À
TTtHË DESCRIPTION OF^THE KINGDOM GFCHl^fjL
dome took; up by the 6me ar.irîcer, which kneads them, but
are left as a portion to fomc ot his poftcritie.
(io) Their fafhions in private houfes are not much unlike
to thofc of Enrofe, at board they lit in chaires, and upon formes,
not loll on the floore, as moft ot the Afiaticles do: : they touch
not their mzi'.e with the hand, but ufc the Silyer-forke, or elfe
fomc ftick of Ivory or Eeonic, not much unlike it : they catc
thrlc in one day, but fparingly enough : when they travaile over
the Plaines, they ufe a kinde of Coach, yet not drawn: with
hodes or other bead, but driven by the winde under fayle asa
Barke en the Sea, which the people ate as perfect to guide,
which way they pleafe, as the Manner is to direct his courfe unto any coaft, whither he is bound : as they fayle upon land, asjf
it were tea, fo they dwell as frequent upon the fca, asifit were
land: tot they have an incredible number of fhips, andboates,
which are in many places ranked like dreets upon the waters,
and filled with Inhabitants, fuch as are here borne, live, traf-
fiquc, marry, and die. Mc. Turchas reparts that upon one River
from Nanquin to faquin they are thus ordered for 300. leagues-
No marvaile then, if their number exceed any part ptopottion-
ablyofthewholecirth; fince their land is notfufficient, butis
forced to borrow roomc out of the Sea for their habitation : yet
arc they all governed by one Monarch, whom they call the Lord
of the world, and fonne to the Surtne. For they are a proud Nation, and admit not equall companion with any other earth-
lings ; but call it as a Proverbe into their teeth, that they have
butoneeyetofee with,in tefpect of the Chinejs, who alone ("as
themfelvcs boad) fee with twœthe truth is, in matters of ftate,
they are r :ry politique, in peace wary,and in watre valiant,craf«
tie and excellent engineer».
(11) Their lawesate for the moftpart juft and feverely executed, efpecially againft idle droanes, which fct not a hand to
advance their ftate, or maintaine themfelves. They will not
chcrifh the very blinde by almes.fince without eyes, a man may
be fit for fomc corporall imploymcnt; but to the maimed and
lame, they denie not a charitable maintenance. The fonne is
bound to exercife his parents occupation, fo that no pretence
aimoft is left for wanderers : and briefly, as farre as humane laws
can provide, all other vaine occafiens, for mifexpenceoftime,
are taken offjfor within the Cities no lie ws are allowed/»; le wd
petfons to withdraw thermadultery is punilhed with death,but
yet they have liberty to take many wives t one they keep at
home, the reft are difpofed of abroad, where they beft pleafe»
Their Marriages they chiefly iblemnize at the new Moone, and
for the moft part in March, which beginnes their yeare.
(12) For their Religion they are Gentilts, but have a confuted knowledge of God, heaven, and the creation, which they a-
lctibe to one Trine, who firft (fey they) made Paufon and 'Pau-
zona, and their pofteritie continued for 9«ooo.yearcs ; but were
then, for their wickednefie deftroyed, and a ne w race was created. The firft of their fécond world was one Lmitzam, who
had two homes ; from the right came men, as they fondly ima-
gine,and from the left women: when they would decipher their
great god,they exprefie him by the firft letter of their Alphabet;
and in their devotions, they worfhip him as their cbiefe ("but
not onely) preferver : for they have their prayers to the Sunne,
Moone, Starres, and to the Devill himfelfe, that he would not
hurt them. Their Priefts are diftinguifht into the blacke and
white Friers, as we call them : for they much refemble Friers in
their courfe of life; fomc are clothed in white.their heads lhorn,
and their victualis in common: others in black, long haireand
live apart:neither are married, but both take their libertie to live
oblcenely.as the debauched fwaggerers.
(tj) The Empire isdividedinto 15.Provinces,(1) C*nton.
(i)Feguien. (3) Ohm. (4) Sifnam. (5) Teleneh.(6) Caufaie.
(7) Minchien. (8) Ochian. (9) Hewn». (10) Pagina. (11)
Zaiten. (11) gmnchien. (13) Chegttcan. (14) Sufnam. (15)
Jguinfaj.tVl of Urge extent, and containc in them many towns,
and cities, in number more, in compafle bigger, and in wealth
more eminent, then the beft of ours.
(14) 0) I" the Province of Canton are 190. Towns & 37.
Cities. (a)Inf«g»»V»,99.Townesand33.Cities. (3) In O-
lam 130. Towns and 90. Cities. (4) In Sifnam 150. Townes
and 44. Cities. {%) InTelenchz^. Townes and 51. Cities*,
and this is governed immediately by the Emperour himfelfe,
without any fiibftitiite as all the other Provinces hav -, ex-??'
Pagina. (6) Caufaiehath 12!. Townes it. Cities. (-j)Mn-
chien 20.ToWKS if.Cities. (8) OchUm-/^. Townes 19. Cities. (9) Bonan 1 oî.Townesand jo. Cities, (i o) Pagina 1 jo.
Townes and 47. Cities.
(15) The chiefe of this is Taquin where he haih his continuait refidence, and fcarce at any time leaves the Citie, unie fli upon occafion of warre: for it is feated neer to the Tartars,
who oft times make affaults upon the Chinojfe, and force the.
King to gather his ftrengh into that quarter; and he himfelfe
prêtent to withftand their entry : left if they fhould once get
footing into any part of his Countrey, they might incroach farther, and inable themtclves byhisfpoylcs to follow their blow
upon his other Provinces. His palace here is compaffed with a
triple wall, carries the bulke and face of a faire Towne;, ft^irwi
deed his retinue are no fewer then might well people aTarge
Citienmong the reft he hath 16000. Emttchei daily attending,
fuch as their ownc parents have cmafculated in their infancie, to
make them capable of this Court-preferment. The feat Impe-
riall was heretofore at Nanquin, where ftill remaines a golden
teftimony of her paft glory. It is a faire Citie thirtic miles in
compafle, feated nine leagues from the Sea upon a faire and navigable River, where there rides commonly at lead ioooo.of
the Kings fhips, befide Merchams. It hath three brick wslles,
the ftreets are fixe miles in length, of a proportionable bredth,
and trimly paved.
(16) (11) Zaiten hath78. Townes and 37. Cities: the
chiefe is Zaiten, which hath a fair harbour,and is ieldome without 500. fhips. fn) J&incbitn hitb 113. Townes and 45.
Cities.(13) Chegttean^. Townesand 39. Citics.(l4).î«/»<i»»
105. Townes and 41. Cities. (15) Andlaftly %ui»f«],\ia.
Townes 3 8 Cities.
(17) The Metropolis is Quinfaj or Snntitn, the largeft Citie
of the world,: for it contains 1 oo.miles in compaffc : it is feated
in a low and fenny ground, is fubjeft to Floods, and hath beene
forced in very many places, to creel bridges for free paflage
j from one ftreet to another : there are in ai 12C00. built of
{tone, and moft of them fo high, that a good (hip may ftrike
under them with full fayle : each of them hath its tenne watch-
men,foranight-guard. The Inhabitants of this City live luxu-
rioufly, efpecially their women, who are much more comely
then their men ; yetall ofthemalmoft eat both horfe and dogs
flefh. Toward the South part of the Citie there is a great
lake about »4.-miles it\circutt; in the midft (land two Hands,
whither the chiefe Nobilitie repaire and invite their friends to
folemnize their marriage, and have in each a (lately palace ere-
cted.fumifhed fufficiently with all fitting ornaments, for a wedding j'ollitie.In many parts of the Citie there are publique places
of receit, for fuch as fuftaine any misfortune by fire s there they
may lodge their goods fafc upon a fuddencafualtie, till they can
make better provifion.
(18) It were vaine to give a more particular defetiption of
the many Cities which make up thefeverall numbers in each
Province : they (land fo thick, and are fo populous, that they
all feeme to be as one ; one, as well for their continued building
almoft,as their fafhion of building: for they all ebferve the fame
forme.and difpofe their ftreets alike; two broad, crofting each
other in the middle in foftraight a line, that the eye may reach
clean from one end to the other.
(19) We may conclude, that both the revenues of the whole
Empire, and number of Inhabitants, are not eafily to be rec-
koned:yct this in bricfe, he hath fub/eel under him 70. crowned
Kings,gathers up yearely 120. millions ofCrownes, ftirresnot
into the field without 300000. foote and aooeoo. horfe. To
this empire did once belong moft of the Hands in the Eafterne
Seas,but it feemesthe ^hineyfem time found,that their defence
Was a bulineffe of more charge then their worth countervailed:
and therefore let them even flip into their owne hands, and
bounded their government with the Sea-coaft : yet for fuch as
lye in the fame Latitude, from the Tropike toward the Pole.they
may moft properly, be named at lead in this description, and
but named; fince they were before fet forth in our generall
mappe ofeyijia. The chiefe are Leqnio miner, Reix Mages,Le-
quio major, Marmot, lapan, a very lare Hand, InjttU de Miaco,
mç\SatjrenmInfula,é-e.
37
79
TlieDefcription of the Kingdome ofÇniNA.
H E whole tract of tAfia which lyes
fevered from Perjîaby the River/*-
dm on the Well, is well knowne by
one generall name of the Eaft Indie:
and that againe is divided, by theo-
ther famous River Ganges, into India intra. Gangem, the part which
iookes toward Europe, and is conjectured by moft, to be the fame with
thelandof£ti»V«fc: and India extra Gangem to the very Eaft,
fome thinke it was that, which of old was called Seria : both
have now other names impoted by the Inhabitants : the firft In-
dâfland; this other Tame, Tangis, eJHaagi, or Macji, and
laftly Sinarttm Regie, China.
(2) This Kingdome then is the utmoft bounds Eaft ward of
the whole Continent, and therefore lies .farmed remote from
Chriftendome ; the miftrefle of arts, and example of civilitie to
all the other parts of the world : yet doe the Chinojfe much ex-
ceede us, for ample Cities, ingenious artificers, and multitude
of Inhabitants; which (me thinkes) pleads faircly for her an-
tiquitie,though I give not full credit to thofe, which fettle here
the fonnes of Iocktan, much lcfle to their ownc records, which
reckon two hundred threefcore and two Kings, in aimoft a
continued fucceflian to this day; and number from their firft,
above fcurethoufandyeares. For to make this good they mud
either varie from us intheirmeafure of times, as we from the
Germams in length of miles ; elfe we mud commit a foule erreur ,to look beyond the Flood for their originall: fince that time,
it is not yet above three thoufandnine hundred twenty;and
furely I thinke they were not exempted from the generall deluge, no more then from the finnes of the whole earth.
(3) But ifthisconjeclureofdifFerent account be not approved, the folecifme mull reft (for me) upon their owne ignorant
vain glory, which in their (lories, ttanfport them beyond probability; upon hope (perhaps) that no other Nation could con-
trowle them ;for in thofe firft ages,they had little converfe, un-
leffe with men more barbarous then themfelves; fuch as could
not deliver their acls to pofteriae:and therefore being left wholly to their owne relations, good reafon they thought they had,
to doe themfelves what honour they might, though ignorance
of the main truth, makes them oft times to trefpaffe upon Chronologie, and forge ftorics fo unlikely, that the whole may be
juftly fufpefted.
(4 J Their firft King they name Vitei, and report him to
have reigned an hundred y cares: bis fucceflburs went on without breach or conqueft to their two hundred fourtie fécond
Prince, but were then for a while, cut offbytheTiirfarMW.
This change was foretold to Forfar, the laft China King of the
firft race; and the Prophecy laid it upon one, which (hould
have an hundred eyes : and fo had Chifanbaan the Invader, if
you will allow his name to make up the miracle: For the very
word in their language fignifies no other then an hundred eyes:
A poore coufenage of the Devill, but ferved the turne firft to
dads'them with a ftrange Prophecy, andthentokeepeuphis
credit in the performance, with the fimple idolaters. After nine
Tartarian Princes,it was againe recovered to the ftate, in which
it now dands, by the proweffe of one Cjombne their 251. King.
($) This briefe account of their beginning and progreffe, is
more then I can warrant for undoubted truth. The moftpart
was paft, ere they were a people knowne to the Europeans : for
Ptolemy himfelfe fcarce reached fo far toward the Eaft : or if it
be the fame, with his Sinarum Regio, (which yet fome doubt)
yet (it feemesj he knew little more of it, then the bare name :
we mud be content to paffe over many ages untoucht.and breatc
abruptly, into our owne times and (lories, which doe afford
us more ctrtaintie by the relation of later travailors, fomc of our
owne Nation.
(6) It is now a vafc Empire, which containes in latitude ai
moft fortie degrees from the Tropike of Cancer to the fifty three
towards the Tele Artike ; and thirty in Longitude from the degree one hundred thirty to one hundred fixty : the bounds on
the Weft is Indoftan, India intra Gangemfla the Eaft Mare Chan the North the Empire of the gteat Chane, fevered from the
Chinojfe by high mountaines, continued with a wall of a thou-
fand miles in length,built by Tzjuiitzon, their 117.King: and on
the South the Kingdome or Çhan chin china, part of the other
India intra Gangem,
(17) The ayre here is temperate, and the ground fruitful! :
the mountaines and wilde fields breed incredible numbers of
Cattcll, and the Woods wilde Boares, Foxes, Hares, Conies,
and other ufefullbeafts, which gives us flefh for our food, and
skinnes for our cloathing. The tilled ground returnes againe
plenty ofCorne.Wheate, and Barley; their higher Poulfe, and
their lower Rice, in great abundance : their gardens pleafant,
fet with all forts of flowers, which may delight either the eye,
orient: noclodde (aimoft) of earth there, but hath its wealth;
for what ycelds not fruité, is inricht with Mines of Gold and
Silver. Their chiefe River is Poljfmgo, both it and the reft give
fifti in great abundance, and water-fowle enough aimoft to feed
a whole Nation : Maginns reports it, that tenne or twelve thou-
fand wilde-ducks have beene commonly fpent in one day in
the Citie Canton: befides their owne profit, they advantage
them much in their courfe of traffique, to convey their Merchandize into feverall parts ofthe Empire, to meetc with their
chapmen from all quarters. Their principall Commodities are
Silkes and Sugars : yet befides thefe they fend forth Wool),
Cotton, Olives, Metals, Rheubarbe, Honey, Purflaine dimes,
Camphire, Ginger, Pepper,&c. Muske.Salt great flore, whofe
Cuftome,in onely one Towneof CVw/o»,amountsto theyeare-
Iy value of 18000. Crownes. Tothishappinefleof foyle may
be added the thrift and great induftrie ofthe Inhabitants,' who
hold it a foule difgrace to be accounted idle : and therefore make
the moft of what they have: fo that without doubt, as they are
infinitely populous, fo they are proportioaably rich, beyond any
other Nation of the world.
( 8 ) The Chinojfe is defcribed with a broad face of a duskie
colour, crooked noie, fmall and black eyes, and very thinne
beard, but long haire on the head : if any be deformed (for fo
they take it) with a better feature, they are as 1'ks to breake a
jealt upon his handfome comely vifage, as a fcoifer would upon
their ill faftiipned countenance. The better fort arecloathedin
long filke garments; the ordinary people in linen, for they have
not yet the art well to weave wollen : Their women deck their
heads, with gold and precious ; 0 wels,feldome (hew themfelves
abroad without great attendance of fervants.
( 9 ) The men in their feverall imployments, are infinitely
laborious and ingenious; it is very rare, to feeanyofthemina
ftrange Countrey : nor will they eafily admit a ftranger farre into theirs, unleffe he be firft well tried, for his honefty and good
meaning toward their ftate:they are addicted much to manual!
arts, for they have excellent praclickwits; and indeed for that
goe beyond any other Nations. Much quarrel! hath beene about
the invention of Gunnes and Printing, which feverall people
have beene ambitious to take to thcmielves.as the mailer-piece
of mans wit : but without doubt, they were both ufed here,
long before any of Europe pretended to the knowledge of either. In their writings,they make not their lines from the right,
hand to the left, as the Abreuves ; nor from the left to the right
as we doe; but from the toptothebottomeofthepage: and
ufe all one Character, through the whole Kingdome, though
feverall parts differ much in their language, or at lead in their
idiomes. Their fpeciall skill, which we much admire, but cannot imitate.is in making the Purflaine difhes white as very fno w
andtranfparentasglaffc, formed up onely of Cockles found in
the Sea-lhore mixt with Egge-fhelles : but lye buried in the
earth many yeares, before they come to perfection, and are lei-
T dome