which they hold in singular reverence Its Form is human and Majestick Out of its Shoulders grow up three Heads equal and alike which incessantly behold one another for to let us understand that they have but one and the same Will This may be taken for some Remains of the Mystery of the most holy Trinity which the blessed Apostle St. Thomas heretofore preached unto them when going to the Oriental Indies where the Martyrdom which he suffered crowned his Life with an immortal Diadem he passed through China as is reported in the ancient Writings of the Armenians but finding the Chineses wholly taken up with Wars he passed on farther after he had briefly explicated to them the Verities of the Gospel In the same Temple where this Image with three Hâ—ads is adored they venerate Pictures which are not unlike to those of the twelve Apostles The Christians who observed these Representations asked the naturaÌ„ll Chineses what men these twelve Apostles had been and had no other answer but that these twelve Personages had been great Philosophers who had so ardently embraced Vertue in this World that after their Death it had elevated them up to Heaven and made them Angels thereof For a third Testimony that they have heretofore had some Ray of Christian Verity they venerate also in the same number of sacred Pictures the Image of a Woman perfâ—ctly fair that bears a Child in her Arms which they say she brought forth without violating hâ—r Virginity and whose Conception and Birth were not soiled with any Sin they know no more thereof The double Cloud of Ignorance of the holy Books and of the Siâ— of Idâ—latry has hid the rest from thâ—m Neverâ—heless all these Marks explicaâ—â—d by the eloquent Mouth of some pious and fâ—rvent Christian might reproach them with being no more what they have been and would be no uâ—proâ—itable Means to render succesâ—ul the Cares which should be employed â—or their Salvation Besides that the excellâ—ncy of their Wits capable of Reason would give a freer Access thereunto and even their Oracles would lend an helping hand to such Workmen for the effectuating their good Designs for they have a Prophecy that saith That from thâ— West must come the true Faith which shall lift them up â—o Heaven for to be thâ—râ— made Angels Certainly the Court of China woulâ— be unto us an agreeable Abode in thâ— Conversation of its Courtiers learned and endued with a very excellent Wit and amidst the honest Recompences which are there given to Vertue but the false Worship of Idols and the abominable Superstitions wâ—ich are there committed force us to quit it It is then time to depart thence to turn our Thoughts another way and to bestoâ— our Labors upon a more holy Employmâ—nt We shall do it with the Divine assistance of him that has conducted our Works after we shall have acquainted you with the Ceremonies which are used at the Dâ—cease and Funerals of the Soveraign Priâ—ces of this grâ—at Monarchy When their King is dead thâ—y wash his Câ—â—ps with Aromatick waters perfume his Royall Habits and cloath him in the most sumptuous manner that ever he was in his Life they sâ—at him in his Throne to the end all his Court may come to pay him their last Devoirs and to bewail his Loss The first who present themselves are the Prince's Children if he had any after them the Queen his Wife and the neerest of his Relations they all put themselves on their Knees before his Body abide there some time and then retire with Tears in their Eyes and Sighs in their Moâ—ths The Chancellor or President of his Councell accompanied with all the Councellors of State pays there the same Funerall honors all the Courtiers and Domesticks of the Royal House being also on their Knees before the Deceased bewail the Loss of their Lord. This sorrowfull Ceremony being performed they take the Body from the Throne and strip it of its precious Habits they put it in a Coffin It is the ordinary passage of the Pomps of the World from their Grandeur to Death madâ— of rich and odoriferous Wood closed in such a manner that no Air can enter thereinto they put it upon a Table in the middle of the Royal Chamber adorned and hung the most sumptuously that is possible they spread upon it a white Linen Cloth hanging down to the Ground upon which the Portrait of the deceased King is drawn to the Life the Autichamber is also superbly adorned and therein are set many Tables with a great number of Funeral Lights amongst which is served up a great quantity of Viands for the Priests and Religious of China who come to sing after their mode to pray and offâ—r Sacrifices for the Repose of him who is dead in eternall Inquietudes To these vain Devotions they add many Sorceries they put upon thâ— Coffin a great number of little painted Papers a part whereof they burn the rest they tye to the Bier with little Cords they shake and move them incessantly with such dreadfull Cries and Howlings that it is difficult to hear them without Terror They say that by this frantick fashion of succoring the Dead they send the Soul of the decâ—ased Monarch into Heaven to the number of those that are happy This Tintamarre or Spirituall Charivary of the Priests of China endures the space of fifteen Dayes after which they conduct the Body of the King to the Grave The Procession is in this manner Before the Body go all the Chinese Priests and Religious that are found in the Court they carry in their hands lighted Tapers The Kindred of the Prince follow the Corps severely clad in Mourning they have great Cassocks of wool next theirâ—lâ—sh and are giâ—t about their Reins with Cords their Head is simply covered with great broad-brim'd Bonneâ—s of wool like to our Hats a-la-Mode such as are worn in our Countreys about the end of this present yeer 1625 which is strictly observed For in China Mourning consists not only in the Meen â—t pasâ—es beyond Tears and Sighs which proceed only from Decency The greater Persons to observe well the Mourning for the Death of a Father or Mother deprive themselves of their Offices and â—he Vice-Royes in the like sorrow remit into the Kings hands the Governments that they had received from him To do otherwise there would be no less shamefull and impious than it would be in our Countries for a Son to laugh dance and rejoyce publickly at the Death of his Father The Councell with the honorable Marks of their Dignity go immediately after these and all the Officers of the Royal House and of the Court assist thereat in order and according to the rank of their Employs In this Pomp the Body of the deceased King is conducted to the Grave but not interred without Train they burn at the putting him thâ—rein the Pictures of many Slaves of a great number of Horses of an heap of Gold and Silver and of some Pieces of Silk which they believe follow the Departed into the other World In truth if these Burnings in eâ—â—igie are Marks of the foolish Superstitions of the Chinesâ—s they are also Signs of the sweetness of their Dispositions more humane than those of some Barbâ—rians their Neighbors and of some people which have been ours who at the intermâ—nt of their Princâ—s really burnt their Wives and the Men who had served them and prodigally cast into the fire the Gold Silver and Jewels which they found in their Coffers This light Burning being â—inished and the Pictures reduced into Ashes they descend and close in a little Earth him who commandâ—d a World of Men and Land who might have crowned his Head with fifteen Diadems For the Provinces of China which make this number are in greatness and goodness so many Realms and in doing this they bring unto Dust the greatest and most glittering Pomp of the World And certainly since that all things of the Court and of the Earth are nothing but Dust and that of Dust have the fairâ—â—t and noblest parts of the Universe been formed when Men who are the Kings of the World go down to their Grave we put Dust to Dust. For a Lesson unâ—o Soveraign Monarchs that in their superb Thrones the Royal Crown and Mantle cover only a piece of animated Earth and an heap of living Dust except they have a great Courage a generous Soul and a pious Disposition Then by these Royal and excellent Qualities they will draw their Names out of the Dust of oblivion and if by the common Law of Nature the Body which is but Dust descends into the Dust the Spirit which was never Dust will go to receive in Heaven the immortal Crowns which are the Rewards of magnanimous and pious Kings FINIS
the World and of the Court cover many Deformities and conceal many Perâ—idies The Kings of China have often experienced this The Divisions of their State and the Troubles thereof which lasted one and forty yeers the Treasons Massacres which were committed even upon the Persons of the Kings under the unfortunate Reigns of Yanthei Laupi Gâ—itgey Quiontey and Sontey are veritable Proofs thereof in their Histories This is the cause that at this day they live very retiredly in their great Palaces and instead of Pages and Gentlemen Attendants are served only by Women with whom they ordinarily converse giving them the Care of their Nourishment and trusting them with the Conservation of their Health not but that their persons are guarded by Men. There are as we have elswhere said ten thousand armed men in Guard without the Royal Palace not counting those who are at the Gates and on the Stairs of the same Palace as also in the Hals For the Chinese Princes have not been exempted from the malice of Women King Tronson taken with the singular Beauty of his Fathers Widow found by his pursuits in the vain Enjoyment of his Love the loss of his Life This fair Queen named Causâ— and who was the Cause of Misfortunes to a whole State weary of the Inquietudes of the World and Vanities of the Court abandoned them after the Decease of the King her Husband for to give her sâ—lf up being removed from them to the Calm and Repose wherein the Soul enjoying it self finds its Good and Felicity She shut her self up in a Monastery of Chinese Nuns in which the Devil under the worship of Idols makes himself be adored by the fairest women of the East there laying at his Feet the Crown she had upon her Head she vailed her self like the rest and lived in the simplicity of this Order Tronson her Son-in-Law who was a greater Adorer of her Attractions than she was of the false Deities is advertized thereof He follows her giving â—s thereby an Example that Kings as well as other men live in their Beloveds He entertains her at the Grate caresses her perswades her to quit her Vail and put again a second time the Royall Crown upon her Head Cause hearkens to him believes him and coming sorth from the Monastery shews that the Devotions of women are frequently like to Crystal Glasses which are broken with the first knock She is married to him But what Good can proceed from this unconstant Change and Backsliding from the World to the Cloister from the Cloister to the World Certainly a woman voluntarily unfrockt is a dangerous Animal in a State or Family Cause reassumes the Ambition which she had trampled under foot and that she might reign alone in the Name and during the Minority of her Son causes King Tronson her Husband to be slain Then being Mistress of her Will as well as of the Realm she abandons her Reason her Honor and the glory of her Majesty to her lascivious Passions She becomes the Wife of many Husbands or Gallants There was not any great man about the Court to whom her Embraces were not permitted â—ay even proffered This debauched Life of a Princess who ought to be an Example of Vertue in a State gives offence to every one as being a publick Scandal To cover it in some measure she marries again but that she may continue her Enormities she takes a man of no Quality who permits her every thing Vices follow one another From Lubricity she proceeds to Cruelty Her Children more careful of her Honour than her self testify only by their Regrets the Displeasure they conceive at her ill Conduct She causes their Throats to be cut to make way for a Nephew of hers to the Crown of China who serves hâ—r for a Support and Upholder in her Lubricities in which she reigns forty years a Reign too long for so wicked a woman In fine the Chineses grow weary of those Disorders they send to search out a Nâ—tural Son of her Husbands Crown him anâ— acknowledgâ— him for their King He named Tantzon seized this impudent Woman brought her to Tryal and put an end to her detestable Lifâ— by the hand of the Executioner This was the end of the Princess Cause who had caused so many Disorders in the State and was in fine the Cause of her own shameful Destruction But the Kings of China have for some Ages past lived extremely retired in their stately Palaces There has been such an one as never came forth in publick but on the Day that he was Crowned King and took the accustomed Oath If the People at any time see them ' â—is through an interposed Glass They say they do thus to conserve the Royal Dignity and the Respect due thâ—reunto and moreover to prevent such Treasons as might be contrived against them This manner of living thus sequestred diminishes not the Love and Reverence which the people owe to their persons for the Governors and Magistrates well know how to keep it up and make them observe it and moreover in the principal Provinces of the Realm where the Vice-royes make their Residence they are accustomed to hang up in a publick place a rich Tablet of pure Gold wâ—erein the Efâ—â—â—ies of their King is represented to the life vailed with a Curtain embroidered with Gold The Loytias who are the Knights and the Officers of Justice go every day â—efore it to pay their Respects in a solemn and submiss manner giving the Publick this Example of an exterior Reverencâ— towards their Soveraign wâ—ich often-times excites an interior Love On their solemn Festival Dayes which they celebrate every new Moon this Tablet is unvailed the people see it discovered and every one runs thereunto to oâ—fer up their Submissions In the perpetual recess therefore of these delectable Palaces the Monarchs of China have ordinarily scarâ—e any other Conversation or Company but Women For besides those that serve them which are in very great number they have thirty Concubâ—â—es the fairest that can be found in their Reâ—lm and onâ— only Queen whom they espouse and make Companion of their Scepter Thâ—y wâ—re heretofore accustomâ—d whoâ— they had an intent to marry to invite to a Royal and solemn Feast all the Knights and greatâ—â—â— Lords of â—he Court and commandâ—â— them to brâ—ng with them their Sons aâ—d Daughâ—ers They were very diligent in obeying this Command hoping they might place in the Throne of China some one of their Daughters and therefore advantaged their Beauties by all the Ornaments of Artiâ—ice The Feast being ended these Virgins were placed in a great Hall according to the Order of their Birth and not to the Degree of their Quality Then the King if he were not married or if he were the Princes his Sons came into this Hall to entertain the Ladies and to choose from amoâ—gst them those the Graces and Perfections of whose Beauties were most capable to captivate their Affections by the sweetness of their Charms
her one day thus served by these new Domesticks believed her to be a Witch and resolved to purge by Flames the Crime of her Enâ—hantments whereupon he caused this House to be set on Fire She seeing that this â—ine place burnt for her sake would have killed her self with a long silver Bodkin that held up her Hair which she set to her Throat but on a sudden there fell a Shower of Rain that quenched the Fire then she quitted her Design retired unto the Mountains and hid her self in the Caves thereof where she continued her Penance Heaven which protected her thus would not leave unpunished the Cruelty of her wickâ—d Father It struck him with a Leprosy and abandoned his living Body to the Worms that gnawed him and made him suffer many Torments Canine had a Revelation thereof Charity makes her quit her Solitude for to go and succor her Leprous Father As soon as the King saw her he cast himself at her Feet craved her Pardon and adored her She judging her sâ—lf unworthy of Adoration would have resisted it but not being able to do it by reason of â—he feebleness of her Body a Saint of Heaven came and set himself before her to repair the Fault and to let her understand that the Adoration was performed to him alone At the same time she returned to her Cave and there finished her Life with equal Sanctity The Chineses hold her for a great Saint and pray uâ—to her ordinarily to obtain the pardon of their Faults The third is a Womâ—n named Neome who they saâ— â—ssâ—ed from a very illustrious Family of the Town of Cuchi in the Province of Oquiam And as her Father would have violated the Vow of Chastity which she had made and have constrained her to marry she fled away and retired into the Dâ—sart of a little Isle which is over against Ingoa where she lived very holily and wrought a great number of Miracles of which they relate this as the most remarkable of them all They say that a great Captain named Campo Admirall of the Navy of the King of China went one day to wage War for his Master in a neighboring Kingdom He came with his Fleet to surge at Boym When they would depart from thence the Mariners could by no means weigh up their Anchors astonished whereat thâ—y all look into the Sea and see Neome sitting thereupon who detained them The Generall calls to her and prays her as divinely inspired to counsell him what he had to do She answers him that if he would triumph over his Enemies and conquer their Realm he should take her along with him because those with whom he was to â—ight were great Magicians He takes her into his Ship weighs Anchor sets Sail and a few dayes after arrives on the Coast of his Enemies Countrey As soon as they perceive the Fleet of China these Magiâ—ians have recourse to their Charms cast Oyl into the Sea and by their Illusions so dazle the Eyes of the Chinâ—ses that their Ships seem to them all on Fire Nâ—ome who was without doubt an excellent Enchantresse by her powerfull Countercharms undoes all that they had done Thus seeing that their Magick was weak and their Arms unequall to those of China they yiâ—lded themselves and underwent the Quality of Vassals and Tributaries to the King of China Campo whom the History marks for a judicious man and a very wisâ— Politician enters into some doubt of the Sâ—â—ctity of Neomâ— and believes her to bâ— a Sorceressâ— To clear this he asks of her some Mâ—rk of her holy Vertue to carry as a Present to the King his Master and prayes her to make a dry Stick which he had in his hâ—nd to become greâ—â— She took the Sâ—ick pronounced over it câ—rtain secret words rendred it green and budding and moreover of a very odoriferous smell and thus delivâ—red iâ—â—o this Captain who bliâ—ded with the same Superstitions as the other Chineses attributed the Prosperiâ—ies of his Voyage and the Success of his Arms to the Sanctity of Neome whose Name has ever since been singularly honored in China and particularly by those that go upon the Sea who bear her Image on the Stern of their Ships and pray unto her as tâ—e Divinity which presides over the Waves commands the Sea it self and appeases Tempests and Storms The Sun and the Moon are also Subjects of their Adoration they revere them as the Sources of Light and Causes of Generation here below but they believe a greater Diviâ—ity that rules over them for when thâ—y sâ—e that the one or other of these Planets suffers an Eclipse they say that the Prince of Hâ—aven has condemned them to death and that the Fear of Punishment thus tarâ—ishes their Light Then they pray this Soveraign Prince to shew them Mercy and not to extinguish these celestial Torches which are so necessary for their Life thâ—y say that the Sun is a man and the Moon a woman Their Bâ—lief holds Heaven for the Creator of all that appears to our Eyes and of things invisible they express it thus by the â—irst Letter of their Alphabet such as we have markâ—d before and affirm that above tâ—esâ— celestial Vaults there inhabits an immortal Governor whom they name Lâ—oâ—on Tzantâ—y that is Goveâ—â—or of the â—reat GOD they qualify him uncâ—eaâ—â—d incorporeal eternal aâ—d a purâ— Spiâ—it they adore him with an exâ—â—â—ordinary veneration and attribute to him thâ— care oâ— Supreme matters with whom they placâ— aâ—other of thâ— same nature called by them Caâ—sâ—y whâ— has râ—ceived from the â—irst the Government of that part oâ— Heaven which regards the Earth and holds in his powerful hand the Life and Death of men This second hath under him three Deputies all three Spirits as the two first They call them Tanquam Teiquam Tzuiquam These are aiders and assistants of his great Ministery for the things of this lower World For the first which is Tanquam is an aquatick Divinity or rather the Fountainier of the World He has the charge of Rains and his greatest exercise is to furnish the Earth with Water Teiquam descends lower towards our inferior Region He presides over the Birth of Men commands in Wars orders Husbandry and causes the Earth to produce the Fruits which nourish the Men and Beasts that inhabit it Tzuiquam is their great Neptune He employs his Time in intending over the Seas retains or drives forward as it pleases him the fury of the Waves commands the Tempests and has a particular care of those that pass the Seas Thus all the people of the Marine adore him the Fishers offer sacrifice the Seamen make Vows unto him and the Sailors at their return from their Voyages make Playes and repâ—esent Comedies to the honor of his Name Now amidst the abominations of this false Worship of the Chinâ—ses are discerned some Traces and ancient Marks though half effaced of a better Religion For in the diversity of their Images they have one
The Infâ—nâ—aes Daughters of the King did the same amongst the young Knights that wâ—râ— at the Feaâ—t They had the Liberty to choose â—ut of their Number him whom they judged most deserving to be their Husband But all mundane things passing away and more espcially those of the Court this Custome is extinct The Kings of China do now all marry with their Kindred observing only the first Degree of Proximity and sometimes the second After that the King has thâ—â—â—aken his Wife he chooses thirty Misses which the Law of his â—eligion permits him to keep These aâ—â— ordinarily the fairest in his State who not being capable to arrive at the Honor of being his Wives he marrying but one glory nevertheless in the Enjoyment of his Embraces They know that the Children which they shall havâ— by him will be legitimate and thaâ— after his Death they shall be honorably provided for and married to the Greatest of the Court. For he makes his Will in his life time before ever he falls sick in which he assigns them Legacies and names for their Husbands thirty of the Principal Knights of the Court that are unmarried After he is dead and his Funeral Solemnized his Successor in the Crown causes these thirty woâ—en who have served his Predecessor to be magnificently apparelled and adorned with all sorts of precious Jewels and to be placed in rich Chairs in the middle of this fourth Hall whereof we have spoken before their Faces being vailed so as they cannot be known Then he calls into the Hall the thirty Knights whom the deceased King has named by his Will who according to the order of their Age or of their Nomination in the Will come one afâ—er another aâ—d â—ake by thâ— hand one of these Women thus vailed and conduct her without discovering her Face to their Houses where they see what Fortune has given them and soon prove whether the Legacy left unto them by their decâ—â—sed Prince be agreeable or disagreâ—able for from that time â—hey take them for their wives The other Ladies of the Court are married not according to their Desires or the blind Passions of Love but according to the Will of their Parents who know how to choose for them Men whose Age and Merit is not unsuiâ—able to their Youth and Quality It is the Custom of China that the Husbands endow their Wives at their taking them for the Women bring them nothing but their Beauty and Vertues They pay down the promised Money before they espouse them who give it to their Parents as a small Acknowledgment of the Care they have had in their educating them Thus it seems that the Injustice of this Law forces men many times to purchase bad Merchandise when in their Marriages they meet with indiscreet Dispositions and unequal and perverse Humors But another Law sweetens this Displeasure if they conceive any thereat for having bought them they are pâ—rmitted to sell them again Which nevertheless happâ—ns but very seldom for the Women of China are so vertuously educated that they give their Husbands more cause to cherish them than to put them out of their Families The Merit of their Vertue has brought unto our Countrey the Glory of the Reputation of those Women who are separated so many thousand Leagâ—es from us and inhabit the Extremiâ—y of the World for an Example uâ—to vertuous Ladieâ— that the Renown of their Perfâ—ctions shall never be extinct The Vertue of these Chinese Ladies growing up with them is rendred perfect by Time for from their tender Age they are bred up to the Love of Vertue and hate of Vice They are perpetually kept in and incessantly employed to the end that Idleness the Nurse of Vices may not soften their Minds and precipitate them into some Disorder This Care to â—ducate them thus is expressely enjoyned to their Parents by a Law inviolably observed for many Ages in the Kingdom of Chinâ— established by the first King who swayed the Scepter thereof named Viâ—ey This Prince knowing that the Idleness of women had caused many Debauches to spring up in the World which had ruined Common-wealths overthrown whole States and did in his time aâ—flict many Kingdoms ordained under great Penalties that the Wives of Artificers should work at their Husbands Trades and those of other men should be employed in the works of the Needle and spinning of Flax. This Law was so strictly observed that he would have even his own Wise obey it Thus the women of China continually work and the Queen her self who at this day wears the Crown of that Kingdom is perpetually employed in spinâ—ing of Gold or Silk or making some â—ich Neâ—dlework which serves for an Ornament to the Altar of their vain Idols This is the Reâ—son that there are sâ—arce ever seen â—ny women in their Streets they are all employed within doors If any of the Court-Ladies go abroad which happens very seldom it is to visit their neer Relations when they are dangerously sick They go in covered Chairs carried upon Arms where through little Grates delicately made of Gold or Silver they see without being seen Another Invention of the Kings of China who loved the Chastity of their women serves not a little to retrench their Ramblings and vain Gaddings They enacted that the Mothers should endeavor to streightâ—n the Feet of ther Daughters in the Cradle to the end they might not grow perswading their credulous Sex that the Beauty of a woman consists in having little Feet and in effect they so firmly believe it and so violently squeeze them in their tâ—nder Age that they are thereby incommodated and in a sort â—amed which is yet another Reason why they so willingly keep their Housés It would be very difficult to perswade them the contrary to this Opinion and to withdraw their Minds from this foolish Cruelty of thus racking their Feet in their tender Age for if any one of them should have the Face of an Angel and the Foot indiffâ—rently great shâ— would think her self the most deformed Creature in the World It is true that this vain Belief of esteeming those women fair who have very little Feet is not a thing only of this Day in Asia some Oriental Regions have heretoâ—ore followed it with as much Passion Aelian in his various Histories l. 13. c. 33. relates that the fair Rhodope of the Town of Naucratium bathing her self one day in the liquid Crystal of an agrâ—â—able Fountain had left hâ—â— Cloths on the Banks upon an heap of Roses which her Woman had gathered when an Eagle who was searching after his Prey took up one of her Shooes and carriâ—d it away This Bird who has been believed to be the Messenger of War and to carry the Thunders of Heaven was then an Envoy of Peace and Love For mounting up into the Clouds he flew on very far even unto the City of Memphis which is now called the grand Caire where he let fall the Shooe at the Feet of the