marcus Paulus writeth That the City of Cambalu situate near the great River was anciently very Splendid and Regal for Cambalu signifieth The City of the Lord The Great Cham remov'd this City to the other side of the River for he
same mistake by which he call'd Tygers Lions notwithstanding here are none to be found nor almost in all Asia except you will have him to be understood not only to comprehend the Bridges that are both within the City and without in the Suburbs but also those of the whole Empire and then indeed their number which otherwise will hardly gain credit amongst us may easily be augmented there being so vast an abundance of Bridges and Triumphal Arches every where to be found For the greater confirmation of this Matter there is a Lake of forty Italian Miles which they call Sihu which although it be not within the Walls yet it doth encompass it for a large space from the West to the South and many Channels are drawn from it into the City moreover the Banks or Shores of it on every side are so beset with Temples Monasteries Palaces Libraries and private Edifices that you would suppose your self to be within a most spacious City and not in the Country the Margents or Banks of the Lake are rais'd in every part with four-square and cut Stone and a convenient Passage left for Travellers also some Passages go clear through the Lake furnish'd with many and those very high Bridges under which Ships may pass in passing over which they may to and fro encompass the Lake whence these Bridges might easily be reckon'd by Venetus to belong to the City This is that City which hath a Mountain within its Walls on the South-side term'd Chinghoang in which is that Tower with a Guard where they measure the Hours by an Hour-glass and it is declar'd or inscrib'd on a Tablet how many Hours in large Golden Letters This is that City all whose Streets are pav'd with square Stone and this is situate in a Moorish place and divided by many Navigable Channels Lastly This is the City to omit other things from which the Emperor took his flight unto the Sea by the great River Cientang the breadth of which exceeds a German Mile and floweth to the South-side of the City So that here is the very same River which Venetus ascribeth unto Quinsai whence it is disembogu'd into the Sea towards the East from which this City is as far distant as Venetus doth affirm it I add That the compass of the City is above an hundred Italian Miles if you reckon in the large Suburbs which extend very far on every side whence you shall go over five hundred Chinesian Paces or Stadiums by walking in a straight Line or Way from North to South through the most large and populous Streets in which you shall find no place destitute either of Houses or People you may perform the like Iourney almost from the West to the North. Seeing therefore that according unto the Chinesian History the Name the Description the Magnitude and all other Passages do demonstrate this to be the City Quinsai we ought no longer to question or doubt of the same Thus Father Martinius Martinii in the Place cited SECT I. The Voyage of Benedict Goes of the Society of Iesus into Cathay or China taken out of Father Nicholas Trigautius I Shall therefore now briefly shew whence proceeded that so great confusion of Opinions concerning the proper Situation of Cathay Now it is known both from the History of Marcus Paulus Venetus Haytho the Armenian and also from the Chronology of the Chineses that the Great Cham Emperor of the Tartars whom some call Cublai others Ulcam or Uncam Anno 1256. making a Breach or Irruption through the Walls gain'd the whole Empire of the Chineses which then was divided into two Empires whereof the one towards the North was call'd Cathay the other towards the South Mangi whence as the North part of China with the other Regions without the Walls was otherwise vulgarly call'd Cathay so also the whole Empire of the Chineses being now possess'd the whole was call'd by the Name of Cathay by the Tartars and the adjoining Saracens the Name of the other circumjacent Regions without the Walls being utterly extinguish'd so that from that very time that only Empire of the Chineses that extended so far included within the Walls was call'd Cathay by as many as Traffick'd or Merchandiz'd thither from Indostan Usbec Camul and other Mediterranean Regions as it is manifest from the Voyage of our Brother Benedict Goes But because that was not only undertaken and decreed by the Command and Advice of the Superiors of our Society but also by the Command of the Viceroy of Aria in India call'd Saldagna yea also of the Great Acabar Emperor of the Mogors both to find out Cathay and also to instruct in the Christian Religion the Inhabitants of the interjacent Kingdoms certainly it was perform'd with all the diligence and care possible by Benedict Goes a Person of great Prudence and Understanding and also skill'd in the Persian Language which he had excellently attain'd to by a long stay or continuance in the Court of the Mogor and where he was very familiar with the Emperor Acabar Therefore he being sufficiently furnish'd with Supplies convenient for so great a Voyage from the Vice-Roy of India and having also the Diploma Patent or Pass taking the Habit of the Armenians and changing also his Name Benedict into Abdulla which signifieth The Servant of God and joyning with him an Armenian nam'd Isaac as his inseparable Companion in his Voyage Anno 1603. in the solemn Lent Fast departing from Lahor the Regal City of the Mogor he travell'd towards the Kingdom of Cascar in the company of five hundred Persons which they call The Caravan having with them a great multitude of Beasts of Carriage Camels and Wagons In a Month he arriv'd at the City Athec under the Iurisdiction of the Mogor and having passed over the River Indus at the end of two Months more he came unto Passaur where he was inform'd by an Hermit that about two Months Iourney farther towards the North was the Region Caphurstan that is The Land of Infidels of which I shall treat anon that had many Christians in it unto which notwithstanding being hindred by the Caravan he could not travel Hence in the Course of twenty five Days he came unto a City nam'd Ghideli where he was in great danger of Thieves Departing thence in twenty Days he came to the City Cabul a City yet subject to the Mogor from whence he went unto Chianacar a City abounding with Iron and from thence in ten Days he arriv'd at a Place call'd Parvan the last Town of the Kingdom of the Mogor After five Days respite he came in the space of twenty Days to a Region nam'd Aâ—cheran having pass'd over exceeding high Mountains and in fifteen Days more he arriv'd at the City Calcia and there having spent ten Days he came to a certain Place call'd Gialalabeth famous for the Portage or Customs of the Brachmans after fifteen Days more he came to Talhan and hence proceeding forward to Chaman he incurr'd the
great hazard of Robbers whom having shunn'd at length he came to Ciarciunor and after ten days passing through Sarpanil a desart Place he came to the Province Sarcil over a very high Mountain and that in twenty Days Travel after two Days more he came to the foot of the Mountain Cetialath in which by reason of the multitude of Snow many perish'd by the vehemency of the Cold. Having travell'd six Days through the Snow he came to Tamgheran in the Kingdom of Cascar and after fifteen Days to Iaconich and after five to Hiarcham the Metropolitan City of Cascar and the end of the Region of Cabul The whole Region are Followers of the Law of Mahomet and hence from Hiarcham is the beginning of the Expedition by Caravan into Cathay and the Negotiation of those that certainly know they shall be admitted into the Kingdom wholly consisteth as it were in Fragments of precious Iaspar which are found in great plenty in Cathay that is in China and are of two kinds the first sort is brought out of the River Cotan not far from the Regal City by Fishermen like unto thick Flints the other being digg'd out of the Mountains is cleft into stony Plates almost two Ells long This Mountain Cansangui is distant from the Imperial City twenty Days Iourney and it is call'd The Stony Mountain noted vulgarly in Geographical Maps hence therefore Benedict after long stay again began his Voyage first he arriv'd at Iolci the Place of Custom for the Kingdom and from hence in a Voyage of twenty five Days he pass'd over these following Places Hancialix Alceghet Hagabathet Egriar Mesetelec Thalec Horma Thoantac Mingieda Capetalcol Zilan Sarognebetal Cambasco Aconsersec Ciacor Acsu Acsu is a Town of the Kingdom of Cascar from which he pass'd by a laborious Voyage through the Desart Caracatai that is Black Cataia unto Oitograch Gazo Casciani Dellai Saregabadal Ugan and at last he arriv'd at Gruciam Departing hence in a Voyage of twenty five Days he came unto the City of Cialis which is subject to the Dominion of the King of Cascar where the Saracens returning in the Caravan of the Year before from Cathay that is from Pekin the Royal City of China declar'd wonderful things unto our Benedict concerning Matthew Riccius and his Companions and here our Father wondred that he had found Cathay in the chief Place of the Chineses From hence in twenty Days he came unto Pucia a Town of the same Kingdom and from hence to Turpham and Aramuth and at length arriv'd at Camul a fortifi'd City from Camul in nine Days he came to the Walls of the North part of China which he had so long desir'd unto a Place call'd Chaiaicum where being admitted within the Walls by one Days Iourney he came to the first City of China call'd Socien and found no other Cathay but China so that from thenceforward he laid aside all scruple of the proper and true Situation of Cathay which the Saracens often confounded with China Note That this Voyage was taken or begun from Laor towards the North when he might have come to his Iourneys end from Laor by a much nearer Way but as this Voyage or Passage through the Thebetick Mountains was not yet discover'd so that also on the other side by Usbeck and Samarcande at that time was more us'd although that to conform himself unto the Custom of Merchants he was forc'd to attempt to pass by this latter though it were very much out of the Way by reason of its vast Windings and and Turnings and also on every hand subject to Robbers The Territory of Usbec is extended by a large Interval of Regions from the West to the North being made up of three very great Kingdoms whereof the first is Samarcande famous for the Birth of Tamberlan the second Tarphan and the third Turphan all of them infamous for the Religion of Mahomet The Inhabitants as Historians relate of the Scythians are Cruel Thieves Bloudy and implacable Enemies of the Christians so that this Kingdom is now altogether unpassable for the Christians except such as will become Deniers of Christ and profess themselves Followers of the Law of Mahomet And this is the Passage from Usbec to Cathay But the Voyage undertaken by Father Antonius Andradas a Portuguese into the Kingdom of Thebet was after this manner First passing over Ganges from Laor he entred into Scrinegar and Ciapharanga most great and populous Cities and from these having pass'd over a most high Mountain on the top of it he discover'd a vast Lake the common Receptacle of the Waters of the River Indus Ganges and the other great Rivers of India and hence by a Voyage of many Days and that also through high Mountains he arriv'd in the cold Northern Region Redor and in a City of the same Name from which passing through the Kingdom of Maranga and the Kingdom of Tanchut which belongeth unto the Tartars in two Months space he easily arriv'd at Cathay that is China SECT II. Another Voyage from China to the Mogor perform'd by the Fathers of our Society Father Albert Dorville and Father Iohn Gruberus THese Fathers began their Voyage from Pequin Anno 1661. in the Month of Iune from whence they arriv'd at Siganfu and from hence after thirty Days stay they departed to Sining or Siningfu in almost twice so many Days having pass'd over the Saffron River Now Sining or Siningfu is a great and populous City built at the Walls of the Kingdom of China by or through the Gate of which is the first entrance into Cathay or China for those that Trade thither from India and where also they are forc'd to stay till they have a farther admission granted them by the King The City is plac'd under the Elevation of the Pole 36 Degrees and 20 Minutes From Sining in three Months space passing through the Desart of Kalmack in Tartaria they came unto the very entrance of the Kingdom of Lassa which the Tartars also call Barantola The Desart is partly moutainous partly level and overspread with Sand and Dust altogether sterile and barren unto which notwithstanding Nature is here and there in some places propitious by affording some small Rivulets whose Banks yield a sufficient quantity of green Herbs and Grass But as this Desart deriveth its original from the innermost Mediterranean Parts of India so is it also extended in a straight Line from the South to the North and no Person hath yet unto this Day been found who hath discover'd its Bounds Many suppose it to be extended even unto the Frozen Sea concerning which I have treated at large in my Book of the Subterranean World Now it hath various Names Marcus Paulus Venetus calleth it Lop infamous for Diabolical Delusions and a multitude of Spectres or evil Spirits that usually appear in it concerning which notwithstanding our Fathers relate nothing for the once or twice appearing of these Spirits doth not prove the perpetual continuance of their
leading toward the South draweth near unto the more inhabited Regions as Quansi Iunnam and Tibet for from hence unto the Saffron River and the Places adjoyning which abound with Bushes and Thickets they are wont to betake themselves in Herds and Droves at certain times of the Year both in respect of Pasturage and for Hunting of their Prey I. A Tartar of Kalmack II. A Woman of Kalmack III. A Lama Tartar IV. The Habitation of the Tartars V. The Turning Wheel Therefore when these Fathers had pass'd this Wall presently they met with a River replenish'd with Fish of which they made their Supper which they prepar'd in an open Tent and having also pass'd over the Saffron River without the Walls and immediately having entred that most vast and barren Desart Kalmack a Desart very dreadful and formidable in two Months they came to the Kingdom of Barantola This Desart although it be parch'd and ruinous is yet inhabited by the Tartars which are call'd Kalmack at certain times of the Year when there is great abundance of Pasturage on the Banks of the River they there fixing of their Hords which you may term and not unfitly Portable Cities The Tartars rove up and down in this Desart to Rob and Pillage whence it is very necessary that the Caravan be sufficiently strong to resist the violence of their Attempts These Fathers as they hapned to see them drew their Habits as they are here set down The first Figure sheweth a Tartar of Kalmack Cloth'd with a Leathern Garment and a yellow Cap. The second Figure exhibiteth a Tartar Woman of Kalmack Cloth'd with a Vestment made of a certain Skin as they guess'd of a green or red colour and each of them hath a Phylactery or Amulet hung about their Necks which they wore to preserve themselves from Dangers and Mischiefs The Tartar which the third Figure exhibiteth weareth the Habit of a Lama which is the Priest or Bishop of the holy Rites of the Nation of the Tartars of Kalmack they use a Cap or Hat Painted of a red Colour a white Coat or Cloke cast backwards a red Girdle they are also Vested with a yellow Coat from the Girdle of which hangeth down a Purse The fourth Figure expresseth their Habitations which are Tartarian Tents made up within of small bended and wreathed Sticks on the outside fram'd with a course Matter of a certain Wooll and ty'd or bound together with Cords The fifth Figure sheweth an Instrument or turning Wheel in the form of a Scepter which is mov'd round by the superstitious Auditors or By-standers at the time when the Lama Pray VI. The fore part of a Woman of Northern Tartary VII The back part of the same Woman In the Court of Deva King of Tanguth our Fathers saw a Woman born in Northern Tartary who as she was Dress'd in an unwonted Habit so she seem'd not unworty of having her Picture taken unto the Life She wore Hair ty'd or knotted like unto small Cords having her Head and Girdle adorn'd with the Shells of Sea-Cockles See her exhibited in her fore and back part in the sixth and seventh Figures VIII The Habit of a Courtier in the Attire of a Woman IX The Trophies which are erected in the tops of the Mountains with Adoration unto the Great Lama for the conservation of Men and Horses X. Another Habit of a Courtier There were also in the same Court of the King certain Courtiers whose Habit if you observe it is altogether womanish but only that they use a Coat of a red Colour after the manner of the Lama which together with the Trophies erected in the tops of the mountains in Adoration of the Great Lama for the conservation of Men and Cattel are express'd in the eighth ninth and tenth Figures XI The Habit of the possess'd Youth that killeth Men call'd Phut XII The common Habit in the Kingdom of Tanchut XIII The Habit of the same Nation There is a most detestable and horrible Custom introduc'd into these Kingdoms of Tanchut and Barantola by the subtlety of Satan which is as followeth They chuse a lusty Youth unto whom they grant liberty on Set-days of the Year to kill with the Weapons wherewith he hath Arm'd himself any Person he meeteth of what Age or Sex soever without any difference or respect of Persons fondly supposing that those who are thus slain immediately as if they were Consecrated by Menipe a devilish Spirit whom they worship obtain eternal Honors and a most happy Estate This Youth in a very gay Habit furnish'd with a Sword Quiver and Arrows and stuck or laden with the Trophies of Banners and Ensigns at a prefix'd time being possess'd with the Demon or Devil unto whom he is Consecrated rushing with great fury out of the House wandreth through the Ways and Streets and killeth at his pleasure all that meet him no resistance being made This Youth they call in their Language Phut which signifieth The Slayer whence our Fathers depicted him altogether after the same manner that they had a sight of him together with the Habit of both Sexes in the Kingdom of Tanchut as the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth Figures do shew There are other Kingdoms included within the vast Kingdom of Tanchut and in the first place Barantola also call'd Lassa which hath a Metropolitan City of the same Name It hath a King of its own and is altogether intangled with the foul Errors of Heathenism The People worship Idols with the deference of Deities amongst which that which they call Manipe hath the preeminence and with its nine-fold difference of Heads riseth or terminateth in a Cone in a monstrous heighth concerning which we shall speak more fully in the following Discourse when we come to treat of the many-headed Deities of the Chineses Before this Demon or false God this foolish People perform their Sacred Rites with many unwonted Gesticulations and Dances often repeating of these words O Manipe Mi Hum O Manipe Mi Hum that is O Manipe save us They many times set divers sorts of Viands or Meats before the Idol for the propitiating or appeasing of the Deity and perform abominable kinds of Idolatry XIV Han the deceased King of Tanguth whom they worship with Divine Honor. XV. The Effigies of the Great Lama There is also exhibited in Barantola another Spectacle of a false Deity which as it almost seemeth to exceed humane belief so it also doth require to be evidenc'd with the more singular care Our Fathers relate that whilst they remain'd in Barantola which was about two Months to wait for the convenience of the Caravan they observ'd many things in reference to the Manners and Customs of the People of which they noted some to be ridiculous and others to be cursed and detestable There are two Kings in this Kingdom whereof one is truly concern'd and employ'd in the management of the Affairs of the Kingdom whom they call Deva the other being separated and taken off
At length I return'd to Sfahanum and here remain ready to fulfil the Commands of your Reverend Fatherhood But doth your Reverend Fatherhood in the mean while publish nothing to the World Such a Tree ought to bear some Fruit. Besides two Books that you were pleas'd to send me some Years since nothing else hath arriv'd at my Hands I have here Compos'd some Treatises about the Controversies of the Law in particular An Answer to the Polisher of the Looking-glass I know no Person that can better manage this Business at Rome than your Reverend self whom I beseech to render me more certain whether such Books can be Printed there but I much question whether any one can be found that will be at the Charge yet in this matter I shall determine nothing but what my Superiors shall ordain To conclude The least of your Reverend Fatherships Servants onely more especially requesteth this That you would retain this my Epistle by you for a Memorial and that you would not be unmindful of me in your Holy Sacrifices Dated near Xaxan about the time of the Festival of Saint Francis Xavier CHAP. V. The Voyage perform'd by Marcus Paulus Venetus and Haython the Armenian into Cathay or China SEeing none of the Ancients have describ'd the Kingdoms of the utmost Confines of the East more fully than Marcus Paulus Venetus therefore I esteem'd it my Duty to say somewhat of his Voyage into Cathay at this time having so fit an opportunity although there do many things occur which are neither apprehended nor understood at this very Day by any Geographer by reason of the variety of Names by which he calleth Kingdoms Provinces Cities Mountains Rivers and Lakes and that differently from all others and also by reason of the Description of some Cities which consent not with the modern Geography Moreover Marcus Paulus being ignorant of the use of the Globe hence it came to pass that he setteth not down the Longitude and Latitude of any City from which knowledge alone the true Situation of Places is found But now let us come to relate his Voyage Anno 1269. being Emperor of Constantinople two famous Persons of the Illustrious Family of the Paulini Nicolas and Matthew Citizens of Venice set forwards unto Constantinople in a Ship fraighted with divers Commodities where having a little refresh'd themselves and committing themselves to the Euxine Sea they arriv'd with prosperous Winds at a Port of Armenia call'd Soldadia Now what this Port of Soldadia is we have not hitherto found out I interpret it to be Trapezonmet seeing that there is no Port of the Armenians nearer the Euxine Sea neither can we discover what the Kingdom of Bartza is From the Kingdom of Bartza they came by great windings and turnings of the Land unto the City of Bochara situate on the River Oxus in the Kingdom of Usbeck where great Wars arising between the King of Bartza and the Tartars they were much perplex'd and ignorant which way to take to return into their own Country but at last upon serious Consideration and Advice they remain'd there full three years and that they might not spend their time idly in that space they apply'd themselves with all their endeavor to the attaining of the Tartarian Tongue While Affairs were in this Condition an Ambassador came to Bochara to Treat with the Great Emperor of Tartary where when he had found these fore-mention'd Persons he us'd his utmost Endeavors both in reference unto their great and noted Behaviour and the Tartarian Tongue in which they were excellently accomplish'd to have them with him in his Return to the Great Cham to whom he knew they would be very acceptable therefore they relying on the Advice of the Ambassador after the Travel of several Months made their appearance before the Great Cham. He first of all admiring the Countenance and Behavior of these Europeans and also being led with a curiosity of understanding the Affairs of Europe was wholly intent upon the discovery of the Mode and Form of the Government of the Occidental Regions enquiring of them concerning the Pope the Emperor and the Rites of the whole Empire as well those that are observ'd in Peace as War Unto which when they had prudently reply'd they so far wrought upon the Emperor that entring into Counsel with his Nobles he concluded upon sending an Ambassador to the Pope of Rome which he thought fit in his Name to impose on these Paulini whose Faith and Sincerity he had now sufficiently try'd and together with them he sent a Golden Table and Letters in which he requested his Holiness would send him an hundred Persons conspicuous both for Learning and Wisdom to instruct his Subjects in the Christian Faith which he said was the best and most pure of all others Wherefore these Persons having receiv'd their Embassy immediately set forward on their Voyage having this Golden Table which was Seal'd with the Seal of the Great Cham and also having his Letters in which he commanded all his Subjects to receive them with all Honor and Affection and discharge them of all Customs and Tribute Thus they follow'd on their Iourney by the great assistance of the Golden Table and after the space of some Months came at length to Balzra a Port of the Armenians now what this Port was whether on the Caspian or Euxine Sea I have not as yet found it is most probable to be the Port of Trapezonment plac'd in a Corner of the Euxine Sea for from this Port within a few Months Anno 1272. they came to Ancona which could not be perform'd from the Caspian Sea by reason of the great space of Land and Regions interjoin'd Moreover having return'd unto Ancona whence they departed the report of the death of Clement the Fourth being nois'd abroad and no other as yet plac'd in the Apostolical Seat being destitute of Advice they were not a little disturb'd and setting forward unto Venice to visit their native Soil they heard of the Election of a new Pope Here Nicolas found his Wife whom he had left great with Child at his departure to be dead having left behind her Marcus a Son of fifteen years of Age who afterwards became the Companion of his Father into those remote Regions of Asia which his Father had before travell'd unto and also was the Author and Writer of this Geographical History Wherefore a new Pope being chosen and nam'd Gregory the Tenth Rudulphus being Emperor by the unanimous Approbation of the Cardinals they return to Ancona having deliver'd the Letters of the Great Cham together with the Presents to the Pope with which he being mov'd and greatly rejoycing that he had a fit opportunity offer'd him for the Propagation of the Gospel â—e return'd a Literal Missive unto the Great Cham in which all things were contain'd that might seem necessary to instruct them better in the Christian Religion and render the mind of the Great Cham more flexible and yielding unto