A N ACCOUNT O F T H E Empire of CHINA, Hifiorical, Political.Moral and Religions. A lliort Description of that Empire^ and No- table Examples of its Emperors and Minifters. Alio an Ample Relation of many remar^cable PaiTages, and things worth obferving in other Kingdoms, and feveral Voyages. There are added the Decrees of Popes, and Propofitions defin'd at '^owe for the Miflion of Oyma. ; and a Bull of our moft Holy Father Clement X. in favour of the MiiSoners. Written in S^amjh by the R. F. F. Dominick Fernandez Navarette, Divinity Profeflbr in the College and Univerfity of St. Thomas at MAniU, Apofto- lick Miffioner in China, Superior of thofe of his Million, and Procurator General at the Court of Madrid for the Province of the Rofary in the Fhilipfine Iflands, of the Order of Preachers. Vol. I. r THE AUTHOR T O T H E READER. THERE v¡ m doubt hut he tvho writes and ajares to the Name of an Hijlcriart, is oblig'd in the firfi place ^ to jhield and guard bimfdf with Truth, and the Sincerity of rvhat he deftgns to expofe to the Eyes of all Men^ otberwife he mil gain the Title of a falulous author. S. Ifidorus lib. i. orig. cap. 40. fays thus, Hiftory is a Relation of a thing tranfafted, by which thofe things that were done in Times paitare known: It is caJJ'id Hiiiory either from feeing or know- iní'ó for among the Antients no Man writ Hiifcory bit he who had been pre- fenr, and feen tiiofe things that were to be writ. If he who tales Pen in hand is not an Eye- vitnefs, or is not fully inforrnd of what he cofipnits to writing, hut only relies on and trujls to other Mens Accounts, which he cre- dits without examining into them, his Repu- tation voill certainly be in danger, and the Sincerity of his Work he caWd in queflion. Thales hang aslCd, How far diltant is Truth from Falihood? anfwerd, A wife Man was of opinion, that as far as the Eyes are from the Ears. Cornelius á l.a- pide in cap. i. Ifai. ingenioufly fays. That thofe things are undoubtedly true, which a Man fees with his Eyes, not thofe he he^rs with his Ears. What the Eyes fee may be affirni'd with fafety, what is heard is told with inijlruft and apprehenfhn, S, Je- rom Epift. ad Dclid. fays. There is a difference in relating tliofc things which are feen, and thofe which are heard, and therefore he that has feen may write more certainly. Being wholly governed by thefe Principles, I refolvd not to make account in this Work of any thing but what I have feen, read, and boi gone through my hands. The Penally he incurs who does not flick to Truth in all Particulars, is, not to be belicv'^d whet hi: fpeais true. Ariftotlc being ásk'd, What benefit Liers rcap'd ? anfvet'd.^ Noi to be believ'd when they fpeak Truth, S. Je- rom Epiji. ad Jul. fays^ That Credit is not given to Liers when they fpeak Truth. Eccluf, 34. 4, fpeaks to the fame purpofe. What Truth will be fpoke by a Lier ? ^ Punifhment juflly due tofuch oí are governed by their, own Fancies or Imaginations, or afpire to gain Applaufe by Fiéíions and Dreams. Laertius lib. i. cap. 5. fays thus. That this was the Puniihment of Caffandra, Priam's Daughter, who prac- tis'd the Art of Divination, not to be believ'd when ihe foretold the Ruin of her Country, This Woman by her falfe Stories got fuch an ill Reputation, that [he was not believ'd when /he truly foretold the DeftruUion of her Country. It cannot be deny^d, but that many falfe Accounts have been fent into Europe, m well of China at other parts of Alia-, for the Miffioners themfelves who arc well acquainted with thofe Parts, andaré Eye-witneJ]'cs,una- nimoufly confefs and affirm it. My own KnowUdg and Experience, what I have feen and difcours^d with others upon fever al occa- fions, are fuffcient to make me agree with them, and affert the fame ; fo that I (hall with fafety keep at a great dift anee from what fome Perfons have publifh'd in thefe Parts . My dcftgn was to have firfl pubhfJ/d the Antient and Modern Controvcrjies that have been m the Chinefe Mijfton from its fir(t beginning, till the Tear 1669. as being a more necejfary and advantageous Subjeil. But fome Perfons thought this Work ought to be immediately committed to the Prefs, be- caufe fome Points in it help to make many Difficulties more intelligible that- are to be handled hereafter, as alfo becaufe it treats of common Affairs. I do not queflion hut the Language vs plain^ and like a Man that hasfpcnt 24 years in pudyinjr. fir c^nge Languages, and ihnfe very different fio'm any m Europe, ' Ihe Subje(l if umommon^'and- (beré^í iiv.ettifi^, yet ■ •• withal To the Reader. withal beneficial and profitable^ which ought always to be aini'd at. S. Ifidorus cap. 40. of the Book abovementioned^ fays thm^ The Hiilories of Nations do not hinder the Readers froin making their Advantage of what is profitable in them: For many vyife Men committed to Hiilories the palt Actions of Men for the Initruftion of the prcfcnr. The delight many take in reading Hiflory a% rrel! as other things^ cannot but be com- mended. Fafciculus Temporum, fol. 3. hoi thefi words : It is therefore very ad- vantageous to know many Hiilories, and be well acquainted with them, that we may be able to follow the good Examples of others, and fl:un the bad. The Chi- nefes teach the fame Dofírine. What I write may be apply''d to all thofe Vfes, this is all I afpire to :, and tho I attain not my End., yet my Labour defirves to be JliPd profitable. tc Salvianur, in Prjefat. ¡ays. At leaft it is S not unprofitable to attempt to do good. M yind Plinius jun. lib. 2. Epift. 5. ¿1^5 thtfe '^ words \ And I would have ihefe things fo taken, not as if 1 hjd compafs'd my De- lig!;, but as if 1 had Lbour'd to cornpafs it. And Lib. 6. Epiit. 17. be fays fur- ther., And truly I am wont to honour and imitate all Men th'c perform any thing in S Study. Do yuu thünforc, Reader, accept of 2 tny Labour and good Wi/hes^ and wtnk at <^ tny Faults. UJ Some Particulars to be obferv'd in thefe Books. 1 . T T is well known there is no fuch Method jL to be found in what the Philofopher Confucius taught., a-nd his Difciples writ after him., as other antient Philofophers ob- >• ferve : Tloey are all loofe Sentences, not con- -I fin'd to any particular Sub]e(} : However a being but a mere Tranflator in this Partieu- 5 lar, I follow his Steps without deviating in * the leaft. o 2. So in tranflating the Chinefe Book 3 call'd. The Mirror of the Soul, / obfcrve the y}uthor''s Method, which is the caufe that one and the fame Sentence is feveral times repeated : But in regard wc fometimes fee the fame in European Authors, I do not look upon it as an Ob\eúion of confequence, or fo con/i- clcrable as to oblige me to alter its Order, cfpecialiy becaufe my defign is no other but to make known what Light of Nature a Nation fo remote from Converfation and Commerce with all others as China is, has had for fo many Ages. This we have taken notice is the caufe why fome Points relating to one and the fame rirtue are divided into feveral Vol. I. parts ; but in my opinion it is better not to deviate from the Method thofe Authors follow ^ whofe Do¿írme we write, than to reduce it to a certain number of Chapters. 3. It is to be obferv'd, that other Na- tions muft not look upon thofe things as incre- dible, which are peculiar to any one in parti- cular ; othcrwife only what we fee in our own Countries would be true, and all the reft fa- bulous, which is unrtafonable. We muft not be governed by Pajpon, or private Affeilion, hut by Reafon and the Vnder (landing, which we^ know docs nor comprehend all that is in the World. Hod many years did a certain Phi- lofopher break his Reft to learn the Nature of the Ant, and at laft iuade nothing of it t At Macalar, oa I write in thcftxth Book, I faw a Child that had 24 Fingers and Toes, and was alfo an Hermaphrodite, t\iio diftiníí monftrous Parts, perhaps feldom feen in the World in the fame Creature. The firfl: Part has infallible Examples of its Truth, one in 2 Sam. 21. 20. where was a Man of greac Stature, that had on every Hand fix Fin- gers, and on every Foot fix Toes, four and twenty in number. Another is in I Chron. 20. 6. where was a Man of great Stature, whofe Fingers and Toes were four and twenty, &c. And tho thefe feem to be but one and t'j" fame, yet they may p^fs for an Example: tut I know not that there is any in antient Books of both thefe things together, and yet it does not follow that there is no fuch Mo-ifter in the World. The fame J fay in other refptffs, for not to be- lieve them argues no want if Truth on their fide, but it flmvs little hwwlcdg and fmall acquaintance with the World- Thofe who are will read and curioin, are fafer, becaufe they take better Meafures to go by ; cfpecialiy thofe who leaving their own Country have traveWd through ft range Countries, thefe have more lofty and univerfal Idea's of things ; they are lefs furpriz^d, and make a different Judg- ment of what they hear or read, without rafti- ly judging that doubtful and uncertain, which is new to them. True it is, he that writes fubmits bis Labour to the Judgment of the Multitude, who are wont to be more ready to condemn, becaufe they are lefs capable of underftanding. S. Thom.opufc.27. writes thm. Thence it comes that many unex- perienced Perfons upon flight Confidera- tion eafily fpeak their Mind. The only Remedy in this cafe is, not to tnind what they fay. J fometimes give my Opinion in cafes to appearance not belonging to my Profeffion, wherein I follow the Doilrine of our Silveiler verb. Concil. Trad. 2. and of Cajetan 2. 2. q. 45. art. 3. ad 3. Vpon which you may alfo r^ad the Learned F. Sylveira torn. 5. ■* 2 in To the Reader. in Evangel, lib. 4. cap. 4. quseft. 2. & 3. Be/idcs^ to fpcak to any bufinefs, it is enough that a Mm hai Knoxvkdg and Exptritnce of ÍÍ, which is abjhlutely necijfary^ according to Tuily II. deOrat. Thac the main thing in Counfel was to linow the Common- wealth. And Tacitus in Agrie, cxpríjjes it ytt hittiy^ Men acquainted with the Man- ners and Defigns ot the Province. Ne who hoA gained efpccial and particular kr.ow- ledg of fame Points by Experience^ may freely and without apprehcnfton [peak to them, efpe- cially where tkre are thofe who pretend to be heard like Oracles, without any other reafon for it, but that Fortune hai made them to be feared, fo that no body dares oppofe their Opi- nions or Fancies. 5. 1 now and then^ai occafion offers,under- take to plead the Caufe of m Indians in the Philippine l/lands, as many more have done for thofe of America: This is tolerable te- caufi grounded on CompaJJiO'i, Aicrcy, ar.d the Inclmation of our King: and their Su- preme Council of the Indies, %vho ¡uve them a/s their Children, and give repeated Orders every day for their Good-, Adv.intage, Quiet, Satisfadmi and Eafe. Tk.i<. is no other fault to be found with thofe poor Creatures, but that which S. Peter Chrifobgus found in the holy Innocents., v.hafe only Crime was that they were born. Títere is no rea- fon for all iheir Suffering: kit their being in the World; and it is worth obfrving, that tho fo many pious, gracious, and merciful Orders have pafs'd in favour of them, yet they have taken fo little effeii. Kab. c. I. fays thus. Therefore the Law is rent, and Judgment came nsjt unto the end, &c. So that tho thefe Wretches have been feveral times redeemed, yet they remain in perpetual Servitude. Salvianus lib. 6. de Provid, fays thus. All Captives when once re- deemed enjoy their Liberty, we are al- ways redeemed and are never free. Tms futes well with what wefpeak of. To which we may add that of if. Paul, 2 Cor.8.1 3. It is a Suljeéf deferves to be confider^d, and ir.uch yiuthority and a high Hand muft make the Remedy work a due Effe¿Í. 6. F. Viftorio Riccio d Florentine, my Companion in China, and a Man of excel' lent Parts, and rarely qtialified for ail Eufi- nefs, efpecially for the Chinefc La.i^y.ge, in which, tho doubtlefs the mojl difficult in the World, he made a mighty progrefs with }nucb eafe, in a fhort time writ one Tome con- taining an account of what relates to our A/iJfton from its fir fi beginning till the Year 1 66 5. we daily expeóf the means to print it. 7. I fometimcs in this Hiftory name fome Perfons, which is not by chance but def-gncd- ly ; for tho it be in fpeculative affairs, it is proper to attribute them to their own Authors., and not lay them to others. Oleafter in Numb. 2 5. OM thofe words. Now the Name of the Ifraelite, ire. writes thus : It oftea happens the good Name of a whole Com- munity is in danger on account of the Vices of one Member, as long as he that is guilty of thofe Vices is not known ; therefore for the moit part it is conve- nient to know his Name, left the Repu- tation of all Men fufFer for him. T/f true, there is no fuch danger upon this occa^ [ion. 8. I mofi readily fuhmit all whatfoever is contained in this Book to the Cenfure and Correflion of our Holy Mother the Catholick Church, and of its Vniverfal Head the Pope^ Succeffor to St. Peter, and Chrift's Vtcar^ who[e Faith I preached, and taught pure and untainted [or above twelve years to the Gen- tiles o[ China, and other Nations in thofe parts, where I have liv'd, and through the Coodne[s of Cod hope to die. F. Dominick Fernandez Navarette. BOOK BOOK!. Of the Original, Name, Grandeur, Riches, and other Particulars of the Great Empire oí CH IN A. CHAP. I. Of the Nme íp/ C H I N A. I. po-j--^ H E utmolt Bounds of Afia^ the nobleil Part of the Uni- verfe, are the Seat of the moft Glorious Empire in all natural refpefts, the Sun ever ihines upon. We Europeans vulgarly give it the China. Name of the Great China \ and with good reafon, for it is Great in all refpedts. Rich, Fruitful, abounding in plenty of all things, and Powerful, as wi'l plainly ap- pear by the ihort Account I Ihall here give of it. But before I enter upon the Matter, it will be proper to make known its Name, and whence it is deriv'd, for the more methodical proceeding, and to fol- low the Example fet me by many grave Authors, who before they lanch into the Account of the great Affairs of thofe Empires and Kingdoms they treat of, have firft clear'd the Original and Ety- mology of their Names. 2. It is well known that the Name China (which the frmch and Italians, ■pro- rounce Cina) is not the proper Appella- tive of that Empire, but a Name given it by Strangers trading thither. The Por- tuguefes firft took it from them, and af- terwards the Spaniards in the Philippine lOands. Father Julius Akni a Jefuit, in his Book written in the Chinefe Tongue, fpeaking of this Subject, fays. That Chi. na in the Language of thofe Strangers,fig- nifies a Country, or Kingdom of Silk; which being there in fuch great plenty, thofe who fail'd thither to purchafe this Commodity, us'd to fay. Let us go to the Land of Silk., or to China^ which fignifys the fame thing, Don F. Gregory Lopez. Biihop of Baftlea., who now governs the Church of China, a religious Man of our Order, and born in that Empire, affirm'd Vol. I. the fame to me. Trigaucius, lib. i. cap.i. Nava-^ and ATiVckr, fol. 3, feemto incline to this rette. Opinion : The firft fays, China is the an- c^-vnj tient Sericana ; and the latter, that it was Sericana. formerly call'd Sina and Sérica. Sim. 3. Trigaucius adds. That he doei not ^'^"'^^ queftion but C/;jw.'i is the Country of the Hippo- Hippophagi.) or //or/e-edfefj, becaufe Horfe-Pfi^gL fleih is eaten throughout al! that King- ^'''•'■ dom as frequently as we eat Beef: But I am of Opinion it might more properly be call'd the Country of Dog-eaters j for tho they eat much Horfe-flelh, they eat no lefs of Afles, and very much more of Dogs, as ihall be faid in another place. Others will have it, that the Strangers trading in China, compounded this Name of the two Chincfe words, C/;/, and Ncin^ which fignify to point towards the Scut!; :, and the Merchants reforting thither,com- ing always upon the South Coaft, which the Chincfes exprefs'd by thofe two words above-mention'd, thefe Strangers made one of them, and call'd the Country by that Name. F. Antony de Gouvea a PortU' guefe Jefuit, was of this Opinion •, we fe- veral times difconrs'd upon this Subject, and methinks it is well grounded. 4. F. Liicena in his Hiftory, lib. 10. cap. 3. fays. The ufual Salutation of the Chinefes is Chin., Ckn •, whicli the Stran- gers hearing, they underftood China., and fotook that word for the Name of che Country. This carrys fome refemblance of Truth to credit it, efpecially becaufe the manner of the Natives accenting Chin, is almoft as if there were an a with it, which made ic eafy to apprehend C»/- na, when they heard Chin. And tho ir is true the right word thofe People ufe in faluting is not C//>;, but Zing, however in B fom An Account of the BookL Navh- rette. Sangleys. Luzon. Japan. Cochin- china. Pagode. fome Parts the Country People pronounce it Chin. Certain it is the Name was gi- ven by Strangers-, and tho they might take it from fome words of the Country, yet they corrupted, and made it to fignify that Empire \ and this Impoliiion conti- nues to this day, not only in Euro¡e^ but in the Eafi and Weft-Indies^ and many Parts of j^frick. This may be further con- firm'd by many Examples ftill pradis'd in our own and other Countrys. 5. The Chinefe Merchants that fail'd to Manila, being ask'd, who they were, and what they came for ? anfwer'd, Xang Lai, that is, we come to trade. The Spaniards, who underitood not their Lan- guage, conceiv'd it was the Name of a Country, and putting the two words to- gether made one of them, by which they ftill diftinguifh the Cimefes, calling them Sayigieys. Thus have vit Europeans cor- rupted many other words in thofe Parts : The Name of the Philippine Ifland is Liu Zmg ■■, the Spaniards corrupted the words, and caird them Luzon. The City Mani- la is properly call'd Mainila, which lig- nifys a Marlh or boggy Ground ^ our Peo- ple left out the z, and there remain'd Manila. The Ifland the Natives term Mi- nólo, the Spaniard calls Mindoro. That of Malindic, we name Marinduquc, Cavity Cavite, and fo of many others. The Name by which all ylfia calls Japan, is Je Pkn, which llgnifys the Rife of the Sun, becaufe this Empire lies Eaft of all that part of the World : the Europeans have corrupted the Name, and call it Japan. The Name of the Kingdom of Coria, is Kao Li; and with us ic is chang'd into Coria. Kiao Chi was converted into Co- chinchina, and Sien Lo into Siam. 6. The Portuguefcs corrupted many Namc^ in the Eafi-Indies. The Natives call an Idol Pagahadi, the Portuguefe fpcak it Pagode. That which we now nime the Coail of Charamandel, or Caramandel, as the French and Italians pro- nounce it, and runs from the City of St. TIjomas to Bengala, is by the Natives cal- led Torotnandalun , and Toromandora ; which denomination does not belong to any Kingdom or Country, but was the Stile of the King who was Sovereign of thatTraft when the firft Portuguefes came thither : They hearing the Natives ufe that word to cxprefs their Prince, after changing and corruping il, took it for the Name of the Country. They alfo corrupted the Names of Tragambar, Na- gapatan, Jafanapatan, Madraflapatan, Pa- Itacate, Aiufalapatan, and others, as I made out when 1 was in thofe Countries. By all that has been faid it appears, that in probability the fame may have hapned to the Name of China, efpecially in re- gard that Nation does not ufe or own it. 7. The ufual and moft common Name by which thofe People call their Empire, both in their Books and Difcourfe, is Chung Kue, i.e. the Middle Kingdom. For- Chung merly this Denomination was peculiar to Kue, the Province of Ho Nan, which is almoil: the Center of that Empire. From hence in procefs of time it communicated it felf to all that Country. Others will have it, that the Chinefes meant, their Kingdom was in the middle of all the World, be- ing ignorant of the reft. For this reafon they alfo term it Tien Hta, that is, a'^*^'»"'*' World, or the greateft and beft part of it. They alfo give it another Appella- tion, and that common enough, calling it Hoa Kue, or Chung Hoa, fignifying, AHoaKue. flouriihing Kingdom, a Garden, a Grove, Chung or delightful Place in the middle of "°*' the World. During the Reign of the Emperor Xuh this Name was much in ufe, and is ftill in writing. It is very proper for that Empire, becaufe in truth it is all a beautiful Garden, and a moft^ delightful Grove. 8. f . Kircher fays, China has no pro- per Name of its own, but takes it from the Emperor then reigning •, yet after- wards, fol. \6^. he mentions the Names Chung Kue, and Chung Hoa, which arc written as proper Denominations, and not as deriv'd from Emperors. I was more furpriz'd afterwards to read the fame in Father Trigaucius his Hiftory, lib. J. cap. 2. I cannot conceive how it comes to pafs, that this Father having fpent fome Years in the Miffion of China, and travell'd that Country, as he writes himfelf, ihould not diftinguiih between the Name of the Empire, or;Kingdom,and that of a particular Reign. The Names of the Empire are ever the fame, and immu- tablejbut the Denominations of Reigns va- ry according to the feveral Families that govern : So thofe this Author quotes, are the Names or Sirnames of Families that reign'd ; as for inftance. Tang fignifies the time the Family reign'd, which was call'd Tang Hta, when the Family whofe Name or Sirname was Hta reign'd, and fo of the reft : So that thofe arc the Names of reigning Families,not of the Kingdom ; as when we fay the Aufirian or the Ottoman Empire, or. which only implys the Reign of the Family of Auflria, or of the Otto- mawRace. And tho we fay the Auftria» Empire, it docs not imply, that there- fore the Empire it fclf is call'd Au- firia, Chap. 11. Empire of CHINA. Jlria, but Germany^ where tlie Houfe of -Auflria reigns : and thus I think this Point is fufficiently clear'd. Ocluy. 9- ^5 fo'" C'^'«^ being the fame as Grand Cathay^ I perceive Trigaucius is of that Opinion, taking it from Paulus Vcnetus. Kirchcr^ fol. 47. fuppofes the fame thing, ndding, That all his Order agree in this Pointy but if he has no other ground for it but chat, it being falfe, concludes no- thing. Among thofe of his Order in China, fome aíTirm, others deny, ando- thcrs are dubious concerning it •■, and therelbre it is no eafy matter to refolve which of them to follow. It is poffible that the Name of Cathay is corrupted by the Europeans^ which will make it a dif- ficult matter to decide this Point. The A-fufcovite calls China^ Kin, Tat \ which Name feems to have fome refemblance with Cathay. I think it the wifeit way not to decide a matter fo doubtful, and which tho it has been handled in China^ cannot find any grounds to incline a Man f^_A^^ more to the one fide than to the other ; Na'ud- * but to leave it dubious till fome further fgffg ' I.ight can be found to lead us into it. \^r\r^J 10. In the Hiitory of Tamerlan the ^v^ Gnat, tranflated into French, it is writ- ten that he conquered China, and that when he was out of this Empire, the King of Cathay met him with two Millions of Men. Now according to this China can- not bethe fame as Cathay. True itisj I do not look upon this Account to be in- fallibly certain, for as much as the Chi- nefe Annals, which are very exaft , make no mention of any fuch Conqueit ; nor can this be the fame as was made by the Weftern Tartar, becaufe it is much later than that. The Subjeft of this Chapter requires no further information, nor do I think there is any to be had ; but this is fuf- ficient to know fomewhat of the Nams China. At the end of this Book we ihall again fpeak of what relates to Tamerlan. CHAP. II. Of the Antiquiiy of the Empire of Cliina. I. *TpHO all Men grant that the Empire A of China is of very great Anti- quity, yet I find fome difagreement a- mong Authors ; and no fmall difference betwixt the MilTioners, who are doubtlefs the beil Judges in this cafe, as having re- ceiv'd better Lights from the Chinefe Books, and convers'd with the Natives, lam not ignorant that fome have written that the Empire oí China was founded be- fore the Flood, which 1 do not relate as a probable Opinion, but as a Dream or Fiéiion, it being a Contradidion of the Holy Scripture, Gen. chap. 7, and 8. Nierem- ^- Nor will I here infert what F.Nie- berg. remherg publidi'd concerning the Original of China, becaufe he foiits info many, and fuch extravagant Inventions, as can- not be outdone upon the Subjeft. A fuf- ficient proof hereof is. That all thofe of his Society who live in China do make a great Jeit of all he writ concerning this Matter. F. Antony Gouvea has a particu- lar averfion to this Author •, he cenfures his Writings feverely, and looks upon him as unfaithful, and fabulous. If he was milled by Informations, heisthelefs to blame •, but what I chiefly obferv'd was, thsLt on the 29th of November, 1661. the aforemention'd F. Gouvea told me. That Nieremberg was in the wrong in writing, that the Chinefet had made F. Vol. I. Mathexo Riccius a ClafTick Doftor. For tho I and all the reft of us were fatisfy'd of the Miftake, yet 1 did not think they would have told it me fo plainly. I fur- ther remark*d,that the good F. Gouvea looks upon the two Apparitions (the fame Father fays F. Mathexo Riccius had of our Saviour, telling him, he would be ailift- ing to him at the two Courts of China) as mere Dreams ■■, and he blames F. Juli- us ylleni as the Author and Inventer of thefe things. And this Father being lb well vers'd, and of fo long a ftandingin that MiiTion, he cannot but have perfed knowledg of all thefe Affairs. But ia my Opinion the firftof thefe Storys is the moft unlikely, for the Chmefes would not admit OÍS. jiugujlin himfelf as a ClafCck Doftor, much lefs of f . Riccius^ who, it cannot be deny'd, was a famous Man, and therefore does not ftand in need of any forg'd Honour. 3. F. Mendo, lib. i. chap. 3. writes thus: It is look'd upon as an undoubted Truth among the Natives of this King- dom, that the Grandfons of Noah were the firft that peopled it, after travelling out of Armenia to feek fome Land that might pleafe them, ixe. In the %th Chap- ter he repeats the fame, adding. That what appears plain in the Chinefe Hiftory, . is, that ever lines the Time of Vitey, B z who An Account of the Bookl. oJV^i who was the firlt King, that Nation has Nai!A- beea reduced into one entire Monarchy, ntte. ^'^- ..,.,. \^r\rsj 4- As to the Antiquity, this Author is much in the right •, but we mufi: aíTuredly fuppofe, that the Cbinefes never had any knowledg of Noahj nor of his Sons or Grandfons. It is generally agreed in their Books and Hiftorys, that the firit Man they can give any account of, was Fo Hi lotii., they have no manner of linowledg firji Em- of any time before him, which they F'"''- therafeives daily own to us, when we dif- courfe of this iubjeft, and fo it appears in their Writings. 1 fancy too that there is no iuch word as Fitey in China, nor is it known to that Nation i it may perhaps be a corrupt word compounded ofthefe two, Vi^ Tat: but the Nameof thefirfl Emperor of China^ as I have already ob- ierv'd, was not F't Td, but Fo Hi, as is cxprefl/ mencion'd in their Books, and they all unaniínouüy agree. And 1 am of Opinion there are few among them, tho they be Peafants, but know this •, for as we have knowledg of our firll Fa- ther y^d:vn, fo have they of Fo tíi. Nay there have been Millioners who would ^make F¡> Fíi to be Adam^ but that cannot agree with the Chimfcs^ becaufe their Empire has continued from the time of Fp Hi till now. 5. The moit receiv'd Opinion is, that from this Fu Fit the firll Emperor of j5yj, China, till this prefent Year 1675, are 4559 Years-, and there being ilnce the Flood to this fame Year, according to the Computation ot the Roman Martyrology, Ant'mity *^^3^ Years, it appears, that the Chinefg ^ Empire had its beginning feventy two Years after the Flood, others fay 113. This makes out the probability of what F. John Ruiz, the Jefuit wrote, who is fol- low'd by the Fathers Longobardo and Balat of the fame Society, and is, that the Great Zoroajlres Prince of the Bailrians, who Was the firil Inventcr of Magick in the Eaft, was alfo the Founder of the Enripire of China, and there left behind him his Doifrine. There is fomc difficulty in this, for it feems moll certain that Egy^t was peopled iirfl:, which yet was 170 Years after the Flood, as fays J Lapide in 1 2 Gcnefti \ fee there, and leafier ^ NttiH. II 6. F. £,«¿íMí