to find him because they do yet stand retired to give him notice of his election and to beg some reward of him and so staies with him to wait upon him till he departeth to go to the Court. The students having notice given them of their promotion come all on horse-back to the Palace-general every one in his order where the Proveditor and Minister of the Kings Exchequer-chamber standeth ready expecting them with the ensigns of their dignitie as the Cap Gown Tippit and Boots which he solemnly putteth upon them and when they are thus adorned they go presently to give thanks to the President of the examinations who receiveth them on foot and treateth them as his equals though he be alwaies to them in the stead of a Master and they do so depend on him and bear him such extraordinary respect that it is a thing almost incredible to be related Among them is so much love and amity as if they were really brethren for they are called brothers of the examination and like such do they respect one another After follow diverse ceremonies and severall banquets presented by the Officers altogether They are three in all as I remember and are all very sumptuous but the third is of some profit also for in this there is set to every one of them three tables the first covered with diverse meates the second with hens fowle venison and other flesh which is to be all raw the third with dryed fruits and all this is to be sent home to their houses that they might spend it there at their own pleasure and discretion Assoon as these men have obtained their degree they become presently great honoured nay adored and I know not how suddenly rich After this they go no longer on foot but either on hors-back or in a Sedan And not only the graduate but his whole family change their condition and he beginneth to think of purchasing his neighbours houses and to build himself a Palace This will yet seem more wonderfull to him that knoweth that many of them come out of their countries a very great way on foot carrying at their backs that habit which they are to wear in the City having sometimes their hands daubed with clay wherewith they lately were mending up their poor cottages of which sort of blades I have seen some come to Nankim These solemnities being ended the Graduates presently prepare to go to Court to be made Doctours and if they will take any government upon them they are presently provided with some place or other But if they accept of any government they lose their pretension of being examined afterward for Doctour Although there is none who at first doth not attempt it But if any one doth not succeed in it and begin to be somewhat in years having a mind to put himselfe presently into the world he accepteth of a Government having only the title of a Licentiate but such very seldome come to very high preferments although there have been found some of them who have had the good fortune to be advanced to the quality of Vice-roy For this journey to Court they have every one of them given them 80. crownes out of the Kings exchequer to bear their charges and it is very certaine as I have been informed by some Chinesses of credit that the whole expences which every Licentiate stands the King in from the time he taketh his degree till he cometh to be placed in the Court amounteth to 1000. crownes which throughout the whole Kingdome according to my account maketh a million and halfe of crownes So much doth it cost the Prince in the forming of his wisemen and making them capeable of the Government of his crowne so great a reward doth he propose to them that they might aspire to be sufficiently learned The Licentiates who are made every three yeare throughout all the Provinces are about fifteen hundred more or lesse and this is no great number in respect of those which procure their degree in all the generall Palaces In that of Cantone which is one of the least having not above 7500. little chambers in it the compositions of the first day are about 96148. from whence may easily be inferred how great the number of the pretenders is And now we will give a particular chapter concerning the supreme degree CHAP. 9. Of the degree of Doctour THe degree of Doctour is solemnly conferred at the Court in the second Moone of the yeare which answereth to our month of March They proceed in it according to the same form which was observed in the degree of Licentiate excepting that the ensignes of honour are different and the examiners of greater qualitie they being the chiefe of the royall Colledge called Hanlin and their President is alway the Colao the greatest dignitie next the King of this Empire although he differently exerciseth the charge of President for in this Transaction they of the royall Colledge have a definitive vote and the compositions being distributed among them after the first election they who are elected and approved by them cannot be refused or rejected by the President All the Licentiates of the Kingdome are admitted to this examination as well the old ones as the new And anciently there was no precedent examination to inable them for this admittance because it was accounted sufficient to be a Licentiate to have entrance at the examination of Doctors But because among their compositions there were many so ill made that it was time lost to read them and did render the composers incapeable not only of the degree of Doctour but likewise of pretending to it therefore about 15. years since there was introduced another examination for the receiving of them which is in practise to this day from whence it happeneth that many are not received to their great shame and sorrow which is a wholesome instruction to others not to spend their time in feasting and recreations In this examination are to be chosen 350. upon whom the degree of Doctour is conferred The ensignes of honour excepting the Bootes which are the same in all are very different from those of the Licentiates both in cost and ornament They have also a girdle given them which they alwaies weare in their places of Government which are bestowed upon them but is more rich and precious according to the offices they are advanced to When they have received their degree and put on their ensignes of honour they all assemble within a Hall of the Kings Palace prepared for that purpose where they are examined the second time in one only composition the poynt being about the Government and employment which they are to be admitted to At this examination in former times the King did use to assist in person but now there assisteth a Colao in his name The examination being ended they passe into another Hall where the new Doctours do make their reverence to the King and presently the Colai presents to him three of
Compliments and Reverences Presently the Eunuchs for no others enter there put themselves in order to draw the Chariot the King accompanying it with all his Familie to the last that is the eighth Gate of the Palace where with new laments Ceremonies and complements he took his leave Then within the first gate stood ready they that were to receive the Corps and in the Kings name and stead were to accompany it and to make the Sacrifices and Ceremonies that were to be performed at certaine places Then presently began the Procession with such solemnitie order and silence that it caused admiration in all that beheld it It went no further that day than to a Town without the walls neer to which there was a Tent set up very richly adorned where the Chariot was put and the Tables likewise being set they did Sacrifice and burned Incense and Perfumes and performed other Ceremonies and Reverences and last of all they renewed their Lamentations From this place was dispatched an Eunuch to give the King full account whither and how the Body was arrived and of all that passed there The day following was begun with the Ceremonies and other Funerall solemnities with which the day before was concluded and their journey continued with such a Multitude of people as well of those of the Guard neere hand as of other people afar off that were curious to see that they were not to be numbred By reason of the Sacrifices Ceremonies and stops which they made in the way they were three daies ere they arrived at the Mountaine where the Kings Sepulchres were Assoon as they were come thither the Hearse was removed with many Ceremonies from the Chariot where it was to another triumphant Chariot which they had in readinesse for that purpose of no lesse cost than the former After that they Sacrificed to the earth a Bull with Spiced wines rich perfumes and garments Suplicating to the tutelary Spirit thereof that he would receive that Body with pitie keep defend it c. At the same time nine Mandarines appointed by the King himself performed the same Ceremonies and Sacrifices to all the Kings predecessours which were buried there when the day was come on which the Body should be buried which was the fifteenth of the sixt Moone they made many Sacrifices and so put an end to the Funerall when presently the Mandarines posted away to give the King account of all that had passed which account was alwayes given him in part from time to time by the way And he shewed his liberalitie to all those that had taken paines in that worke and to shew his care and piety in all that which he ought to his Mothers memorie presently after her death he commanded that all prisoners should be released that were not committed for any enormous crimes He gave order also that in the Provinces where there was a Scarcitie of victualls the ordinary Tribute should be taken off and that alms should be given to those that were most necessitous among them He ordered also that the Rights and Gabels to be paied at the Gates and Custome-houses which upon some occasions were lately imposed should cease and he himself with his own hands made many thousand small pieces of Silver which he lapped up in paper according to the custome of China to give them in Almes for the Soule of his dead Mother Truly there is nothing in China so worthy to be imitated by Christians as their piety towards their Parents and God having given to this Nation such knowledge and inclination to vertue it is great pittie that they should only want the foundation of faith Hence we may see with how great fruit and profit the Gospel might be preached in this Kingdome or rather by the goodnesse of the Lord it is already preached as we shall declare in its proper place It will not be besides the purpose of this discourse to adde briefly something concerning the death of King Vanli Sonne to this Queen abovesaid the which fell out towards the end of August in the year 1620. in their seaventh moone forbearing to mention the Ceremonies which were like to those we even now related He fell sick about the end of Iune in the same year of a looseness and paine in his stomack swelling of his feet and other Maladies This infirmity lasted two months with many various changes alterations after which finding himselfe come to the end of his life he called his Sonne the heire of the Kingdome with his three other brothers to whom he made a discourse full of good advise and wholesome precepts accusing himselfe of too much negligence and want of care and then gave them the last salute Then he made his last Will and Testament the manner whereof is this When the Physitians do despaire of the Kings recovery the Colai if they be many as they use to be together with the chiefe of the Eunuchs and the first President of the Palace whom they call Suli Kien go to the King and endeavour to draw from his owne mouth what his last Will is and the summe of his Testament After that they go secretly to the Prince the heire of the Kingdome and give him an account of all to the end nothing might be done contrary to the will of him who is presently to take possession of the Kingdome When they have understood what both their pleasures are they put it into the form of a Will and carry it to the King to have his approbation of it Then they present it to a Senatour of the royall Colledge called Hanli Yven to whom it belongeth to put such writings as concerne the King into good form and stile That done it is closed up and sealed with the Kings seale and is kept in the Archives of the royall Colledge whilest the King is living Assoone as he is dead it is carryed to the Tribunal of Rites and Ceremonies to whom it belongeth to publish it through the whole Kingdome and to put it punctually in execution The form of this Will is here faithfully copied and translated out of the Chinesses language into ours The last Will and Testament of our Emperour Vanli who in obedience to Heaven hath resigned his Empire into the hands of Posteritie I From a child received the government of this Monarchie from the hands of my Progenitours and have held it fourty eight years a very long time wherefore I have no reason to lament that I am now to leave it Assoone as I was created Emperour I had strong inclinations to governe well and to imitate my Predecessours as in truth I endeavoured to do with all exactnesse But afterward being hindred by severall infirmities for many years I left off the care of having the wonted sacrifices celebrated to Heaven and earth neither did I cause the offices and ceremonies to be performed which are due to the memory of my Ancestours I seldome times sate upon the throne to consult of the affaires of
beasts they say It is to be understood of this life As if a man be civill courteous and well bred they say he is turned into a man if cholerick and furious into a Lyon If cruell into a Tyger if gluttonous into a swine If a thiefe into a Bird of prey Hence was the originall of that handsome saying among them Ti Yo Thien Than Ti Yen Sin Vai That is Heaven and Hell are seated in the heart These are the Three principall Sects of China from whence have sprung many others that are there to be found They hold that they may be made all to agree without any prejudice to their observance They have a text which saith San Chiao Ye Tao that is The doctrines are three but the reason of them is but one For although the worship adoration and exercise be different notwithstanding the end at which they all arrive is the same Cum Hiu that is nothing The Litterati of the first Sect imitating Heaven and Earth apply all to the government of the Kingdome of their families and of their persons only in this life and after that pretend to nothing The Tausi of the second Sect without any regard to their families or the government treate only of the body The disciples of Xaca of the third Sect without any regard to the body treate only of the spirit internall peace and quiet of conscience Hence arose that sentence which they use Iu Chi Que Tau Chi Xin Xe Chi Sin that is the Litterati govern the Kingdom the Tausi the body and the Bonzi the heart Besides these three which are all admitted and publikely professed in the Kingdom there is another which is not publike nor permitted but is under a prohibition notwithstanding it hath many followers it is called Pe Lien Kieo and is exceedingly hated of the Chinesses especially of the governours because the disciples thereof do conceale themselves doing every thing by night with much secrecy It is commonly beleeved that their intent is to exalt some of themselves to the Crowne and it is verily thought that some perverse men of this profession have already designed it A Chinesse of good credit did affirme to me that there were throughout China many thousands of them and that they had a Captaine or King with all his officers belonging to him whom such of their Sect as live far off do reverence in their letters with all respect due to such a Person and those that are at hand when they have a convenience to assemble themselves do honour him with services courtesies and splendour suitable to that of royall Majestie and that all of them knew one another In the yeare 1622. in the Province of Xantum which lieth between that of Nankim and Pekim there was discovered and taken one of these that was their Captaines And because the Mandarines were resolved not only to punish him but all those that followed his Sect likewise they questioned him concerning his companions and not being able to draw a confession from him they gave him severall times the rack Which being understood by those of the same Sect whether it were for love they bare him or for fear that he might be constrained to confesse and discover them they all resolved to arme themselves and fall upon the Mandarines and by force of armes to deliver their companion which accordingly they put in execution with so much suddennesse that it was impossible for the others to resist or escape them They slew many of the Mandarines and the rest were so affrighted that they delivered their companion Then having formed themselves into a Body they began to conquer the Province At the beginning their number was not considerable but in a short time there were so many who joyned themselves to them part of their own faction and part of other vagabonds that already they came to be many thousands and so going on without finding any resistance they made themselves Masters of the small villages and at lengh tooke two walled Towns where they fortified themselves issuing out from thence to assault their enemies This newes gave no little trouble to the Court the rebels being very neer them But at length by the diligence they used all was remedied by reason that numerous forces were sent out against them from Pekim and although at the beginning there fell out many battailes with various successe both on the one and other side yet at the length they of Pekim were Conquerours and the rebels army defeated and their Captaine taken who called himselfe King and kept this Title with so much obstinacie that being lodged at the house of a Person of quality before he came to the Court he did him no Reverence at all and being bid to bow and do him Reverence he answered with much disdaine the King doth Reverence to no man Being come to Court he was condemned to die and was accordingly beheaded and this was the Crown which he deserved After that the King quieted the rest by pardoning the greatest part of the rebels CHAP. 19. Of their Superstitions and Sacrifices in China SUperstition is an Individuall companion of Paganisme but in China Giappon and Corea and the neighbouring Kingdomes it is in great excesse The Kings Mathematician giveth no small occasion to these superstitions for from the impressions of the aire the colours of the Skie tempests unseasonable thunders aspects of the Sunne whereof they have two and twenty differences and severall appearances of the Moon whereof they have sixteen he alwayes maketh his Prognostications especially whether there wil be peace in the Kingdome or dearth mortalitie mutations perturbations and the like To this end he maketh an Almanack for the whole yeare which he divideth into its Moones and the Moones into daies which according to his calculation he declareth fortunate or unfortunate to do or leave undone any thing as to take a voyage to go out of doores to make marriage to bury the dead to build and other such like affaires whence the Chinesses in all their businesse do so observe these Rubriques that meerly not to go against these rules they hasten defer or let alone whatsoever they have to do So that if the Almanack say on such a day such a business is to be done although all the Elements conspire against them they will by no meanes deferre it Besides this Almanack whereof there are so many copies given out that there is not an house which hath not one of them the market-places and streets are full of Astrologers and Sooth-sayers who keep open Shop with their Tables for Calculation in order only to tell such their fortunes as come to them to require it and although for the most part they that come to them are deceived and coozened yet there are so many that flock to them that although the number of these Diviners is almost infinite they live and sustaine their Families by this Art Some professe to Divine by way of numbers even or
all ancient Titles They have Offices in the Militia and a competent revenue and all of them succeed their Fathers in their power authority and command They give place to many Officers of the Litterati but at an assembly in the Royall Hall they precede all of them The Third Order containeth all them who either have or doe admininister in the Government of the Kingdome whether they be officers of of warre as Generalls or Captaines or of the Politick and Civill Government whether they be supream such as are the Colai or inferiour Ministers as well the Mandarines of other Cities as those of the Court even to those of the smallest Burghs and Villages neither are they excluded from this order who neither Govern nor have governed but are in Election to be received into the Government such are all Graduates as Doctours Licentiates and Batchelours In a word this order consisteth of Litterati The Fourth is of Students who although they have never taken any degree yet only for being Students and that they are in a way to obtain them are put into the rank of the Nobilitie and treated as such although they have no priviledge or authoritie The Fifth is of those Persons whom they call Netti or cleanly men who live either of their Rents or Merchandize and when their wealth is much their honour is not little and although without learning their power and credit is not so great as among us yet they are much respected by the people CHAP. 25. Of the Government of China and of the Officers THe principall Government of China which embraceth the state of the whole Monarchie is divided into six Councels called by them Pú. These do not only governe in the two Courts where they do reside but from these as from the first movers the rest of the government dependeth and to these persons causes and matters according as appertaineth unto each all is subordinate with an incredible dependance and obedience Every one of these Councels hath its President whom they call C ham Xu with two Assistants one of the left hand who is the first called Co Xi Lam the other of the Right named Geu Xi Lam. These are the chiefest and most profitable offices of the whole Kingdom except the Colai of whom we will speak hereaster so that when a Vice-roy of any Province even of the most principall after he hath given good Testimonie of his abilitie is to be preferred he holdeth himself well provided for not only if he be made President of one of these Councels but also if he come to be one of the Assessours or Assistants either of the left hand or the right Besides these who are the chiefest of the Councell there are ten others of the same Tribunall almost all equall in dignitie who are distributed into severall offices and employments To these are added other great and lesser officers as Notaries Scribes Secretaries Ministers Captaines of Iustice and many others who are not usuall among us in Europe The First and chiefest Councell which is of the greatest authoritie and profit is the Councell of State called Si Pu. To them it belongeth to propose the Mandates of the whole Kingdome concerning Officers to change and promote them for after any one hath been once provided of an Office he alwaies riseth by degrees to greater employments nor are they ever excluded from the Governmen tunlesse it be for some notable fault committed either by themselves or by such as appertaine to them as their Sons neere kindred and the like To this Tribunall also belongeth the power to restore againe any that is turned out of his office as if a Mandarine by some accident lose his office they can easily put him in again and upon this account they have very many and very great bribes given them The Second is the Councell of Warre called Pim Pú. This also as well as the Councell of State hath authoritie over all the Magistrates of the Litterati as also over the officers of warre and taketh cognizance of all affaires belonging to the Militia and is of great profit The Third is the Councell of Rites named Lim Pú. This although it hath not so great command nor bringeth so much profit is notwithstanding more considerable because the Mandarines thereof are of the Royall Colledge and are from hence preferred to be Colai which is the chiefest dignitie in China To this Colledge doth appertaine all affaires concerning Letters Temples Ceremonies Sacrifices the Bonzi Strangers Embassadours and such like things The fourth is the Councell of the Kings Patrimony called Hu Pù it taketh care of the Kings Revenues Taxes Impositions Gabells Excise Tribute and generally whatsoever concerneth the Kings Domaine The fift is called Cum Pù it is super-intendent over all publick works particularly the Kings buildings as those of the Palaces that are made for the Kings children for the Officers over Walls Gates Bridges Cawsewaies cleansing of Rivers and whatsoever belongeth to the Ships and Barkes as well for the service of the King and the publique as for the Armaâ—oes The sixt hath the care of all Criminall matters and to inflict punishments it is called Him Pù and is Judge of the highest Criminall matters and other things appertaining thereto Besides these six Councells which are the most principall of the Court there are other nine Tribunalls called Kicù Kim with severall offices which do particularly belong to the Kings houshold The first is called Thai Lisù as one would say The great reason it is as it were the great Chancery of the Kingdom They examine as being the last appeale the judgements and sentences of the Tribunalls of the Court and thither are brought all facts of great moment It consistenth of thirteen Mandarines that is one President two Collaterals and ten Counsellours The second is called Quan Lo Su and is as it were High Steward of the Kings houshold to whose charge it belongeth to provide the diet for the King the Queen the Ladies the Eunuchs and to have the laying out of the whole expence of the Palace to pay the Salaries to the Officers of the Court and to all those that come thither upon publick businesse to Embassadours which come from other Countries and other such like Persons It hath a President two Assessors and seaven Counsellours The third is Thai Po Cu Sù and is as it were Chiefe Master of the horse to the King and they have not only the charge of all Horses for the Kings service but of all that belong to the Posts and generally of all others which belong to the publick service of the Kingdom It hath a President and seaven Counsellours The fourth is as it were Master of the Ceremonies and complements of the Court It belongeth to them to assist at all the Ceremonies of the publick Actions of the King at feastivalls and other times and occasions which present themselves and also at the daily Ceremonies which are performed in the Palace by
divided into little squares it is fastened before if the Girdle be rich with large Buckles of Gold or Silver some weare them nine inches broad There are nine sorts of Buckels that is of Bufalo of Rhinoceros horne of Ivory of Tortoise-shell of Lignum Aquilae of Calambu of Silver Gold and precious stones Every one may not wear them indifferently according to their Fancies but suitable to the qualitie of the Office which he beareth The last Girdle which is of a precious stone called Yu Xe is given by the King himselfe to the Colai when they enter into their Office nor is any other suffered to weare it The Boots which they call Hive are not ordinarie but of a certaine particular make They are all black and turned down The Vest or Gowne is worne over their ordinary habit and is in all of the same fashion It is large loose and very becoming The colour is at their own choise but for the most part it is modest but on Feastivall daies it is Crimson These are the Ensignes of the Magistrates when ever they appear in publick for at home they leave them off and wear only the ordinarie habit of the Litterati and in the same manner they go among their friends to Banquets and places of recreation especially in hot weather Their externall Ensignes when they go abroad are the Sedan or Litter inlaid with Ivory and richly gilded all open without any cover at top to the end they may be the better seen There are some of them carried by two men others by foure others by six and some by eight according to the qualitie of the Mandarine When there are six or eight men only foure do carry the Sedan the others go by on each side and take their turnes The traine which followeth after them is more or lesse according to the dignitie of the Magistrate those of the greatest Qualitie cause two men to march before them at a great distance with a round staffe in the hands of each of something more than a mans length only for terrour for the king only may strike with a round staffe and all the way they go they make a cry Then follow two men bearing two Tablets silvered over whereon is written in great letters the Title of his dignitie then come foure or six more trayling after them cudgells made of a great tree called Bambu wherewith they are wont in those Countries to give the Bastinado to Delinquents then follow others with chaines in their hands and other instruments of Torture A little before the Sedan there marcheth one with an Umbrella or Sun-skreen and sometimes two they are made of silke and are as bigge as three of ours Close by the Sedan on one side is carried a great gilded fanne so bigge that a man is hardly able to beare it with which the Sun is kept off from him for the Umbrellas serve only for shew and Parade Immediatly before the Sedan is carried the Kings seale in a gilded Coffer placed upon a Machine like to that which we use in our Countries to carry the Images and Reliques of Saints upon in procession under a cloath of state borne up with foure small pillars This is carried by two men Behind the Sedan follow the Pages and other people both on horse and foot When he goeth through the street if there be any thing unseemly at the windowes as cloathes hanged out a drying or such like things presently they are taken in if they meet with any Beers or Hearses such as the dead are carried to buriall withall they overturne them to the ground people of Qualitie turne downe some other street to avoyd meeting of them they that are on horse-back alight they that are carried in chaires are set downe the people set themselves in ranke on both sides the way If it be a great Mandarine the multitude that stand looking upon him keep a profound silence In the meane while he sitteth in his chaire with so much gravity and composure of body that he doth not so much as move his eyes for to but looke on one side or other would in them be esteemed a notable fault When they make their first entrie into any City or Towne besides the traine which is appoynted to accompany them all the way they go and the Souldiers which guard them through the Townes and Cities where they passe and the Officers of their owne Tribunal who go many daies journyes off to receive them and the Souldiers of his owne Government who go out many miles to meet them and all the inferiour Mandarines who go out of the City to congratulate them at the gates of the Towne or City stand all the old men of that place in great number with their reverend white beards who on their knees bid him welcome in the name of the people The Mothers and wives of the Officers as their Sonnes or Husbands are preferred and advanced to higher offices and dignities are appointed by the King certaine honourable distinctions in their habit as also Titles whereby they are called such as are among us your Honour and your Excellency not that they are the same but that they have some resemblance more or lesse When any one of the most Eminent Officers die the King sendeth away post a Mandarine of the Court to solemnize his funeralls and this not only to the confines of the Kingdom but even out of it as to the Island of Hainam as it happened in the year 1617 at what time I spake with him who was sent hether by the King only for that purpose The King also after his death bestoweth the office of a Mandarine upon his Sonne or Nephew and if the deceased person be a Colao he bestoweth the like honour upon all his Sonnes or Nephewes who if they give a good Testimony of their abilitie in their Government are advanced yet higher and come to be Governours of Cityes The Palaces where they inhabit are large convenient and stately their Tribunals where they do Justice are magnificently adorned and attended by great store of Officers In the City of Nankim beside many others there are five Tribunals foure of the foure windes for so they call them and they are accordingly placed in the City toward the North toward the South c. The fift is in the middle of the City yet are they inferiour Tribunals for every one hath a President and two Collaterals and the President is no more than a Doctour and the two Collaterals are either simple Batchelers or else raised from the office of Notarie It is true that in small and ordinary causes these are the hands and feet of the Mandarines being faithfull and diligent executers of whatsoever they command them There are in every one of these Tribunals more than 300 men who serve them as Notaries Clerks and Serjeants some to apprehend men others to whip them others to carry letters and writings and such other Commissions but they do not
shine like flying lights he laid out his whole strength upon works of charitie every year he assembled the Priests of the foure Churches serving them with a good heart and making them honourable entertainment for the space of fifty daies he sed the hungrie cloathed the naked cured the sick and buried the dead XIIII In the time of Ta So with all his parsimonie there was not such goodnesse as this to be seen but in the time of this law we see such men who do such good works as these For this reason have I graved this Stone that thereby they might be published I say then that the true God had no beginning but being pure and quiet was alwayes after the same manner he was the first Artificer of the Creation he uncovered the earth and elevated the Heaven One of the three Persons made himself man for our eternall salvation he ascended like the Sunne on high and defeated darknesse in every thing he did discover the profound Truth XV The illustrious King being really the first of the first making use of a fit time put a stop to mens invention the heaven was dilated and the earth extended Most bright is our law the which when Tam came to the Kingdome and propagated the doctrine and builded Churches was as a Barque both for the living and the dead and gave rest to the whole world XVI Caozum following the example of his Grandâ—Father built new Churches The beautifull Temples of peace filled the whole earth The true law was illustrated he gave a title of honour to the Bishop and men enjoyed repose XVII The wise King Hi Vin Zum followed the right way the royal Tables were illustrious the Kingly letters shone therein The Pictures of the Kings gave light on high and all the people did reverence them and all men had joy and gladnesse XVIII When So Zum reigned he came in person to the Church The Holy Sunne did shine and the bright cloudes swept away the darknesse of the night Prosperitie was united to the Royall family misfortunes ceased the heat of dissentions was abated he quieted the rumours and he renewed our Empire XIX King Taizun was obedient in vertue equall to heaven and earth he gave life unto the people and advancement to their affaires he exercised works of charitie he offered perfumes to the Church The Sunne and Moone were united in his person XX When King Kien Chum reigned he did illustrate famous vertue and with his armes restored peace to the foure seas and with his learning he pacified 10000 confines As a torch he did enlighten the secrets of men he saw all things as in a glasse He received the Barbarians who all took rules from him XXI The law is great and perfect and extendeth it selfe to all things desiring to frame a name for it I cannot but call it The Divine Law Kings know best to dispose their affaires I who am a subject can only cause them to be recited on this rich stone for to magnifie our great felicitie XXII In the Empire of great Tam the second year of Kien Chum the seventh day of the Month of Autumne was this stone erected Nin Ciu being Bishop and Governing the Church of China The Mandarine called Liù Sicuyen entitled Chaoylam in which office before him was Tai Cheu Su Sic Kan Kiun graved this stone with his owne hand This is the Interpretation of that Inscription translated as faithfully as we could possibly out of the Chinesse Phrase It will not be impertinent now to make some Annotations upon the text having forborne on purpose to do it before that I might not breake the thread of the discourse and therefore we will take the Paragraphs in order noting the words which we will explaine and giving some advertisement upon them I Giudaea This word is written iust thus without any other difference but that the Characters are Chinesse The same is found also in the other words or names of Satanas and Messias which are in the iii and iiii Paragraphs II Olooyu This word is written just thus in the stone and it is probable he meant Eloi which is a name of God The two principalls of which he speaketh afterward are matter and forme according to their Phylosophie III The kingdom of Pozu in the Chinesse maps lyeth East of Iudea The 24 Saints may well be The foure great Prophets The twelve small Prophets Abraham Isaac Iacob Iob Moses Ioshua David and Zacharias the father of Iohn the Baptist who put together make up that number and have spoken the plainest concerning the coming of Christ. IV He conquered the seat c. It seemeth that he speaketh of the Redeemers descent into hell Twenty seven books It is probable he meaneth the new Testament that is The foure Evangelists The Acts of the Apostles The fourteen Epistles of S. Paul one of S. Iames two of S. Peter three of S. Iohn one of S. Iude and the Revelation V Seaven times a day they offered c. He seemeth to speak of the seaven Canonicall houres Every seaventh day c. Signifieth the sacrifice of the Masse which was celebrated every Lords day VI. VII The year of Chim Quom c. According to the computation of their Histories it is the year of our Redemption 636. Weakening the Monarchie c. This clause is an Elogie given to that Prince by the Authour of this Inscription Was carried in a black chariot toward the West c. It is to be understood that it went away out of China VIII Caozum It appeareth by their books that he reigned in the year of our Lord 651. IX Ximlie According to the Christian Computation was the year 699. Tumcheu The opinion of the Translatour is that it was a particular place in the Province of Honam Sien Tien is the year 712. Sicham Called at present Sigam was the ancient Court in the Province of Xemsi X King Hi Ven Zum c. Began to raigne in the year 714. Tien Pao lived in the year 745. Cao Lie Sic is the name of an Eunuch who was very powerfull with that King The Bearâ—s c. This clause is another Elogie made by the Authour of those Kings The Dragon c. According to the interpreter this is an ancient fable of that Kingdom which relateth That one of their Kings rid through the ayre mounted upon that beast which his subjects who accompanied him had laden with their armes but they which came after plucked off the beard of the Dragon and took some of the armes that these might remain by them as a memoriall of that Prince whom they did fancy to be present with them in these reliques This fable might haply take its Orginall from the custome which their Kings have of embroydering Dragons on their garments and other things which belong to them The third year of Tien Pao c. falleth out according to our account to be the year 745. Sozun Ven Mim reigned in the
with three piece of Cannon And because the Mountain of our Ladie della Guida commandeth both the Bulwark of St. Paul and the Citie it was fortified in the year 1637 in the same manner as the Rock of Charil is it hath ten great brasse Cannon The Citie is not great there are in it about 900 or 1000 Portughesses who are all rich and live very splendidly there are many Chiness Christians who are cloathed and live after the Portughesse fashion there are also Chineses who are Gentiles and are cloathed and live after the fashion of their own Countrie all the Artiâ—ans of the Citie consist of this last sort as also the Shop-keepers and Retailers c. and are in all about 5 or 6000. There resideth also in the same Citie an Auditor who is sent thither by the King of Portugal and is superintendent of the traffique and commerce of that Isle The trade with Giappon not to speak of that of Manila which is worth very much yeeldeth the King every year for his rights and customes at ten per cent many thousands of Crownes per annum In the year 1635 it was worth to him 14000 Taus which are better than Crowns The Citie spendeth every year one year with another in their Artillerie Gunpowder and the charges of their walls and other things belonging to their Militia as appeareth by the books of publique accounts above 40000 Crownes The rights and customes of the Faire of Cantone at 6 and 7 per cent importeth about 40 or 50000 Crowns The Navigation to Giappon with the Present which is sent to the King and other Presents to the Toni of that Island costeth between twenty and five and twenty thousand Crownes Their house of Mercy standeth them every year in 8 or 9 thousand Crownes They mantain two Hospitals three parish Churches five Monasteries foure of Men and one of Women besides the continuall Almes which they distribute to the poor Christians of those Countries and particularly to them of China and although the ordinarie Almes which the King of Portugall alloweth them from Goa hath not been paid these 19 years yet are they wel relieved by the liberalitie of the Citizens of Macao I doubt not but the Lord doth favour this Citie for their many Almesdeeds and for the great care they take about the Service and Worship of God Finally this Citie of Macao is a continuall Seminarie wherein are educated and brought up many of those Labourers who cultivate not only China and Giappon but also all other Christianities of the Neighbouring Kingdomes It is also a Sanctuarie and place of Refuge where in times of troubles and persecutions they may all shelter themselves as it were in another Moab being upon all occasions Refugium à Facie Vastatoris One of the Convents of this Citie is a Colledge belonging to our Societie There are commonly between threescore and fourescore persons in it more or lesse according to the number of the persons they receive or send away For all Missions being furnished out of them their number must needs be very uncertain There are in that Colledge two Lectures in Divinitie one of Cases of Conscience one course of superiour studies two classes of Latin one schoole for children so numerous that the lower forme thereof containeth above 90 children of the Portugheses and people of that Countrie Out of this House which at the beginning was very small and the labourers there very few first came the Souldiers of this enterprise Father Alexander Valignan of happy memorie who was then Visitour resolved to send some of the Fathers into China to endevour to convert that vast Kingdome to the faith of Christ when presently the first difficulties began at the Colledge it selfe a manifest prognostication of the many that should happen in the progâ—esse of the work and execution of the undertaking For to some of the Fathers by reason of the knowledge and experience they had of the Kingdome of China this enterprise seemed not only difficult but also rash and unadvised wherefore they advised the Visitour not to set his mind upon it But our Lord who bringeth wonderfull things to passe from weak and troublesome beginnings would have this design put in execution Father Michael Roggiero was the first who was named to take paines in this conquest he was followed by the Fathers Franciscus Passius Antonius de Almeida Duarte Matthaeus Riccius and others who came after and helped on the work and like the foundation-stones of that building sustained the first weight thereof and greater difficulties labours and troubles than any Missions of our societie had ever felt For the difficulties in new Missions into Kingdomes so remote and different from our Europe in language custome conversation diet c. are not ordinarie neither can they be few But those in the Mission of China do far exceed all others The language seemeth more difficult than any in the world being all of Monosyllables curt and aequivocall and in this difficulty the Fathers were without any Master to teach them without any interpreter to explain what was said to them so that they neither understood others nor others them but by force of diligence and unwearied paines they went on conquering and gaining ground and although they never arrived at any perfection in the language or good accent in pronouncing it yet they discovered the mysteries of that tongue and set them down in so plain a forme that they made it much more easie for those who came after them To this may be added the painfull study of their letters which of it selfe alone is a businesse of incredible labour they being so many and so various and in this Mission contrarie to what is done in others the Fathers do study them all with so much diligence that they have not only learned to write and to read their books very perfectly but do also compose others themselves and have of late published many to the great advancement of Christianity and in truth the Fathers in China do justly deserve this praise that that language being so hard and they having the letters too to be studied which are not very easie yet they do speak that language much better than any others do those of their Missions for of themselves they are able to catechise preach treate and converse with the greatest Mandarines of the Kingdome and to speak to the King himself if there were occasion without making use of any ones tongue but their own their endeavours in this particular being extraordinarie and such as are not used in other parts and our Lord by his singular providence doth sweeten this labour and season those difficulties they undergo for his sake with much joy and consolation Moreover there is to be a generall change throughout their whole bodies in their beard and their haire which they must suffer to grow very longe in the fashion of their cloathes in their manner of conversation in their customes and behaviour and all other
and closing his eyes as if he were entring into a sweet sleep he gave up his soule into the hands of his Maker with the generall greife and resentment not only of those of the house and of the Christians but also of the Gentiles they all calling him a perfect Man a Saint an Apostle I will forbeare to speak any more of him for brevities sake by reason his life is already written in the History of Father Trigaltius CHAP. 7. Of the Burying place which was bestowed upon us by the King and of the progresse of the Christian religion untill the time of the persecution at Nankim IT is a custom among the Chinesses as we have already related to have a particular place appoynted for the buriall of their dead The Fathers who had very hardly a place allowed them for to live in were altogether destitute of a place of Sepulture wherefore they were in great doubt where they should bury the Father But the Lord who is a guide unto his and who had a particular intention to honour his servant put them upon a very difficult undertaking and as farre as I am able to judge by the custome of China without his speciall assistance altogether impossible This was to Petition the King desiring his favour to have a place assigned us for the buriall of our dead And because it was the Lord who had first set this businesse on foot without any consideration of the great difficultie which they were like to find they presently framed a Memoriall to be presented to the King wherein they laid downe the reasons which moved them to make this humble request The very passing of this Memoriall according to the Stile which is requisite upon that occasion seemed so impossible a thing that the Colao himselfe who desired to assist them as a friend accounted it a very difficult enterprise Neverthelesse after they had recommended their businesse to Almighty God the Memoriall was presented to the Mandarine to whose office it belonged first to over look it and the Lord was pleased to favour us so farre that it passed the Chancery without any difficultie which at first seemed to be the greatest When it was presented to the King without doubt he that holdeth the hearts of Kings in his hand did dispose and incline him to favour us and he remembring the former Present and the Clock which he had alwaies by him did referre it to the Colao together with many other petitions according to the Stile of that Court and he to the Councell of Rites because it was a businesse of strangers which did properly belong to them But after they of that Councell had considered it they judged it to be a speciall favour of the Kings and that it did therefore belong to the Councell of the Kings Patrimonie Wherefore they did remit our Memoriall to them Assoone as the Fathers understood this and knowing they had no friends in that Councell and that there was nothing to be expected from them without favour they made such means by way of other friends that the Memoriall was not only remanded againe to the Councell of Rites wherein the Fathers had severall friends but that they also did receive it and passe sentence in favour of them as accordingly they did in this form Your Majestie hath given command that the Councell to whom this businesse did belong should give their judgement concerning this petition And it being come into our hands we have well considered the laws and constitutions of this Kingdom and we find one which saith That if any of those Strangers which are wont to come into this Kingdom should chance to die by the way if he were a subject or Vassall for sometimes there come Kings and Princes thither and were not yet arrived at the Court the Treasurer of the Province where he dyeth shall assigne him a place of buriall where there shall be set up an inscription graven in stone wherein shall be expressed the occasion of his coming hither There is also another law which saith If a Stranger come into this Kingdom and die after he is arrived at the Court if he have not received the Kings gratuity and reward according to the usuall custome the Governour of the City shall defray the costs of his funerall But if he hath received his gratuity it shall be done at his owne expence In order to these two laws from which I cannot well see how an argument should be drawne to favour our cause because the Fathers had already received their gratuity the Mandarine knew so well how to make up the businesse and to find out so many reasons and conveniences to obtain that favour which Father Iames Pantoia required of his Majestie for the buriall of his deceased companion that assoone as the Memoriall came againe into the Kings hands he presently referred it to the Colao that he should give what answer to it he thought fit The Colao drew it up in this forme That it seemed very reasonable unto him the strangers should have that favour granted them which they did desire And so it was againe brought to the King who signed it with his owne hand and put to it his Fiat This expedition put an end to our troubles and the Fathers ceased not to render thanks to Almighty God for that favour which they were so cleerly to owne from his goodnesse and which was of so great importance for the Fathers residence in that Court and in the rest of the Kingdom that concession of the King serving not only for a Sepulture for their dead but also for a license for us to remain there during our lives For he having granted us a place in that Kingdom to lie in after our death it was manifest that he granted us also a place of abode there during life and the words of the Grant runne thus To bury their Father Riccius and his companions And accordingly they who die in that Court at this day are buried in the same place Having overcome the first part of the businesse which was the most difficult without any trouble but rather with a great deale of ease and facilitie there remained still the second which was the execution of it which could not want very much opposition but by having many Mandarines to their friends and by procuring the good will of others with some Sun-dialls of Ivory which the Chinesses do highly esteeme and Father Pantoia had the skill of making them very exactly our poverty not being able to extend it selfe to any great matter at length they overcame the smaller difficulties and the execution of their desires became more easie for them especially the Fathers having the Colao who is able to do any thing for their friend who indeed was so well affected to the businesse that Father Pantoia going a second time to visit him to refresh his memory fearing lest the multitude of businesse which lay upon him might cause him to forget them before the
them away to their owne Countries Alphonsus Vagnone and Jacobus Pantoia with their companions who under pretence of preaching a certain law do much disturbe the people and also secretly endeavour to make an insurrection in the Kingdom We do therefore ordaine that notice be given to the Lypu of Nankim to give order to the Mandarines of the respective Provinces wherein any of these men shall be found that they send them with a guard of Souldiers to the Province and City of Canton to the end they may returne from thence to their owne Countries leaving China in peace and quietnesse And because the last year we were given to under stand by severall persons that Jacobus Pantoia and his companions who came into this Kingdome to enjoy the delights and pleasures thereof were very fit to be employed in the emendation of our Calender whereupon they were aggregated to the number of the Mandarines yet notwithstanding the said aggregation we will and command that they be forthwith dismissed and sent away to their owne Countries Let this sentence be given to the Lypu and to the Ciayan the twenty eighth of the twelfth Moone Assoone as this Order was drawne up at the foot of the Memoriall the Colao sent it back into the Palace to be signed by the King according to the custome Presently the Eunuchs being all gained by the Presents of Xin fraudulently contrived a way to get it subscribed or as some say they put it among a great heape of petitions so that the King signed it without taking notice what it was or as others say they perswaded the Queen to subscribe it to whom the King doth often remit the signing of Memorialls And truly it is not very probable that the King who had lent but a deafe eare to so many former Memorialls should be so soone perswaded to it besides that it is more conformable to the stile of that Court to have sent them rather to some Province lying in the middle of the Kingdom than to send them away after they had gained so perfect a knowledge and full information of the affaires of China However it was the sentence was published the fourteenth of February which is the solemne beginning of their new year The news was blowne of a sudden through the whole Kingdome The Mandarines of Nanchium in the Province of Canton where Father Gâ—spar Ferrera was did in a very quiet and civill manner give him notice of the order allowing him with all liberty to stay till his companions came Notwithstanding the Father thought it more fit to sell the House and to retire himselfe to another Mission according to the instructions he had received from Father Longobardus In Hamlu there were two Fathers who were brought thither by Doctour Michaels meanes but they had no notice given them of the Order the Mandarines forbearing as it seemeth to do it out of respect to their Protectour who writ to the Father superiour to send him two more which accordingly he did with very good successe Father Iohn Rocca with two others of Nanchiam where he left Brother Pasquel Mendez for the consolation of those Christians came to Chien Chiam in the Province of Chiamsi where he kept himselfe private in the Houses of the Christians untill the Lord sent better times In Pekim the Colao made excuses to the Fathers in that he was obliged by his place to give them notice of the Kings Order promising them also his Assistance to hinder their going in case they should think good to present a Memoriall to the King to that effect But all passages were so shut up that it was impossible for them ever to present one wherefore giving place to time and necessity having encouraged the Christians after the distribution of Palmes that very Sunday they departed for Canton the Mandarines having strictly forbid the people to offer them any injuries by the way and left the House which the King had granted them in the custody of a good Christian having obtained a licence of the Mandarines to that effect The greatest stirre was in Nankim where assoon as the Courier was arrived he would needs give notice himselfe to the Fathers of their banishment thinking it a high favour that they were not cut in pieces Assoon as it was known abroad the Mandarines came to visit them with much honour and congratulations On the sixt day of March the Fathers were brought first before a Tribunall of six Mandarines and after that before Xin to be examined with a halter about their necks and Father Semedo was brought upon a board not being able through weaknesse to stand upon his leggs Xin after another examination declared That although they had deserved death for preaching a new law in China yet their life was granted them by the Kings clemencie notwithstanding he condemned them to receive ten Bastinadoes apiece and so to be sent away to their own Country Father Semedo was excused by reason of his sicknesse But Fa Vagnone received them in so cruel a manner that he lay very ill upon it and it was above a moneth before his wounds were closed In conclusion their house and goods were confiscated and many books were published against them which declared them to be unworthy the name of Letterati They themselves were put into very narrow Cages of wood such as are used in that Country to transport persons condemned to death from one place to another with Iron Chaines about their necks and Manacles on their Wrists with their haire hanging down long and their Gownes accoutred in an odde fashion as signe of a strange and Barbarous people The thirtieth of Aprill they were brought out of Prison to a Tribunall where they were shut up in those straight Frames and sealed with the Kings Seale and order was given to the Mandarines of the Guard to tale them out at such times as were allowed them to eate and sleep in In this manner were the Fathers carried with an inexpressible noise which the Ministers made with their ratling of Fetters and Chaines Before them were carried three Tablets written on with great letters declaring the Kings Sentence and forbidding all men to have any commerce or conversation with them In this equipage they went out of Nankim and were carried in these Cages for thirty dayes together untill they came to the first City of the Province of Canton where they were presented to the Tutan who having sharply reproved them for preaching a new law in China caused them to be consigned to the Mandarines whence they were carried in that manner throughout all the Tribunals with all the people running after them In conclusion they were taken out and after a few dayes were sent away to Macao along with the Fathers which came from Pekim The Christians which remained in Prison after many sufferings and misusages were in conclusion by the power and sollicitation of their adversarie Xin condemned to receive 70 Bastinadoes apiece The two Lay-Brothers because they
THE HISTORY OF That Great and Renowned MONARCHY OF CHINA Wherein all the particular Provinces are accurately described as also the Dispositions Manners Learning Lawes Militia Government and Religion of the People Together with the Traffick and Commodities of that Countrey Lately written in Italian by F. ALVAREZ SEMEDO a Portughess after he had resided twenty two yeares at the Court and other Famous Cities of that Kingdom Now put into English by a Person of quality and illustrated with several MAPPS and FIGURES to satisfie the curious and advance the Trade of Great BRITTAIN To which is added the History of the late Invasion and Conquest of that flourishing Kingdom by the TARTARS With an exact Account of the other affairs of CHINA till these present Times LONDON Printed by E. Tyler for Iohn Crook and are to be sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Ship in S. Pauls Church-yard 1655. The Epistle to the Reader Courteous Reader I Present thee with that long exspected most exact History of the Lawes Government Manners and present state and condition of that great Monarchy of China in its circuit little less then all Europe Heretofore as zealous of its rare treasures shut and locked up from the curious eyes of strangers so that this booke first yeilds to thee a full discovery thereof I dare say the most valuable that this our world hath been acquainted with since that of America whereby now the furthest East as well as West is disclosed and laid open to the present age For as for some former relations thou mayst have seen thereof thou wilt by this discerne them to be as fabulous as they are compendious and imperfect It was written by one who after first a strict education in all sorts of learning for two and twenty yeares space lived in that Kingdome was resident at the Court and in the greatest Cities thereof and in all that time as designing such a worke was a diligent Observator and Collector of all their manners and customs as likewise after much paines taken in the Language a great student of their Histories and Writings Whose laborious worke after it had already bin clothed in many other Languages besides the Authors and welcomly entertained in most states of Europe it was thought fit no longer to be concealed to a Nation either for curiosity of knowledge or industry of forraigne commerce no way yeilding to her neighbours The variety of the subjects handled therein is so great as comprehending the whole fabricke of that nation their Politicks Oeconomicks Sciences Mechanicks Riches Merchandise c. that those of whatsoever profession may reap no small benefit in reading the designes managements and practices therein of so ingenious a People Whose manners also as their site are so remote and different in most things from ours that I may say in this piece is happily united with the truth of History the delight of a Romance where it will be no small pleasure to thee to see their braines as well as their bodies as it were of a severall mould from the Europeans and their inventions in many things to walke antipodes to us and yet in these no way below us but in many superiour or what in them appears less compleat yet will the knowledge thereof not be ungratefull unto thee because t is new and singular As for many morall vertues thou wilt find them so far to transcend us therein that they may be proposed as an excellent patterne as also they are a shame to Christian states Lastly to correct and reforme any their defects and make the nation perfectly happy the light of Christianity hath of late visited this people who sate in darknes so that now after America also enlightned there is no end of the world left wherinto the sound of the Gospel is not gone forth The foundation of which being there already laid there is great hopes that it may sooner come to a ful purity reformation perfection the indefatigable pains undaunted courage of those laborers who cultivate it in the East provoke a greater diligence andemulation therein in our planters in the West where the Gospel as following a conquest may be advanced both with much more safety and authority To the end of this Treatise I have added the History of the Tartarian invasian of China much enlarged freed from divers Erratas of the former Edition which gives thee an account of the Chinesse affaires till the yeare 1653. Reader thus much I thought good to advertise thee in the front of this Booke that thou mayst not be so great an hinderance to thy selfe as not to be acquainted with so curious and beneficiall a discourse Farewell The Preface WHo writeth of things farre remote doth almost alwayes incurre the inconvenience of many and those no small defects hence it is that we see many Books whose Authours for their personal Qualities might deserve more credit than may justly be given to their writings As for those who have written of China I have perused some of them who leaving in oblivion almost all Truths take the liberty to wander in discourses altogether fabulous for this Kingdome being so remote and having alwayes with much Care avoided all Communication with Strangers reserving onely to themselvs the knowledge of their own Affairs with a most particular Caution hence it followes that nothing is knowne without the Confines thereof but what doth as it were overflow into the skirts of the Country of Cantone a part of this Empire whither the Portugheses have been suffered to come so that the most internall and secret knowledge thereof hath been reserved either for the Natives of the Country who know well enough how to conceale it or for those who upon a better Motive have to discover it little lesse then forgotten their own nature their language their customes and manner of living and transformed themselves into the naturall humour of that Country Now this last hath by divine dispensation fallen to the lott of the Religious of the Company of Iesus who although they came late to the Culture of the Church are notwithstanding arrived to that honour to be reckoned among the first that after Saint Thomas the Apostle did cultivate those remote Confines of the world It is now fifty eight years that they have laboured under this so distant Climate where directing all their force and endeavours to the conversion of Souls they account it a manifest Theft to employ any otherwise that time which they owe to the Service of God and is of so much importance for the Eternall Salvation of men Hence it is that never any yet did or would it have been permitted him if he had desired it to employ himselfe in writing the Relation of this Kingdome except it were Father Nicolaus Trigalzius after he had by permission with-drawn himself from the culture of Christianity among the Chineses and passed from thence into Europe Vpon the same occasion I have undertaken to give a
rich and maketh so much Cotton-wool that those of the Country affirme that there is only in the towne of Xanuchi and the precinct thereof which is large 200000 Loomes for this stuffe so that from that place only the King draweth 150000 crownes yearly In one house there useth to be many of them for they are narrow as the stuffe is Almost all the women are employed in this work The Court did reside in this Province for a long time and even to this day all the Courts of justice and priviledges thereof are conserved in the City of Nankim whose right name is Umthienfu and it seemeth to me to be the best and greatest City of the whole Kingdome both for the form of the building the largenesse of the streets the manners and dealing of the people and for the plentie and excellency of all things It hath admirable places of recreation and is so populous through its confines that the villages succeed one another in a manner from three miles to three miles although at this day by reason it wants the presence of the King it is in its selfe lesse populous neverthelesse in diverse parts thereof it is yet troublesome to walke the streets for the crowde of people that one meeteth Besides the many Palaces Temples Towers and Bridges doe render it very considerable In the wall thereof there are twelve gates barr'd with Iron and guarded with Artillery a good way without runneth another wall with no small ruines The circuit thereof for I was desirous to know the measure of it is two daies journey on horse-back That of the inner wall is eighteen miles both the one and the other have within them many populations gardens and fields which are tilled the bread whereof useth to be applied to the use of the souldiery within the City to the number of fourty thousand In one part thereof there is cast up an artificiall Mount on the top whereof there is seen a wooden spheare not armed although the circles thereof are placed at the latitude of the same City which is 32 degrees a small latitude in respect of the great colds but a very large one for the great heate which it suffereth The spheare is in circumference of a notable bignesse and is a very compleat piece of work It hath moreover a Tower divided into seaven stories of singular beauty for the workemanship thereof it being full of figures and wrought like Percellane an edifice which might be ranked among the most famous of ancient Rome The river cometh to kisse the feet of this City and sendeth up some armes of it selfe into it The name of the river is Yanchukiam that is to say the Sonne of the sea nor vainly is it so called it being the most aboundant in water of any that is knowne in the world There is also great plenty of fish We have foure Churches in this Province the first in Nankim with a house of Iesuites and is of a very ancient and exercised Christianity having suffered foure persecutions and come of from each of them with more vigour The second in the Towne of Xamhai with a great number of beleevers The third in the City of Xamkiam The fourth in the Towne of Kiatini beside these Churches there are many Oratories And so much shall suffice concerning the nine Southern Provinces CHAP. 3. Of the Northern Provinces SIx are the Provinces which are called Northern and their names are Honam Xemsi Kiansi Xantum Pekim and Leaotum The first lyeth in the latitude of 35 degrees as centre of the Kingdome and produceth most gallant fruits as well those that are proper to the Countrie as ours in Europe nor is the cheapnesse of them lesse I bought for a farthing and a halfe 88 Apricocks it hath nothing else notable except a Son of the Kings called Fovam the last of those which came out of the Palace He liveth with so great splendour and authoritie of a King that to be such he only wanteth the name and jurisdiction In Caifum the Metropolis thereof we have had onely for these few yeares a Church and house but a good plenty of Christians The second is Xemsi it lyeth in 36 degrees and more to the West it is very large but dry for want of water as also are the three neighbouring Provinces notwithstanding it doth abound in Wheate Barly and Maize of Rice they have but little All winter long they give wheat to their Beasts which are many particularly their sheep which they sheare three times a year once in the Spring another time in the Summer a third in the Autume but the first time of shearing yeeldeth the best wool From hence cometh all the wooll of which are made the felts and other things used either in this Province or elswhere They make there of no sort of cloath not using to spin wool but only Goats-hair of which they weave certain Stuffes for the hanging of their roomes in so great perfection that the most ordinary are better than ours and the Best are esteemed more precious than silk They make likewise of Goats-haire a very fine Felt which they call Tum and is made use of for garments But this is not made of every sort of Goats-hair but of a very fine haire which lyeth under the first They pull it out with great care and make it up in certain bals of the bignesse of an ordinary loafe and then put it out to be wrought with singular skill Musk is proper to this Province and because it is in question after what manner this excellent perfume is made I will give you account of it according to the most diligent enquiry I have made concerning it It is the Navel of an Animal about the bignesse of a small Stagge whose flesh is very good meate and only that part is taken containing that precious matter but all those Cods which are brought hither to us are not true and perfect Navells for the Chinesses have learnt to falsifie them by stuffing some peices of the skin of that Animall with musk that is vitiated and mingled with some other things Here is also Gold found but not in Mines for though there be Mines both of Gold and Silver the King doth not suffer them to be opened but out of Rivers and Eddies and although it be found only in smal peices and graines yet being put together it amounts to a great quantity there being Infinite people both young and old which go in search of it There is Rubarbe and Profumo which are not found in any other part for that which cometh from Persia doth not seem to be naturall to that place for of as many as have travelled through that countrie there is not any that gives an account to have seen there that healthfull plant It is something tall with leaves bigger than Cole-worts it doth not grow wilde as some have imagined but is Cultivated in gardens with a great deale of care In this Province is opened
the third Gate the which as I sayd above is a seate of much Merchandise for it hath two Cities in the borders thereof Gaucheu and Sucheu toward the West as Machao is in the Province of Contone toward the South from whence come numerous Caravans of above a thousand in company of severall Nations and Provinces but for the most part Moores Thus far came Brother Benedict-Goes to seek for the Kingdom of Cathaya which is no other than China it selfe whose voyage we will here breefly relate He departed in lent the year 1603 for to find out the truth of what was reported of the Kingdome of Cathaca by order of the superiors of India from the Kingdome of Mogor and the royal City of Laor in the Habit of an Armenian carrying Merchandise as well to live as to passe with the more facility The whole Caravan consisted of 500 Persons for the most part Sarasens and used to go every year from this royall City to another in another Kingdom named Cascar After a months voyage he arrived at a City named Athu of the same province with Laor thence in two months and a half to Passaur and after another month and a half sometimes travelling and sometimes resting he came to the City of Ghideli where he wanted little to have been slain by theeves And finally after 20 dayes more he came to the City of Cabu the most noble Merchant-towne of all the countries subjected to the Mogor from hence after some stay he passed to Parvám the last City of the Kingdom of Mogor then travelling for 20 daies over very high Mountains he came to Calcia a countrie of faire-hayred people and in other 25 dayes to Chema where he was forced to stay a month by reason of Civill broils and after many troubles and dangers of theeves and Banditti and having passed many countries of the Kings of Samarhan they came into the country of Tengo and at length he entred into the Metropolitan City of the Kingdom of Cascár called Tanghesár in the month of November in the same year At this City which is a noble seate of Merchandise for those Kingdomes the Caravan of Merchants which come from Cabull ended their voyage and a new Caravan setteth forth from thence to go to China But our Brother remained here first many months expecting the time of their departure and having in the meane time made himselfe known to the King of the country he obtained letters of favour and recommendations to all places whither he should go The time therefore being come he departed with ten horses for to carry himself his companion and his goods in company of the whole Caravan toward Chathyaya thaâ— is China in the moneth of November the year following and having travelled 25 dayes with a great deale of difficultie over stones and sand he came to the City of Aesu part of the Kingdom of Cascár after having passed a desart called Caracathai that is Black-earth and gone through many Cities at length he came to a City called Cialis in the same Kingdom of Cascár Here whilest he fitted himself for his journey there arrived Merchants which came from China of whom Brother Benedict learned some tydings of the City of Pekim and of our Fathers which had been there seen by these Sarasen Merchants So that he was satisfied that Cathaya was nothing else but China and the royall City named by the Sarasens Gambalú was Pekim From this City of Cialis Benedict departing with a few in company came in twenty dayes to Pucian and afterwards to Turphan Arâ—muth and Camul the last City of the Kingdome of Cialis From Camul after nine dayes journey they came to the wall of China at a placc called Chiacuon and so had entrance into China which he sought under the name of Cathaya Excepting therefore eleven dayes journey which was through a country peopled by Tartars all the rest of his voyage was through countries inhabited by Moors or Mahumetans Now to return to our story with these Caravans come Embassadours which the Princes of the Moors send to the King of China making every three yeares a small Embassie in respect both of the Persons and the presents and every five years a great one The most part of the Caravan remaine in the two above-named Cities which are upon the Frontiers trafficking there with their Merchandise The others go to comply with their charge and to offer the present in the name of five Kings which are the Kings of Rume Arabia Camul Eamarcan Tursan The first four know nothing of this Embassy the fifth although he know of it doth not make the present nor send the Embassy but hath only this advantage that he nameth the Embassadors The present is made by the Merchants among themselvs these coming to the Vice-roy of those parts the King hath advice given him of their arrival by a paper called a memoriall or petition as soone as they have leave from the Court and that their names are inrolled there depart 40. or 50. of them besides many more added to them who to have leave to enter into the kingdome to trade to eate at the Kings expenses give the captaine a Bribe of about a hundred or six-score crownes a man There goeth a long with them a Mandarine who entertaineth them of freecost while they travell But if they make any stay as they did in the Metropolis of the province for more than three monthes space the Kings expense ceaseth but not the benefit of their traffique for all that while they follow their Merchandise The Merchandise which they bring are Salt Armoniak fine Azure fine linnen carpets called Raisins knives and other small things The best and greatest Commoditie is a certain stone called Yaca which they bring from the Kingdom of Yauken the worst is of a whitish colour the finest is green it hath been of great price formerly in China and is still of good value They make thereof diverse sorts of Jewels for the ornament of the head and it is much used in the palaces the girdle which the King giveth to the Colai is embrodered with the finest sort therof which no other is allowed to use in this ornament That which they carry back in exchange of their commodities is Porcellane Rubies Musk raw-silk silk-stuffes diverse other rarities and medicinall drugges as Rubarb And this I do imagine is the same which is transported from Persia to these parts The Embassadours being arrived they offer their present which consisteth of a thousand Arrabas of this precious stone whereof we have spoken which maketh 1333. Italian pounds whereof 300. pounds are of the finest sort 340. horses which are to be left upon the frontier 300. small poynted Diamonds twelve Cattes of fine Azure which is about 100. Italian pounds 600. knives as many files The last present seeming to me improper to be presented to a King Ienquird what use the King made of them but I could not meet any one was
they can avoyd their owne houses knowing well that the multitude of people and the respect which is payd to their quality at home are capitall enemies to study hence it cometh to passe in other Kingdomes that the sonnes of Lords and great men do for the most part prove great Ignorants As if the greatest Nobility did not consist in the greatest knowledge There are ordinary Masters without number for there being so many that pretend to the degree of a Literato and so few that attaine to it the greatest part are constrained to take upon them the imployment of a schoolmaster so that to set up a schoole the year following they go about to get scholars for that time from the beginning of the present year but in great houses they commonly receive none for Masters but such as have taken the degree of Batchelour who continue the course of their studies with a designe to take their other degree When they have taken any degree although it be but only of Batchelâ—ur they are then no longer under a Master but forme a kind of Academie as it were among themselves where they meet at certaine times every month one of them openeth a book and giveth a point or Theme upon which all of them make their Compositions which they afterward compare among themselves Although they have no universities and particular schooles neverthelesse they have generall schooles which are very capacious and magnificent and most richly adorned for the examiners and those that are to be examined of which there is a wonderfull great number These schooles are in the Cities and Townes but the most stately ones are in the Metropolies of the Provinces where the examination of Licentiats is held These fabriques are of a bignesse proportionable to the multitude of people which flock to them The form is almost the same in all Those of Cantone are not bigge because they admit not of above foure-score to take their degree whereas in others there are admitted from an hundred to a hundred and fifteen which is a great difference The whole structure is compassed about with a wall having a faire and sumptuous gate towards the South opening into a large streete where a numerous multitude are gathered together This streete or Piatza is 150. Geometricall paces broade each pace consisting of five foote There are no houses in it but only porches and walks with seats for the captaines and souldiers who are there assisting all the time of the examination and keep a strong guard At the first entrance there is a great Court where do stand the Mandarines of the first post with a Court of guard within the gate then presently appeareth another wal with a gate made like those of our Churches and openeth shuts in two leaves or pieces when it is not convenient that all should be opened when you are past that gate there appeareth a large place in which there is a pond of water extending from one tide to another over which standeth a stone bridge of perfect Architecture which endeth at another entrance or gate guarded by Captaines which suffer none to go in or out without expresse order from the officers After this gate followeth another very spacious Court having on each side rowes of little houses or chambers for the persons that are to be examined placed on the East and West side thereof Every chamber is foure palmes and an halfe long every palme is nine inches English and three and a halfe broade and is in height about the stature of a man they are covered with Tarrasse or Playster in stead of Tyle within each of them are two boards the one fastened to sit downe on the other moveable for a Table which after it hath served them to write upon they make use of when time is to eate on There is a narrow entrie which leadeth to them that admitteth but of one man a breast and that hardly too the doores of one row open toward the backside of the other At the time of the examination there is a souldier to assist in every one of these little chambers to guard and serve the person to be examined sitting under his little Table They say he hath a gagge of wood in his mouth that he should not speak and trouble the student But if it be in his power to remedie it it is not likely that he doth entirely complie with his obligation At the end of this narrow entrie I spake of is raised a Tower upon foure Arches with Balusters without on all sides within which there is a Salone or great Hall where do assist some officers and persons of respect who stay there to give account of what passeth in all the little chambers which they have placed in their sight At the foure corners of this Court are foure great Towers with their Bell or Drum which is sounded as soone as there happeneth any noveltie or disorder to give notice thereof to whom it doth concerne Nigh to these Towers are other Buildings with a large Hall furnished with seats and Tables and other necessaries for the businesse that is to be performed there which is the first examination of the compositions at which the more ordinary officers do assist sitting in those seates Going through the Hall by the gate which looketh Northward there is to be seen another Court and presently another Hall of the same form but the furniture thereof is more rich and costly it serving for the President and more honourable officers Then follow likewise other appartaments and lodgings for the said persons and for all the other officers and examiners every appartament hath a Hall seats and Tableâ— to negotiate and eat at a chamber with a bed and Canopie of silke and other houshold-stuff proper to that end they are designed for There is also a walke with little gardens and low Trees There are also joyned to these other lesser chambers for Notaries Secretaries Pages and other officers of their families besides these there are other chambers for the Mandarines and inferiour officers and for their ordinary servants with Butteries Larders Kitchins and whatsoever is necessary for the accommodation of so great a multitude every thing being disposed and ordered even to admiration Anciently the nobilitie and kindred of the King were not admitted to any sort of office or publique charge no nor those of them that studied were allowed to come to the examinations to take their degrees About 20 yeares since after many earnest solicitations made by them and oppositions by the contrary part they had the priviledge granted them to be admitted to all examinations and the examiners are obliged to confer degrees on some of them but not to many The common people of all sorts and all vocations are admitted except those that are infamous as the servants of the Mandarines not their houshold Servants but those which serve them in their Tribunalls and Courts of justice Sergeants Bayliffs Catchpoles Rogues Executioners and guardians of
most ready The sixth is that in their Councells of warre of which they have two one in the Court of Nankim and the other in that of Pekim and each hath a President two Collateralls and eight or nine Colleagues there is not one Souldier or Captaine among them or any that hath ever seen the warres and yet for all that the whole Militia of the Kingdome is ordered by them especially by the Councell of Pekim Only there might be answered to what hath been said that the Chinesses do use training and exercises of warre for three months in the Spring and three in the Autumne every year which cannot be done without some profit exercising themselves in shooting arrowes at a marke and shooting also very well But in truth this exercise of theirs is the most rediculous thing in the world For dividing their men into squadrons part feign themselves to be enemies and part Chinesses as among us in Portugall the boyes divide themselves into Moores and Christians one part cometh as it were a farre off to warre with the other then they send out spies and send away messengers to the Mandarines who are sitting not farre of under a Canopie or Pavilion of silke giving them notice that they are in such a place and the enemie in such a place then the Chinesses send out a partie against them who encountring knock their Swords and Lances one against the others just as plaiers do upon a stage and this or very little more is all they do CHAP. 21. Of the warre which the Tartars made upon China WHen Humun the first founder of the royall family that governeth at present drove the Tartar out of the Kingdome who had kept all China under his subjection ninetie years he not only re-gained his own Kingdome but entred likewise into those of the others and conquered those Kingdomes that lay neerest him towards the North obliging them to pay him tribute neither did he let them remaine in the manner of Kingdomes but the same Humun divided them into 160. families or States giving them diverse dignities and offices These States grew so great that they divided themselves into three Kingdomes one towards the West another toward the North and the third toward the East The two first presently with-drew themselves from their obedience to the Chinesses only he of the East remaining their friend treating with them and performing his obligations This continued for many years till the Chinesses seeing that Easterne Kingdome to encrease much whether it were for reason of state or for some other particular respect they resolved to fall upon it and to bring them under so that the Tartars forced by desperation resolved at once to invade upon them this is the usuall effect of Extortion and Tyranny and where the Prince would have more from the people than they are able to give Whence Theopompus King of the Lacedemonians when his wife told him that because he had eased his people of many taxes he would leave his soone a poorer Kingdome than he had received from his Father answered Relinquo sed diuturnius That is I shall leave him a more lasting Kingdome The Tartars therefore secretly levied Souldiers and on a sudden fell upon a fort in the Province of Leaotum and tooke it making afterwards many in-roads to their profit and to the great damage of the Chinesses The Tartars of the West and of the North whether it were out of love to their Country or out of intrest which is more probable raised also an Army and came in to the Succour of their Easterne Countrimen and by little and little grew so numerous that in the yeare 1618 two very great Armies one Chinesse and the other Tartar came to a field-battaile in which the Chinesses were vanished and put to flight with a very great loss of men And that it might the better be understood how the state of things were then I will set down here a memorial or petition which the President of the Councell of warre gave the King concerning this businesse which I translated at that time and sent it into Europe for news and now I have found it here printed and it saith thus A memoriall or petition presented by the president of the Councell of Warre to the King IN this six and fourtieth year of your Reign in the sixth Moone which was the yeare 1618 in the month of August the President of the Councell of Warre presenteth you with this Memoriall as to our Lord and King upon occasion that the Tartars are entred within the walls toward the North in which he humbly petitioneth you that you would attend this businesse and presently open your Treasures and assist this Warre with men and ammunition For the truth is that in this month I have received intelligence from the Captaines that reside in the Province of the walls toward the North wherein they give me notice that in all parts of that Province there were proclamations published wherein they did declare that the Tartars were gathered together to Conquer this world of China and gave me intelligence of the day appointed for the Battaile the which accordingly was fought at that time with a great strength and multitude of people and entring within the wals they have taken some of our men to Sacrifice them and the day before the battaile they did Sacrifice them with great acclamations to their King and have already proclaimed him King of Pekim They bring with them many hundred thousands of Souldiers and each heareth about him severall sorts of Armes Our men who met to encounter and suppresse them were two Captaines-Generall ninety six ordinary Captaines and 300000 men at armes They joyned battaile and in the first encounter they killed thirty eight of our Captaines amongst whom was one of our Generals the others are slaine without number they took also some thousands of prisoners and in the retreat by reason of the confusion and disorder there were killed by them above a thousand of our men The people of the Cities are fled as also those of the other Townes Whereupon the same day they made themselves masters of three Cities Upon the reciept of this newes we assembled the Councell the Colao and other Mandarines of this Court that in so weighty a businesse wee might finde some good expedient And in truth it seemeth to us that heaven doth favour the enemy who otherwise could not have been able to have made such a slaughter of our people in one day and to have taken three Cities and so it seemeth heaven is angry with us As also the Prodigies which we have lately all seen do demonstrate no lesse In the Province of Pekim the last yeare it raigned not at all and the people went about like men halfe dead and in the Province of Xankim there was so great a dearth and famine that the people did eat one another and into Nankim came an infinite multitude of Mice neither was it discovered whence that
in the middle of walls and after many yeares and a diligent search they set on foot againe the more principall matters yet there were many things wanting and especially concerning the first Kings and Princes of this Kingdome However it is certainly known that their first Government was by way of Families every one governing his own as anciently the Patriarks did The second was Monarchicall but it is not certaine how it began neither have they any thing certaine concerning the originall of it They do commit a notable errour in the time of their Chronologies for the Emperour Yao from whose time they do begin to give credit to their Histories even according to the most favourable computation from the creation of the world to Noah they make to be twelve yeares before the floud neverthelesse although there be an errour of the time in the Historie of this Emperour and those that follow it is certaine that the matters related are very coherent with their successions Now this Emperour Yao without having any regard to the naturall and lawful succession of his sonne left the Empire to Xun his Sonne-in-law only because he discovered in him parts and quâ—lities worthie of the Government Xun likewise for the same respect gave the Empire to Yù who was no kin to him These three Emperours are much esteemed by the Chinesses for holy men concerning whom they relate many things And truly there is no doubt but that they were Philosophers well inclined to morall vertues They do attribute much merit to the last of these three for the Adjusting of the waters as they call it which was done by him through the Kingdom which in that time did abound in lakes and moarish places and therefore in many parts could not be tilled This King going in person and commanding large trenches to be made wherein many years were spent he gave vent to that multitude of waters and by that meanes recovered a great deale of ground which was of great profit for tillage There are some in Europe who believe that these waters were the reliques of the floud The Chinesses although they make a large mention of these waters in their books of the draining of them and of the benefit which accrued thereby to the Kingdom do not say any thing of any occasion or originall of them After these three Emperours abovenamed the Empire was ever continued by succession but not in the same family for there were many Princes and Lords who although they were subject to the Emperour yet sometimes for particular respects and otherwhile under pretence of evill Government and Tyranny made warres confederacies and disorders with which they either disturbed and troubled the Monarchy or divided it or else usurped it all to themselves So that although it lasted in some families many years as in that of Tham for 400. years and in some other families little lesse yet the Monarchy from the beginning to this present day hath been changed into two and twenty severall Families The Lords of particular states continued in China 2000 years till in the year of our redemption 1206 the Tartars who then possessed another Country began to make themselves Masters of China and advanced so farre by degrees till at length they brought it all under their subjection reigning there as absolute till the year 1368. At what time Hum Vu the founder of the family which reigneth at presenâ— seeing the strength of the Tartars to be diminished and their Tyranny encreased and the people so wearied therewith that they were well disposed to shake off the yoake and set themselves at libertie gathered together an army with such good successe that he not only discomfited the Tartars and drove them out of the Kingdom but entred also into their Country and conquered a good part thereof The Kingdome being thus re-establisht in its naturall estate Hum Vu seeing himselfe become absolute Lord thereof set on foot an admirable kinde of Government differing in part from that of all other Monarchies yet it is such a one as hath now been conserved almost 300 years with so much subjection communication and dependance from its head that so great an Empire seemeth to be but as it were one well governed convent This King in the first place conferred many favours and graces upon all his subjects Liberalitie being that which doth most demonstrate a royall minde he created new officers yet retained he some of the former ones as we shall relate in its proper place To the chiefe and principall Captaines he assigned large revenues to the second a very competent maintenance and to those of the third sort sufficient He tooke away all the Princes and Lords of vassals and subjects without leaving one he prohibited by a rigorous law that none of the Royall family neither in peace nor warre nor in any case might beare office in the Common-wealth either civil criminall or military neither might they be suffered to enter into the examinations to receive their degree the which last prohibition as I have formerly said hath been lately taken away in part He placed the whole Government in the Litterati who are created such by way of concurrence as hath been declared when I spake of the examinations without any dependance at all on the Magistrates or the King himselfe but only by the merit of their learning good parts and vertues He did not annull those ancient lawes which concerned good Government and hindred not his intent which was only to perpetuate the Monarchy in his Posteritie But he made many new ones and modelled the Common-wealth and the Government into that form wherein it standeth at present although in so many years and in so vast a Monarchie it hath not been possible but that it should receive some alteration though not in any essentiall part thereof The King is called by diverse names For the better understanding whereof you must know that there are thirteen things remarkable at his Coronation The first is the changing of the account of years beginning their supputation a new from the entrance of the new Kings reigne and this not only in their ordinary discourse but in all letters dispatches provisoes writings c. The second that there is coyned new mony with the letters of his name although the former continueth current also The third is That he Crowneth his true wife making her as it were Empresse The fourth is That he giveth the name of Queen to six Concubines The fifth is That there are great sacrifices made to Heaven to the Earth to the Spirits c. The sixt That there are great store of Almes given to the poore The seaventh That all prisoners are set at libertie whose freedom is not prejudiciall to a third party The eighth That there are sumptuous banquets made for the Magistrates The ninth That all the women are to depart out of the Palace that have been Concubines to the former King The tenth The Palaces which are foure in number
wherein the other women lived are furnished againe with new women pickt chosen throughout the whole realme in time of which search there are many marriages made every one endeavouring to deliver his daughter from that subjection The eleventh The Nobilitie of the bloud royall do send deputies not every one but all those of one City to render obedience to the King and to acknowledge him for such In like manner also do the Tituladoes which cannot do it in their owne persons The twelfth is That all Officers from Vice-royes to the meanest Judges of Townes go in person to Court to render the same obedience on the behalfe of their Provinces Cities and Townes Lastly the Kings name is changed as is used among us at the election of the Pope and this is that name which is written in all publick acts on moneyes c. It is a name of a particular but royall person as that of this Kings Grandfather was Vam Lie of his father Thai Cham of his Brother who raigned first Thien Khi and of this King Teum Chim They have moreover three names which signifie a King The first is Kiun and by this they use to call forreigne Kings The second is Vam and by this name they call the Infantoes or Kings children joyning them together Kiun Vam they make a name by which their King may be called But the principall name is Ho Am Ti that is Emperour In the Palace the Women Eunuchs and other domesticks thereof call him Chu that is Lord. They call him also Thien Zu which is to say Sonne of Heaven not because they believe him to be such but because they hold that Empire is a gift of heaven as also to render the respect which is due to the royall person more sacred and in realitie the reverence which they use towards him seemeth more befitting a Divine than humane person and the manner how they behave themselves at this day in his presence is more proper for a Church than a prophane Palace I said at this day because in former times it was not so For then the Kings of China lived according to the fashion of the greatest part of the other Princes of the world They went abroad conversed hunted and there was one of them so greedy of this recreation that whereby he might have the opportunity of spending whole months together in hunting without returning to Court and attending upon the affaires of government did substitute one of his Sonnes in his place The Emperours did visit in person the whole Kingdome at what time there happened that story which is so famous in China and which deserveth likewise to be known in Europe The Emperour going this progresse in a certaine way met with a company of men who were leading certaine prisoners He caused the coach to stop and enquired what the matter was which as soone as he had understood he fell a weeping They who accompanied him began to comfort him and one of them said unto him Sir It is not possible but that in a Common-wealth there must be chastisements it cannot be avoyded so have the former Kings your predecessours commanded it to be so have the laws ordained it so doth the government of the state require it The King answered I weepe not to see these men prisoners nor to see them chastised I know very well that without rewards the good are not encouraged and without chastisement the wicked are not restrained and that chastisement is as necessary to the government of a Kingdome as bread is for the nourishment and sustenance thereof But I weepe because my time is not so happy as that of old was when the vertues of the Princes were such that they served as a bridle to the people and their example was sufficient to restraine the whole Kingdome without any other chastisement This was a Heathen who spake thus and who seeth not how much reason we have to envy these Heathens who although they are exceeded by us in the knowledge of things belonging to faith do yet oftentimes surpasse us in the practise of morall vertues According as I have said the ancient Kings did personally attend the Government giving audience very easily and very frequently to all their subjects In the time of King Tham there was a Colao who having been his Master was very powerfull with him who to preserve himselfe in his grace and favour studied more to speak what should please the King than to tell him the truth for the good of his state a most abominable thing But the Chinesses seeing his honour was great and the Kings favour towards him very extraordinary did dissemble it all notwithstanding they forbore not to speak of it among themselves and to taxe the flattery of the Colao One day certaine Captaines of the guard discoursing among themselves in the Palace concerning this point one of them being a little warmed with the discourse secretly withdrawing himselfe out of the company went into the hall where the King then was kneeled downe upon his knees before him the King asking what he would have He answered Leave to cut off the head of a flattering subject And who is that replied the King Such a one that stands there answered the other The King being angry said Against my Master dare you propose this and in my presene Let them take him away and cut off his head When they began to lay hands upon him he caught hold of a wooden balanster and as there were many pulling of him and he holding with a great deale of strength the balanster broke By that time the Kings anger was over and he commanded they should let him go and gave order that the balanster should be mended and that they should not make a new one that it might remaine a witnesse of the fact and the Memoriall of a subject that was not afraid to advise his King what he ought to do Such was the facility with which not only the Officers but any one whosoever of the people might have admission to the King so that within the first gate of the Palace there was always a Bell a Drumme and a Table overlaid with a white varnish as it were playstered over upon this he that would not speak to the King in person wrote what his request was which was presently carried to the King But whosoever would speak with him rang the Bell or beat the Drumme and presently they were brought in and had audience The Drumme remaines even to this day but as it seemeth to me rather in memory of the times past than for any use of the present for during twenty two years time I do not remember that it was ever beaten above once and he that did it was presently paid his pension in ready Bastinadoes for having disquieted the King who was about halfe a league off After this hard penance he was heard and allowed not to see or speak to the King but according to the custome now in
those that come in or out as is abovesaid It hath a President two Assessors and seaven Counsellours The fift is of Rites in more particular matters and in that it is different from the first but it hath the same forme with its Assessors It taketh care of the sacrifices of the Royall sepulchres of Mountaines Groves and all that belong to them as Singers Instruments living creatures for sacrifice c. Moreover China hath another Tribunall which hath only charge of the Memorialls which are presented to the King and is as it were a Chancery of Requests so that such petitions as are not approved of by them are never given the King This Tribunall was the occasion in the time of the persecution of the Christians 1616 that when we would have given an account of the law which we preached and of the things which were imputed to us our Memoriall could never passe it being still rejected by them There are other three in the same form with severall charges offices Beside the abovesaid Tribunalls there are two more one called Quoli the other Tauli these although they have their eye upon severall Provinces each upon those matters which appertaine to them neverthelesse their proper occupation and principall office is to take notice of the errours and disorders of the Kingdom and to advertise the King of his own failings if he hath any as also of the faults of the Mandarines and their Government and as it was never hard for any to tell the faults of others yet these have a particular Talent in it and doe it with great liberty though many times with little Justice Their manner is to frame a Memoriall and present it to the King for those of these two Tribunalls do not passe through the Chancery of Memorialls and then presently as they call it FÃ ' C Heo that is to transscribe it and so to send a copy of it to the Notaries whereof there are many destined for this worke These write many copies of it which are sent by the next posts from the Court to be dispersed through the whole Kingdom and by this means it is presently known every where by whom and against whom this Memoriall is presented the misdeeds contained therein of what qualitie soever they be Assoone as this Memorial which they call Puen is published presently the Magistrate or other person against whom it is framed is obliged to do two things whether it be with or against his will which is more ordinary The first is that he give in a Memorial not in his own defence for to excuse himself were to shew little humility but he must say therein that the Tauli hath great reason that he hath committed a great errour and is in fault and doth deserve to have a penance laid upon him and that with all subjection he will submit to any punishment that shall be imposed The second is that he presently retire himselfe and leave the Tribunal and so all Acts of Justice are suspended so that he neither giveth audience nor endeth any suite untill the King have answered his petition and declared his pleasure thereon the which is sometimes in his favour and then he continueth his office and sometimes against him more or lesse according to the quality of his fault There is no doubt if this way were executed with reason and good conscience but that it would be much in favour of Justice and the good Government of the Common-wealth as on the contrary side it is an open gate to many causelesse troubles and disgraces It falleth out many times that a Mandarine in performing his office and acquitting himselfe of the duty of his place doth make himselfe many enemies Some one of these if he be a person that hath interest with any that is an Officer of those two Tribunals as kinsman friend c. he giveth account of iâ— to the Court the Memoriall flyeth abroad and God help the poore Mandarine When they are lesser Mandarines as Iudges Assistants to Governours or Mandarines in Armes at one blow they lay him flat on the ground If they be great Mandarines there is more difficulty but if they know how to finde a hole in their coates and the Tauli and Quoli get him in their clawes they never give them over till they have un-horsed them so that the King himselfe is hardly able to save them The like accident happened to that Tyrant Xin who in the year 1626 being Xi cam in Nankim raised a persecution against the Christians and caused the fathers to be benished as shall be related in its proper place He arrived afterwards to the dignity of a Colao and caused foure ensignes to be hanged out at the 4 corners of his Palace I was then present in the same City that is in Hamcheu and made other demonstrations of extraordinary joy But whether it were that the Lord would chastise him for the persecutions he raised against his elect or whether he deserved punishment for any other particular crimes according to humane laws or for both together assoone as his orders were come and before he was departed to go to Court there was so terâ—ible a Memoriall put in against him that a Christian Mandarine told me it would not be possible for him to hold up his head and so he was presently glad to take in his Standard and depart with ordinary Ceremonies He was notwithstanding a politike crafty man and had purchased with his mony in the Palace the good will both of the Ladies and the Eunuchs who are not wont to sell their favours at a low rate These did not only cause a Memoriall to be dispatched in his favour but used means for him to be sent for to Court At length he went but after a few months there was another Memoriall given in against him and after that severall others to the number of twenty seven and the crimes laid to his charge were such that the King could not help him so that he was forced to quit his Government and retire to his house Beside these two Tribunals there is another which is superiour to all the rest and is the supreame dignity of the Kingdom to which none do arrive but those of the Royall Colledge called Han Lin after they have Governed a long time and given such testimony of their abilitie and integritie that never any Memoriall was given in against them They are called by the name of Colao they are commonly but foure and may never exceed the number of six The old King Grandfather to him that reigneth at present never made but one of them at a time saying That more were superfluous These have no particular office but have an eye over the Government of the whole Kingdome We may not unfitly call them the supreame Presidents of all the Counsells and of the whole Government although they are never present at them but assist the King at all dispatches of affaires and now that the King doth
not use to be present there himselfe they alwayes assist in the Palace to receive and answer all businesse and the Memorialls which are every day given in These report them to the King who pronounceth the last sentence upon them These Colai are very much respected by all the Magistrates and at set times they do them reverence as to their superiours in a publick Hall The Colai stand up and all the Officers of the Court passe before them in their order and when they come right over against them they turne towards them and make them a profound Reverence to the very ground They call this Ceremony Quo Tham that is To passe the Hall Their ensignes or badges of honour are different from those of the rest and their girdle which they call Yù Xe is richly set with precious stones They only are allowed to weare it and it is given them by the King as in Europe Kings doe use to give Collars of their orders to their knights And when they are sick it is only to these that the King sendeth to visit them with Regaloes and dainties from the Palace and they do sufficiently gratifie the Eunuch that brings them for the least they give him is fifty crownes which is more in that Country than 200 here Beside these supreame and generall Governours at the Court who do not only govern that but the whole Kingdom also there are likewise particular and ordinary Governours and Judges of every City and these observe the same manner of Government as well in the Cities and Townes of the other Provinces as also in those of Pekim and Nankim where the two Courts are as shall be related hereafter CHAP. 26. Of the Government of the thirteen Provinces WE have formerly spoken of the universall Government of the whole Kingdome which resideth in the two Courts it followth now that we should speak of the particular Government of the Provinces every one whereof is a large Kingdom This Government resideth ordinarily in the Metropolis or chiefe City of each Province In each of these there are five Tribunalls that have a generall command over the whole Province and distinct offices among themselves Of these five two are supreame to which all others both of the Cities and Townes are subordinate But they among themselves are not subjected one to the other but are immediatly subbordinate to the King and the Royall Tribunalls These consist of one President or Iudge without any Assistant or Councellour although they have many other Officers The first of these two is the Vice-roy of the Province whom they call Tut Ham or Kiun Muen He hath power over all the Magistrates and people of the Province He Governeth for three years and hath constant Posts that come go from the Court at set times being to give account of whatsoever passeth in the Province He is received into the City in great pompe and state When he is ready to depart the Court many of the Officers of his Tribunal go thither to receive him others meet him a good part of the way where from City to City he is honourably accompanied both by horse and foot And three miles before he cometh to the City where he is to reside there go out certaine Captaines with 3000 Souldiers to receive him after these follow the Magistrates and after them an innumerable company of people The Second Office which is also absolute is called Cha Iven we have no Office in Europe that is answerable to it he is as it were Visitour of the Province It lasteth only a yeare it is of great rigour and much feared He hath authority to take Cognizans of all causes both Criminall and civill of the Militia of the Kings Patrimonie in a word of all He visiteth enquireth and informeth himself of all even to the Vice-roy himself the inferiour Mandarines and Judges he may punish or turne them out of their places Concerning the greater Mandarines if there be cause he is to give in Memorialls and they are from thence forward suspended from the function of their Offices till the Kings answer come from Court To him it belongeth to cause the sentences of Death given through the whole Province to be put in execution in order to which he assigneth the day and the City whither all those that are condemned shall be brought to him and there he is presented with a List of their names then taking his pensill he marketh six or seaven of them for if he prick more they count him cruell these are presently carried to execution and the rest returned to the prisons whence they came It belongeth also to him to visit the Wals Castles and publick places c. He setteth forth with a great traine and pomp having banners carried before him and other Ensignes of Rigour and Majestie This is usually every year There is another extraordinarie Officer of the same name He is created from time to time at the Queens request he hath great power and authoritie but it is only in favour of Piety and Mercy he visiteth all the Prisons of the Province and freeth all such as are imprisoned for light faults and that have no prosecutours and all those miserable wretches that have no meanes to free themselves he taketh into protection such causes as have been rejected and parties that could obtaine no favour he revoketh such sentences as have been unjustly given he maketh himselfe Protectour of the poore and in a word his whole authoritie is employed about works of mercy The Third Office is the Treasurer who is superintendent of the Kings Patrimonie through the whole Province He is subordinate to the Councell of the Patrimonie at Court He hath two Assistants one of the right hand and the other of the left each of these have their house and Tribunall within the circuit of the Treasurers Place He hath under him 26 lesser Mandarines that have severall charges and employments besides other Officers great and small of which sort there are very many belonging to this Tribunall To him it belongeth to overlooke the customes excise and other duties appertaining to the King of what kind soever to regulate all weights and measures all suites controversies punishments and sentences appertaining to the Kings Patrimonie or at least to remit them to what Tribunall he pleaseth to pay the ordinarie salaries to all Magistrates to the Kings kindred to the Captaines and Souldiers to provide all expences for the examinations to furnish and give the badges of honour to all Graduates to lay out money for the publick workes as Bridges High-wayes Palaces of the Mandarines Ships for the Navy c. In a word he is superintendent of whatsoever is spent or received of the Kings Revenue immediatly from the Governours Iudges and Tauli each for his own precinct and though the summe be never so small they must alwayes be paid in fine Silver which is afterwards melted by the Treasurer into Ingots weighing fifty Crownes a piece with the
that the husbandmen could not attend their Ploughing and Sowing so that by this meanes they came to suffer great want It happened that a Mandarine passed through that Province as he came from another who had more zeale and compassion for them than they who governed there Assoon as he was come to Court he presented a Memoriall to the King wherein he did so lively set forth the small importance of that chase and the great trouble and disturbance which it caused to the people that the King not only bounded his curiosity and commanded they should desist from taking any more Birds but also gave libertie to those which were already taken commanding the doors of the Aviaries and Cages to be set open that they might fly away In the City of Pekim in the Palace of one of the Kings daughters whom they call Cum Chu there was one of her Servants who was very insolent having committed many high crimes and one among the rest which deserved death the Mandarines much desired to apprehend him but in the Palace they could not and he never went abroad but when he wayted on his Princesse At length there was a Mandarine who resolved to take him by any meanes he could and to this effect when the Princesse went next abroad he with his men set himself before the coaches and made them stop and then presently laid hands on that man and carried him away The Princesse resenting the afront that was done her returned presently to the Palace full of indignation and was so transported with colar that she would not stay till the King came back from the audience where he then was but went thither her self in person to complain The Mandarine was presently sent for who had put himself in a readiness well imagining he should be called he presenteth himself before the King who sharply reproved him He answered him Sir I have done nothing but that which your Majestie commandeth the law ordaineth But you ought replyed the King to have sought some other time and opportunity I have sought it long enough answered the Mandarine but I should never have found it At least replyed the King ask my daughter pardon and bow your head Where there is no fault answered the other there is no need of pardon neither will I ask pardon for having discharged my Office Then the King commanded two Mandarines that by force they should bow his head down to the ground but he by strength kept himself up so stiff that it was not possible for them to do it so that the King was constrained to send him away A few daies after the King gave order that he should have a better Office bestowed upon him being much satisfied with his integrity I forbear to relate many like cases which I might bring in confirmation of this The Tenth is the strickt watch and ward which is kept in the Ciâ—ies Townes and Villages in every street there is placed a man and if it be long two or more who are appointed to take care of any disorders that may arise there In every street likewise there is a kinde of prison called Lemphù that is the cold shop where upon a sudden occasion they may imprison a delinquent untill notice be given thereof to some Magistrate The Eleventh is that every night infallibly all the gates of the City are shut up as we have already said The streets also are shut up with grates made for that purpose But the streets are not alwaies shut up nor in all parts of the City but only in some and that upon some certain occasions and occurrences The Twelfth is that persons of honour and authority do beare great respect one to another and it would be accounted a great disgrace for any of them to quarrell with another openly Hence it happeneth that although many times they have occasion of disgust and hatred yet outwardly they alwaies observe their Decorum neither do they upon this account avoyd any meetings that they might not come together The Thirteenth is that none do beare armes except the Souldiers and they only at their musters or when they do accompany the Mandarines The common people who contrariwise do easily quarrell one with another do make use only of their fists and he that catcheth the other first by the haire gaineth the battell nay if they have any thing in their hands that might draw bloud as a staffe a piece of wood or iron or such like thing presently they lay it downe and go to it with their fists The Fourteenth is that the whores and curtezans who are many times the causes of great disorders do lodge without the walls neither is any of them suffered to dwell within They have no particular houses but many of them live together with a man who hath the care and government of them and is obliged to give an account of any disorder that falleth out in their lodgings The Fifteenth is that they forbid all commerce with strangers within the Kingdom least they might infect them with new customes and manners and disturbe their ancient way of government which is a law that was in part observed also by the Lacedemonians upon the very same motive Yet they have never prohibited Embassadours from other Kingdoms and accordingly many are received who are sent from the neighbouring Kings only they lay this obligation upon them that when they are arrived at the first City of the Kingdom they are to stay there where the Magistrates do treate them with all honour and respect and presently give the King advice of their arrivall who sendeth them leave to come to the Court without which licence they are not permitted to go forward When they are come to Court they are lodged in a particular Palace whence they may not go out but in the manner we have above related Above all they have their certain laws statutes and ordinances by which both they and their Kingdom are governed These are of two sorts The first consisteth in ancient rites customes and ceremonies common to the whole Kingdom and are contained in five Bookes and are esteemed to be as it were Sacred Of the second sort are the laws of the Kingdom according to which Justice is administred in particular cases both civill and criminall concerning all that is to be observed in the execution of them These are likewise very ancient and are all founded upon those five Cardinall vertues so much esteemed by their Ancestours and which are at this day held in great veneration among them that is Gin Y Li Chi Sin Pietie Iustice Policie Prudence and Fidelitie Gin say they signifieth Pietie Humanitie Charitie Reverence Love and Compassion Which they expliane after this manner To esteeme ones selfe lesse than others To be affable To succour those that are afflicted To help those that are in necessitie To have a tender and compassionate heart To beare good will to all men and To use all this more particularly toward
returned to the Vice-roy at Xaokim he would have paid the charges the Fathers had been at in building their Church and house which by no means they would suffer him to do and after severall contrasts they obtained leave of him to dwell in another City belonging to his Government called Xaocheu With this permission the Fathers departed from Xaokim on the 15th day of August 1589. and being after a few daies arrived at Xaocheu they had enough to do to avoyd the lodgings which were offered them in a Monasterie of Bonzi At length by Gods assistance they were admitted into the City and were well lookt upon by the Magistrates they built a house and Church and began to preach the Gospel with their whole endeavours Notwithstanding that they were ever accompanied with persecutions contrasts and calumnies and in truth it is hardly to be beleeved how many of these they did undergo I did once reckon them up to satisfie my curiositie counting those which are related in the History of Father Trigaultius and others which are not set downe there till the persecution of Nankim I found them in all to be fifty foure the greatest part were at the beginning and in the Province of Canton which as it is a passage to the rest may be called the Promontory of Torments so that as oft as we shall have occasion to mention it there will alwaies recurre some new troubles and tempests Our servants were many times taken and Bastinadoed for no other occasion but that they had defended themselves against assaults of the insolent people and one time also brother Sebastan Fernandes who went out to defend those innocents with reasons and prayers was put to publique shame But the persecution was worse which brother Francis Martines suffered through a vaine suspicion they had that he had attempted to raise a rebellion in China and that he was a Magician upon which occasion after he had been many times beaten and tormented and after a tedious and noysome imprisonment and in the end after his last punishment by an unmercifull beating being brought back into the prison he died a death so much the more glorious by how much it was supported by an unspeakable patience and for so holy an occasion as the procuring the salvation of that people was After that brother Francis Mendez going to the Metropolis of Canton upon occasion of businesse and to help a servant of ours who was kept there in prison suffered very much for being come into the prison the Gaoler presently clapt Manacles upon him and suspecting him to be a Priest pulled off his cap and searched whether his crowne was shaven or no and finding no signe of any thing he could lay hold on only because he was a Chrisâ—ian and belonged to the Fathers he suffered him not to go out of the prison till there were bestowed many uruell Bastinadoes on him Likewise two Fathers going from Canton further up into China that is Father Iulius Alexis and another Father were apprehended and after very great sufferings set at libertie The Christian Religion began to make some progresse at our Residence of Xaocheu and in another place neere unto it named Namhim whither Father Matthaeus Riccius was gone and had reduced some Gentiles to the sheepfold of Christ. But the businesse was so full of difficulties and dangers that brother Sebastian Fernandes although a Chinesse by nation but brought up in Macao by his Parents who were Christians and who entred into our societie after he was growne a man and a rich Merchant and served therein many years even to his death with great paines to himselfe and a great example to all that Christianitie told the Father we should do well to go to Giappon seeing the Lord did favour that Kingdom with so great a conversion and so many Baptismes and spend our lives there where we might receive abundant fruit of our labours But the Father who had a more lively faith and a hope better grounded seemed to have answered him by the spirit of prophesie that which afterwards came to passe giving him hopes of more copious fruit such as we find at this day And even at that time also within foure years wherein he had cultivated that vine-yard in spight of those great Tribulations he made a good harvest of many Christians who many times do prove the best in times of trouble and persecution and there were some of them very eminent with some of which I have since spoken and conversed who seemed to me to be like Christians of the Primitive Time and by degrees there were many more also converted In the mean while about the year 1594 two persons of this House departed to a better life for if the people of this Province are not good the temper of the aire is much worse Till this time the Fathers had gone in the same garbe they entred in with their beards and the crowne of their heads shaven and their haire cut short as we weare it here in Europe and there also the Bonzi or Priests of their Idols who in that kingdome contrarie to the custome of others are in very mean esteem But now they were better acquainted with the state of things there it seemed to them to be more advantageous for the credit of our religion as also for the preachers thereof that they should take a habit different from the Bonzi and that seeing they were inwardly unlike them that they should no longer outwardly resemble them especially seeing that first outward form was a great impediment to hinder them from treating with Decorum and familiarity with Officers and men of qualitie who without the vesture of courtesie and habit of a Letterato do by no means admit any one to familiar conversation with them So that leaving their former garbe and habit they took the other of Letterati with a great applause of the Christians and their friends as also of the Magistrates and because they had taken no degree in their learning they were accounted and esteemed as they are also at this day for Letterati of Europe besides many other good advantages and effects which it produced In May the year following Father Matthaeus Riccius went to Nankim in the companie of a Mandarine who was a grave Person and his friend who went thither with commission to be General in the warre against the Giapponeses in the Kingdome of Corea he wanted not troubles by the way especially in a dangerous shipwrack which he suffered the barque being overturned and the Father falling into the water over head and eares not having any skill in swimming nor any hope of life But the Lord assisted him with his paternal providence for without knowing how it came there he found a rope of the Barque in his hand by which he was pulled up neverthelesse he lost his companion who being carried away by the force and violence of the water was never more seen At length he arrived at Nankim but the houre
being put in minde of it by any body calling to his remembrance the Eunuchs Memoriall asked where that Bell was which range of it selfe and which as they tell me is brought me by a stranger To which the Eunuch who always waiteth upon him answered That it was not yet come to Court because his Majesty had not given order for it to come Whereupon the King presently gave order for it and Mathan was forced against his will to send the Fathers with their Present and the rest of their goods They began then to take heart againe and forgetting all their former troubles they immediatly set out upon their journy and because they could not do it by water by reason the river was frozen up they tooke their way by land receiving from the Mandarines at the Kings expence whatsoever they had need of both for their owne persons as also for the carriage of their goods CHAP. 4. The Fathers enter into Pekim and settle there THe Fathers entred into Pekim on the fourth day of January 1601. where they were well received and entertained in a Palace which an Eunuch had lent them for that purpose They made ready their Present and the day following with a great traine and Parade the Eunuchs carried it into the Palace and presented it to the King who made great account of every thing He did highly prize the pictures of our Saviour and of the Blessed Virgin he much admired the Harpsicon and presently gave order that some of the Eunuchs should learne to play upon it When he came to the Clock which was a piece of much skill and workmanship and an invention altogether unknowne to the Chinesses because he knew it struck the houres of its owne accord and that at present it was not in order not so much as to be shewed he commanded that the Fathers should presently come into the Palace and set it a going So they were called in haste and admitted within the second wall for within the third and fourth none may enter unlesse it be the Eunuchs and the Souldiers of the night-guard where by the Kings order given to one of the chiefe Eunuchs the Fathers were received and entertained with all magnificence and courtesie They stayed there three daies partly fitting the Clock to serve for the present for afterwards for the greater state there was a Tower of wood made for it of much cost and workmanship partly in teaching foure Eunuchs how to set and order it and partly in satisfying such demands as were made them concerning Europe what kinde of Countrie it was what Kingdoms what people what customes it had and a thousand other particularities which were all afterwards by the Eunuchs related to the King who was much delighted therewith seeming to be very much satisfied with every thing he much desired to see the Fathers but because he would not change the ancient stile and custome of the Kingdom according to which the King is never to be seen by any stranger he caused their pictures to be drawne at length contenting himselfe to see only the figures of those men of whom he himselfe might not be seen All things succeeded prosperously by reason of the great satisfaction which all they of the Palace received from the Fathers and especially by reason of the contentment the King tooke in every thing and the delight with which he received the Presents so that now all seemed to be secure and that there was nothing more to feare But there being no security or calme that is long lasting in this world the Fathers quickly found themselves in new troubles the occasion whereof was a Mandarine of the Tribunal Lipu to whom it belonged by vertue of his office to have had the Present brought to him and by his means to have had it presented to the King he being to assist at all Embassies and Presents that are offered to his Majestie He therefore taking it ill that the Fathers who knew nothing of this had made use of the Eunuchs to carry their Present to the King contrary to the ordinary stile of the Court and without making any mention of those Officers presently fell upon the weakest part and commanded the Fathers to be apprehended and put into the House of strangers in a more discourteous manner than was usuall The Officers and Sergeants having used more insolence in the apprehending them than perhaps they were commanded to doe Upon this occasion they were brought before the Tribunal and examined in publick although by their answers their cause was sufficiently justified and the passion of the Judge something moderated They had not been above three daies when they were sent for thence to the palace to perform the ordinary Ceremonies in the Court of courtesies whereof we have spoken in the first part The very same day they were againe examined by the publick Notaries by order of the same President concerning many other things The poynt they most insisted on was to what end they were come into China what their intentions were and what they did pretend by the Present which they had given the King The Fathers judged it necessary to answer cleerly and in forme and therefore told them That they came to preach the law of the true God who was sole Lord and Governour of heaven and earth And that they had brought that Present to the King not that they did pretend any thing by it either office dignitie or recompence but as a Testimony of the obedience they ought him having been inhabitants for so many years of that Kingdom and that all they did desire was to have leave to live and die in that Court or in any other part of the Kingdom which the King should thinke fit as they had already lived there many years The Notaries having drawne up this answer carried it to the President who having seen and considered it drew up his Memoriall thereupon to the King partly in favour of the Fathers and partly against them But the King being well affected towards them because there was something in it against the Fathers gave no answer to it which is there the same thing as to reject it But the Fathers understood by the Eunuchs that the King was much troubled when he knew they were kept as prisoners in the House of Strangers The Mandarine seeing there was no answer given to his petition presently judged the King was inclined to favour the strangers wherefore he thought it fit to change his stile towards them using them with all courtesie and kindenes and commanded they should be better provided for in every thing than the rest of the strangers who were kept there And contrary to the law and custome of that restraint he gave them libertie to go into the City about their affaires and to visit their friends But withall he presented a second Memoriall to the King concerning the Fathers wherein he did not only say nothing against them but positively commended their persons and their
greatest straits kept a strong winde in readines to dissipate these clowds This was a grave Mandarine who exercised the office of Tauli in that City who undertooke our defence and with a speech which he made to the Mandarines and the people concerning the probiâ—y and honesty of the Fathers of their good manner of life and conversation and of the security which was in them quieted and appeased this tempest Of so great power upon all occasions is the authority of one who governeth and in this particularly wherein according to their manner of Government one would have thought that this Tauli should have been our greatest adversary it pleased the Lord by his means so farre to quiet all disturbances that they made no small advantage even of these temptations Their affaires continued thus between tempests and calmes which latter commonly were of the shorter continuance and to conclude the History of this House I will only relate two notable passages concerning it About this time the Hollanders did infest India and were come as farre as China with a designe to gaine a Port in that Kingdom and particularly to take if they could the City of Macao as they did afterwards attempt to do according as I have already related Upon this occasion that City resolved to fortifie it selfe as afterward it did and although the designe did not take effect at that time yet those beginnings and preparations of warre were sufficient to make the Chinesses who are timorous and suspicious even by nature to beleeve that the Portughesses had some designe on foot against them This suspicion was encreased by the coming of Father Lazarus Catanaeus out of China to Macao at the same time He was a man somewhat corpulent by nature and of a tall stature and of a bold and lively mind or aspect and was now become more venerable by reason of his long beard so that to any one who was not acquainted with him he seemed fitter to carry a Pike than a Breviary The Chinesses were perswaded that this Father had a designe to make himselfe Master of their Kingdom and that the Portughesses had chosen him for their Captain in that enterprise partly in consideration of his person and partly for the knowledge he had of the waies in that Country by reason he had been in both the Courts adding with all that there would arrive very shortly two Armies to their assistance one from India of Portughesses the other from Giappon of Giapponesses who are their deadly enemies and that the Fathers who were the companions of Father Lazarus were gone before into the Kingdom partly as spies and partly to stirre up the people to take part with their designes A malicious but ridiculous invention of the Devil as if 4 or 5 poore religious men with a handfull of Christians had been able to conquer so powerfull a Kingdom This rumour began by little and little till at length as is usuall in such cases it grew so strong in the beliefe of the Chinesses that as many of them as dwelt in Macao either Merchants or Inhabitants fled all away to Canton Whereupon they of the Province of Canton gave themselves for half lost and being filled with frights and terrours they made no question but the businesse was very certain The newes had already arrived to the Vice-roys eares who in hast made great levies both for sea and land In the principall City of the Province all the Houses were caused to be pulled downe which were built along the wall on the outside which were very many and the poore people received an excessive losse by it The gates which opened towards Macao were walled up with lime and stone and upon the walls were placed Sentinells to keep watch both night and day A proclamation was published which under very great penalties did prohibite all manner of commerce with Macao and that no stranger whatsoever should be admitted and in particular not Father Catanaeus who was he that was to make himselfe King In this manner was the Metropolis inflamed with a military heat while the neighbouring Cities were ready to die for feare Who would ever have doubted that a fire so unfortunately begun should not have reached as farre as our Residence of Xaocheu a City of the same Province and not very farre from the Metropolis and should not there have burnt up whatsoever it found in it together with all our other Houses in that Kingdom They rushed suddenly into the House with such a fury as you may easily believe them to be in upon such occasion they made a very strickt search and turned every thing upside downe to see if they could finde any armes and having not found what they sought for having imagined to finde a Magazine or Armory there the tumult began to cease and the people went out of the House neverthelesse they set guards upon us for their greater securitie and from this time that fire began to be extinguished The Vice-roy had already given order to the Captain Generall of that Province whom they call Tum Pim that with all the strength of the Country he should fall upon Macao and that he should sack and destroy it But he like a prudent man would not put himselfe upon an enterprise of so much hazzard and danger for the Portughesses would not have suffered themselves to have been so easily destroyed as they shewed afterwards against the Hollanders a people of another manner of valour than the Chinesses before he had received better and more certain information Therefore he sent spies to Macao who went up and downe the City very freely for by reason they had no suspicion of any thing all passages were free and open When the spies had remained in all libertie in Macao as long as they though fit they returned with certain intelligence that there was not any preparation for warre in Macao no levies of Souldiers nor any signe of that newes which had been spread abroad but all was in peace quietnesse save only that the City was divided into two factions by reason of some particular quarrels Upon this intelligence he did forbeare to put the Vice-roys orders in execution and in the mean time things began to be better cleared and the truth to appeare The Citizens of Canton did open their gates and their feares began to blow over and every thing to settle in a great deale of quietnes which was much promoted by the coming of that Mandarine of whom we have formerly made mention that he did appease another tumult against the Fathers in the City of Xaocheu He had been at the Court and was returned from thence upon the occasion of his being promoted to an Office He upon the acquaintance he had formerly had with the Fathers and especially by reason of the new friendship he had contracted with the Fathers at Pekim with whom he had had a very great familiarity absolutely setled all those distempers there for that time for this
Baptise such as had not yet been converted and partly to endeavour to found a house in that his native City of Hamcheu The first happy encounter there was that of Doctour Yam named afterwards at his Baptism Michael who is much celebrated in our yearly letters He was a Mandarine of great account and a Kinsman of Doctour Leo and had been for seaven years together Chancellour of the whole Province of Nankim which is an Office of very great importance and was very rich of a great House and allyed to the principall Families of that Citie and above all he was very devout towards the Pagods in so much that he had built a Temple for them within his own Palace with a certain number of Bonzi to serve them whom he maintained at his own charges But he did this more out of ignorance than malice and therefore the Lord shewed mercy unto him He was one of the first that visited the Fathers and being very much addicted to the defence of his Religion he began a very hot dispute with a more than ordinarie zeal for the upholding of his Sect the which he continued likewise the day following and the next day and so for nine dayes together alwayes producing new arguments and proposing new difficulties not that he had a design to impugnâ— but only to discover the truth The ninth day he yeelded himselfe crying out A true God A true Law A true Doctrine And after he had been very diligently Catechised and instructed he was Baptized to the great consolation of the Fathers and also of Dr. Leo who did much rejoice at it and to the singular griefe and shame of the Bonzi who were presently discarded and their Temple converted into a Church dedicated to the Saviour of the world Now did these two Heroes seem two firme and stable pillars very proper to sustaine that infant Church with a certain hope that their example would draw many others to the law of Christ and that there would be a flourishing Christianitie founded in that so populous a Metropolis which in my opinion is the richest the most delicious and magnificent in Temples and other structures of any in that Kingdom But for the generalitie the least disposed to receive our Holy faith whether it were then for this cause or because their hour was not yet come which required a greater disposition there was so little fruit of the Gospel at that time that the Fathers judged it better to give place to time and for the present to leave that abode and to finde out some other place better disposed to receive the seed of faith They proceeded so farre as to propose their intention to Father Nicolaus Longobardus superiour of that Mission who would neither approve nor reject their opinion but remitted the businesse to the judgement of the House at Nankim where I was then at that time and by the grace of God we were there in all nine of the Societie The matter was debated and it was resolved by all of us that according as experience had taught us they should proceed with patience and longanimitie greater difficulties having been overcome by those weapons So without any more thoughts of change the Fathers remained labouring in that City not knowing the great good which the Lord had there prepared for them and which time afterwards discovered not only by founding there one of the most numerous and best instructed Churches that is in China but because that house was ever a safe Port to us in all Tempests and a secure refuge in all persecutions as shall be seen hereafter Christianitie also was much encreased in Xaâ—hoi the Country of Dr. Paul for his Father and all his houshold had been Baptized and many other people of that place and although we had there no setled house there was neverthelesse a Church and every year the Christians were visited both to confirme the old ones and convert new ones In the foure ancient houses the Fathers said Masse preached and exercised the Mysteries and Ceremonies of our Holy Faith very quietly and without any disturbance at all The Christians exercised their devotion and many Gentiles endeavoured to finde the way of their Salvation the Christian Religion flourished every day more and more with an abundant number of new Converts and also of new Labourers which were sent to us from Macao where they were first instructed in the language and custome of the Country In the mean time we were sent unto from many places and from severall persons to desire us to come into their Country and to preach the Gospel to them This City of Vamcheu which is neere unto Nankim had so great a desire to be made partakers of our doctrine that the Litterati there wrot a letter to Father Alphonsus Vagnone in Nankim where he was at that time superiour which was subscribed by forty of them wherein they did invite the Father to come to them with many prayers and entreaties and very earnestly desired him that he would not deferre his comming that good which they so much longed for They did also the like in many other places whether the fame of our Holy Faith was arrived either by the books we had printed there or by the relation of the Gentiles for these do sometimes serve as a guide to the rest and I had once one of them who did help me to Catechise or else by their conversation with Christians themselves And this was done with so much fervour that really it seemed to us the time was come wherein after all storms and tribulations were blown over the winter was passed away and the spring time began to appeare bringing forth flowers worthy the sight of that celestiall Gardiner or rather that the crop was now ripe and expected a happy harvest The Fathers being animated with these successes and well pleased with the many occasions which continually presented themselves were not sparing to make good use of them hoping that they would have been dayly encreased But who is able to comprehend the judgements of the Lord Or who hath been his Councellour Whilest things stood in this prosperous condition whether it were for the sinnes of that Kingdom or for ours in particular or because the Lord was pleased to prove and exercise his servants there was raised in Nankim where that house was founded with much quiet and had continued in greater tranquility than the rest the following persecution CHAP. 8. A fierce persecution is raised against the Christians in Nankim THis Persecution which was the most terrible of all we have yet suffered began in the year 1615 upon this occasion which I shall relate There was this year sent from Pekim to Nankim a Mandarine called Qui Xin to be an assistant of the third Tribunall named Lipu which taketh cognizance of all Rites Sects Strangers and such like This man besides that he was extreamly averse both to our Holy Faith and to the Fathers and on the contrary very
the Fathers divided themselves and Father Francis Sanbiasi went to the City of Kiatim to Dr. Ignatius who by that time the Father arrived there had got ready the lodgings neere his house which served him for a place of study and stood within the walls of his Palace being very convenient for his occasions having severall Chambers and a Chappel to say Masse in and being provided with all necessary furniture and although that Chappel was bigge enough for the reception of the Christians of his owne houshold yet neverthelesse he did afterwards build in the same place a faire Church which though it was not very great yet was of perfect good Architecture The Fathers did afterwards draw many people to them by their preaching and discourses so that when I was there about foure years after I found a well formed Christianity very devout and both men women and children very diligent in hearing of Masse and sermons as also in confessing themselves with such an affection to the Holy Sacrament of the Altar that they seemed even Christians brought up in Europe I forbeare to mention many examples of much edification referring my Reader to the the yearly letters This House also served for an Academie to our people that came newly over for the City being very private and having but little trade and the Houses being spacious and convenient they who were to study the Chinesse language and letters did constantly come thither so that the number of Fathers and Students who were Chinesses of Macao whom we bred up and instructed in vertue and the learning of China that they might afterward be helpfull to us in propagating the Gospel was about eleven or twelve which considering the time was a great number Father Catanaeus went to Xanbai where he laboured in the same manner confirming the old Christians and adding new ones continually to the Church In the meane time Dr. Paul came from Court to his owne house and by his presence gave a greater libertie with lesse danger to preach and reduce that people So that the Baptismes grew to such a number that the Father was forced to write for assistance and to call a companion to him and sometimes they were three and Dr. Paul to enlarge that Church did in a manner pull it all downe and build it a new and so it continueth to this day with a very numerous Christianity belonging to it At the same time began the Residence of Xamsi which hath at this day belonging to it one of the most flourishing Christianities of all China It had its beginning by occasion of a Christian named Peter who went to be Mandarine in that Province and carried with him Father Iulius Alexis that he might be there in safetie under his protection and that he might also prove the disposition of that people whether they would be apt to entertaine the preaching of the Gospel in a place where the Fathers had never yet come and although the House was not perfected at that time yet things were put in such order that it was brought afterwards to perfection with much facilitie as we shall shew anon In Macao they were more particularly sensible of the successe of the Persecution and troubles by which foure Fathers of the two Courts were brought prisoners to that Colledge Neverthelesse by the resentment of those troubles their desires were more inflamed to enter afresh upon the work and to assist their brethren who remained behinde exposed to all dangers and sufferings labouring under the heavie burthen of the Propagation of the Gospel All the difficultie was how to get the foure Fathers backe again by reason they were so well knowne there and were particularly named in the proclamation for their Banishment it was judged therefore more fit for them to delay their returne for a while during which time the Lord was pleased to take to himselfe the Fathers of Pekim namely Father Iacobus Pantoia and Father Sabatinus de Ursis who having been the ancientest labourers in that vine-yard were called first of all to receive their reward It was more dangerous for the other two Fathers of Nankim to returne backe againe by reason their banishment was more publique they having been carried before many Tribunalls and through several Provinces during that Persecution Neverthelesse Father Alvarus Semedo who had lived there a lesser time and consequently was lesse knowne returned back about three years after having changed the name and Sir-name which he used in that Country and about two years after that Father Vagnone did the like who is there living at this day in the Court of Xansi where although he be growne very old yet is he as painfull and diligent as any young man whatsoever In this condition stood the state of Christian affaires which still prospered and encreased in every place by the great industrie and caution which was used as also by the protection of some Christians of quality as likewise of some Gentiles that were our friends and by this means the ancient Churches were confirmed and some new ones set up when the second tempest began in Nankim which although it were not so great as the first because it came not to the Kings ears ye was it fuller of trouble and vexation to us CHAP. 11. Of the second persecution of Nankim and of the Martyrdome of a Christian named Andrew THe affaires of Christianitie in China seemed to be in a calme and prosperous condition and we had almost as much libertie and as much fruit of our endeavours as we could reasonably have expected Only in the City of Nankim which was much distempered by reason of the former Persecution there were alwaies some troubles more or lesse according as the occasion happened but the best was that they were never so great that many persons were engaged in them In the year 1622. in the Province of Xantum there happened a rebellion by a certain people of a sect which they call Palien Kiao whereof we have formerly spoken in its proper place These assaulted and tooke the barques laden with victuals which passed through that Province to Pekim and after that certain Townes and last of all they tooke a City where they put very many to the sword This news presently alarmed the neighbouring Provinces and especially the Court whence the Mandarines immediately dispatched orders through the whole Kingdome for the apprehending and chastising all people of this Sect. In the more remote Provinces there was no great heed taken to this Proclamation but in the Province of Nankim which bordereth upon that of Xantum there were great rewards proposed to him that should discover any of that Sect. It happened aâ—out that time that certain Sergeants did molest and trouble a neighbour of a certain Christian who going out to help him because he saw him much injured without any pretence of reason for it drew them all upon himselfe who following of him into his house with much rage and passion finding there a
pleased seasonably to supply our Kingdome of China with store of Fathers by reason the letters and language are so difficult to be learnt for ere long your Reverences will be so old and worne out that you will not be able to teach those who are new comers Thus he spake and this was his opinion concerning it And a good Testimony thereof will appeare in a letter which he wrote in answer to one which Father Mugnez Mascaregnas the Assistant of Portugall had sent him wherein he offered to send him whatsoever curiositie or raritie he desired out of Europe to which point his answer was that he neither wished nor desired any thing but only that he would earnestly endeavour to send more of the Societie into China In proportioâ— to the love he had for the Fathers his zeale and care for their studies and health did encrease as also that they should be well accommodated and that they should know how to converse with those of the Country in such Termes Ceremonies and Compliments as were most esteemed among them admonishing and instructing us with great confidence upon all occasions when ever he saw us mistaken in the Stile of that Country He had so tender a kindenesse for us that many times with his owne hands he would open our gowns before to see whether we were sufficiently provided with cloaths to defend us from the cold When any of us was sick he caused the medicines to be boyled and prepared at his owne House saying That either through the ignorance or unskilfulnesse of our servants they might lose their force and so the sick person would receive no help by them At the first sight after a little discourse he could very well judge of the talents and parts of every one of us and had a great facilitie in gaining our affections He had a great esteeme and affection for us all in generall but much more for those who were newly come and could not yet speak the language of whom he had alwaies a very great care much compassionating the labour and paines they were to take in the study of that language and the letters belonging to it and to encourage them would much rejoyce at every word which he heard them bring out when they began to speak it He gave them very particular instructions concerning the manner and method they were to study it by He gave them the names of the books to which they were most to apply themselves and many times he sent them to them written in his owne hand concerning the poynts and strokes of which in China there is a particular Science It was an incredible consolation and truely did cause no lesse then our admiration to heare the two Doctours Leo and Michael together when they came both at once as they did often to our House for they scarce spoke of any thing else but of the way how to propagate the Gospel and how to protect defend and authorize the preachers thereof throughout the whole Kingdom consulting with themselves to which of their friends they should recommend them what books they would advise them to write to which Province it were best to go first and which Father were fittest to be required of the Superiour for such a part In the end all their consulations concluded in sighs saying We are old men to morrow we shall die whom shall wee leave in our stead to carry on that which we have seen begun in our daies Sometimes transported by their affections they did imagine themselves to be then at the Court informing the King himselfe by their Memoriall of the sanctity and purity of our Christian Faith and having obtained leave and authority of him to set up publick Churches they did already in their imagination make choice of the ground and scituation and design the form of the buildings otherwhile they fancied themselves to be accused for this cause to be laid in prison and after that to be beheaded and all with so much courage and cheerfulnesse as did well shew the esteem they made of the honour of Martyrdom and the ardent desires they had to lose their lives for the interest of Gods cause Neither did he stop at discourses and desires for I can justly affirme That of all the Houses and Churches our Societie hath in China there is not one of them which Dr. Leo hath not helped both to build and to preserve giving towards some of them although he was not rich a considerable summe of money But that zealous love of Leo was most remarkable in that occasion of recalling the Fathers to the Court and City of Pekim where they formerly resided He contrived all possible means to effect it and made use of all opportunities and by reason that China was then infested by the Tartars and the Court of Pekim in danger he tooke advantage by that occasion to remonstrate to the King that besides our learning and skill which might be of great use to him in this conjuncture of time we had also great power and interest with the inhabitants of Macao from whom we could easily obtaine a considerable succour of men and armes to his assistance and the better to perswade the King and his counsell to it he used so much Rhetorick and produced so many and such apt and proper examples out of their books and ancient Chronicles wherein he was excellently well versed that I doubt not but the Reader would receive much delight if I should give him a little tast of that excellent memoriall of his did not that Brevitie which I have tied my self to in this relation forbid it In conclusion he did and said so much that he obtained his desire wherein he received no lesse satisfaction than we have and ever shal have obligation to him for it Neverthelesse he lost the great office he had only upon this account through the malice of his enemies who accused him to the King though they had nothing to lay to his charge but the neare friendship he had had with Father Matthaeus Riccius and that he did beleeve and professe a certain Law which that Father taught and which was different from the Law of that Kingdome But it pleased the Lord to recompense him abundantly for what he then lost restoring him 4 or 5 years after to the same place with much more honour and Fame throughout the whole Kingdom by means of Dr. Puul who being also a Christian and of so much courage understanding as to be able to assist and favour our affairs brought it about upon occasion of the reformation of the Kalender He accepted of the employment the better to enable him together with Doctour Paul to promote the interest of the Gospel and so he began his journey toward the Court but beside the infirmities of his old age the length of the voyage and the excessive cold of the winter did so weaken him that not many moneths after his arrivall he ended his life on the day
name not only the occidentall but the Oriental Tâ—rtars hitherto much unknown to us in Europe containing the Provinces Sâ—mahania Tanyu Niuche Niulhaâ— and the like from the lesser Tartary and Kingdom of Cascor to the Oriental Sea above Iaâ—ony where they are separated by the Streight of Anian from Quevira in America if yet it be a Streight and not a Continent But it is not my intention to write all the Warrs which have passed betwixt them but only of such as have happened in our memory and in my presence All the rest shall appear at large in my Abridgement of the History of China And that we may proceed with more Order it will be necessary to reflect how and from whence those Troubles had their beginning It is therefore first to be known that the ancient Western Tartars after they had subdued almost all Asia to their power waged war against China of which Paulus Venetus and Ayton make mention under the names of Cataye and Maningin and this before the times of great Tamberlain who never subdued China as some have falsly writ for he flourished about the year MCCCCVI in which time Taichangus Emperour of China and the second of the Taimingian Family the Tartars being before beaten out of his Kingdom governed peaceably all the Provinces included within the compass of that Vast Wall which before I mentioned But the War which Paulus Venetus toucheth betwixt the Chinesses and Tartars began in the year MCCVI. as their History and Chronology testify which lasting 77. years at last the Tartars in the year MCCLXXVIII having totally conquered all that potent Empire extinguished the Imperiall Family of the Sungas and erected a new Regal Family which they called Iuena of which Tartarian Race nine Emperors by descent governed in the Kingdom of China for the space of LXX years in Peace and Quietness and about the end of that War came Paulus Venetus into China with the Tartars as appeareth by his Writings In this tract of time the Tartars forgetting their ancient Vigour of Mind and warlike Spirits which the pleasures and delices of that Country had quailed and tamed and being also weakned by so long a Peace became of a softer temper and received a deep Tincture of the Nature and Disposition of the Natives of China Whereupon a contemptible person who was servant to one of those deputed to offer Sacrifice to their Idols called Chu presumed to rebell against them This man commiserating the condition of his enslaved Country and alsotouched with the ambition of Reigning first acted the part of a Thief or High-way man and being of a Generous Nature bold and as quick of hand as in wit wanted neither Courage nor Art nor Companions nor Fortune to gather such a multitude as in short time made up the vast body of an Army whereupon deposing the person of a Thief he became a General and with a bold attempt presumed to set upon the Tartars and having fought many battailes with them obtained many singular Victories so as in the year 1368 he finally drove them out of the Kingdom of China receiving for so memorable an action the whole Empire of China as a worthy reward of his Heroical Actions It was he first erected the Imperial Family of the Taâ—inges and being he was the first Emperour of that Race stiled himself by the name of Hunguus which signifies as much as The famous Warriour After such an illustrious Action it was no wonder if all the Provinces submitted to him both as to one that was a Native of their Country and also because they looked on him as a man who had redeemed them from Thraldome for it is the Nature of the people of China to love and esteem their own as much as they hate and vilifie Strangers Wherefore he first placed his Court at Nanking neer to the bank of that great River of Kiang which the Chinesses in respect of the huge Mountains of water which it discharges into the Ocean call the Son of the Sea And having speedily ordered and established that Empire fearing no Insurrections from these new redeemed Creatures he was not contented to have chased the Tartars out of China but he made an irruption into Tartary it selfe and so followed the point of his Victory as that he routed them several times wasted all their Territories and finally brought the Oriental Tartars to such streights as he forced them to lay down their Arms to pay Tribute and even begge an Ignominious Peace This Storm of War fell chiefly on the Tartars of the Province of Niuche whither the Tartars of China being expelled were retired Afterward those Tartars every yeare either as Subjects or Friends came into China by the Province of 〈◊〉 to traffick with the Inhabitants For being brought to poverty and misery they thought no more of making warre against China The Merchandise they brought were severall as the root cal'd Ginsâ—m so much esteemed amongst the Chineses and all sorts of precious skins as those of Castor Martais and Zibellâ—ns and also Horse-hair of which the Chineses make their Nets and the men use it in tying up their hair as the handsomest dresse they can appear in But those Tartars multiplyed so fast as they grew quickly into seven Governments which they call Hordes and these fighting one against another at length about the year of Christ MDL were united into one Kingdome called the Kingdome of Niuche Thus stood China in relation to the Eastern Tartars but to the Western Tartars they payed Tribute masked under the Title of Presents that they might desist from War For the Chineses esteem it very unhandsome to make war against any if by any other means their Country can be conserved in peace and quietness being taught this by their Philosophers But in the meane time being over jealous of the Enemies to their antient riches they never left that great Wall which extends from East to West without a million of Souldiers to guard it Therefore this Kingdome of China being thus established in the Taimingian Family enjoyed a constant peace and quietnesse for CCL years and whilst the seven Tartarian Lords or Governours made civil wars that renowned Emperour of China known by the name of Vanley being the thirteenth Emperour of Taiminges Family governed happily the Kingdome of China from the year 1573. to the year 1620. with as much Prudence as Justice and Equity But in this time the Tartars of Niuche had so multiplied and spread themselves after incorporated into a Kingdome that they became daily more formidable to China And therefore the Governours of the bordering Provinces consulted privatelâ— amongst themselvs how they might curb and restraine these people within their limits For their Governours have so much Power and Authority that although they live as Slaves to their Prince yet when there is question of a Common and publick good they govern absolutely and uncontroulably unless by some higher powers their orders be restrained
enthrall and enchant the popularity To all which I adde those fugitive Magistrates who as I related heretofore had fled to the Tartars to avoid the Emperours indignation and did not a little promote their cause for these men sometimes by word and example did seduce the hearts of the Subjects and sometimes suggested excellent Counsels to the Tartars against their own Country and by both these means advanced themselves to high and eminent dignities amongst the Tartars The same day some Bands of Souldiers were dispatched with order to proclame Usangueius a Tributary King to this new enstalled Emperour which they performed with great magnificence adding to his name as usually they do the Sirname of Pingsi which sounds as much as Pacifier of the Western world establishing his Kingdom in the Capital City in the Province of Xensi This Prince considering that he could expect no more honourable Dignity from the lawfull Successour to the Empire of China and that the Tartars were come into the Empire in so vast a number that he could never hope to Conquer them found means to dispence with his hitherto uncorrupted fidelity admitting the dignity and submitting to the Emperour and so he that had hitherto waged War for China against the theeves now was forced to march against China to subdue its Provinces to the Tartarian Empire And as he was a Great Commander so also by the help of the Tartars he quickly drove out the Theeves from his little Kingdom of Xensi where to this day he reigneth in the Metropolitan City of Sigan But by these honours the Tartars removed him from the practice of Arms who remaining Armed might have proved a dangerous Enemy It was hitherto never known what became of Licungzus some think he was killed by Usangueius in the fight though he never appeared more neither dead nor alive after this fight in which all his forces were dissipated or cut off And with the same facility the Tartars subdued the Provinces of Peking and Xantung where they immensly augmented their Armies by the accesse of the China's Souldiers and Commanders which submitted to them for the Tartarians admitted all even the Conquered to their Army if they did cut their hair and wear their habits after the Tartarian fashion for in this Puntillio of habit and hair they were so rigorous as they proclamed it high Treason in all that did forbear it Which Law did many times endanger them and disturb the whole frame of their Affairs For the Chinesses both grieved and fought more valiantly for their hair and habit than for their Kingdom and Emperour So as many times they chose rather to die or lose their heads than obey the Tartars in these Ceremonies of which I could relate many examples unlesse in this relation I had resolved to be brief But all these little rubs did not hinder but that in lesse than the space of a year not counting Leaotung they had conquered Peking Xansi Xensi and Xantung which are the four vast Northern Provinces of China In all which they changed nothing in their Political manner of Government nay they permitted the usual custom of the Philosophers of China to govern the Towns and Provinces they left also the same Examens as were used for the approving of learned men for by this prudent Counsel they wrought this effect that having given the places of honour and trust to men of their own Creation they found they supassed the very Tartars in fidelity to them yet they kept the Militia in their own hands and the ordering thereof and yet they stick'd not to admit even to these Offices such of the Country as were faithfull to them so as in the Royal City they retained still the same Orders and degrees of Prefects together with the six high Tribunals as they were established in the former Emperours time but so as they were now compounded of Chinesses and Tartars In the mean time the news of the Emperours danger came to the Southern parts of China and the Prefects of every City gathering together very great forces marched towards the City of Peking but in their march they received the sad news of the Emperours death and the taking of Peking they therefore speedily called back their Forces and also all their Ships which yearly used to carry Provisions to the Emperours Court a little after this they received the news how the Tartar was invested in the Kingdom and proclaimed Emperour I was then my selfe in the great City Nanquin where I beheld a strange consternation and confusion in all things till at length having recollected themselves the Prefects resolved to choose an Emperour of the Family of the Taiminges whom they called Hungquangus This man had come hither flying from the Theeves out of the Province of Honan and being he was Nephew to that famous Emperour Vanley cosin Germain to Zungchinius the last deceased Emperour they Crowned him with great pomp and ostentation hoping for better fortune under his Government As soon as this Prince was chosen he sent â—n Embassage to the Tartars begging Peace rather than demanding it for 〈◊〉 offered them all the Northern Provinces which they had taken if they â—ould joyn in amity with him But the Tartars well understood the Policy of these Prefects and Counsellours which was only to amuse them with a Peace whilst they could recover their strength and force And therefore they returned answer that they would not receive as a gift that which they had conquered by force of Arms but seeing they had chosen a new Emperour they might do well to defend him but as for them they were resolved to have all or nothing This Legacy comming to nothing whilst both parties prepare to take the Field appears at Nankuing a young man who gave himselfe out to be the eldest Son to the late deceased Emperour Zunchinius and he gave no small evidences of this truth and Claime nay he was acknowledged by many of the Eunuchs But the new elected Emperour Hunquangus being strongly possessed with an ambition of raigning would never acknowledge nor admit him but commanded him to be imprisoned and killed as an Impostor though many of the Prefects enraged to hear of this order hindered the execution of the sentence But by this accident things grew into a sedition and the dispute was so high that it gave occasion to the Tartars of assailing the Province and City of Nankuing some of the Prefects winking at it if not enticing them underhand to this exploit The Tartars vigilant to lay hold of all advantages hearing of these emulations divisions presently march out into the Territory of the City of Hoaigan and comming to the East side of the River Croceus they passe over speedily by the help of their Boats on the other side of this River stood the Army of China which was so numerous as if they had but cast off their very shoos they had erected such a Rampart
into his Ship but knowing he could not avoid death by another mans hand he chose rather to be his own executioner and so hanged himself Yet for all this the supreme Governour in the Emperours name granted to this Mans Son the same Dignity and Province which had been conferred upon the Father and thus the three Royolets joyning again having passed Nanking and Kiangsi came at length into the Province of Quamtung to carry on the War against the Emperour Iungley and at their first entrance they took many Cities which durst not oppose the strength of their Armies onely the City of Quangcheu resolved to try its fortune and strength This City of Quangcheu is a most rich and beautiful place environed with large waters only the Northern Gate joines to the Continent on all other sides it is entrable only by boate In this Town was the Son of the Captive Iquon whom I mentioned before besides there was a strong Garrison to defend it and amongst others many fugitives from Macao who were content to serve the Emperour Iungly for great stipends and by reason the Tartars had neither Ships nor skill to govern them and that the Town had both the one and the other it is no wonder if they endured almost a whole years Siege having the Sea open for their relief the Tartars made many assaults in which they lost many men and were ever beaten back and vigorously repelled This courage of theirs made the Tartars fall upon a resolution of beating down the Town Walls with their great Cannon which had such effect as in fine they took it the 24. of November MDCL and because it was remarked that they gave to one of the Prefects of the Town the same Office he had before it was suspected it was delivered by Treason The next day after they began to Plunder the City and the sackage endured from the 24. of November till the 5. of December in which they neither spared Man Woman or Child but all whosoever came in their way were cruelly put to the Sword nor was there heard any other Speech But Kill kill these barbarous Rebels yet they spared some Artificers to conserve the necessary Arts as also some strong and lusty men such as they saw able to carry away the Pillage of the City but finally the 6 day of December came out an Edict which forbad all further vexation after they had killed a hundred thousand men besides all those that perished severall wayes during the Siege After this bloody Tragedy all the Neighbouring Provinces sent voluntarily their Legates to submit demanding mercy which they obtained by the many rich presents which were offered After this the Royalet marched with his Army against the City Chaoking where the Emperour Iungley held his Court but he knowing himself far inferiour in Forces and unable to resist fled away with his whole Army and Family leaving the City to the Tartars mercy But whither this Emperour fled is yet wholly unknown to me for at this time I took Shipping in Fokien to the Philippines and from thence I was commanded to go for Europe by those whom I must not disobey But I make no doubt but the Emperour retired into the adjoyning Province called Quangsi Now to give the Reader a little touch how the Tartars stand affected to Christianity in the Metropolitan City of Quangcheu which as I now related was utterly destroyed we had a stately Church and there was a venerable person who had the care and superintendency of all the Christians whose name was Alvarus Semedo a Jesuit this Man they took tyed hand foot for many dayes and threatned to kil him every houre unlesse he would deliver the Christians Treasures but the poor man had no Treasure to produce so as he suffered much till at length the King heating of his case took pitty of his venerable gray Heirs and comely Person and gave him not onely his life and liberty but a Bible and a Breviary together with a good summe of Money for an Almes and finally a House to build a Church for Christians and this is lesse to be wondred at from him because heretofore he had been a Souldier under that famous Sun Ignatius whom I mentioned before where he knew what belonged to Christianity and also had seen the Jesuits in his Camp from whence he fled to the Tartars Nor is it onely this Tartar that favours us Christians but in a manner all the rest do love honour and esteem those Fathers and many have imbraced our Religion nor do we doubt but many more would follow their example if we could enter Tartary as now it is projecting where doubtlesse many great things may be performed for the reducing of that Nation to the Faith of Christ and perchance God has opened a way to the Tartars to enter China to give Christianity a passage into Tartary which hitherto to us hath been unknown and inaccessible About this time also they made War against the Kingdome of corea who of late years became also Tributary to the Tartars upon condition that they should still conserve their Hair and Habits but now the Tartars would needs constrain them to conform themselves to the Tartarian fashion and therefore all that Kingdome revolted from the Tartars but my departure hindred me from knowing since what has passed But all these glorious victories were much eclipsed by the sorrowfull death of Amavangus which happened in the beginining of the year MDCLI He was a Man to whom the Tartars owe their Empire in China and such an one as whom both Tartars and Chineses loved and feared for his prudence Justice humanity and skill in Martial affairs The death of this Potentate did much trouble the Court for the Brother to this Man called Quingtus would needs pretend to the Government of the Empire and of the young Emperour Xunchius but both the Tartars the Chineses resisted his claime alledging that being of sixteen year old he was able to govern the Kingdom himself in conformity to this opinion all the Presidents deposed the Ensignes of their Offices refusing ever to receive them from any but from the young installed Emperour Xunchius To which Constancy the King Kuintus Uncle to the Emperour prudently yeelded lest he should exasperate the minds of many and raise greater troubles in the Empire But I cannot doubt but the death of Amavangus must needs endanger the Tartarian Empire and bring all their affairs into great disturbance for they will hardly find a Man so beloved feared and expert in all Military Discipline and Government as he in effect shewed himself to be but time wil teach us what will become of all for since his death we have no certainty of any relation Now let us turne the threed of our discourse as I promised here above and consider the fortune and success of the other Great Brigand caled Changhienchungus to let the Reader understand how the