them which have obtained the first places then the King with his owne hand bestoweth a reward on each of them He to whom he giveth the first gift being the chief of all the rest hath a particular name belonging to him ever after as also to the second and the third The first they câ—ll Chuam Yuen the next Pham Yuen the third Thoan Hoa and this name is of so great esteeme and reputation that in a few daies after the examination there is scarce any person through out the whole Kingdom that doth not know them by these names and not by the names of their fathers and Countrie which is a wonderfull thing in so vast a Kingdom as that is The honour is as great as that of our Dukes and Marquesses As well for the respect which is paid them throughout the whole realme as for the places of authority and trust where they are put to govern being the very same which were anciently conferred upon those great Lords whose authority was in another way correspondent to that which now these Doctours have These ceremonies being accomplisht there is yet another examination which although it be voluntarie there are few that absent themselves from it A new point is given they make their compositions and according to them there is an Election made of those who are to be admitted to the royall colledge They select only 30 of the most deserving and of them they admit five every year who only for being entred in so smal a number are alway providing with profitable places of government The other twenty five have particular Palaces assigned them where they assemble and become as Scholars under the discipline of a Colao who almost every day causeth them to compose somewhat and exercise themselves in all that belongeth to their learning and speculative government This continueth til the next examinations at which new persons enter and the other go forth and according to their degrees and antiquity are provided with the places of greatest importance at the court from whence unlesse it be to be Presidents of the examinations or some other particular imployment that lasteth but a short time and by the Kings order they never go out no not to be vice-royes which imployment is accounted below them because only those of the royal colledge are capable of the dignity of a Colao All the new Doctors are that year put into some employment unlesse there be any that is not of competent years That which helpeth this multitude to imployments is that the same year there is held a generall visitation throughout the whole Kingdome by which there are so many of the old Mandarines turned out that there are many places made void for the new ones and as this degree is of high account the visits congratulatious Feasts and Presents which are made upon this occasion are almost incredible The reward for bringing the first newes is many times worth 200 Crownes to the Messenger but commonly 50 assoon as the friends and kindred of those who are named among the three first above-mentioned hear of their promotion presently they erect unto them triumphall arches in their Cities or Villages not of wood coverd with Canvasse or past-bord but of pure Marble sumptuously wrought in the front whereof is engraved the name of the Person for whom they were erected the place he hath obtained and the year of his Doctour-ship in a word the world is the same throughout It is a vain thing to beleeve that he which hath not power should be admired heard or received with applause whether it be done out of zeale to the truth or out of flattery and interest CHAP. 10. Of the Books and Sciences of the Chinesses OF the Sciences of the Chinesses we cannot speak so very distinctly and clearly because really their Authours have not been so fortunate as Aristotle Plato and other Philosophers and wise men who have methodically handled them under their several Classes divisions and titles whereas the Chinesses have written little or no thing of many of the sciences and liberal arts and of the rest but superficially except those which concern good government and policie From the very beginning it hath been their chiefest aim to find out the best way of government the first that began this were the Kings Fohi Xinon and Hoamsi These three at the beginning gave themselves to their morall and speculative Sciences by way of mysticall even and odd numbers and other ciphers and notes by which they gave law to their subjects and from hand to hand these were alway communicated to the Kings who were the wisemen of that time and by this means did govern the Kingdome untill the Monarchie of Cheù which began 1123. years before the coming of our Saviour at which time Venuam and Checuam his youngest Sonne published these numbers and ancient notes and made a booke of them intitled Yechim giving likewise many morall precepts documents and orders to the whole Kingdome and following the steps of other Philosophers which lived according to the Stoick rule they had alway great care of the Government and publique good untill the time of Confusio who composed five bookes in order called by them Vehim which are at this day held as sacred He made also other bookes and of his sentences and sayings there have been since also many more bookes composed This Philosopher flourished about 150. yeares before the coming of Christ he was a man of a good nature well inclined to vertue prudent sentencious and a lover of the publique good He had many disciples which followed him he had a great desire to reform the world which even at that time began to lose its sinceritie and veracity changing the ancient manner of living and introducing moderne customes And so he governed in severall Kingdomes for when he saw that they did not live conformable to his precepts and counsells in one Kingdom he went to another yet not uncensured by many other Philosophers of that time who seeing the evill course which men tooke retired themselves to their villages and becoming husbandmen in their owne persons tilled their grounds Now it happened that one day Confusio passing along and being to go through a river whose ford he was not acquainted withall sent one to enquire of a man that was labouring thereabouts who was a Philosopher He asked the messenger who he was and being answered that he was a disciple of Confusio's who sate in his Coach expecting his answer The Philosopher replied let him go in a good houre he knoweth the way and hath no need of a guide signifying thereby that he went from Kingdome to Kingdome endeavouring to Governe in a time that was not proper for Philosophers to reigne in Neverthelesse in after times this man was in so great favour with the Chinesses and the bookes which he composed were held in so much credit as also the sayings and sentences which he left behind him that they do not only
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
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
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
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
celebrated with great Ceremonie The third is to send to know the Brides name and last of all the Bride-groom sendeth the jewels to the Bride that is a ring and eare-pendants c. The day before the Bride is to be received they send from the Brides house the Houshould-stuffe and Furniture that is given with her making a procession with them which is to be done about noone that all may see it The men that carry it go two and two each of them bearing a piece of houshold-stuff of the same kind that the other doth whether it be Tables Chaires Chests Curtains Bed or what other thing soever The day following in some Provinces the Bridegroome goeth in person on Horse-back with his Father and neerest kindred to receive the Bride who is carried in a sedan with great pompe and state In other Provinces especially towards the South the Bride-groome sendeth the sedan toward the evening they have some very curious ones made only for this purpose richly adorned with silk and the doore to be locked on the outside and a great deale of company to waite upon her with lights set in wooden frams like lanthornes The mother after the Bride hath finished the usuall compliment at parting putteth her into the sedan and locketh the doore and sendeth the key before to her sonne-in-laws mother and so she departeth along with the company who go all before her excepting the maid-servants which her Father giveth her who go by her side When she is come to the Bride-groomes house the mother-in-law unlocketh the sedan and taking out the Bride delivereth her to the Bride-groome Then they go both together to the Chappell or Oratorie of their Idols where are likewise kept the Images or names of their Predecessours There they make the ordinarie reverence of bowing themselves foure times upon their knees and presently they go forward into the inward Hall where their parents are sitting in Chaires to whom they make the same reverences then the Bride retireth with her Mother-in-law her wayting maids and the woman that did negotiate the marriage to the womens apartment where she hath a particular chamber for her selfe and her husband into which as is abovesaid no other man may enter no not their Father or elder brother so that if the Father would chastise the son for any fault which is ordinarie there for their Fathers to do although their sonnes be married if he can get into his wives chamber he is safe for the Father may not enter there nor speak with his daughter-in-law except on some occasions which are dispensed with So carefull a watch do they keep on that precious Gemme of Honour The Bridegroome when he doeth not retire stayeth with his Father kindred and friends c. Who spend many daies together in continuall feasts and banquetting when the first month is over the Bride returneth home to her Fathers house which they call Queinim that is retiring to rest The sonnes do all equally inherit although they be but halfe-Brothers and not begotten on the lawfull wife having regard in this only to the Father The sisters have no more than what is given with them at their marriage If the Father die before he hath married his daughters the brothers are obliged to bestow them in marriage and the sonnes that are already married if the Father in his life time divide his estate among them are bound to maintaine their sisters till they are married Neverthelesse in China there are some families especially of the Nobilitie where the eldest sonnes do inherit the Majorasgo or the most considerable part of the land if they have any that is so entaild although they have other brothers And these children are called Que Cum Chu Hui Heupè Chei Hei. CHAP. 16. Of the Funeralls and Sepultures of the Chinesses ALthough the Chinesses in many things especially those which concerne the government of their life have been of the same opinion with the Europaean Philosophers yet they are very different from them in that which belongeth to Death For the others have taken little or no care about the Sepulture of the body whereas these esteem nothing more using in their life time all possible diligence to leave every thing ready and in order for it and their sonnes do in nothing more shew their pietie and obedience than by putting it in execution after their Fathers death It is a generall custome of the whole Kingdome not to bury any one barely in the earth although it be a child of two daies old Every one is to have his Chest or Coffin according to his qualitie and abilitie Wherefore the rich men although the Chinesses are very thrifty and parcimonious do in this exceed all extreames seeking out wood for that purpose of the greatest price and esteem that they possibly can The Eunuches are the most excessive this way because they have no children to inherit their wealth giving many times 500 or 1000 Crowns for Bords to make a Coffin though in realitie these are not so much worth For it happeneth many times that going to a Merchant that selleth this commoditie the Merchant setteth them a price asking them five or six hundred Crownes but telleth them withall that if they will have Bords of a thousand Crownes he hath not any at present but that he hath expected some a great while and looketh every day when they should arrive and if his Lordship hath not extraordinary hast praieth him to send some few daies hence and he shall be accommodated Here the Merchant hath no more to do but to change the paper which is pasted upon those Bords and with it the price and when the Eunuch returneth he findeth bords of such price as he desireth When the Chest is made with all sort of exquisite ornament on the outside as of gold Charan and other gallantries they keep it in their house and many times in the same chamber where they lie with much satisfaction and contentment As contrariwise if being in yeares they have not already made it they are alwayes ill satisfied and discontented and truly it is a great trouble and charge to the Sons if they have ancient Fathers and their Funerall Chest be not yet prepared This is the usuall manner of the whole Kingdome but because they have taken their religion from the Pagods of India they have also entertained some of their Ceremonies and superstitions who are buried after three severall manners and that before they die by the course of nature in the earth in the water and in the fire as they do to this day in Giappon some throwing themselves off from high places others drowning themselves in rivers with stones tied about their necks and others other wayes which we will not here treat of The Chinesses are not so valiant to do this while they are living but being dead if they are so poor that they cannot make them a Coffin they burne them and bury their ashes In the Province of Sucheú
that which followeth The true law hath no determinate name The Ministers thereof go about in every part to teach it unto the world having no other aim but to be profitable to those that live in it In the Kingdome of Tachin this Olopuen being a man of great vertue hath brought from so remote a Countrie Doctrines and Images and is come to place them in our Kingdome Having well examined that which he proposeth we find it to be very excellent and without any outward noise and that it hath its principall Foundation even from the Creation of the World his doctrine is brief neither doth he found his truth in superficiall appearances it bringeth with it the salvation and benefit of men wherefore I have thought it convenient that it should be published through our Empire He commanded the Mandarines of this Court of Nimfam that they should build there a great Church with 21 Ministers weakening by that meanes the Monarchie of Cheu Olao Fu head of the sect of Tauzu which was carried in a black Chariot toward the West so the great Tam being enlightened together with Tao the Holy Gospel came into China and a little while after the King commanded that Olopuen his Picture should be painted on the wals of the Temple where it shineth and his memorie will alwayes shine in the World VII According to the records of the Empires of Ham and Guei the Kingdome of Tachin bordereth Southward upon the red Sea and Northward on the Mountaines of Pearls Westward on the Forest Delle Fule Per Li Santi Eastward on the Countrie of Cham Fum and the dead water The Countrie produceth a Lake Asphaltitis of fire Balsome Pearles and Carbuncles it hath no robbers but all live in joyfull peace The Gospel only is allowed in that Kingdome and honours are conferred only on those that are vertuous Their houses are great and all is illustrious by their order and good customes VIII The great Emperour Caozum the Sonne of Taizum continued with good decorum the intention of his Grand Father enlarging and adorning the works of his Father For he commanded that in all his Provinces Churches should be built and honours conferred on Olopuen bestowing upon him the Title of Bishop of the great law by which law he governed the Kingdome of China in great peace and the Churches filled the whole countrie with the prosperitie of preaching IX In the year Xim Lie the Bonzi of the Sect of the Pagods using their wonted violence did blaspheme this new and holy law in this place of Tum Cheu and in the year Sien Tien some particular Persons in Sigan with laughter and disparagement did mock at it X Then one of the chief of the Priests called John and another of great vertue named Kie Lie with some others of their Countrie Priests of great same being disingaged from the things of the world began to take up again that excellent net and to continue the thred which was now broken King Hi venzum Chi Tao commanded five little Kings to come in person to the happie house and to set up Altars Then in the year Tien Pao the pillar of the law which had been cast down for a while began to grow great King Taciam Kium gave command to Caâ—lie Sic that the Pictures of five Kings his ancestours should be placed in the Churches with a hundred Presents to honour the solemnitie Although the great beards of the Dragon were afarre off yet could they lay hands on their Bowes and their Swords The brightnesse which floweth from these Pictures maketh seem as if the Kings themselves were present In the third year of Tien Pao the Priest Kiehâ— was in India who guided by the starres came to China beholding the Sunne came to the Emperour who commanded that Iohn and Paul and other Priests should be joyned unto him to exercise Holy works in Kim Kim a place within the palace Then were hung up in Tables in the Churches the Kings letters richly adorned by publique order with red and blew colours and the Kings pen filled the emptines it mounted on high and transcended the Sun his favours and donatives may be compared to the tops of the Mountaines of the South and the abundance of his benefits is equall to the bottom of the eastern Sea Reason is not to be rejected there is nothing which the Saints cannot do and their deeds are worthy of memorie For this cause king Sozun Ven Mim commanded that Churches should be built in this Limvu and in five Cities He was of an excellent nature and opened the Gate to the common prosperitie of the Kingdome by which meanes the affaires of the Empire began to flourish again XI King Taizum Venvu caused happie times to return again doing things without labour and trouble alwayes at the feast of the nativitie of Christ he sent Heavenly perfumes to the Royall Churches to honour the Ministers of this holy law Truly heaven giveth beautie and profit to the world and liberally produceth all things This King imitated heaven and therefore he knew how to sustaine and nourish his subjects XII King Kien Chum Xim Xin Venvu used eight wayes of government for to reward the good and chastise the wicked and nine wayes to renew the estate of the Gospel Let us pray to God for him without being ashamed of it He was a man of much vertue humble and desirous of peace and ready to forgive his neighbour and to assist all men with charitie These are the steps of our holy law to cause the winds and the raines to retire at their seasons that the world should live in peace men be well governed and affaires well established that the living should prosper and the dead be in happinesse all this proceeds from our Faith XIII The King gave many honourable Titles in his Court to the Priest Y Su a great Preacher of the Law and also a garment of a red colour because he was peaceable and took delight in doing good to all He came from afarre off into China from the Country of Vam Xe Chi Chim His vertue surpassed our three famous Families he enlarged the other sciences perfectly He served the King in the Palace and afterward had his name in the Royall book The little King of Fuen Yam who had the Title of Chum Xulim and called himself Cozuy served at first in the warres of these parts of Sofam King Sozum commanded Y Su that he should assist Cozuy very much above all the rest neither did he for this change his ordinarie custome being the Nailes and Teeth of the Common-Wealth the Eyes and Eares of the Army He knew well how to distribute his revenue he was not sparing in any thing he offered a precious Gift called Poli to the Church of this place of Lintiguen he gave Golden Carpets to that of Cie Ki. He repaired the old Churches and established the house of the law adorning the chambers and galleries thereof making them
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
good behaviour and manner of life only there was this evill in it that he besought him to send them away from Pekim because it was against his lawes that strangers should inhabit in the Court But because the Eunuchs who had care of the Clock were afraid of the absence of the Fathers because the ordering of it depended on their directions and the King also had a desire they should stay this second Memoriall likewise received no answer In the meane while the Fathers having libertie to go abroad when they pleased frequently Visited the Mandarines made new friends and treated with those of the Councel of Rites called Lipu before whom their businesse was that they would be pleased in their Memorialls to signifie that they thought it fit that the Fathers should be permitted to reside in Pekim telling them that they might plainly perceive that the king refused to give an answer to them because he was willing they should stay there But they still obstinately opposed that point and accordingly in their third and many other Memorials which they presented concerning the Fathers although in the whole or at least the greater part they seemed to favour them yet in that which concerned their stay at Court they were alwayes excluded but in the like manner the kings answer was alwayes suspended there never comming any decree from him eyther for or against them The Fathers perceiving this long delay and whence it came desired in the meane time to be freed from that restraint which is imposed upon all strangers wherefore they obtained by meanes of certain Mandarines who were their friends the favour to be discharged from that place untill the King should returne his answer unto the fore-said Memorials and to have leave to hire a House for themselves This was a new thing and wholy different from the Stile of China and therefore so difficult that it was accounted impossible to be done without a particular order from the King But when God would have it so all things are easily brought about and so this licence was obtained rather as a thing granted from Heaven than acquired by humane industrie on earth The Fathers then had ful leave to go out of that walled place they hired a House and began to live in it as if they had been natives of that Countrie The Fathers then seeing themselves in that condition which was much better than what they could hitherto obtain presently endeavoured with all their might to get their settlement at the Court secured that none might be able to trouble them any more upon that account understanding very well how much the securitie of their other houses depended upon their personall residence at that Court. Neverthelesse with all the diligence that they themselves and severall Mandarines their friends could use they were never able to obtain a decree for it it is true they were assured by the Eunuches that the King had said that they might dwel securely at the Court and that they should by no meanes think of returning to the Southern Provinces for if they did he should be displeased at it This answer was very sufficient and being authorized with the Kings name served instead of a decree absolutely to secure their habitation there another favour also being added to this by which it was more confirmed and that was the appointing by the Kings own order to have a competent pension allowed the Fathers out of his exchequer for the maintenance of themselves and four Servants which allowance they were to receive quarterly By these favours and the friendship of the Eunuches of the Palace and of some principall Mandarines their habitation was not only secured but brought into such credit that their friends encreased dailie and the people flocked continually to our House some to see strangers some to heare something concerning our Sciences and some to understand the truth of our holy Law and this was that which was most pleasing to the Fathers and most profitable to the Chinesses Among the Principall Mandarines who at this beginning contracted friendship with the Fathers there was one who was named Ligo Zun He was a Native of the City of Hamcheu a man of great Talents and ingenuitie and was known to be such through the whole Kingdome at the examinations for the degree of Doctour where in that degree is given to about 300 he obtained the fifth place which is a very great reputation among them He was extreamly curious and being assisted by his own naturall ingenuitie and the friendship of Father Matthaeus Riccius he learned many curiosities in the Mathematiques He translated severall of the Fathers Books into the Chinesses language and whilest he was yet a Gentile he put our Catechisme into an excellent Stile It is reported of him that when he was Composing of it seeing the powerful reasons which were brought in that Book to prove the Sanctitie of our Religion that although he did not believe them to be true he cryed out what an excellent piece is this and how accurately Composed But in time he began to penitrate better into them and at length acknowledging them to be true he resolved to become a Christian but his desire not being capable to be put in effect at that time in his own person by reason of that inconvenience of his having many Wives which in China is the ordinarie hindrance and obstruction in men of that Qualitie neverthelesse he would have his whole Familie Baptized and he himself after he had setled and jousted his affaires as was requisite for that purpose was Christened also and named Leo and is the same who is so frequently mentioned in the yearly Letters for his Pietie and zeal and for being one of the Supporters and Pillars of that Christianitie carrying himself in such manner that by his example and perswasion he gained many persons of Qualitie to our holy faith among which number a grave person named Michael was one who is also often mentioned in the letters and of whom we shall speak when it commeth to his turne When he was now become a Christian he governed in severall places of the Kingdome but alwayes with that observance which was due to the Religion he professed Among other honourable employments he had the Office of Tauli which is a place of great honour and profit in the Citie of Caoyeâ— in the Province of Nankim he found in the Palace there a Chappel full of Idols which the curiosity or devotion of his predecessours had preserved and adorned with extraordinarie care and and cost The devout Leo judging it not convenient to have such ill company in the House where he dwelt commanded his Servants to throw down those Idols from the Alters where they stood and to hew them to pieces with Hatchets and after that they were given to the Cook to consume them in the fire with all their Gold about them The officers of his Tribunall as Secretaries Sergeants and others were astonished at it
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
other side it gave them much comfort by the relation of the Martyrdome of a certain Christian called Andrew concerning whose life and actions very much might be said and especially of that courage and constancy which he shewed in all the torments they gave him which is so much the more admirable in a Chinesse because that Nation is by nature very cowardly and timorous yet we have had certain experience that even to this day the Christian Chinesses in all occasions of Persecutions and Troubles that have happened to them have ever continued firme in the Faith so that by the grace of God they have not been wanting to Martyrdome but Martyrdome hath been wanting to them as was seen in those of Nankim and was proved in this good Christian Andrew This Andrew was borne in the Province of Kiaâ—si where after he had lived many yeares he removed from thence into the Province of Nankim where having had some information concerning our religion he came up the Fathers and after he had been well instructed by them in the principall points of our Faith he received Baptisme from them together with the name of Andrew Some few daies after his whole familie was Baptized by the hand of Father Rocca who was Superiour there at that time After his Baptisme Andrew became a pattern and example to the rest of the Christians by endeavouring to communicate to others the good which he had received and to draw others to Christ which succeeded very happily very many being Baptized by his perswasions He had a great devotion to the B. Virgin and was the most zealous man of a whole fraternitie which before the Persecution of Nankim was dedicated to her in our Church there and after that when the Fathers were banished he built an oratory in his owne house to the honour of that Holy Mother whither he used to assemble the Christians and to exhort them to devotion and observance of our Holy Law At the time the Fathers were imprisoned there and the other Christians were divided into five prisons he without any fear of that danger to which he did expose himselfe tooke upon him to serve them to visit comfort and assist them especially the Fathers with many almes at his owne expence not being content to performe these offices of Charitie in his owne person only he imployed in them also a little boy that was his sonne whom he sent to the Fathers that they might make use of him to send him of errants and other little occasions Likewise at our return thither he lent us his house for our habitation when we went to visit the Christians of that place and for an Infirmary or Hospitall when any were sick whom he served and tooke care of with great charity and affection These and other good works did the Lord pay him by crowning him with Martyrdome and making him to suffer death for his sake The good old man patiently suffered the torments and Bastinadoes abovementioned and when as the last which he received beside that they were very cruell ones were also laid on upon the wounds and stripes but lately inflicted on him before other Tribunalls it is no wonder that an old man who though he were strong in courage yet was but weake in body should render his life to the violence of those torments since the youngest of those Christians and those of the most robust complexion did hardly escape with life Thus he dyed leaving that Church much edified by his good example and much afflicted for the losse of him For he was as it were a Father to them all and in the absence of the Fathers a Master He was buried decently in a particular Sepulchre by himselfe to the end that one day he may have those honours which are due to him performed with greater solemnitie CHAP. 12. How things began to be quiet and setled and how the Fathers were sent for to Court by order of the Mandarines IN the mean time there came better news from Nankim whither the Fathers had sent a man on purpose with letters from themselvs as also from our Doctours to comfort and strengthen the Christians there in their afflictions and troubles although the Lord had so filled their hearts with courage and contentment that they had little need of any humane consolation This man returned with a confirmation of the news which was already spread abroad assuring them that all things were quiet the same also was written by the Christians in their letters For the Mandarines seeing that the plot did not take and that the Memorialls were not presented at Pekim and on the other side that Xin was turned out of his Office they presently changed their stile and opinion they set the Christians at liberty and also moderated the punishment that had been imposed upon them Only there remained in prison three Christians of Chincheo who expected every day to be sent into their owne Province as it afterwards fell out From Pekim also the Father who lay hid there wrote that all the hopes of our enemies of Nankim were quite overthrown at that Court and that the face of things was so changed since the departure of Xin that our friends did counsell him to treate with the Christian Mandarines and such other of them as although they were Gentiles yet had a good affection for us to finde out some way for him to go publickly abroad and for us to be introduced thither againe By this time there had six or seven years passed since the first Persecution of Nankim and the Tartars made a cruell warre upon the Chinesses and had already not only defeated severall of their armies but also gained diverse places from them in the Province of Leaotum neither did they well know which way to put a stop to the advance of their army Neverthelesse the Fathers did endeavour to finde some way to manifest themselves to the Kingdome and to appeare in publick according to the tenour of what had been written them from Pekim But because their banishment was decreed by the King they found no small difficulty in the businesse Notwithstanding the Christians and the Doctours that were our friends resolved to frame a Memoriall taking the occasion from the warre with the Tartars and the extremities to which the Chinesses were reduced and to present it to the King setting forth in the first place the misfortunes of the warre the mortality and damages which they had received the losse of their Townes and Cities without having been able for the space of so many years after such infinite expence of treasure and losse of men either to divert or stop the course of that calamitie In the second place they did remonstrate the errour which was committed in banishing the Europaean Fathers who beside that they were vertuous learned and men capable of the management of great affaires they were also very great Mathematicians who without doubt had particular secrets and extraordinary inventions which might be
made use of to their extraordinary advantage in that great straite wherein the Kingdom was at present and that if they were in the Court as they had formerly been that they would be able to reduce the affaires of state into a better condition Last of all they added that it was probable that they were not all yet departed and that it was not possible that so many men should be able to passe through so great a Kingdom through so many straite and uncouth waies That his Majesty should do well to give order for diligent search to be made through the whole Kingdom to see if any of them were still to be found there and to send for them to Court that they might be serviceable to him in this present conjuncture of the warre The Fathers made great opposition against this particular means which was taken for their re-establishment by reason they were altogether ignorant in matters of warre and armes and all things belonging to that profession and therefore they did not thinke it convenient that they should be petitioned for under that pretence To this as I understand Dr. Leo who was one of the chiefe Actours in this Tragedie presently made answer Fathers let not this trouble you for this pretence of arms shall stand us in no more stead then the needle dâ—th a Taylour who when he hath drawne through the thred he soweth with and the garment is finished presently taketh the needle away let your Reverences once get in by the Kings order and the armes to fight with shall be turned into pens to write In conclusion the Memoriall was drawne up very well they having excellent skill to frame a petition after their manner it was presented in the Chancery of Petitions and they tooke such paines in solliciting their friends that they got it passed and presented to the Kings hands with such good successe that immediately he made a favourable reference of it to the Councell of warre who did not only favour the disigne but added also that they did verily beleeve that the Fathers by their skill in the Mathematicks would be able so to enchant the Tartars that they should not be able to manage their armes against them They therefore immediately gave order that they should be sought out with all possible diligence But there was no need to take much pains to finde them out for he that was to seeke them knew well enough where to have them Father Rocca our Superiour who resided at that time in the Southern parts had presently news of the Kings order that he was to send two Fathers to that Court. It is almost incredible what joy there was both among the Fathers the rest of the Christians they knowing that this was the most certain way for the Fathers to returne publickly into the Kingdom for the propagation of the Gospel with the same libertie they formerly enjoyed Father Nicolas Longobardus and Father Emanuel Dias were named for this expedition who assoone as they had fitted themselves for their journy departed for Pekim where they made their entrance publickly And because some years had now passed since beards of the Europaean fashion had been seen in that City there was so great a concourse of people to see them that they could hardly make their way through them The first thing they did was to present themselves to the Tribunall of warre the care of seeking them out having been recommended to the Mandarines of that Tribunall who received them with all manner of courtesie and civility and profered to take the care themselves of their lodging and accommodation which the Fathers would by no means accept excusing themselves that they had not yet merit enough to accept of their offer but gave them very great thanks and promised to receive their kindnesse when they should see a fit time for it But the true reason was partly that they might not be burthensome to them and partly that they might remain the freer by having the lesse obligation to be employed in their affaires of warre under which title they had been brought in thither As for a House it seemed good to the Christians that they should returne to that where they had formerly made their abode for so many years and where they were yet well knowne and beloved of the neighbourhood Besides that by that means the world would more clearly understand upon how little reason they were banished and moreover they should save building of a new Church the old one having been bought on purpose by a Christian only there was great need of repayring for the buildings of China consisting principally of wood are not so strong and lasting as ours But Dr. Ignatius who resided at that time in the Court tooke upon him to repaire all at his owne charges and did accommodate them very excellently especially the Church and when every thing was ready the Fathers went thither to dwell where they do yet inhabit to this very day medling only with such things as belong to their profession without being ever spoken to concerning warre Tartars or Armes The affaires of the Court being thus happily accomplished and the Fathers dwelling freely and openly in their ancient House they began to set on foote their former exercises They did cultivate and perfect the knowledge of the Christians they preached to the Gentiles they received the visits which the Mandarines and their friends did pay them with the same familiaritie as formerly and without any other cautions but such as are at all times necessary in China This securitie and libertie in the Court by publique approbation was in a little while after communicated to the other Houses where the rest of the Fathers did reside So that by little and little preaching and other exercises of religion were so happily encreased and enlarged that in the year 1628 and 29. whilest we lived peaceably in the places of our abode a doore was opened to the Gospel and the way cleared to the conversion of the Gentiles without finding any opposition or resistance to the designes which God had encouraged us to undertake although it was alwaies necessary to make some Magistrate our friend in the place of our employment In the same measure that our libertie encreased the Gospel was likewise divulged in severall parts new Residencies were set up with Houses and Churches belonging to them and Fathers were sent to make their abode at them Two beside Oratories were instituted in the Province of Fokien both of them very numerous in Christians In the Province of Xansi there was one set up and in that of Xunsi another as also another in the Province of Honan all which do flourish at this day in a copious Christianitie At my departure thence there was another beginning which is now finished having a Church and some store of Christians and they did resolve to send some Fathers to reside there But because hereafter there will be an account given of them
the greatest fury of that persecution wherein the Fathers were banished the Kingdom eight of them concealed themselves in that City not only maintaining what they had already gained but also encreasing it so much that whereas about 8 or 10 years before there were but three Churches in all China we have at this day many in eight Provinces as also twelve Houses the number of the faithfull being very much encreased every where Dr. Leo made continuall progresse in the Christian religion and shewed in act upon all occasions what he had before embraced and resolved in his minde When he went to take possession of the first office which was given him after he was a Christian he was advertised by the Ministers and Officers that according to the custome he should go and worship and take his oath before the Idols which in great number were placed in a certain Hall of that Palace where he was to lodge The Doctour went and being come to the roome where the Idols were the Ceremonie he performed was to cause them to be all overturned and throwne to the ground and then to be broken in pieces so that the Sergeants themselves who were constrained to execute this Commandement which seemed to them a very great impiety said among themselves Sure this new Lord of ours is not very well in his wits So great was the horrour and hatred which he had conceived against the devill He was in this particular very severe and terrible all the time of his life neither did he account them men that were deceived in that point had so little sense as to believe Idols to be gods and those who had any occasion to heare the Law of God or to read the books which treated of it and did not judge it to be true to want braines and to be voyd of understanding He perswaded himselfe that all they who could read and took a delight in the reading of books that it was not possible but that they should have a great passion for the Learning and Sciences of Europe and that by means of them they must needs arrive at the knowledge of the true God and receive his Holy law Therefore his greatest care always was to perswade the Fathers to apply themselves to the translating the books of Europe and he himselfe did help them in it all he could which was not a little Hence it was that ever since he knew the Fathers which was about the space of thirty years he almost alwaies busied himselfe in this exercise which he followed with so much study and application that even in the Country at recreations visits and banquets he never went without a book in his sleeve or in the chaire wherein he was carried on mens shoulders and when he was alone he did either read or write although it was more troublesome to him than it would have been to another of lesse ingenuity and capacity by reason of his want of sight in one eye which he had almost lost and the little sight he had in the other which was left so that in writing or reading he was faine almost to touch the paper with his eye And truly he made such progresse in our Sciences that he could have discoursed upon any subject better than many in Europe that esteeme themselves learned men He perfectly understood the first six books of Euclid which are now translated into the Chinesse tongue he had learned all the kinds of our Arithmetick with many particular rules and subtleties which are taught in that Art of which subject he composed seaven Tomes he was very well acquainted with all that belongeth to the Spheare and such like curiosities But what is most of all he understood very well and helped to translate the books of Aristotle de Caelo together with the questions which are handled upon them by the Schoole of Conimbra so that he had perfectly penetrated into that matter and finally he learnt a great part of our Logick concerning which he left 20 Tomes in the Chinesse language to be printed besides he discoursed so pertinently of all these and other matters with so much ease and delight that it was not so facile for others who were well versed in them to follow him He never made account of those curious commodities which came from Europe and which were so much esteâ—med by others all his delight and content was to see some new and curious book that was brought out of Europe Then would he sigh to see himselfe old and alone not finding in other Christians the zeale which he had of a thing so important to the conversion of that Kingdom as was the helping us in the translation of such books With the Fathers he never discoursed of any thing but either of God or of our Sciences It was a knowâ— thing among us that when he saw us which he did many times a week the first thing he would ask was What book it was we were about translating and if he knew the subject how much we had already translated And I can speak it with truth that of fifty works which the Fathers have translated into the Chinesse tongue both of Divinitie other Sciences among which there are some which do consist of many Tomes there is hardly one which hath not passed through his hands he either correcting it himselfe or helping us to do it or revising and fitting it for a new impression or else reâ—ding it of more Authority with the addition of prologues and other compositions of his owne He had an unspeakable pleasure in those works neither could â—e have a greater Present sent him than one of our books newly printed in the Chinesse language From hence there grew in him a great 〈◊〉 iâ—satible desire wherein he seemed to consume himselfe which was to have many Fathers come into China and it was so vehement in him that it made him fall into complaints against our Superiours saying They did not understand because they could not see with their eyes the importance of that businesse that therefore they did not supply that want so much as was necessary One day falling into a great heat upon this subject the Father with whom he discoursed mildely replied Sir we thank you for your zeale and do acknowledge the favour you shew us in complaining on this manner but our Superiours have many places to succour and supply and it is not possible for them to do it to the satisfaction of all To which he replied very gracefully Your Reverence doth reprove me for daring to murmure against our Fathers and Superiours but it is not so but only I say That I should be very glad to have the opportunity to speak in person with our Reverend Father Generall in these very tearmes he spake it in the Chinesse tongue and when ever he mentioned the Superiours of the Company he alwaies called them Our Fathers and Superiours because I would very earnestly desire of him that he would be
briefe account thereof sufficient at least for the instruction of those who desire to be informed concerning those parts forbearing to make a more large discourse at the present but reserving it for another time which may be when wee shall returne to that vast Country with new Labourers in so great a number that some of the greatest Authority and Experience among us may find leisure and convenience to undertake a perfect Relation In the mean time abbreviating as much as 't is possible this Information without rendring that knowledge confused which wee pretend to gratify the world with we shall divide the work into two parts The first containeth the materiall part of the Kingdome that is the Provinces Land and Fruits and in a manner the formal part too that is the people their learning and customes The second the Beginning of Christianity there the progresse thereof the persecutions suffered therein and finally the condition wherein I left it at my departure thence I hope this worke shall gain some esteem and credit if not for the greatnesse of the Appearance at least for the certainty of the reality of it having taken what I write from the infallible Testimony of mine eyes which though they may not be of the quickest sighted yet have had the advantage to reiterate very often their speculations And if he which vieweth for a long time although his sight be not of the best doth commonly see more then he who looketh in haste be his eyes never so good I who for the space of two and twenty years have had the opportunity to observe all Passages of China have certainly seen so much what I write and what others have written who have not seen them sowell that I must necessarily speak of them with more Certainty then they although with lesse Eloquence The Table of all the Chapters contained in the first part of the History of China Chap. 1. OF the Kingdome in Generall Fol. 1. Chap. 2. Of the Provinces in particular and first of those of the South fol. 8. Chap. 3. Of the Northern Provinces fol. 15. Chap. 4. Of the persons of the Chinesses of their nature wit and inclination fol. 22. Chap. 5. Of the manner of their habit fol. 29. Chap. 6. Of their Language and Letters fol 31. Chap. 7. Of their manner of study and admittance to examination fol. 35. Chap. 8 Of the manner of their Examinations and how their degrees are conferred fol. 40. Chap. 9. Of the degree of Doctour fol. 45. Chap. 10. Of the Bookes and Sciences of the Chinesses fol. 47. Chap. 11. Of their Sciences and liberall Arts in particular fol. 51. Chap. 12. Of the Courtesies and Civilities of the Chinesses fol. 58. Chap. 13. Of their Banquets fol. 65. Chap. 14. Of the Games which the Chinesses use fol. 68. Chap. 15 Of their Marriage fol. 69. Chap. 16. Of the Funerals and Sepultures of the Chinesses fol. 73. Chap. 17. Of the Funerall of the Queen Mother fol. 78. Chap. 18. Of the severall sects of Religion in China fol. 86. Chap. 19. Of their superstitions and sacrifices in China fol. 93. Chap. 20. Of the Militia and Arms of the Chinesses fol. 96. Chap. 21. Of the war which the Tartars made upon China fol. 100. Chap. 22. Of the Kings and Queens of China and of the Eunuchs fol. 106. Chap. 23. How the Kings of China are married fol. 119. Chap. 24. Of the Nobility of China fol. 121. Chap. 25. Of the Government of China and of the Officers fol. 124. Chap. 26. Of the Government of the thirteen Provinces fol 128. Chap. 27 Of the Badge of honour or Ensigns of the Mandarines fol. 132. Chap. 28. Of the Prisons Sentences and Punishments of the Chinesses fol. 135. Chap. 29. Of some particular things which doe facilitate and rectify the Govenment in China fol. 144. Chap. 30. Of the Moors Iews and other Nations which are in China fol. 151. Chap. 31. Of the Christian Religion planted many ages since in China and of a very ancient stone lately discovered there which is an admirable testimony thereof fol. 154. A Table of the contents of the Chapters in the second Part of the History of China Chap. 1. OF the first beginninge of the preaching of the Gospel in China fol. 166. Chap 2. Of the proceedings and Persecutions of the Fathers before they arrived at Nankim fol. 172. Cap. 3. Of what happened after till the Fathers entred into Pekim fol. 177. Chap. 4. The Fathers enter into Pekim and settle there fol. 183. Chap. 5. Of the proceedings and ruin of their House at Xaocheu fol. 187. Chap. 6. Of the progresse of the Christian Religion at the two Residencies at Nancham and Nankim and of the death of Father Matthaeus Riccius fol. 192. 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 fol. 197. Chap. 8. A fierce persecution is raised against the Christians in Nankim fol. 205. Chap. 9. The continuation of the Persecution and the Banishment of the Fathers out of China Fol. 214. Chap. 10. How things began to be calmed again after the persecution and of the foundation of severall Residencies fol. 220. Chap. 11. Of the second persecution at Namkim and of the martyrdome of a Christian named Andrew fol. 226. Chap. 12. How things began to be quiet and setled and how the Fathers were sent for to Court by order of the Mandarines fol. 232. Chap. 13. The life and death of Dr. Leo and the conclusion of this History fol. 239. After which follows the supplement to these present times wherein is contained the Chinesses most cruell warre with the Tartars by whom they are now conquered fol. 249. An Exact MAPP of CHINA being faithfully Copied from one brought from Peking by a Father Lately resideent in that Citty 1655 IC A King of China A China Man A China Woman THE FIRST PART Of the Temporall State of CHINA CHAP. 1. Of the Kingdom in Generall CHina in its extent is one great continued Continent without having any thing which devides it and taking it from the latitude of Haynam which is not farre distant from the Continent and lyeth in nineteen degrees it extends it self twenty foure degrees inclining towards the East and ending in fourty three degrees it comes to make a circuite so much the more spacious by how much the coasts thereof run along in various and unequall windings and so comes to be the chiefest kingdome of the world in greatnesse and almost equall to all Europe On the west side thereof are many small Islands but so neere together that they seem all to Compose but as it were one body All this Monarchy is divided into fifteen Provinces each of which is a spacious Kingdome and so they were all anciently each having a King of its own Of those nine which they call the Southern Provinces the greatest part of them are watered
Supervising Censure or Licence of any one and with so small charges that for every hundred letters perfectly engraved in the manner abovesaid they pay no more than foure pence half-penny and yet every letter consisteth of many strokes CHAP. 7. Of their manner of study and admittance to examination THey are put to learn from their tender age They have for beginners certain little bookes containing good rules and precepts of vertue good manners obedience to their parents and superiors or some such like matter A few months after they give them Classicall books which they get all by heart both the Text and the Glosse as perfect as we do our Pater Noster After this commeth the Masters explanation They say their lesson likewise by heart the Scholars back being turned towards the master with the book lying open upon the table and they use no other phrase for saying their Lesson but only Poixú which signifieth to turn their back upon the book and this is done that they might not cast their eies upon it to help themselves They are kept to their studies with so much rigour even the youngest of them that they are allowed no manner of recreation or divertisement Every day they write something and their masters copy is laid under the paper like the black line among us and the paper being thinne and transparent the letters easily appear through which the boy that learneth doth easily imitate forming other letters like those which hee seeth under his paper and by using this for some short time he becometh accustomed to the fashion of his Masters hand which he imitateth after this manner Therefore after some time spent in this exercise they write one line upon the Masters copy and another upon the blank paper by the side of it for as I have said the lines are made from the top of the paper to the bottome till at length when they can well imitate the copy they give over writing upon it In fine they take very much paines to gain a good hand in writing for in their examinations where their compositions are copied it is sufficient to have their Grace denied if there be but found one ill-shapen letter before their exercise be read they presuming that no man can be learned if he read or write ill although among us there be many examples to the contrary For it is wel known that the excellent Doctour Navarra wrought a very ill hand our Bartolomeo Philippo a singular Scholar writ so perfect an ill hand that to the universall grief of all learned men his most learned works were lost although they were many and no doubt full of most admirable knowledge because there was not found any one that was able to read them as may be perceived by those workes of his that have escaped out of that pernicious Chaos Next when the Chinesses have learned a good quantity of their letters and have had some acquaintance with their books they are instructed in the rules of composition First they give them some disordered compositions which they are to reduce into order then some abbreviations for them to enlarge upon and afterwards in due time they give them only the point or Theme in like manner they do at their examinations And because every three years the most approved compositions of those who have taken degrees are put in print others take great paines in them and get as many of them by heart as they are able They have no Universities where they study together but all that are able take a Master into the house for their sonnes and sometimes two if there be much difference between their childrens ages This Master is alwaies with them without any interruption and teacheth them not only letters and sciences but whatsoever concerneth Civill government good manners moralitie and the way how to carry themselves in every thing If they are persons of Quality the Scholar never goeth abroad without his Master who serveth to instruct him in all Civilities and good behaviour particularly in visits where as there are many Ceremonies used there is something of difficultie and they might easily commit an errour if their Master did not help them And without doubt this way is most decent for their reputation and more profitable for their studies and lesse exposed to those venemous practises and company which are apt to teach them such customs as infect their minds and spoile the Decorum of a Gentleman and much more in China where if any one have this evill fame he cannot be admitted to examinations There are neverthelesse many Schools for children of a meaner condition where the Masters have this good quality that they receive no more than they are well able to teach that they might not go from them as if they had never come thither as it falleth out too often in Europe where each Master endeavoureth to have many Scholars rather for his own gain than their advancement For indeed a man let him be never so able is but still one man whence it commeth to passe that some of their Schollars know the School but are not known of it This inconvenience is avoided in China each taketh no greater charge upon him than he is well able to give an account of and each Master admitteth no more Scholars than he can well teach He is with them all the day long behaving himself with much gravitie neither do they ever go out of the School unlesse it be at meales and if any one of them doth live far off his dinner is brought to the School Their play-daies and time of vacation are only fifteen daies at the beginning of the new year and some few daies in the fift and seventh moon and as there are there no Holy-daies they make all the rest of the year an un-interrupted application to their studies So sensible are they of this truth That it is necessary to take very great paines to bee learned and that seldome any one passeth with the reputation of a knowing man without much labour and industrie When they are grown up and past these rudiments and their parents are not able to provide a master for each in particular some of the kindred and neighbours joyne together and take a master in common who dyets with them day by day in course and receiveth his Salary from them all which is not much but more or lesse according to the custome of the Countries and many amount each year to 40 or 50 Crowns the common Salary being from ten to twenty crownes besides the presents which they make them at certaine feasts consisting of stockings shoes and such like things At meals although it be in the houses of persons of the greatest quality they are to sit with the father of the scholar or at least with the scholar himselfe Many times they stuâ—y not in their fathers house having others more proper for that occasion either within or without the City but never farr off and as much as
piece of paper in white letters and clap it over their gate That they are retired to their garden house by which means they are excused from the molestation of these Civilities The visit must be like that of the Physitian in the morning for towards the evening it is not esteemed to be of so much courtesie nor must it be a visit by the way going upon other businesse and if at any time they make such a visit they excuse themselves saying They will take another time to satisfie the intention of their obligation and devoir For ordinarie visits they have no set time there are times neverthelesse wherein acquaintance friends and kindred are obliged to pay this Ceremony The chiefe and principall time is the first day of the new yeare wishing one another an happy new yeare at which time there is a great multitude of sedans horses and people up and down the streets for then visits are most frequent Many times they go not into the house but leave a Thie and go their way and if they enter they are obliged to eat and drink although it be but a little The second time is on the fifteenth of the same month But the visits are not so frequent and the feasting more because it is at the ending of the fifteen days which they call the feastivall of Lanthornes because during that time they set many of them up and down the streets on gates and in windowes and some of them are very faire and costly The third is the Third day of the Third moone which is in March and is called Cimnim They go all then to the sepulchres to perform there their sacrifices and other Ceremonies and although they bewaile their dead certaine it is that the living make good cheere among themselves The fourth is the fift day of the fift moone which they call Tuonù The people keep a festivall at that time in the streets and high-ways and upon the rivers although sometimes this is forbidden by reason of the disasters which often fall out upon the rivers The fift is upon the Seaventh day of the Seaventh moone at what time they begg abilitie and power of the moone as also they do the like upon the Ninth day of the Ninth moone They visit one another and send Presents and every feastivall hath its Presents that are proper to it Beside these feastivalls they visit upon occasion of death of changing their houses of marriage at the birth of a sonne at the promotion to a degree or office or higher dignitie at the taking of a journy upon the birth-day and especially when they enter upon any seaventh year of their age and in these cases they must not make an empty visit but are always to send some Present When one undertaketh a long journy all his friends visit him and send him presents But when he returneth he is to visit and present them who performed those kind offices to him They visit likewise the sick but only at the gate who seldome admit of a visit within unlesse it be from an intimate friend In these visits they are very punctuall sons towards their father scholars towards their Masters inferiours toward their superiours and the whole Kingdome toward the King so that on his birth-day at the foure quarters of the year and at the chiefe feastivals the vice-roy together with all the Magistrates of the Province dispatch away an Embassadour to court to visit the King in the name of all that Province They which reside at the court as well Letterati as Captaines on the same days go in person to court to do their devoirs They have severall Hals well accommodated for the receiving of visits the first is common to all The visitant may enter thither and sit downe without giving any notice of his being there And although he find not the porter to usher him in they have another farther in which they call the private Hall Hitherto may their kindred and intimate friends come but no further least they should go into that part of the house which is called Hui and is the place where the women are whither the serving-men of the house are not suffered to come unlesse they be very young In the outward Hall they come to receive their visitants and after the ordinary courtesies are performed the master of the house with his owne hands bringeth a chaire and fitteth it with a cushion and if they are many he bringeth a chaires and accommodateth them for them all And afterward they al of them accommodate a chaire for him He leaveth every one to take the place that is due to him and if it be not that some one of them hath a particular respect due to his dignity or office the sonnes cousins scholars c. take place according to their age and if they do not know one anothers age they ask it The Master of the house taketh always the lowest place After they are seated presently the drink called Cià is brought in which they also take according to the same order of precedency In some Provinces the often presenting of this drink is esteemed the greater honour But in the Province of Hamcheu if it be brought the third time it intimateth to the visitant that it is time for him to take his leave If the visitant be a friend and maketh any stay presently there is a table set with sweet-meats and fruits nor do they ever make drie visits which is the custome almost of all Asia contrary to the use of Europe In exercising their courtesies whether it be a son before his father or a scholar before his master for the most part they are more hearers than speakers the young people being never forward in speaking The termes which they use in speaking are very honourable and full of respect toward others and humble toward themselves and as it is not good manners to call any one You in Spain or Italie so neither is it among them to say I. Wherefore they never use this word but other termes in stead of it as the Foster-child the Scholar c. And the sonne when he speaketh to his father nameth himselfe His youngest Sonne although he be the eldest and is already married servants to their masters stile themselves Siaove and the youngest of them Siaoti he that pleadeth at a Tribunall stileth himselfe the delinquent a Christian at his confession the sinner the women in the palace excepting the Queenes and the Eunuchs speaking to the King use your majesties slave Nupor every one else speaking to the King nameth himselfe vassall Chin. If one doth not speak of his owne person but of such as belong to him he is to use modest terms and expressions The father saith of his sonne My young sonne The Master My young scholar and the sonne speaking of his father calleth him The father of the house The servant of the Master The Lord of the house In speaking one with another they use alwaies
glutton of play soundeth as ill as any other vice which we abhorr here CHAP. 15. Of their Marriage IN the Kingdome of China as doth plainly appear by their books and Chronicles formal Marriages and indissoluble after contract have been in use above 2400 yeares and in ancient time they used certain particular Ceremonies at the celebration thereof one of which was giving the hand But these have been changed by time some being taken away and many others added Alwaies from that time to this there hath been among them two kinds of Marriage one a true one with a matrimoniall contract for their whole life between the two parties and then the woman is called a wife and treated as such and received with extraordinary Ceremonies The second is rather a Concubinage permitted by their lawes in case they have no children by their wife especially sonnes but now it is grown so common that although some do forbear having them upon the account of vertâ—e yet it is very ordinary among rich men to take Concubines although they have children The manner is very different from the true and legitimate Marriage for although they contract after some sort with the Father of the maiden and that they treat one another as kindred yet in truth she is bought and sold and many times by a Person that hath no relation to her but only that he bâ—ed her up for that purpose for there are many in China which breed up young maidens and teach them Musick and dancing and other perquisites of womens breeding only to sell them afterwards for Concubines at a great price Yet however it is not accounted a Matrimony nor hath it the solemnitie of Marriage belonging to it nor any obligation of perpetuity but the man may put her away and she may marrie with another there being no law which prohibits it in case she be wholly withdrawn from the company of the first The manner of treating them is very different They eat apart by themselves in their own chambers and are in subjection to the true wife and serve her in some things as her Servants The children which they beare do not do them reverence as to a mother but they pay it to the true wife whom also they call mother Hence it is that if the Concubine die that bore them they are not obliged to three years mourning nor to deprive themselves of entrance into the examinations nor if they govern to quit their charge which as you shall hear hereafter is to be done at the death of their parents Therefore although he be an only sonne he is not obliged to these duties but only when his Fathers lawfull wife dieth although she be not his true mother When the Husband dieth the government of the estate and family falleth to the lawfull wife and to the children whether they be by her or by the Concubine But when the lawfull wife dieth it falleth to the Concubine and her children if she have any Sometimes it falleth out that they take a Concubine and keep her only till she bring them a sonne for if the lawfull wife will not suffer her to stay assoone as the child is born they send her away or marry her to another the child which staieth behind never knoweth her who bore him acknowledging only for his Mother his Fathers lawfull wife It happeneth also many times that a man taketh an excessive affection to his Concubine and then all goeth amisse but only in what belongeth to the outward observance which must not be changed Widows may marry if they will but they that are women of qualitie seldome or never do it no although they be young and have no children They are to live in their Father in laws house and are for this reason much esteemed In the legitimate Marriage for the most part they observe an equalitie of estate and condition but in their Concubines they have regard only to their naturall endowments They may not marry with any of their kindred on their Fathers side in no degree whatsoever nor with any of the same Sir-name but they may marry with their kindred on the Mothers side if they be in a remote degree but that is not so exactly observed A young maid will hardly marry with a widdower which they call patching up the house and the bed They never marry although they be never so great friends without a Mediator or one that goeth between both parties wherefore they chuse whom they please there being as well men as women who perform this office The Bride-groom never seeth the Bride before he entreth the doore to take her for his wife there Fathers marry their sonnes ordinarilie very young promise them in Mariage even from little children sometimes before they are borne which promise these punctually performe although their Fathers die before the time or one of the parties fall from his honour or estate c. excepting both parties voluntarily agree to break off the contract if by chance the sonne for some respects will not stand to the contract made by his father they compel him by law to perform it In China before the Father die there is no formall portion given either to sonne or daughter among the meaner sort of people the ordinarie custome is not absolutely to buy their wives as some say but the husband giveth a certain quantitie of mony to the Father of the maid with which to buy her clothes and ornaments for her head suitable to her qualitie This summe is alwaies of the largest for that purpose but the Fathers save as much out of it as they can what remaineth being to accrue to them Hence it is that some have said that the Chinesses buy their wives there being not wanting some ground for this beleefe for to this day they agree with the Father of the maid for so much money which if it be not given them they wil not part with their daughter Among the Nobility there is no talk of giving any money but the Father of the Bride is obliged to comply with what the stile and custome of that Kingdome requireth each according to their abilitie and commonly that which he giveth is all necessary Furniture for her apartment excepting the bed which although all things are very cheap in that Country will sometimes cost fifty Crowns He giveth her four or two maid servants to wait upon her and some money and of all this more or lesse according to his ability But land or possession they almost never give unlesse the Brides Father be very rich or that he would match her to some principall Person and that only in case he have no sonnes After the contract is performed between their Fathers then there follow many curtesies and compliments as first the Bride-groom sendeth the Bride a present of things to eate as flesh wine and fruit Secondly a day is chosen for their Marriage which when it is resolved on by advice of Astrologers is
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
any of these things the Mandarines take themselves large shares of them and if the better sort of people sacrifice such as are the heads of families it is divided among the kindred The ordinary sort of people after they have made their offering which is comonly boyled before hand take up every thing againe then having dressed it anew according to their fancy they make a feast with it where it is all eaten They sacrifice many other things as Banners and Umbrellas all of silk severall figures moulded in gold or silver or else made of Orpine or base gold great summes of mony made of cut paper All these things are to be sold ready made in the market places at the shops of severall Artificers and after they are sacrificed they burn them all Every man offereth sacrifice without any difference they having no determinate ministers appointed for this act neither indeed have they for other things as for offices or Divine service Burialls to sing and officiate at them with any exactnesse It belongeth only to the king to sacrifice to Heaven the Earth Sunne Moone Planets and Starres and if any others should do it in publick he were guilty of a great crime For this end they have two most famous Temples at the two Courts where the King sacrificeth at the foure seasons of the year Spring Summer Antumne and Winter going thither himselfe in person and if he cannot go he sendeth some other to officiate in his stead The great Lords and those who are Titelados sacrifice to the Mountaines Lakes c. The Gentlemen and Officers to the four seasons of the year and particular parts of the earth Hills and the like For the rest as to their Idols their houshold-gods Genij or Tutelar Angells any one sacrificeth that will there being set times and places appointed for it except at sometimes they do accomodate themselves both to the occasions and places as when any one is to take a voyage by water he offereth sacrifice on the day whereon he departeth and that either in the Barke or on the next shore CHAP. 20. Of the Militia and Armes of the Chinesses THe knowledge and skill of Warre and Military affairs is very ancient among the Chinesses as appeareth by their bookes and Histories and it is very certaine that they have conquered many famous Kingdomes it is also commonly beleeved that they did formerly conquer Ceilan and neere to that place in the City of Nagapatam there is to be seen at this day an edifice or building which they call The Pagod of the Chinesses and it is a Tradition among the people of that Countrie that it was built by them Neither truly is it a worke unfit to be compared to any of that Kingdome Neverthelesse their bookes make no mention at all of it but that is not a sufficient reason altogether to refute this Tradition for no more have they any memory left in their bookes of the ancient Christianitie which notwithstanding it is most certaine was there and was also very much dilated and spread abroad However it is manifest that they had 114. Kingdomes Tributary to them but at this day they have only the neighbouring Countries which are nothing neere so many and even of these some of them do deny them their tribute and others have been abandoned by the Chinesses themselves holding it better to retire themselves to their own in peace and quietnesse than to go on stil with warre and troubles to conquer or maintaine other Kingdomes Beside the Conquests and warres made with stranger Kingdomes they have had warre also for many yeares in their own Countrie so that beside many particular books that treate thereof they have one body of historie consisting of ten Tomes which only treateth of the warrs of those times of their Captaines their manner of warfare battailes victories and other things wherein are many notable things to be read which do clearly demonstrate that they have formerly been a valiant and warlike nation although there are but few such at this time The occasions how they came thus to grow lesse were very great as I shall shew hereafter At this day that which they have of warlike in the Kingdome is only the multitude which is very great for besides the Souldiery which they have in the frontiers of Tartarie and in the Armados and fleets which are at the mouths of the great rivers which runne into the Sea every Province and in that every City and Village of the Kingdome hath a proper militia of their own which is paid by them and commanded by their own Captaines and in case that any Province hath need of men they make use of the Souldierie of their own Cities and Townes which by order of the vice-roy is easily brought to one Rendevous And if there be occasion for them on the frontiers or any other place of the Kingdome presently by order from the King or his councell of warre they rayse the Souldiers of one or more Provinces according to the Present necessitie and the possibilitie of the Province all of them not being able to maintaine the same number of Souldiers These Souldiers are alwayes in readinesse and if one of them be wanting or die there are presently enow in the same Town though it be never so little who make suite for the employment and so the place is presently supplied In the City of Nankim they say there are 40000 Souldiers and in that of Pekim 80000. and throughout the whole Kingdome as Father Matthoeus Riccius affirmeth who lived in China many yeares and had very good Knowledge thereof above a million and Father Iohn Rodriguez who went very much up and down China and had opportunitie to see the principall places thereof and was very curious saith that he found by diligent search in their books that in the body of the Kingdome with all the Cities and Villages thereof there are 594000 Souldiers and on the great wals which confine on Tartarie 682888. and yet he did not put into this number the Souldiers of the Armado that guardeth the coast Nor wil this number seem so excessive if we consider that China alone beside that it is much more populous is as big as Spain France Italie Germanie the Low-Countries great Brittain and all the Islands belonging to it In all this multitude if we speak of them who guard the Frontiers there is no doubt but there is found some valour and courage and they have sometimes gallantly repulsed the Tartars and in the yeare 1596 when the Giapponesses after they had passed through all the Kingdome of Corea without finding any resistance would have entred China which they came on purpose to conquer the Chinesses repulsed them in such manner that after the losse of many men they were faine to put up their pipes and returne home without doing any thing so likewise the Souldiers of the Armado have made some assaults wherein they have been victorious But if we speake 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
one guilty person that would make his escape The very trees seem to be afraid to cover him with their shade If a person of qualitie be to be apprehended they send the Ministers of justice to him who have no more to do but to throw the cord or chaine at his feet the which he himselfe taketh up and putteth about his neck as if it were a chaine of Gold and the very name of these is sufficient to strike a terrour in any In the City of Sucheu in the Province of Nankim there lived a Mandarine a grave Person who had passed through most of the greatest Offices in the Kingdome with great satisfaction and good liking of the peopie it was in the time of that powerfull Euneuch of whom we spake even now this man had intelligence that these Ministers of justice would be sent to him he stayed not their coming but made a banquet to his kindred and friends toward the end thereof going out as if it had been upon some other occasion he cast himselfe out of a Balcone into a fish Pond where he drowned himselfe His Guests seeing him stay so long went out to looke him and found upon a Table a paper having these words written with his own hand Turning towards the Palace I performe the reverence due to my King whom I have alwayes endeavoured to serve with resolutions becoming a faithfull subject and it is not reasonable that I should suffer from the hand of an Eunuch affronts worthy a base and criminall Person There needs no more than two letters sent from the King and put in any place to make it remaine as it were inchanted so that if they want any thing in the Palace as Chà Fruit. c. it is sufficient to send to the Countrie where those things are they desire to give them notice only and to set up those two letters Xim Chi that is the will of the King and presently every thing is made ready and none dare stir so much as a leafe of it The same thing hapneth when there is any extraordinarie businesse to be done which carrieth some difficultie with it for it is sufficient to set up the two letters above-said and all opposition is levelled as it fell out when the King gave the houses of an Eunuch who was a prisoner to the Fathers of our company for a burying place by clapping the said letters upon them In all the Cities of the Kingdome every moneth on the first day of the moone the Magistrates assemble themselves at the tribunall of the Governour before a Throne where are placed the Royall Ensignes and there they do reverence to them in the same manner as they would do to the King himselfe if he were present They doe the like also on his birth day At the beginning of every yeare each Province sendeth an Embassadour to visit the King and as often as they write letters to him they do not send them by way of the post but a principall Mandarine goeth to carry them But their memorialls or petitions they send by the Post. Every three yeeres all the great Mandarines of the Kingdome go to do homage to the King None may enter into the Royall Palaces no not into the first gate if he be clothed in Mourning neither do they go to make their reverence in an ordinarie habit but in that extraordinarie one appointed for Courtesies and the Magistrates are to put on a red garment None of what condition soever may passe before the gates of the Palace on horse-back nor in a Sedan nor in any other manner except on foot no not if they be women and by how much the Qualitie of the Person is the greater so much the further off is he to light and go a-foot All the Officers and Persons of Qualitie who come to the Court are presently obliged either in the morning early if they come or late at night if they go out to go to Kun Chao that is the Court of Ceremonies as is above-said and before the Royall Throne which is placed in a Hall although the King be not there who at that houre is for the most part in bed and when all that came in that morning are assembled there being no morning that there is not a good number of them the Master of the Ceremonies commeth and with a loud voice declareth the Ceremonies which every one ought to performe and they all in the same manner put them in execution and if by misfortune any one committeth an errour or doth any gesture not reverently enough it belongeth to the Master of the Ceremonies to give the King notice thereof by a memoriall as in like manner doth the Person that is culpable accusing himselfe and requiring some penance for it but this is done purely out of Ceremony the king never taking any heed to it All Embassadours are obliged likewise to the same Ceremonies when they enter into the Court or go out thereof they use to be lodged in one of the Palaces which are within a spacious circuit of wal neere to the Royall Palace and are alwayes kept in a readinesse for that purpose where they are royally treated and at great expence but they may not go out of that circuit and if they would have any thing out of the City it is brought to them into that place they neither see nor speak to the King but only the Councell of Rites by the Kings order treateth with them and dispatched them The Portughesses those two severall times they were sent thither from the City of Macao were not only treated with extraordinary magnificence and liberalitie but had also that particular priviledge to lodge out of that place and the first of them that were sent saw King Thienkhie the brother of him who now reigneth he was very young and out of curiositie to see men of a strange Nation he caused them to come to the Palace and although it was at a good distance yet he saw them and was plainly seen by them Every one in the Kings presence speaketh to him on his knees if he be in the Royall Hall with the Magistrates he goeth away before they rise up if he be sick and they come to visit him they speak to him in the same manner and before they rise off their knees a Curtaine is drawn before him or else he turneth himselfe on the other side When they speak to him they hold in their hands before their mouth a Tablet of Ivory a palm and a half long and three or foure inches broad it is an ancient Ceremony for in old time when they spake in a more familiar manner to the King out of reverence they held something between to keep their breath from coming to the Kings face and also when they discoursed with him of many businesses they carried the heads of them written thereon that they might not forget them But now that they speake to the King at such a distance and not so
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
Kings stamp and the Founders name upon them that in case any of them be falsified they might know whom to accuse and in this forme they are returned into the Kings Exchequer The Revenue of the Province is divided into three parts one whereof is put into the Treasure of the City for extraordinary expenses the other into the Coffers of the Treasurer for to defray ordinarie expences This Treasurie beside that the doores and locks are made as secure as can be yet it is guarded every night by a constant watch of Souldiers The third is sent publickely to Court but with a strong Guard This Silver is put into round pieces of wood sawed through in the middle and hollowed within and joyned together with Iron hoops and both ends closed fast with plates of Iron Within every one of these pieces of wood is conveighed as much Silver as two men are able to carrie The revenue of the whole Kingdome according to the supputation of Father Matteo Riccius who lived many yeares in China as appeareth by his book printed in the year 1621 is said to amount to an hundred and fifty Millions of Crownes Father Iohn Rodriquez who also travailed much about China and was very curious to know the affaires of this Kingdome in a writing which he left behind him concerning the foure notable things of China faith That it doth amount but to fifty five Millions To make them both agree my opinion is that the whole Revenue is a hundred and fifty Millions as Father Riccius said that which is brought to Court is but fifty five as Father Rodriquez would have it the rest remaining as hath been said in the Provinces As I have not made any diligent enquiry concerning this matter so I will forbeare to add any thing to the Testimonie of these grave Personages The Fourth Tribunal is called Gan Cha Sci and is as it were a Tribunal Criminal it hath Assessours Councellours and Tauli And as every Province is divided into Shires and Precincts according to the number of the Cities thereof it belongeth to these Tauli to visit them and to do justice in the several places assigned them punishing Malefactours and exercising their jurisdiction which extendeth it selfe even to the Souldierie and the affaires of the Sea if the Province be maritime The Fifth Tribunall is over learning and letters to examine and confer degrees and the like and is particularly set over all them that have taken the degree of Batcheller but Doctors are exempt from their Iurisdiction There is a Chancellour over the whole Province who at set times visiteth all the Cities and Townes holding examinations and informing himself of every ones behaviour and according as he findeth it he reproveth chastiseth and sometimes depriveth them of their degree but leaving them alwayes the libertie as I have said of returning if they please to a new examination There are moreover in every City two whom they call Mandarines of the Sciences Hioquan who belong to the same Tribunall but their Iurisdiction doth not extend it self further than to the Batchelers of the same City and the territorie thereof And although they have not the power to conferre a degree or to take it away but only to punish them neverthelesse it is they that give them the most trouble by reason that living alwayes in the same City they often call them before them examine them c. They are as it were Prefects of the Classes All these offices whereof I have spoken have authoritie over the whole Province and over all the Cities Villages and Townes thereof But the Cities have moreover their particular Government as among us in Europe In every City there are foure principall Mandarines one whereof is President whom they call Chi Fu and is as it were Governour of the City the rest are Collateralls they are called Thum Chi Thum Phuon Chiu Quon Every one of these holdeth his Tribunal apart and hath greater and lesser officers belonging to him Beside these every City hath nineteen lesser Magistrates employed in severall Offices subordinate to the principall Two whereof have a President and foure Councellours the nine others have only one President and an Assistant and the other eight have only one President but they have all of them their Officers Ministers and a convenient number of Servants belonging to their Courts The Villages have a Judge and three Councellours The Judge is called Chi Hien The First Councellour Hum Chim The Second Chu Phn. The Third Tun Su. They have each of them their Palaces and Tribunals apart as also their subordinate Officers Notaries and others The Judge may give sentence of death but cannot put it in execution Besides these Mandarines which reside in the Cities and Villages there are others who have not the power either to Chastise or condemn but only to make their report and are as it were Referendaries There are also of them in Castles if they be great and farre from any City or Village these are made ordinarily out of the inferiour Notaries of Tribunals for out of the great ones are commonly made the Councellours to the Judges of Villages But it must be observed that both the greater and the lesser officers have not so much authoritie as ours in Europe Besides every Hamlet whereof there are almost Infinite in China no labourer or husbandman dwelling either in City or Village but in the Fields hath a Head or Thithing-man called Licham The houses are divided by tens like Tithings or Decuries with a Head or Tithing-man belonging to each by which meanes the Government becometh more easie and the contribution which is exacted more certaine CHAP. 27. Of the Badges of Honour or Ensignes of the Mandarines ALl Officers who either have or have had cōmand have their Ensigns by which they are distinguished not only from the people but from others as well Litterati as Noblemen of another rank These consist in five things that is the Cap the Habit the Girdle the Boots and the Gown The Cap is of black Silk lined with a certaine stiffe strong Stuffe They all of them have it made after the same fashion only in the Caps of the Colai there is some difference it is called in the Chinesse language Xamao The Habit for so they call it and we have nothing in Europe that answereth to it is a square piece which they wear on their breast richly embroydered round about in the middle wherof is the device of their Office and dignitie and as those are diverse accordingly their devices are different It is called Phizu The Magistrates of letters have an Eagle a Hearn a Bird of the Sunne or such like the Magistrates of armes have a Panther a Tiger and Unicorns a Lym c. The Girdle which is not made to Gird them withall for it is so wide that they are fain to fasten it at the sides to keep it from falling is called Quon Thai it is foure fingers broad and
diminished by little and little many of them turning Moors There live more of them in the Province of Honan in the capitall City thereof called Cai Fum Fu than in any other place They have there a Synagogue well built and adorned in the fashion of a great Chappel and set out with curtaines They say they have there a very ancient Hebrew Bible Father Iulius Alenes one of our company was among them for some time they shewed him their Synagogues but would not draw their curtaines and let him see the Bible Father Matthaens Riccius affirmeth that according to the relation which the Iews themselves made to him thereof in Pekim it was not at all differing from ours They have no knowledge at all of Christ so that it seemeth they were entred into China before he came into the World or at least if they have ever heard of him the memorie of it is quite lost and therefore it would be of great consequence to see their Bible for perhaps they have not corrupted it as our Jews have done to obscure the glorie of our Redeemer These as they are in no great number so it is not probable they should long preserve themselves They who at the Court had some discourse with our Fathers did much lament that they had lost themselves for want of the Hebrew Tongue and by the little knowledge they had of their law and said that after some time they should all become either Moores or Gentiles that the ruler of their Synagogue at that time was a decrepit old man and his sonne who was to succeed him in his Office young and ignorant of the things of their law and that indeed there were very few among them who were zealous observers of it Moreover these Iews did seem to be much troubled and weary of the reproaches which the Gentiles laid upon some ceremonies of their law which is a sign they have no great affection for it as their not eating of Swines flesh their not touching a beast which hath been killed by the hand of a Gentile but especially the circumcising their Infants on the eighth day which their wives and Chinesse kindred tell them is a cruell and barbarous thing At this time we have in that City of Cai Funifú a house and Church and when I left that Kingdome a good number of Christians which daily encreased not without hope also that some good may be done upon those Jews who being so ready to change their religion will more easily embrace the true one which hath more conformitie to theirs than any other CHAP. 31. Of the Christian Religion planted many ages since in China and of a very Ancient stone lately discovered there which is an admirable Testimonie thereof IT hath alwayes been a well grounded opinion that the Christian Religion hath been very anciently planted in China Paulus Venetus making a relation of that Countrie from whence it is certain that he went many daies journey into the Countrie of the Tartars assureth us that in that time there were a great number of Christians in China who had very sumptuous Churches and named the Cities where they lived He wrot this with very much truth for of all that which he mentioneth there are yet remaining many houses and in other places the ruines of them as a Testimonie of it To this may be added the Testimonie of other grave Authours wherein we read that the preaching of the Gospell penetrated as farre as China by the Ministrie of the Apostle St. Thomas and his Disciples Among other writings out of which this may be drawn the Chalde books concerning the Indian Christianitie cultivated by the meanes of the said Apostle are of no small moment the which it is certain are to this day preserved and kept in the Arch-Bishoprick of Granganour or Della Serra that is of the Mountaines as it is vulgarly called translated out of that language by order of the Arch-bishop thereof Franciscus Ros by the pains and industry of one of our fathers who was very skilfull in that tongue The translation is in Latin but that it may be more generally understood we will turne what is cited out of it into the vulgar One of these books is a Breviary which in one of the lessons belonging to the second nocturnall hath these words By the means of S. Thomas the errours of the Idolatry of the Indians were dissipated By the meanes of St. Thomas the Chinesses and Aethiopians were converted to the truth By the meanes of St. Thomas they obtained the vertue of Baptism and the Adoption of Sonnes By the meanes of St Thomas they believed in the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost By the meanes of St. Thomas they kept that faith which they had promised to God By the meanes of St. Thomas the beames of the knowledge of life enlightned all India By the meanes of St. Thomas the Kingdome of Heaven flew and entred into China And presently there followeth an Antiphona which saith The Indians the Chinesses the Persians and the other Islanders they of Siria Armenia Graecia and Romania in commemoration of St. Thomas do offer their Adoration unto thy most Holy Name O great God In the Summarie of the Constitutions synodall part 2. cap 19 concerning Bishops and Metropolitans there is a Canon of the Patriark Theodotius which hath these words In like manner also the Bishops of the great Province such as are for the most part the Metropolitans of China After the arrivall of the Portugheses into Cocchine the governour of the Mountaines of Malaber who was called Don. Diego entitled himself Metropolitan of India and China as did also Don Giuseppe who died at Rome These were the Ancient Titles of that Church and being taken al together are strong arguments that the Christian Religion did formerly flourish in China These were the powerfull motives that did engage us after our arrivall thither with much care and fervour to trace the ruines and footsteps of that Ancient Christianitie In the Histories of that Kingdome which we have very diligently perused we found no mention thereof to our great admiration knowing well how curious and diligent Inquisitours the Chinesses are in the affaires of their owne Countrie that they might eternize the memory of them It is true we had information that there were some in those parts who did reverence the Crosse and made the signe of it over their meat without knowing the reason why they did it When I was in the capitall City of Kiamsi I was informed by a Christian that in the little Towne of Tamo Xan which was not farre off there were some who when they went out of doores did make the signe of the Crosse upon their forehead and being asked the reason of that custome they answered only that they had learnt it of their Ancestours In the Court of Pekim some of our fathers being one day to visit a Jew he discoursed more particularly to them concerning this matter and named to them the
things which are as different as they are remote from ours Besides all these ordinarie difficulties which are found more or lesse in all Missions it is not to be beleeved how sharp a warre the devil hath raised up against this endeavouring by the strength of difficulties and persecutions to make us desist from the enterprise and it went so farre that Father Valignan the Visitour considering the great obstructions we found every where the extraordinarie difficultie there was to enter and the great trouble there was to stay there how little good we could do there and yet how much we suffered resolved to call back the Fathers to Macaâ— to employ them in some other Missions of lesse danger and trouble and where a greater profit of Soules might be made But the Lord who had otherwise ordained it for the good of his elect would not suffer the Labourers to come away and leave the work begun in that Kingdome where it was to have so advantageous a progresse CHAP. 2. Of the proceedings and persecutions of the Fathers before they arrived at Nankim THe Fathers did still persevere in the Resolution they had taken to enter and settle themselves in China and accordingly three times the same year they attempted with all diligence to make their entire but were as often repulsed and sent back out of the Kingdome with that resentment and grief which is easily imaginable they had to find almost every spark of hope extinguished by such extraordinarie difficulties as they found and by that great aversion the Chinesses had to admit of strangers I have been told that about that time Father Valignan looking one day out of a window of the Colledge of Macao toward the Continent the good old man cried out with a loud voice and the most intimate affection of his heart speaking to China Ah Rock Rock when wilt thou open Rock But as there is no councell against God who seeth and knoweth the times and moments of his divine Resolutions when the entrance seemed more shut up than ever and more encompassed with difficulties after so many attempts and endeavours had been frustrated nay after they had been sharply reproved by the Vice-roy of Cantone and by publick order been sent back to Macao then did the Lord our God open the gate by such meanes as were not to be imagined The Fathers had not been full seven daies returned to Macao wholly despairing of the businesse when there arrived a messenger from the governour of Cantone named Chi Fu bringing letters from the Vice-roy wherein he invited the Fathers to Xaokim the Capitall Citie of Cantone where the same Vice-roy of the Provinces of Cantone and Quansi had his residence offering them there a place for their Church and House The Fathers entred into Xaokim in September 1583. with no little joy to see themselves established in a moment where before with all their endeavours they could never so much as set their foot They built a house and Church and gave a beginning to their intention by translating the ten Commandements as well as they could into the Chinesse language and setting forth how necessary the observance of them was The worth of these new guests was more admired in the City for their good works and holinesse of life than for their words not being able yet to speak that language sufficiently but almost continuall troubles and persecutions were never wanting to them The covering of their house was so loaden with stones by the insolence of the people from a neighbouring Tower that they were in great danger of their lives and because a servant of the house laid hold of a little boy and threatned to complaine of him presently an accusation was set on foot against the Fathers that they had misused the Sonne of a Citizen but in the end they were cleared by evidence of the fact soone after other calumnies were raised against them particularly against Father Raggiero whom they accused of Adultery but his innocence was soone cleared it being proved that he was at that time morâ— than two months journy from the place where that crime was said to be committed Then did the people of Xaokim begin to throwing of stones againe with which they did so ruine and batter the house that the Fathers missed very little of being killed all this while did their condition seeme like unto a tempestuous sea But amongst so great tribulations and dangers the Lord was pleased to send them some daies of peace and tranquilitie and among so many thorns they gathered some roses and some fruit of their labours which was the reason that their sufferings did not seeme so grievous to them neither did they undergo them without joy and delight hoping to make a greater progresse when the desired calme should happen Neither were the Fathers wanting particularly Father Mattheus Riccius by their knowledge in Mathematiques and principally by a description of the world in a new Mappe to give reputation to the affaires of Europe and to make acquaintance and friendship with persons of qualitie when behold by the coming of a new Vice-roy there was so terrible a storme raised that notwithstanding all the diligence and addresses which were made not only by the Fathers but also by their friends it was impossible to finde any remedy or to put a stop to the sentence which that Vice-roy fulminated against the Fathers which was That they should all immediatly returne to Macao without giving them any time of stay there or suffering them to go into any other Country but that they should presently depart and should be brought precisely to Macao They were forced to yeeld obedience and so leaving some things belonging to the house in the hands of their friends and carrying other things along with them after they had made a short prayer unto God recommending unto him that little flock which they were forced to leave among Wolves without a shepherd and after they had exhorted the Christians to continue stedfast in the faith wherein they had been seven years instructed they departed downe the current of the river both the Christians which remained there as also the Fathers who tooke their leave weeping very much recommending each other to the divine Province and Protection When they were arrived at the Metropolis of Canton the Admirall of the Chinesse Navie or Haitao who was to conduct them to Macao was not to be found where while they stayed to expect him they wrote to the Visitour in Macao that after two or three daies they were to be banished by order of the Vice-roy but they had hardly passed a day there when they espied a boate coming toward them with all speed sent from the Vice-roy to invite them back againe to Xaokim It seemed to them that they were returned from death to life by the unexpected invitation although they understood well enough that they were called backe to undergo new troubles no lesse than the former When they were
of that famous Citie was not yet come Wherefore although some friends there did desire to favour him yet one with whom he had contracted in Cantone and whose favour he did now endeavour to gain was not only wanting to him in what he requested but was so far changed from what he was that he put the Father in great danger and was the occasion that he was disgracefully sent out of the Citie and all this upon no other account but lest it should be said that he was the occasion of the Fathers coming thither contrarie to the lawes of China The Father departed from Nankim and went into the Province of Kiamsi which lieth between that of Namkim and that of Cantone he was received into the Capitall Citie thereof named Nanchum and treated very kindly by the most considerable people there and especially by a great Lord named Kien Gam Vam who was the Kings neer kinsman He was also very courteously used by the Vice-roy with no ordinarie demonstrations of kindnesse which was none of the least occasions that a residence was founded in this City then Father Riccius using all diligence to obtain leave to set up a House there the Lord provided him of a companion named Iacobus Socirus sent from Macao very opportunely to reside there and then presently they purchased some few small houses in this City but not without the usuall resistance and contradiction of the neighbourhood as also from other parts which in processe of time did so encrease that this House may well compare with that of Xaocheu for persecutions for if the people of that City are bad truly they of this City are not very good The Fathers were sometimes molested by the Letterati otherwhiles by the Nobilitie of which sort there are many still residing in this City they were troubled also by the people and sometimes by the Christians themselves For there is never wanting a Judas to raise persecution among the good disciples Neverthelesse it pleased God to make that House and Christianity there to flourish and to bring into them many persons of qualitie and particularly that neer Kinsman of the King with his whole House and Familie who by his holy life and other vertues did much edifie that Church And though he had no children while he was a Gentile yet it pleased the Lord to send him many after he was become a Christian. There were also many other Families converted which although they were inferiour to his in bloud yet did they not come much behind him in Christian Pietie After that Father Riccius had a companion to whose care he might leave that House recommended he began to undertake afresh the enterprise of Nankim and he had a good opportunitie offered him by a Mandarine of qualitie and his friend who took him along in his company By this meanes he returned again to that City in the year 1598. and although at the beginning by reason of the warre which the Giapponesses made against the Kingdome of Corea threatning also that of China he found great difficultie to be admitted for these two alwayes go together yet at length it was facilitated by the good success of Corea and the friendship of some persons of Qualitie and of the Vice-roy himself the Divine providence alwayes opening that way which he knew was most secure CHAP. 3. Of what happened after till the Fathers entred into Pekim FAther Matthaeus Riccius never ceased to endeavour a finall establishment of the Church in that Kingdome which did wholly depend upon the entrance of the Fathers into the Royall City of Pekim where the King and chief Court do reside and so after he had assayed diverse meanes at length he resolved to go thither in the company of the same Mandarine his friend who had brought him to Nankim and so he took no house at that time in Nankim He departed then along with Father Lazarus Cataneus his companion and two Chinesses who were Brethren taking their way by water which was above a moneths voyage although the Mandarine got thither in a shorter time by land But at length being arrived at Pekim without any hinderance or disturbance the first thing they did was to go waite upon their friend who had caused them to come thither and was arrived there before them He received them with all kindnesse and civilitie and endeavoured to favour and assist them in every thing especially in recommending them to the acquaintance of an Eunuch his friend The Fathers had brought with them some curiosities of Europe to make a Present of them to the King to wit Two excellent Pictures Painted on Linnen cloath the one of our Saviour the other of the B. Virgin an Harpsicon an instrument which had never been heard a striking Clock a thing which had never been seen there before and some triangular glasses with all which the Eunuch was well pleased but not finding that gain from the Fathers which he expected and which was the only thing he lookt after he excused himself that he could not present them to the King by reason of the troubles of the war which the Giapponeses made upon Corea and which were every day expected in China saying that it was not a fitting time to speak to the King about strangers affaires Of the same opinion also was that Mandarine their friend who being to returne to Nankim where he had a Government bestowed upon him would willingly have carried the Fathers back again with him But it seemed better to them that the Hopes which they had conceived should not be so soon lost nor so much labour and expence be cast away in vain wherefore they remained in Pekim above a moneth after the departure of the Mandarine using all endeavours and seeking out all wayes possible to see if they could compasse their intention But all their diligence was in vain for the Mandarine being once gone all the rest withdraw themselves so that there was not one of the Mandarines of the Court that would admit them so much as to a Visite The difficulties then being so great and they finding no way to overcome them the Fathers were forced to returne into that Country where they were more known and had been better received and so they came back to Nankim but not with so much ease as they thought they should have done For the Winter overtaking them in their voyage and the River being frozen up they were forced to winter by the way But Father Matthaeus Riccius being loath to lose any opportunitie left his companions in the Barque and took his way by land avoyding by this meanes the trouble and hinderance of the Wintering but not the cold of the journey which was so excessive that many times it hindred him from going forward But at length having overcome all difficulties he arrived at the Citie of Sucheu which without all contradiction is the most pleasant and delightfull City of all China so that they have a proverbe
which saith That the City of Sucheu Hancheu is that upon earth which the habitation of the blessed is in heaven It is scituated in a pleasant River of fresh Water just as Venice is in the Sea it hath the greatest traffique of all the Kingdome the Merchandize from Macao being first brought thither from whence they are afterwards dispersed to all other parts Here the Father found Quitaizo his ancient friend in the Province of Canton by whom he was received with all manner of kindnesse and friendship and was also by him introduced and brought into credit with the whole City And being the Sonne of a principall Mandarine he was a great help to him in gaining the friendship of severall Mandarines of great authoritie for which and other good turnes he did us in Canton and other places and especially in Nankim he deserveth no small commendations and acknowledgment The Father gave him a triangular glasse which by his friend was taken for so precious a Jewel that he tipt both the ends of it with Gold and made a Case of Silver to put it in and after sold it for above 500. Crownes This honest man much desired that the Father would settle himself in that Citie and found a House there where he might assist and promote him with more convenience proposing many difficulties which would hinder the residence of the Fathers at Nankim Neverthelesse having weighed things better and taking that resolution which was most suitable to their occasions they went both of them to Nankim in the year 1599. where they found the state of affaires much altered from what it was the time before The Citie did now enjoy a profound peace and tranquillity the Giapponeses being beaten back into their own Countrie The Mandarine their friend was very glad of their coming and did them many singular favours as did also many others both Magistrates and other grave men and persons of account in that City particularly a Coli which is a kind of Censor or Syndic-royall named Choxelim wherefore the Father not only by their consent but also by their perswasion resolved to settle a residence and found a House in that Noble City which is the second of the whole Kingdome While the Father made his abode there he gave great proofe of himself and of the Sciences of Europe particularly of the Mathematiques He made a new Mappe of the World with the explanation thereof in the Chinesse language and characters which gained great reputation not only to the authour but also to Europe seeing there such a multitude of Noble Kingdomes and Cities so that the same Quitaizo and others with very Solemn Ceremonies made themselves Disciples to Father Riccius Neither was the authoritie lesse which the Father gained by the publick Disputes which he held concerning matters of Religion wherein to the admiration of all the Councels he ever had the Victorie so that the Fathers came to such a height of reputation that they were celebrated by many Letterati in Epigrams and Elogies In the meane time the companions of Father Riccius arrived after they had wintered by the way and endured many labours and hardships But when they found the Father in that City where a little before he was not only not received but also driven out with ignominie and shame now to have such credit and applause and so many friends who favoured him they forgot all their former sufferings and gave most hearty thanks to the Lord our God for that present prosperitie Not long after they began to think of buying an House for that wherein they lived was only hired Many were offered to them but such for the most part as were inconvenient for them among which there was one that was very large and capacious but haunted with Divells and Phantasmes so that none durst dwell in it This inconvenience useth commonly to be advantageous to us for wee not fearing these spirits which vanish at the first on-sett doe commonly purchase such houses at a very low rate and so it happened to Father Riccius wherefore after the bargain and sale was concluded the Fathers came over a while to dwell in that house where they lived very quietly without receiving any disturbance or inconvenience from those spirits Assoon as the Fathers had their House and Church there were not wanting those who did frequent it The first who was baptized in this City was an old man of seventy years of age he was a Noble man and had the office of Chinoci whereof we spake when we treated of that Nobility which descendeth by way of blood Presently his sonne followed him who was already a Letterato and was afterward made a great Mandarine and also his whole Familie his Grand-Sonnes and Daughters c. I knew them many yeares afterwards when they had made great progress in Vertue and Christian Pietie and are therefore worthy of Eternall memorie with many particular cases whereof we shall make mention hereafter This Familie was followed by others the number of Christians still encreasing as also their zeale to good works especially after the persecution whereof we will speak anon So that it may be said to be the best Christianitie of China although the most persecuted and molested The affaires of Nankim succeeding thus prosperously and these good beginnings shewing that that House would not only continue but also be enlarged and advanced Father Riccius sent one of his companions F. Lazarus Cataneus to Macao partly to give an account to the superiours of what had passed partly to get some curioâ—ities of Europe to make Presents of and partly to seek out some new companions to labour in that plentifull harvest The Father arrived at Macao with these glad tidings which were received with that joy which was fitting and shortly after having procured some Presents for the King and a fresh recruit of other Fathers he returned to Nankim where Father Riccius stayd for him who having his whole desires set upon Pekim after he had received the Presents and a fresh supply of companions deferred no longer to begin his second voyage for Pekim having not only the opinions but also the propitious assistance of some principall Mandarines in his favour It was the sixteenth day of May in the year 1600. when the Fathers Matthaeus Riccius and Didacus Pantoia and brother Sebastian Fernandes departed the second time for the Court in the same manner as before by water having accommodation given them in a barque belonging to an Eunuch who the more he conversed with the Fathers had still the more affection for them Having passed the Province of Nankim and being come into that of Xantum in the City where the Vice-roy of that Province doth reside Father Riccius was received with extraordinary respect by that Vice-roy He was visited in the barque presented and very much made off The memoriall or petition which he intended to present to the King was mended for him and put into a better form and
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
What though the Temple be of that value you speak of What is that in comparison of the Kings Magnificence the very mentioning of such a businesse now the King hath done them that favour if the strangers should but make their complaint would be sufficient to take away the life of that Eunuch who is in Prison and already condemned To conclude in spite of all the powerfull endeavours in spite of all the craft and machinations which were used against them the determination of the businesse was in favour of the poor strangers who were protected by a Divine power and so having overcome all difficulties and obstructions the Fathers went to the Palace according to the usuall manner to render Thanks to the King This place which was granted them is distant from the gate of the Citie about a third part of a Mile the building is very neat and all of Brick and had not then been built above thirty years it is reported to have cost 14000. Crownes which is an excessive summe in China Toward Morning the Body of Father Riccius was brought thither having been already laid in a Coffin which was very well closed and varnished over after the Chinesse Fashion A great number of new Christians did accompany it with lighted Candles in their hands following the Crosse which was carried before very richly adorned and for the present the Coffin was put in a room on one side of the Chappel that there might be a convenience to performe those ceremonies which were requisite after the manner of China after that it was transferred to the Dormitorie already prepared for it At the further end of the Garden there is a Chappell consisting of six sides it is made of brick and vaulted From the sides come out two walls built compassing in figure of a Semi-circle This place was chosen by the Fathers for a Coemeterie round about it there are four Cypresses which are also among the Chinesses accounted mournfull and funerall Trees they seemed as if they had been planted there on purpose to shade the Tomb of Father Riccius which was also built there of Brick and the chief Idol being beaten to pieces served in stead of Lime that the Father might even after death triumph in the destruction of Idols They caused the Chappel of Idols to be cleansed and consecrated it to Christ our Saviour There was in the Hal a very stately Altar whereon was placed the principall Idol all gilt from head to foot of a vast bignesse called by the Chinesses Ticam and their conceit is that he doth preside over the earth and all treasures and is the very same with Pluto having a Scepter in his hand and a Crowne on his head just as we paint our Kings On each side of him stood foure Ministers or Servants all made of the same matter on each side of the Hall were placed Two great Tables upon each of which stood five inferiour Kings of Hell the same Kings were also to be seen painted on the walls of each side sitting on a Tribunall and condemning Sinners to the punishments and paines of Hell there were also to be seen Painted horrible Devils carrying Instruments of torment in their hands and likewise severall sorts of punishments which are inflicted on the damned wretches and their caverns full of flames Serpents and terrible fiends There was also Painted a great Ballance and in one of the Scales was to be seen a man laden with sinnes and wickednesse and in the other the book of prayers belonging to that Sect which did out-weigh all the Sinnes and deliver him who doth frequently rehearse them There was also a River of fire which swallowed up very many men over it there were two Bridges one of Gold and the other of Silver and over these did the Ministers of the Idols conduct men to places of pleasure and delight There were also to be seen some of the Bonzi who plucked their Fathers out of the flames and torments in despite of the Devils and other such things by which those Ministers did gain a great repute to themselves and over every sort of torment there was this inscription Whosoever shall call a thousand times upon the name of such an Idoll shall be delivered from this sort of punishment All was thrown down and destroyed by our Servants who strove who should do it fastest by reason that the Chinesses do put into the bellies of their Idols money Medals and also Jewels The walls were playstered over a new and over a new Altar was erected the Image of our B. Saviour On the day of all Saints the first Masse was celebrated there with all possible Solemnitie and with sound of Organs and other instruments All the Christians were there present and after a brief exhortation the body of Father Mattheus Riccius was carried to the place of Sepulture by the chiefest of them and followed by all the rest particularly by Doctour Paul who loved him as a Father and there with the ceremones of the Church he was enterred there having been first placed in that Chapple another Image of our Saviour The Fathers also built there another little Chapple to the B. Virgin in a place convenient for that purpose to which they had obliged themselves by a vow which they made when they first undertook this businesse Finally over the first Gate they placed in two Chinesses Characters this Inscription By the Kings liberalitie which among them is counted a greater honour than will here easily be beleeved Curiosity brought many thither to see the accommodation they had made which was commended and admired by all neither truly ought it to seem a small matter that in the face of the King and the Court Alters should be overturned and Idols beaten to pieces by a few poor strangers and that too even with approbation of the greatest officers This extraordinarie Grace conferred by the King upon us was shortly after divulged in Pekim which gave no small strength and vigour to our affaires there Their houses were more frequented the Fathers better looked upon and the fruits of the Gospel daily encreased They had only foure Residencies at that time which was in the year 1610 but they were so disposed that they did as it were comprehend the whole Kingdome from South to North upon the great road from Canton to Pekim but the Fathers desiring after they had runne in a manner from pole to pole to follow also the course of the Sunne and to exalt the light of the Gospel through the East and Western parts where there are many famous Cities the occasion was offered them by Doctor Leo for his Father being dead he was forced to leave his government and to return into his Country to bury him and to observe that Mourning which is required by the custome of the Country wherefore he took along with him some of the Fathers partly for his own particular consolation and to instruct the Christians in his Familie and to
much addicted to the worship of Idols he had been stirred up by severall occasions to beare a particular hatred towards us First by reason of a booke written against our religion by a Bonzo an intimate friend of his which was so well confuted by Dr. Paul that the Bonzo broke his heart with the very griefe and shame he conceived at it Moreover the Bonzi of Nankim had given him a handsome bribe reported to be 10000 crownes to drive us away hoping thereby that fire might be extinguished which had been kindled against their Gods To these may be added the spleen he had against Dr. Paul and Dr. Michael who discoursing with him the one in Pekim and the other in Cechian did by such powerfull arguments viâ—fy those Idols he did worship that having nothing left to answer for himselfe he converted his silence into rage and his shame into venome But his spite and malice was much more encreased when he understood that two Memorialls had been presented to the King by two Mandarines of great qualitie wherein they did earnestly move the King that the Fathers might be perswaded to translate the books of Europe into the Chinesse language and that they should be employed in the reformation of their calendar Xin not being able to digest that strangers should be held in such esteeme who were enemies to his sect to the manifest danger and ruine of his Idols and last of all that which did strongly animate him to that enterprise was the ambition he had to be Colao hoping that this his zeale for the ancient Rites and for the religion of his Fathers would aduance him to that dignitie especially since it belonged to his office to have a vigilent eye over such matters Therefore besides other things which belonged to his charge and office he caused a damnable Information to be drawne up against the Fathers proving therein by feigned and colourable reasons that they ought to be banished the Kingdom He said they had intruded themselves into China without leave making use for proofe thereof of a certain Memoriall which we have formerly mentioned to have been made by the students of Nankim wherein they besought the Mandarines to banish the Fathers out of the Kingdom as persons who were very pernicious to the Common-wealth and had secret Machinations against the King and Kingdom for said they if it be not for this reason for what other end and purpose are they come with so much eagernesse and zeale into another world and had abandoned their owne habitations and estates The other Testimonies which he brought were other such like impostures wherewith a neighbour of ours in Nankim had furnished him that many nights in the year under pretense of some solemnitie concerning the divine worship there were many great assemblies held in our house consisting of thousands of men and women a most grosse lie and that before the break of day they all dispersed themselves to their owne houses that every new Christian had given him five false duckats made by Alchimy after he had been enrolled in a list which they kept of them and that they had strange and barbarous names imposed upon them at their admittance and were taught to make the signe of the crosse upon their forehead to serve them as a marke of distinction in the time of their rebellion and insurrection That they had their houses fuâ—l of Armes and other such like lies very well coloured over Of all these arguments put together he framed a Memoriall which he presented to the King in the Month of May 1616. The substance whereof was Our entrance by stealth into the Kingdome The propagation of a Law contrary to that of the Idols which had been the religion of their Ancestours The concurrance which there was in high Titles between our God and their King betwixt our West and their East Our subtletie and craft in gaining of friends The destruction of the Astrologie of China as false and erroneous occasioned by the reading of that of Europe and such like things The conclusion of it was That it was necessary for the publike good that he should cause a generall Massacre both of the Fathers and the rest of the Christians before their force and number could prove dangerous to the Kingdom To this Memoriall which was presented to the King very secretly there was no answer returned within the usuall time Neverthelesse Dr. Michael had notice of it by means of a Mandarine who was a friend both to him and to the said Xin he presently gave advise thereof to the Fathers with directions what they should do He worte many letters to severall Mandarines in our favour and one directed to Xin wherein without discovering that he knew his intention he confuted all his arguments against the Fathers and their religion Last of all he invited the Fathers to retire themselves to his house in the City of Hamcheu untill the storme were over In the mean time we laboured to obtain the help and succour of Almighty God by re-doubling our prayers and mortifications and withall we went to Dr. Leo who lived two dayes journey off and shewed him the Apologie written by Dr. Michael for our assistance and counsell to which he added a discourse in commendations of the Fathers and of their eligion and by their hands he dispersed many advertisements necessary for that time and occasion throughout the whole City neither were the Fathers wanting with fervent exhortations to do the office of faithfull Pastours animating and encouraging all to suffer for the defence of Gods honour and his Holy Religion And the Christians striving who should prepare himselfe best against the storme frequented our house and the Holy Sacraments and tooke counsell how to carry themselves in case of Persecution There was among the rest a prudent and learned person named Iohn Vao who had prepared foure small banners wherein he wrote his name Sir-name and Country and the Christianitie both of himselfe and of his familie which might serve him for ensignes of his profession in time of Persecution neither did he cease to declare himselfe to be such and to exhort others to a constant confession of their faith Three Months after the first Memoriall Xin having received no answer from the King presented another to the same purpose by the hand of Xamxù who was Lipù of the third Tribunall in Pekim having preswaded him also to frame another of the same Tenour and to present it along with his The Mathematician who had perswaded the Fathers to correct and amend the Chinesse Calendar discovered their plot and privately taking a copy of their petitions he gave it to the Fathers and to Dr. Paul who in one night wrote an Apologie for the Fathers to present to the King when there was occasion and dispatched a Mandarine his disciple a man very well versed in the manage of affaires at Court to the President of Lipu that having sufficiently informed him of the truth he might
perswade him not to favour the intentions of Xin This President concealed the venome he had in his heart under faire and specious promises but in effect he gave in a most pernicious Memoriall wherein he affirmed That the request of Xin was so just and necessary for the preservation of the Kingdom that for his part he should have thought he had done well if without expecting any other leave from the King but only by the duty of his place he had dispatched orders throughout all the Provinces for the extermination and banishment of all the Fathers excepting only those of Pekim because he saw them well backt and supported taxing by these words both the King and the Mandarines who did protect them The Memoriall was so handsomely woven and the words placed so equivocally that he could have given them quite another interpretation if need had required These two Memorialls the one of Xin and the other of the President were presented on the fifteenth of August and after that a third that we could get no intelligence of till it was presented On the twentieth of the same month they were published according to the Stile of China by expresse Curriers throughout all the Provinces of the Kingdom together with a particular order from the President for the imprisonment of the Fathers The people were amazed to see three Mandarines conspire against those whom the whole Kingdom had admired and whom almost all the Letterati had respected visited and esteemed but they well perceived that these accusations were but forged calumnies which proceeded from a corrupt and malicious spirit On the thirtieth of the same moneth about midnight by means of a Currier dispatched for that purpose by the Quoi of Pekim the news came to the Fathers in Nankim of what had passed at Court Immediately they ran to the Church and presented themselves as Victimes and Sacrifices unto the Lord and afterwards packing up their Pictures and the sacred Vessels that belonged to the Church they conveighed them thence into the House of a Christian hoping by that meanes to secure them Assoon as it was day the Fathers Nicolaus Longobardus superiour of the Mission and Iulius Lenis departed towards Pekim to give what assistance they were able to the rest There remained in Nankim the Fathers Alphonsus Vagnone and Alvarus Semedo the Authour of this Relation who expected every moment when they should be seised on by the Sergeants and Executioners Not long after came three Mandarines to us from the President of the Councell of warre to give us notice that that President and Xin were deputed to put the Proclamation in execution which had been lately issued for our banishment out of that Kingdom neverthelesse they seemed to condole with us because as they said they were very well satisfied both of our innocence and deserts yet advised us to give place willingly to force before we should be necessitated to undergo the discourteous aud barbarous usage of Xin and that the President would give order that we might not receive any affront nor molestation in our journey also one of the three did advise us as from himself that we should not make too much hast for that he hoped through our Innocence and the favour of the Fathers friends at Pekim these troubles would shortly be appeased Toward the evening there was a company of Souldiers sent by Xin to beset the House and about the break of day the first of September there appeared three Sergeants to apprehend the Fathers and to search every hole and corner of the house and although they had a speciall order from Xin to abuse and evill intreate the Fathers neverthelesse they carryed themselves very courteously and sent in their message in writing to Father Vagnone which is a great poynt of Civilitie in China They set a guard upon the doores and made an inventary of whatsoever they found in the House In the meane while Father Vagnone sent a Christian called Donatus under pretence that he was our Caterer to Father Longobardus to tell him what had happened and to advise him to take heed that he did not fall into the enemies clutches Donatus did his message and returned with provision for our supper in his hands although he was jeared by the Souldiers that he would returne into the cage of his owne accord yet he preferred that prison before the liberty he might have enjoyed elsewhere For at the very first rumour of the persecution He returned to the house purposely to serve us being resolved either to live or die with us for the defence of that faith of which though he was of very young years he was so zealous and observant having converted many and in effect God did give him the grace to suffer much for his religion both in imprisonment and stripes he was our constant companion When the inventary was finished to the great edification of the Sergeants who did not expect to finde such povertie and when they had sealed our chests and whatsoever could be shut up they carryed away Father Vagnone in a sedan and brought him before Xin leaving Father Semedo lying sick in a chamber which they had sealed up Assoone as he was brought out there was a great noyse and shouting made by the meaner sort of people and so great a crowde that the Officers were forced to make their way by blowes After they had gone two miles they stayed according to the orders which Xin had given at the house of the Tauli who was a Kinsman of Xins spending at least two houres in giving him an account of what had passed during which time Father Vagnone was left in the open street exposed to the injuries scoffes and abuses of the insolent people At length the Sergeants being returned made their excuses to the Father for their long stay and so carried him to prison recommending him to the Gaolers as an innocent person A little after the chief of the Sergeants sent him from his House a good Supper and a bed the other Sergeants did also the like in their turns every one taking his day There were two of our domestique Servants who waited upon Father Vagnone in the prison one whereof was called Ciam Matthew he was a very zealous Christian and for three years before had retired himselfe to our house that he might with more liberty serve God and waite upon the Fathers without expecting any other recompense but that of the next life This man assoon as the Sergeants were come into our house presented himselfe first of all to give them his name that he might have the opportunitie to be carryed along with the Fathers as in effect he was and gained a happy crowne by this Persecution At the news of the imprisonment of Father Vagnone the Christians inflamed with zeale ran to our house neither could the guards hinder some of them from going in The most zealous of all the rest was Iohn Yao who sticking in his cap one of the
at libertie and sent them home to their Houses under pretence of getting their wounds healed CHAP. 9. The Continuation of the Persecution and the Banishment of the Fathers out of China AS soon as Xin was acquainted with the Sentence which the Judge Criminall had given he began to contrive new Troubles for them that he might not seem to have persecuted Innocent Persons First he writ and dispersed abroad libels against those Christians accusing them to have printed an Apologie against certain of the chiefest Mandarines in favour of the Fathers who were Traytours and Disturbers of the peace of the Kingdome After that he privately stirred up the Censors of the people who had recourse to him as to their Superiour to receive rules from him for the ordering of the lives and manners of the people The answer he gave them was That they should take heed of Fa. Vagnone and his companions who were Seducers of the people and disturbers of the publick peace by teaching a law which did infringe their fidelitie to their Prince the reverence of their Ancestors the worship of the Gods and the exercise of all other vertues which have been from all times so highly esteemed in China and in the conclusion much deplored the misery and unhappinesse of those times wherein there were so may Persons who suffered themselves to be bewitched by such Deceivers Upon this there was a Mandarine of the Tribunall of Xin and two other Doctours of small esteem and reputation who began to write against the Fathers and one of them in particular who had formerly been in the Philippine Islands wrote That the Christians did worship a Crucified Man That they signed their Foreheads with the Crosse That they set it on the top of their Houses and Steeples and wore it about their necks as a Jewel That under pretence of Preaching their Law they had made themselves Masters of the Philippines of Malacca and of the Indies That of late years they had slain many Chinesses upon no occasion given them That their Religious men did commit horrible Sacriledge with the women who frequented their Churches drawing out all their Secrets from them under a pretence of Piety That the designe of their coming into China was to conquer the Kingdom under colour of such deceits and impostures and that therefore undoubtedly they ought to be droven out thence as the pest and plague of the Common Wealth Besides these writings published by Xin and sent to the Court of Pekim he laboured so powerfully with the Tribunals of Pekim that he perswaded them to present a Memoriall to the King against the Fathers and the law which they Preached and procured also to have it signed with the Seale of the Eunuch who is there in stead of Vice-roy This Memoriall was presented the last day of September the day following they gave in another wherein they besought the King to give a dispatch to the Memorials already presented On the eighth of October Xin presented a third on the thirteenth day he caused a fourth to be presented by the hand of a Tauli and afterward a fifth by meanes of a certain Coli of Nankim who was one of the Kings Remembrancers For all this the Kings answer did not yet appeare and in the meane while Doctour Paul wrote his second Apologie against all these calumnies and Slanders which being joyned to his first and to that which Doctour Machael made and other Memorials and Treatises made a good large volume Thus did that primitive Church glory to defend the honour of their Holy Faith both with their bloud and pens The writings of our Doctours were Authorized by the patience of our Prisoners who cheerfully under went all the ill usage which was shewn them partly for the satisfaction of Xin and partly for want of money the Tyrant not suffering the least thing in the world to be brought to us from our House They lay three months hin the worst place of all the Prison with Manacles on their armes their food was only a little Rice ill-boyled and a few hearbs without any Seasoning and this too alwayes cold they boyling still as much at once as might serve them three or foure dayes If there were any Almes sent them from the Christians either all or part of it was stollen from them by the Prisoners and guards who alwayes swarmed about them like Waspes Father Semedo and Brother Sebastian Fernandes were put together in one Prison where by way of an extraordinarie favour they had allowed them half a Duck Egge a piece dried and salted in stead of hearbs and although two of those Egges at least be sold for a farthing yet was one of them divided between two men Father Semedo lay continually sick nine moneths together and through the convenience of this worthy Infirmarie and the charity of his tenders he was twice in great danger of death although he was once pardoned the Bastinadoes he should have received by reason they found him in so weak a condition The other Christians fell sick likewise through their great sufferings and durance wherefore there were severall times Memorials presented to Xin to desire liberty according to the custome for them to go to their own Houses to recover themselves having first given in good security for their returne But there were only two or three who could obtain this leave and that for foure dayes only so that two happily ended their lives only through the hardship they endured The one of them was called Peter Hya of Nankim aged about 22 years he had been five years a Christian of a very exemplarie life in which time he vowed perpetuall Chastitie and endeavoured to preserve it by frequent penances and by keeping a strict watch upon his senses not looking upon so much as his neerest Kins-women as also by frequent prayer day and night insomuch that his khees were become herâ—y and callotus He came every day to Masse although he lived four miles off he was very discreet in his â—peecâ— and of a sincere conscience endeavouring to avoyd every small imperfections and the least shadow of evill What he got by the handy-craft trade he used he still gave part of it to his parents and the poore Christians he was very patient of injuries saying He ought to be a lambe who would imitate Christ and such a one did he shew himselfe to be more than ever in his last sicknesse for it being contrary to the lawes of that Kingdom to suffer any prisoner to die in prison Xin sent to the Father of the said Peter that he should take him home till he were recovered but the Father through meere hatred to his sonne because he was a Christian would not receive him Then Xin sent him by the Sergeants to his Mother-in-law who because she was an Idolatresse used him very wickedly yet did he never shew the least signe of discontent but alwaies of modesty and admirable patience At length when he was neere death he was
fetcht back into prison from whence he flew into eternall libertie And this was the first lay-man who died there in prison for his religion his corps was granted to his Father to bury it but without any Ceremony at all The second who dyed in prison was called Hierome Vem he was taken in our house coming thither to assist us he also died of pure sufferance His wife presented many Memorialls to the Mandarines that he might be brought home to recover his health but all was in vaine At length she had recourse to Xin who understanding that her husband was a Christian gave her no other answer but this You see what good you get by the religion they professe and with this answer left her disconsolate and quite out of hope not long after her husband died with so much the more glory by how much the lesse he had of humane help in that sicknesse he so patiently endured for the love of Iesus Christ and the maintenance of his religion The death of these men did stirre up in the rest of the Christian prisoners a holy envie and a new fervour to suffer for Christ neither were the Christians without wanting to shew themselves true followers of that persecuted religion They divided the prisons among them so that every day the Christian prisoners were visited and succoured as much as might be and had also notice given them of the designes and proceedings of Xin and the other Mandarines neither were they content with this but relieved also the wives and children of the prisoners pawning sometimes their houshold-stuffe that they might not want wherewithall to do it Captain Ignatius Cin although he was but newly converted to the faith yet was as forward and eminent in this work of Charitie as could possibly be desired as also three other families with the hazzard of being made infamous for ever namely that of Lucius Ciam Captain of armes that of Andrew Hiam a smith and that of Francis a guilder where I cannot but admire the great charity of the said Andrew who having received some crownes from Father Vagnone for the reliefe of the prisoners made no use of them but by the daily pains and labour of himselfe and his sonne made provision every day for two prisons restoring afterwards to the Father the mony he had put in his hands There were also certaine devout Christian women who making a purse out of the fruit of their labors bestow'd it in the prisons according to the necessities of the prisoners there was also one who being himselfe a prisoner spared still something out of the penny which was given him every day for his maintenance and when he had made up a small summe he divided it among the most necessitous of the prisoners with so much the greater liberalitie by how much the industry of that Charitie was more subtle At the beginning when the Fathers were first apprehended there were not wanting certain wicked persons who feigning themselves to be ministers of justice went from house to house to disturbe the Christians on purpose to draw mony from them and if in searching every corner of the house they happened to finde any Images they threatned to accuse them to Xin This lasted till a Mandarine who had notice of this roguery apprehended many of them and caused them to be well Bastinadoed and one of them for no other cause but that he had inform'd against a man to the Tauli that he was a Christian. Neverthelesse there were some accused before Xin only for being Christians he accepted the accusation and remitted it to the Court Criminall whither the highest offenders are sent They were rigorously examined and after that declared innocent with a foule staine upon Xin both of injustice and ignorance Neither was the infamy lesse which he received by the words of two great Mandarines The one of them called Hò in a great assembly of Letterati asked him For what reason he had imprisoned the Fathers and he answering Because they preached a law contrary to theirs the other replied Why do you not then imprison so many others who follow laws much more contrary to ours than that of the Fathers is They have not said Xin any accusers And these Fathers replyed Hò Who accuseth them to your Lordship He knew not what answer to make him but seeing himselfe thus confuted lest there should be a laughter raised at him he withdrew himselfe out of the Assemblie The other who was President of the Tribunall of warre sharply reproved him that without reason he had so mis-used the Fathers who had committed no fault nor had ever offended him And although Xin did endeavour to justifie himselfe yet the President threatned to accuse him to the King for a disturber of the peace of the Kingdome and in effect he dispatched a Courrier to Pekim with a stoute Memoriall against him which neverthelesse he did afterwards re-call by reason that many Mandarines did interpose themselves in the businesse but he would never after maintain any friendship with so unjust a person Very admirable at the same time was the Charitie of a new Christian of Pekim who had taken the degree of Batchelor who having understood of the Fathers imprisonment ranne to Nankim and although he had never seen them he went to visit them and much assisted them in their necessities and not only invited but also perswaded severall of his friends to do the like who extended also their Charitie to the other Christian prisoners And for this cause only he remained there many months he accompanied the Christians to the Tribunalls healed their stripes encouraged and comforted them all to which the quality and reputation of so grave and learned a person did very much conduce He undertooke also to dispute with a Mandarine who had written a declaration against the Fathers in favour of Xin and used such powerfull perswasions to him that he changed his resolution and brought him to favour the Fathers so farre that he did publiquely praise and extoll them In the mean while our adversary seeing that the Kings answer was delayed used his utmost endeavour to gaine the Colao to his party who was otherwise not much averse to us and at length perswaded him to present a Memoriall to the King by the hands of an Eunuch whom he had already prepared for the businesse with a very great bribe to procure the Kings order upon it The Eunuchs passed this pitition so secretly among themselves that without showing it to the King they brought it againe to the Colao requiring him in the Kings name to draw up an order for our banishment the which he did in this manner For as much as we are informed by the Collaterall Lypu of the third Tribunall of Pekim that there remain in this our Court certain strangers who do expect our good leave and dispatch and the said Tribunall hath besought us that we would send our orders to the Provinces that they should send
were Chinesses after severall out-rages and Bastinadoes were condemned one of them to serve at the Tartars wall the other to tow the Kings barques as Oxen do in our Country Neverthelesse there was seen in all the Christians a wonderfull constancie and joy to suffer for Christ who shewed so much cheerfulnesse outwardly that the Gentiles did much admire at it There was a Woman who having heard that our Brother Sebastian Farnandes had been Tortured at an examination by the squeezing and pinching of his hands and fingers desired that savour of the Lord that she her self might likewise undergo it and her prayer was granted her in part for being one day in prayer she saw in a Vision Xin sitting on his Tribunall who commanded her to renounce the Faith of Christ which she not consenting to he caused the same Torture to be given to her When the Vision was ended the Marks were to be seen for some time on her hands and the black and blue strips on her body which was a very great comfort and contentment to her CHAP. 10. How things began to be calmed again after the Persecution and of the Foundation of severall Residencies ALl the other persecutions which happened before this of Nankim were particular and commonly the fire went not farre For the cause belonging to the Magistrates of that Province the sentence was alwayes given there without extending it self to the Residencies of other remote Provinces But in this Persecution the Tyrant accounted it too meane an enterprise to discharge his choler on the Christians of Nankim only And therefore he would strike at the Christianitie of the whole Kingdom to root it out at one blow He presented the cause to the King that his sentence might include all with the greater rigour and authoritie But this Tragedie being ended the Fathers being banished from their Residencies their Houses confiscated and sold the Churches ruined and that of Nankim thrown to the ground by the fury of Xin their goods lost and finally the Fathers of Nankim sent away from that Court with so much hubbub and noise that it seemed to be the day of Judgment it is hardly to be believed how much mischiefe followed upon it how much good was hindred by it and how every thing was changed The Fathers lay hid the Christians were in continuall feare the Gentiles encouraged the Tyrant Victorious and his followers so free and insolent that every one was ready to trouble the Christans and to accuse them especially in the City of Nankim Neverthelesse Quia dominus judicavit melius de malis bene facère quà m mala nulla esse permittere according to his Dâ—vine dispensation he drew much good even from these evils For although the liberty and facilitie of making new Christians was impeded at that time yet it manifested the constancie and valour of those that were already such all of them shewing how highly they did esteem the being followers of the Law of God and how much they did desire to keep the Fathers in their Kingdom that they might be still instructed in the Doctrine which they had already received and so many of them which live in other Cities either sent or came in person to receive the Fathers and carry them to their Houses Which was the reason that except in the two Courts we found good shelter in other places whereby the Christians were comforted in their sufferings and confirmed in their Faith and the Churches I speak not of materiall ones maintained and upheld as also many new ones set up as we shall shew hereafter At the Court of Pekim there remained two of our Brothers in the place of Sepulture given us by the King for being Chinesses they were not comprehended in the Sentence of banishmnt wherefore under pretence of Piety and Devotion whereof the Chinesses make great esteem they remained there to keep it although with much trouble and many contrasts which they had with the Eunuchs for they assoon as they saw the Fathers out of the Court thought the House had been without a head and that the brothers alone would never have had strength enough to resist their batteries and therefore it is almost incredible what attempts they made every way to arrive at their design and how many times they brought the brothers into the Tribunalls accusing and troubling them but alwayes to no effect For the Lord who had granted that place to the Fathers that they might be buried there after their death would keep it for them to serve them as a retreate and hiding place even in their life time disposing it so by his providence that Doctour Paul should reside in the Court at that time and that by his authoritie he should overthrow all the plots of our enemies Once especially the Eunuchs had put their businesse in such a forme that it it seemed impossible for them not to carry their design partly because they had as they said corrupted some of the Magistrates with bribes and partly which was more considerable because they had the Chi Fu or Governour of the City on their side to whom they had spoken very effectually concerning the businesse and he had promised them his favour in it The worst was they gave the Brothers such short warning to appeare that they had hardly time to give Doctour Paul notice of it and he to write a letter to the Governour of the City giving Order to the Servant which carried it that he should give it him in what place soever he met him although it were in the street and so he did finding him almost entring into the Tribunal for in Pekim they are without the Houses where they dwell where there was gathered together a great company of Eunuchs who did already assure themselves of good successe by reason of the care and diligence they had used in the businesse The Governour after he had read the letter called the cause and the Eunuchs with greater store of words than reasons began to plead for themselves The Brother being called did no more but shew his Patent wherein was contained how the Officer and former Governour by Order from the King had granted that House and the Gardens thereunto adjoyning for the Sepulture of Father Matthaseus Riccius and his companions The Governour took it and read it and in stead of the favour he was to do the Eunuchs did strengthen it with one Seale more putting to it the Seale of his Office and telling the Eunuchs That which is once well done ought not to be undone So the suit was ended for the Fathers advantage not only this but also many other times whilest the neer Kindred of the imprisoned Eunuch lived they never gave over their endeavours to re-gain it whereby they got often some small summes of money which were given them on purpose to avoyd suits and contrasts The Brothers who kept the House making use of this opportunity went sometimes one sometimes another to visit the Christians of
that City and after the persecution began to be over and the fury of the tempest was allayed one of the Fathers was sent thither in diguise who although he was glad to lie hid there yet did he much assist the Christians and under the protection of the old ones converted many new ones also The House which we had in Canton the most Southerly Province of China was totally ruined for although at the beginning there was another small House taken where some of the Lay-Brothers should have resided for the reception of the Fathers in their passage to the City of Nanhium yet upon better consideration it seemed good to them to take it wholly away because the place was very subject to tempests and troubles The Father who had his Residence there as I have already said went up farther into the Country as did also the Lay-Brother with a promise neverthelesse and obligation upon him to come and visit the Christians of that Country every year Father Rocca with other two Fathers who as we have said departed from Nankiam a City in the Province of Kiamsi retired to the City of Kiencham in the same Province where they were visited by a Christian Stephen of a Noble Family and one of the chiefest of that place being also the Sonne of a Mandarine who was afterwards himself converted to the Christian Religion The Fathers at their arrivall there were received with all manner of Christian love and charitie and were lodged in a house neerto the walls of the City such a one as they cal a House of Studies where they had an appartiment provided for them consisting of foure chambers with the Offices belonging to them and a faire Hall which served them for a Chappel At the beginning there came thither only those of the houshold of their Host who were all Christians Afterward their Kindred who were Gentiles and their most Familiar acquaintance and by occasion of these Visits there was alwayes some one or other gained to the Faith and these likewise brought in others and so by little and little this Christianity encreased so that when I came thither about two years after they said Masse on Holy dayes with Musicall Instruments and with the concourse of a good number of Christians They who played on the Instruments were the Sonnes of Christians and among them the Letterati and those of the best quality served at the Masse in their coates foure at a time as I saw at my being there At this day there is a good Residence with a copious and well instructed Christianity which hath annexed to it two Churches in the Province of Chincheo which bordereth upon it and are visited every year by the Father of this House The Residence of Hamcheu doth flourish most of all under the Protection of Dr. Michael For though the Fathers went out from thence publickly at noone day that the world might take notice of their obedience to the Kings proclamation accompanied by the said Dr. and the Christians of the best quality yet Dr. Michael having prepared a faire appartiment in his Palace provided with Chambers Offices Chappel Hall c. did build also a new range of Chambers furnishing them all after our fashion that there might be roome enough for all of us if there should be occasion and when he had fitted every thing he sent for the Fathers who came thither very secretly although he was not very sollicitous to conceale them But three years after told Xin who being a native of that City was now come to live at his owne Palace That he had the Fathers with him in his house and perswaded him to come and visit them and discourse with them Telling him he should finde them other manner of men than he took them for This house was in those troublesome times the most secure commodious and easie refuge which the Fathers had Here lived the Superiour hither came all businesse and upon any straite the greatest part of the Fathers who sometimes made a considerable number and although there was care taken that no Gentile should come in amongst them unlesse he were very well knowne neverthelesse there was Masse said and a sermon every Holy day with a great concourse of Christians and a good number of new ones converted to the faith The greatest tempest fell upon the Church at Nankim for as the Fathers were prisoners a long time there and after they had received their sentence were sent out in cages being carried through the whole City with a great noise and shouting of the guard and an infinite concourse of people their case was more notorious and ignominious and the Gentiles were more alienated from the Christians accusing them upon every occasion to the Magistrate Wherefore for diverse years after there was almost every year some particular vexation and the Christians were brought before the Tribunalls and troubled and many times were Bastinadoed all which they suffered with great constancy and cheerfulnesse gaudentes à conspectu Concilij quoniam digni habiti sunt pro nomine Iesu contumelium pati Neither truly is there any doubt but as the Lord did exercise this Church of Nankim with particular tribulations so he did also endowe it more particularly with the vertue of Patience as was seen upon all occasions In this manner were our ancient houses demolished although the Christians belonging to them were preserved who divided themselves into companies making by that means severall Co-fraternities the most ancient and pious among them did visit and comfort the rest the Fathers also at certaine times came to confesse and communicate them and staied amongst them as long as they could But as they durst not stay long at least in some places they were forced to find out other places of abode which was an occasion of laying the foundation of new Residencies which were afterwards brought to perfection and became well ordered Houses and Churches as they are to be seen at this present time The first Residence which was begun in the time of our troubles and Banishment was in the Province of Kiamsi in the City of Kiencham whereof I have formerly spoken The second was the Province of Nankim in the City of Kiatim where Dr. Ignatius dwelt a Christian of great power and authority who was afterwards Vice-roy of the Province of Xantum he assoone as he had notice of the sentence pronounced against the Fathers immediately dispatched one of his Sonnes to Father Lazarus Catanaeus who lived in Hamcheu with a letter wherein after the usuall complements he wrote him only these words There is a businesse of importance which I must necessarily treate of with your Reverence before you leave this Kingdome When this letter was brought to the Fathers they were putting themselves in are dinesse to depart out of that City as accordingly they did with a designe to go to Xanhai which was Dr. Pauls Country but having received this invitation that they might give satisfaction to both parties
of the dangerous estate and condition of the Christians at Nankim Father Rocâ—a superiour of the Mission chanced to be at that time in Hamcheu who presently endeavoured to find some remedie for it by speaking with Doctour Michael and writing to Doctour Paul that by their leâ—ters they would perswade the Mandrines of Nankim to shew some favour to the Christians which accordingly they did with much zeale and efficacie especially Doctoâ—r Paul who observed to them in his writings fourteen principall poynts wherein our Holy Law did differ from the Sect of Palien Kiao The letters had not that effect that was hoped of them some of the Mandarines being rendered very averse to them by the power and perswasion of Xin who actually enjoying at that time the dignity of Colao every one endeavoured to gain his favour by following his inclinations And that was plainely seen by their answers which are not wont to be in such termes to Mandarines of so considerable Quality as those Christians were The answer to Doctour Paul was that the Law which his Lordship said was different from that Sect of Palien Kiao was not so but the very same both of them professing not to obey the King nor his Ministers as was plainly to be seen by the Fathers who being banished out of the Kingdom by the Kings order yet were so audacious that they still remained there and other things of the same straine which evidently shewed that they who gave such answers were changed as also for whose sake they gave them This unpleasing answer was followed by a thing of greater danger for in China even in the quietest times it is necessary to live very retired and reservedly which was the Intelligence that Doctour Paul had received how that not many daies before two Mandarines of the same City of Nankim had presented a Memoriall to the King against the Law of Christ both against the Chinesses who were followers of it as also the Fathers that did preach and propagate it accusing Doctour Michael by name for being a Christian and for keeping the Fathers in his House they did also accuse severall others for keeping of them and although they did not name Doctour Paul yet it might be easily understood that they meant him for one This news did require their most serious deliberation for when a businesse is brought before the King it is alwayes of dangerous consequence and doth ever shave or flea Doctour Paul immediately wrote to the Fathers that in what place soever they were they should without any farther delay resolve to retire themselves and to break off all commerce with all manner of persons whatsoever although they thought them never so safe or trusty giving way to the necessity of the times as at that present was very convenient for them Doctour Michael was of the contrary opinion at least he would not suffer those which lived in his own House to hide themselves Doctour Ignatius his Sonne also who dwelt in the City of Kiatiâ— was of opinion that the Fathers should keep themselves private and concealed for if any thing should be decreed to their disadvantage it could not be executed so suddenly but that there would be time enough for them to make their escape especially since the Mandarines of the City were their friends Although this were a very young man yet his Father who lived then at the Court was much satisfied with his opinion in that case Neverthelesse it was judged more expedient that we should withdraw our selves before the storm appeared and that afterward those who could not hide themselves should fly before they were apprehended by justice But the difficulty was where to find another secret place beside that where we were which was in a very populous City and among many of our trusty and faithfull friends and because it was so difficult to lie hid in that place we did think of searching out some desert but by reason that China is so populous that was no easie thing to be done At length it was resolved that we should all quit the habitations we were in some going to the Country Houses of the same Christians some to the sepulchres of others with a caution that if there did not come a favourable answer from the King there should be boates provided in a readinesse for to carry them up and down the Rivers where the not remaining long in any certain place would be a good way to secure them till the Lord should direct them to a better During this time Doctour Paul kept a man on purpose in the City of Sucheu where the Vice-roy of the Province hath his Residence for he may not dwell in the City of Nankim because it is the Kings Court as well as Pekim that assoon as the Kings answer came he might presently bring him word of it and according to the stile of that Country it was conceived that it might be delayed yet many dayes The Fathers expected ten weeks to their great discommodation and inconvenience because those things which might easily have been had in the Towns and Cities could not be come by but with a great deale of trouble as they lay thus hid neither did any answer come in all this time for which there were severall reasons given but the best seemed to be that these Memorials against our Holy Faith were sent with an Order that they should first be registred by Xin for whose sake they were presented who at the same time was put out of his Office So that when the Memorials came he had now no power nor authority to preferre them and so they were not presented at all for if they had been presented whether the King had answered them or no we should have been sure to have had notice of it Thus the storm ended which seemed to threaten us with a greater danger and the effect of it was turned upon Xin although upon another occasion for it is most certain that at the same time when the Petitions against the Law of Christ were sent from the Southern to the Northern Court the King took away his Office of Colao by reason the Mandarines of Pekim had petitioned against him and although they had endeavoured his disgrace for 16 months before yet they could never bring it about till then So that it seemeth the Lord did reserve the fall of this Tyrant for that time wherein he might have done the greatest mischiefe and would shew us what trust and confidence we ought to have in him upon the like occasions Our Doctours being of the opinion that the Memorials neither were nor would be presented the Fathers returned all to their Ancient Residencies although they were obliged to use more caution and to make fewer assemblies and this the rather because they did not yet receive good news from Nankim where there were new edicts published against the Christian Religion which news although on the one side it occasioned much grief to the Fathers yet on the
Family a very good and devout person as I had formerly known him to be at Nankim It pleased God for the comfort and solace of those poor Portugheses that he should govern the Island at that time Assoon as he had understood what had happened to those prisoners fearing what might fall out he commanded the cause to be brought unto his Tribunall When therefore the poor prisoners were brought into his presence and after that he understood they were Christians he not only commiserated their condition but presently commanded they should be set at liberty and kept them for some time in his Palace It is hard to expresse the Charity and Love with which he entertained them endeavouring to refresh and comfort them after the labours and dangers they had passed conversing with them so familiarly and so cordially and giving them such an example in his own person of all Christian vertues that the Portughesses did afterwards very highly commend him both in Macao and many other places and not only his own carriage and behaviour but also that of his houshold but above all they did admire the care and diligence with which he gave them notice both of Fasts and Holy-dayes to the end they might observe them so that while they stayed there he served them also in stead of a Parish Priest On the day of S. Agnes which was that whereon his wife was Baptized and called by the same name he made a very great Feast first a Spirituall one in his Chappel where they all met to do their devotions and recommend themselvs unto God and after that he gave them a Sumptuous and Splendid banquet After he had entertained them a good while and that they had recovered their health and strength againe he lent them a Barque and Marriners to carry them to Macao I could bring many other examples which I omit for brevities sake seeing these are sufficient to prove what I said before That the Christian Religion one way or other is dispersed over the whole Kingdome of China CHAP. 13. The life and death of Doctour Leo and the Conclusion of this History THe Chinesse Christianity hath so great an obligation to the singular pietie and charitable assistance afforded them upon all occasions by Doctour Leo that I cannot finish this relation without giving a briefe Essay of his life and death which may serve also for a testimony of the great zeale of those new Christians although I shall forbeare to mention many things concerning his sanctitie as also severall graces and gifts conferred upon him by Almighty God referring the Reader to the yearly letters where they are more particularly set downe Dr. Leo was borne in the City of Hamcheu in the Province of Chekiam and having happily finished the course of his studies he removed to the Court of Pekim where he obtained the degree of Doctour and executed the first employment which was conferred upon him after his degree There he saw and conversed with Father Matthaeus Riccius as did also the greatest part of the chiefe Officers and Letterati moved by a curiositie of seeing men of Europe This Leo besides that he was of a quick and vivacious wit had a most eager and intense desire of knowledge by which means he did the more engage himselfe to an inward friendship and conversation with the Father being allured thereunto by the solidity and novelty of our Sciences and particularly by the delight he tooke in some maps and other curiosities so that he could have been willing to have lived alwaies in his company In the meane while together with humane Sciences the Father did instruct him in the heavenly wisdome of the Law of God and he was growne so skilfull and well versed in it that he was able to help the Father in the correction and augmentation of a Catechisme which he had made some years before and was then about to re-print it He did therein much admire the great conformitie of our Mysteries with the principalls of reason the concordance order and admirable consequence of the points of our Faith and although he did not at that time give an entire credence to them neverthelesse he was much delighted to see every thing therein so well ordered and disposed being wont often to say That if these things were not true they were wisely invented and very conformable to the light of nature He continued the same affection toward the Father for some years wherein he much assisted both with his counsell and authority the foundation of that House and indeed he was the first that did encourage the Father to the enterprise and furnished him with mony to buy the ground and to build the Church All these good works accompanied with the fastings and Penance which he performed while he was yet a Gentile were as so many dispositions to fit and prepare him for the reception of that divine light which the Lord was pleased to communicate unto him He was then satisfied in the truth of our Holy faith and did much desire to be baptized which notwithstanding Father Riccius would not consent unto by reason of a certain impediment which he had at that time but being afterwards sick and in great danger of death the Father was constrained to Baptize him And immediatly after the Lord was pleased by means and vertue of that Sacrament and the other of Extreame Unction to deliver him from that death which he expected every hour as he himselfe confessed during his whole life and alwaies gave particular thanks to God for it Not long after he returned home to his owne House where having busied himselfe one evening in breaking and burning all the Idols he could finde Dr. Michael his ancient friend though yet a Gentile and very zealous in the worship of Idols and observant in their superstition came in to visit him He was much astonished at the sight and could not forbeare to reprove him for it but by the others answer he received so much satisfaction that he had an earnest desire to heare and understand better the Law of Christ which he afterwards received the same Dr. Leo assisted him as God-father at his Baptisme for about that time there came to live in Leo's House the Fathers Lazarus Catanaeus and Nicolas Trigaultius who did often discourse there with Dr. Michael he carried them to a Country house of his whither he went often to dwell that he might with more freedom and leisure discourse with them concerning the Law of God he doing this often was at length converted and Baptized wherein Dr. Leo had the greatest share and merit conferring a most important benefit upon this Church by the conversion of a person of that Quality who for many years together in the heate and trouble of the greatest persecutions did ever receive protect and favour us above measure From that day forward these two Doctours Michael and Leo were the heads and pillars of our Holy faith in those Kingdoms for in
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
First therefore the Prefects or Governours did abuse the Merchant Tartars of Niuche when they came into Leaotung which is a Province confines next to them Then again when the King of Niuche would have married his Daughter to another King of the Tartars they hindred this marriage by representing some pretended reasons of State And finally when the King of Niuche suspected nothing from them he conceived his friends they took him by deceit and killed him perfidiously Wherefore to revenge these injuries the Kings Son gathered a strong Army and taking his time found meanes to get over the great Wall I mentioned and the great River being frozen he presently set upon the great City Kaiyven or as others call it Taxum which lies upon the Confines of Tartary which he took in the year MDCXVI From this City he writ a Letter in Tartarian Characters to the Emperour of China which though writ in Barbarian Characters yet contained nothing Barbarous By this Letter which he sent by one of their Indian Priests whom they call Lama in a very humble and submissive manner he declared to him that he had invaded his Country to revenge the injuries he had received from the Governours of the neighbouring Provinces But yet that he was ready to restore the City he had taken and depose his Armes if his complaints might be heard and satisfaction given him The Emperour of China called Vanley having received this Letter though otherwise of an eminent wisdome and of as great experience yet being now broken with Age in this businesse seems to have proceeded with lesse Prudence than that which accompanied the former Actions of his life For thinking it not to be a business of that moment as that it deserved to be treated before him in his own Court he remitted it to the chief Governours and Commanders And these men puffed up with their usuall pride thought it not fit so much as to give an answer to the Barbarian King but resented it very highly that he durst be so bold as to complain to the Emperor of any injury received The Tartarian King seeing they vouchsafed no answer to his just demands turning his anger into rage vowed to celebrate his Fathers Funerals with the lives of two hundred Thousand of the Inhabitants of China For it is the custome of the Tartars when any man of quality dyeth to cast into that fire which consumes the dead Corps as many Servants Women and Horses with bows and Arrows as may be fit to atend and serve them in the next life Though now since they conquered China they have left off this Barbarous custome being reprehended and corrected for it by the Chinesses themselves After this superstitious Vow advancing his revenging Armes he besieged Leaotung which was the chief City of the Province of Leaoyang with 50000. men But the City was defended by exceeding many men who generally were all armed with Musquets The Tartars had nothing but their Scymetars with Bows and Arrows which they discharge with strange Dexterity and Art But because they chiefly feared the musquet bullets they resolved by a Stratagem to make that unknown Instrument lesse hurtfull to them than their enemies did imagin For the Tartarian King commanded such as made the first on-set to carry a thick hard board for their Shield which was as good to them as a wooden Wall these men were seconded by other Companies who carried Ladders to climb up the Walls and the Horse came up in the Rear In this manner he set upon the City in foure quarters and received the discharge of their Musquets against his wooden wall Then in a moment the scaling-ladders being applied before they could charge again they were upon the Walls and entred the City for such is the quicknesse and nimblenesse of the Tartars in which they excell all Nations and in which also they place their chief art that in a trice they either prevail in their designs or retire and the little skill the Chinesses had in the use of Musquets was no small hinderance to the warre For the Tartars quicknesse and nimblenesse not giving them time to charge again being astonished with the sudden inundation of armed men they presently fled which way soever they could but being pursued by the swift Tartarian Horse most of them perished in the taking of this great City This City being taken the Tartar like a Torrent over-run many others of lesse note but amongst others he took that Noble City Evamgning and overrunning most speedily the whole Country of Leaotung he entred the Province of Pekin and comming within seven Leagues of the very Imperiall City He durst not advance fearing the Enemy might compasse or surround him because he heard that a world of men came in to help their distressed Prince But the Tartar struck such a terrour into the hearts of all the Countries he had passed as both Souldier and Citizen quitting their Houses left the empty walls to the Tartarians possession knowing the Tartar to have that custom and practise to destroy and put all to fire and sword that did resist and only pillage the Cities that submitted leaving the Citizens alive and treating them courteously By which meanes having collected a world of riches he returned to Leaotung victorious And because his South-sayers had perswaded him that the standing of the old Walls were unfortunate he beat them down and compassed it about with new fortifying them with new Munitions and there proclamed himself Emperour of China For although as yet he had taken nothing of China but only the skirts of the Eastern Country of the Province of Leaotung yet in his hopes aspiring thoughts he had devoured the whole Kingdom wherefore he was called in the China language Theienmingus in the third year of his Reign which was in that of one thousand six hundred and eighteen In this year some in authority about the Emperour Vanley demanded the banishment of the Priests who did then preach the Christian Religion to that Nation But the Emperour who in his heart loved Christanity and those particularly that first planted that Religion amongst them gave no eare for a long while to their demands But at length overcome by the importunity of a chief Commander who had ever been a sore Enemy to Christian Religion and was called Xinchio it was ordained and proclamed that all those Fathers that did propagate Christan Religion should be banished the Kingdome Upon which some of them were secretly concealed in severall Provinces by some Christian Governours others being taken were carried in great Cages to Macao wherein being shut up day and night they suffered extreamly whilst others also being whipt out of the Country rejoyced to undergoe something for his sake whose name they bore but that which added more affliction to all these miseries was the Emperour Vanley's Prohibition to all his to professe Christian Religion But upon this occasion the Christians
perswaded him to leave the Imperial City and retire to the Southern Provinces but he protested he would rather die than quit the Northern quarters and not only so but he forbade any to depart the Court or Town besieged In the mean time the Tartars make many fierce assaults and as often were valiantly beaten back with great losse and Carnage Yvenus was called to resist the Tartars for as yet his Traiterous Comploâ—s were not discovered And lest he should discover his Treason he comes with his Armie neer the very Walls of the Court which was of a vast extent and as it were a great partition between the two Armies from which both the Chinese and Tartars forces were perfectly discerned But though Yvenus was under the Emperours eye yet he acted little for his only aim being to returne home laden with Riches he never desisted to perswade the Emperour to admit his conditions of Peace So that the Emperour finding him evidently to be a Traitor disclosing his intention to none of his Councel nor Governours sends to invite him to a private Councel of war giving also order that he should be admitted into the City over the Walls lest if any Gate should be open the Tartar being so neer might presse in upon them but indeed he ordered the businesse in this manner lest he should bring his Armie into the City with him Yvenus therefore knowing he had many chief men about the Emperous person who were both his favourities and friends and that none of them gave him the least sign of any distaste that the Emperour might conceive against him boldly and securely presented himself at Court and as soon as he appeared he was presently arrested and after some few questions the Emperour commanded him to be killed The Tartars hearing of his death before the China Armie had a new General assigned raise the siege ransack all the Country round about and after they had made excursions to the next bordering Province of Xantung richly laden with all manner of Spoiles returne to their first residence in Leaotung From these times til the year 1636. the event of their Warrs was very various but in general we observe that the Tartars could never fix a foot in China but they were presently beaten out again In this same year Thienzungus King of the Tartars died after whom succeeded his Son Zungteus Father to him that now governs China of whom we now must begin to treat This Prince before his Reign expressed much judgement in severall Occurrences surpassing all the Kings of Tartary in Humanity and obliging courtesie For when he was young he was sent by his Father into China where he lived secretly and learned the China's Manners Doctrine and Language and now coming to the Kingdom he changed and far surpassed all the Examples of his Predecessors For having observed that their too hard and cruel usage of the Chinesses had been the principal obstacle of their advancement to the end he might conquer that Empire he so much thirsted after as well by Love as by Arms he courteously entertained and cherished all those of China which came unto him using all Prisoners with great sweetnes and inviting them either to submit freely to his Government or take their course with full freedom The fame of his humanitie was spred far and neer which induced many Commanders and chief Officers to fly unto him by whose means and help at length he became Emperour of that spacious and flourishing Country For experience shews us that Love and Humanity do work more upon mens hearts in conquering and conserving Kingdomes than Arms and crueltie of the Conquerors hath lost that which strength of Arms had happily subdued Wherefore when the Chinesses came to understand that the King of Tartary did not only afford them a refuge but friendship many great persons flying the Indignation of the King of China sheltered themselves under the Tartars protection For by reason of the China's great Avarice and Perfidiousness it 's a necessary though most inhumane Maxim that those Officers perish who have managed the Kingdomes Affairs with lesse successe For they easily are brought to beleeve that such unhappy events do not proceed so much from the frown of inconstant Fortune as it doth from the perfidie or negligence of the Commanders So as if any fought unhappily or if he lost the Country committed to his charge if any Sedition or Rebellion happened the Governors hardly ever escaped alive Seeing therefore they found so much Humanitie in the Tartar and so much Inhumanity in the Emperor they rather chose to fly to the former By this occasion give me leave to relate what happened to that incomparable Commander renowned both for Fidelitie and Fortitude called Ignatius This Heroick mind preferd his fidelitie to his Prince before his life before the Tartarian's protection yea even before the strength of his formidable Army and chose rather with his unparallel'd Fidelity to submit his head to a Block by an unjust sentence than to abandon his Country or once commit the least fault against his Soveraign though guilty of much injustice towards Him He might perchance have swayed the Soveraign Scepter of China if he would have hearkened to his Souldiers but he rather chose to die gloriously than to be branded with the name of a Traitor After this man therefore had gained several Victories against the Tartars and recovered many Cities from their possession so as he hoped shortly wholly to extirpate them out of China His Souldiers being long without pay seditiously plundred and pillaged a Town which had ever been faithfull to the King Ignatius by several petitions and Remonstrances to the Emperour had declared his wants of mony and their want of Pay but because he fed not those venal souls that mannaged the businesse for mony and presents they alwaies suppressed his humble addresses for relief Besides this man being a very pious Christian he did nothing in his government but what was conform to Reason and Justice which was the cause he incurred the hatred of all the ancient Prefectâ— who usually receiving Bribes from the contesting parties demanded favour of Ignatius for their Clients But it was in vain to intercede for any unlesse the justnesse of the cause did also ballance their Petitions And these men attributing this proceeding not to vertue but to his Pride thinking themselves undervalued by him dealt under-hand with the Prefects in the Court to stop the Armies pay that so they might destroy this innocent man Moreover he was envied by the Commanders in the very Court because he came to this eminent dignitie by his own valour and industry which they imagined was only to be given to Doctors and Ignatius was but a Licenciat as if the most learned must needs be also the most valorous In this conjuncture of affairs the Souldiers not contented with the seditious pillage seeing the most imminent danger hanging over their most
themselves constant to him And this memorial of him I owe as well to the singular friendship he was pleased to contract with me as also to his eminent vertues of which I my self the whole Church of Christians in China were both Spectators and Admirers for the space of twenty years He was Born in the Province of Nanquin in the City Changcho being called Kiu Thomas a Name most worthy of eternal Memory During the saccage of these Provinces news arrives from the Country of Suchuen which the notorious Brigand called Changhienchungus famous for his strange cruelty and abhominable villanies had so wasted that it begins again to be shaken with severall tempests of War though he seemed to be quite destroyed in the last Battails yet from thence doth appear again new trouble and vexation to the Empire The Province of Fokien also begins to grone under the same miserable condition of War for the Reverend Father Peter Canevary Native of Genua writes out of the City Changcheu which was besieged the 30. of March 1652. that Quesingus having made a descent from his Ships into that Province hath overrun the whole Country taken some Cities and Towns and carried on the War with great terrour to the Inhabitants Insomuch as the Tartarian Commanders keepe themselves and their Army in their Forts and other places of strength not daring to appear in the field to oppose him but yet he said they expected new forces and Succours from Peking by which they doubt not but quickly to subdue him This Quesingus who now vexeth this Province of Fokien is Son to the famous Pyrate Iquon or Chinchilungo whom the Tartars imprisoned by a slight as I recounted to you in my former History And to let you know what I further heard from some passengers of China who in the month of Ianuary 1653. were cast in a Ship of China upon the Coasts of an Island called New Holland whither I had been brought before by their Barks and Souldiers as their Prisoner These men related that a great Army of Tartars was arrived to subdue Quesingus whose Commander thought it fit to joyn Art to his Force and therefore he commanded a handfull of men to charge the Chinese Army and presently by feigning flight to retire to more advantageous and surer places In the mean time he had placed a number of Horse in a deep valley behind a Mountain towards which Quarters the fugitive Troops retired This flight gave courage to the Chinese and the desire of victory made them venture so far from the River Chang where their ships lay at Anchor as they found themselves environed by the Tartars Army This desperate condition which excluded the Chineses from returning to their Ships caused a very great and bloody slaughter in which there perished above 80000 of the Chineses Army Whilst Quesingus a spectator of this sad accident from the Mast of his Ships as they relate was heard to say that he would once more try his fortune against the Tartars but if she proved again adverse unto him he then would submit and shave his Hair like a Tartar Concerning the present state of Christian Religion being at Brussels this last Iunse in the year 1654. I received letters from China in which they gave me notice that the Father Jesuits were very favourably treated by the Tartars yea better than before that they permit free exercise of the Christian Catholick Religion through all their Kingdoms granting them leave not onely to enjoy their ancient Churches but also liberally contributing to build new ones so by the goodnesse of God that which endamaged others proveth gain to them But I reserve all particulars to a larger Relation in a greater Volume which shall continue Trigautius his History of the missions dispatched into China concluding with the year 1610 to these our present Times FINIS Books printed for and to be sold by Iohn Crook at the sign of the Ship in St Pauls Church-yard ANnales Veteris Testamenti à primâ Mundi Origine deducti unâ cum rerurn Asiaticarum Aegyptiacarum Chronico A tempoâ—ris Historici principio usque ad Maccabaicarum initia producto A Viro Reverendissimo Doctissimo Jacobo Usserio Archiepiâ—copo Armachno Folio Ejusdem Annalium Pars secunda quae ad annum Christi Octogesimum producitur unà cum harmoniâ— Evangeliorum ab exercitatissimo in Sacris literis Doctore Johanne Richardsono Episcopo Ardachensi conscripta Folio Ejusdem de Textûs Hebraici Veteris Testamenti Variantibus lectionibus ad Ludovicum Cappellum Epistola Quarto ejusdem de LXX interpretum versione syntagma quo hebraici textus veritas contra LXX interpretum versionis assertores declaratur vnà cum libro Estherae c ad pristinam antiquitatem cum obeliscis asteriscis leniscis reducto Quarto The Holy History centaining excellent Observations on all the remarkable Passages and Histories of the Old Testament With a Vindication of the Verity thereof from the aspersions of Atheists and Anti-Scripturians Written Originally in French by the curions Pen of Nicolas Caussin S. I. And now Elegantly rendred into English out of the Seventh and last Edition by a Person of Honor. Quaeto The Perfect Ambassador Treating of the Antiquity Priviledges and Behaviour of Men belonging to that Function By Francis Thynne Esquire 12o. Wisdome and Innocence or Prudence and Simplicity in the Examples of the Serpent and the Dove propounded to our imitation By Thomas Vane Doctor in Divinity and Physick 12o. The Spirituall Nursery decyphered in a Sermon Preached at Mercers Chappel in London Febr. 9. 1650. By Thomas Baker late Rector of St Mary the More in Exon. Quartâ— Seven Sermons Preached upon severall Occasions by the most Reverend and Learned Father in God William Laud late Archbishop of Canterbury c. heretofore Printed severally but now gathered together and re-printed 12o. Loci Communes D. Martini Lutheri ex Scriptis ipsius Latinis forma Gnomolcgica Aphoristica collecti in quinque classes distributi à M. Theodosio Fabritio Ecclesiae Gottingensis Pastore Quarto Disputatio Scolastica de Divina Providentia adversus Jesuitas Arminianos Socinianos de Domino Dei c studiis industria Samuelis Rhetorfortis S Theologiae Professoris in celebri inclyta Academia Andreapolitana Quarto A just vindication of the Church of England from the aspersion of criminal schisme by Iohn Bramhal Bishop of Derry Octavo His defence of true liberty from anti-cedent and extrinsecall necessity being an answer to a late book of Master Thomas Hobbs of Malmesbury Octavo His answer to Mons. Militiers Victory of truth with Militiers own Epistle Octavo Miscellanea sacra or devout and Spirituall essaies by Walter Mountague 4o. Parthenissa an excellent new Romance written by the Lord Broghill in 4 parts Quarto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sine introductorium anglico-latino-Graecum complectens colloquia familiaria Aesopi fabulas Luciani mortuorum Dialogos In usum scholarum per Johannem Shirly Octavo De Hibernia