The historie of the great and mightie kingdome of China, and the situation thereof togither with the great riches, huge citties, politike gouernement, and rare inuentions in the same. Translated out of Spanish by R. Parke.

CHAP. XVII. The substance and manner of those bookes that Frier Her∣rada and his companions brought from China.

THey brought with them a great number of bookes as wée haue said, that did intreate of diuers matters, as you shall perceiue in the sequele.

Of the description of all the whole kingdome of China, and the placing of the 15. prouinces, and the length and bredth of euerie one of them, and of other kingdomes bordering vppon them.

Of all tributes and rentes belonging vnto the king, and of all the orders of his royall pallace, and of his ordinarie pensi∣ons that hee giueth, and the names of all officers in his house, and how far euery office doth extend.

How many tributaries euerie prouince hath, and the num∣ber of such as are frée from tribute, and the order and time, how and when they are to be recouered.

For the making of ships of all sorts, and the order of naui∣gation, with the altitudes of euery port, and the quantitie of euery one in particular.

Of the antiquitie of this kingdome of China, and of the be∣ginning of the world, and in what time, and for whome it be∣ganne.

Of the kings that haue raigned in this kingdome, and the or∣der of their succession, and gouernement, with their liues and customes.

Of the ceremonies they vse in doing sacrifice vnto their idols (which they hold as gods) and the names of them: of their beginnings, and at what time they shoulde make their sacri∣fices.

Their opinions of the immortalitie of the soule, of the hea∣uen, of hell, of the manner of their funerals, and of their mour∣ning apparel that euery one is bounde to weare, according as he is alianced vnto the dead.

Of the lawes of the kingdome, and when and by whom they were made: and the punishment executed on those which vio∣late the same, with manie other matters touching their good gouernement and policie.

Manie Herbals or bookes of herbes for phisitions, shewing how they should be applied to heale infirmities.

Many other bookes of phisicke and medicine, compiled by au∣thors of that kingdome, of antiquitie and of late daies, contai∣ning in them the maner how to vse the sicke, and to heale them of their sicknes, & to make preseruatiues against all sicknesses and infirmities.

Of the properties of stones and mettals, and of things natu∣ral that haue vertue of themselues, & wherefore pearles, gold, & siluer, and other mettals may serue for the vtility of man, com∣paring with the one and the other the vtilitie of euerie thing.

Of the nomber, and moouings of the heauens: of the planets and stars, and of their operations and particular influences.

Of such kingdomes and nations as they haue notice off, and of particular things that are in them.

Of the life and behauiour of such men, whom they holde for saints, where they lead their liues, and where they died and were buried.

The order howe to play at the tables, and at the chests, and how to make sports of legerdemaine and puppets.

Of musicke and songs, and who were the inuentors thereof.

Of the Mathematicall sciences, and of Arithmeticke, and rules how to vse the same.

Of the effectes that the children doo make in their mothers wombs, and how they are euery moneth sustained, and of the good and bad times of their birth.

Of Architecture, and all manner of buildings, with the bredth and length that euerie edifice ought to haue for his pro∣portion.

Of the properties of good and bad ground, and tokens how to know them, and what seede they will beare euery yeare.

Of Astrologie naturall, and Iudiciarie, and rules to learne the same, and to cast figures to make coniectures.

Of Chiromancia and Phisiognomia, and other signes and tokens, and what euery one doth signifie.

The order how to write letters, and how to giue euerie one his title, according to the dignitie of his person.

How to bring vp horses and to teach them to runne and tra∣uaile.

How to deuine vpon dreames, and cast lottes when they be∣ginne any iourney, or take any thing in hande, whose ende is doubtfull.

Of apparell worne in all the kingdome, beginning with the King, and of the ensignes or coates of armes, of such as doo gouerne.

How to make armour, and instruments of warre, and howe to firme a squadron.

These bookes and many others that the Fryers brought, out of the which (as afore saide) haue béene taken all such thinges as haue béene and shall be declared in this historie, interpreted by persons naturally borne in China, and brought vp in Phi∣lippinas with the Spaniardes that dwell there, who affirme that they haue séene great libraries in Cities where they abode but especially in Auchea and Chincheo.