The voyages and adventures of Fernand Mendez Pinto, a Portugal, during his travels for the space of one and twenty years in the Kingdoms of Ethiopia, China, Tartaria, Cauchinchina, Calaminham, Siam, Pegu, Japan, and a great part of the East-Indiaes with a relation and description of most of the places thereof, their religion, laws, riches, customs, and government in time of peace and war : where he five times suffered shipwrack, was sixteen times sold, and thirteen times made a slave / written originally by himself in the Portugal tongue and dedicated to the Majesty of Philip King of Spain ; done into English by H.C. Gent.

CHAP. XXXII. Our Arrival at the City of Pequin; together with our imprisonment, and that which moreover happened unto us there; as also the great Majesty of the Officers of their Court of Iustice. (Book 32)

AFter we were departed from that rare and marvellous Town, whereof I have spoken,* 1.1 we continued our course up the river, until at length on Tuesday, the nineteenth of Octo∣ber, in the year 1541. we arrived at the great City of Pequin, whither, as I have said before, we had been remitted by Appeal; In this manner chained three and three together, we were cast into a prison, called Gofaniauserca, where for our welcom we had at the first dash thirty

lashes a piece given us, wherewith some of us became very sick: Now as soon as the Chifuu who conducted us thither, had presented the process of our sentence, sealed with twelve seals, to the Justice of the Aytao, which is their Parliament, the twelve Chonchalis of the crimi∣nal Chamber, unto whom the cognisance of our cause appertained, commanded us presently away to prison, whereupon one of those twelve, assisted by two Registers, and six or seven officers, whom they term Hupes, and are much like our Catchpoles here, terrified us not a little, as he was leading us thither, for giving us very threatning speeches▪ Come, said he unto us, By the power and authority, which I have from the Aytao of Batampina, chief Presi∣dent of the two and thirty Iudges of strangers, within whose brest are the secrets of the Lyon crowned on the throne of the world inclosed, I enjoyn and command you to tell me, what people you are, as also of what country, and whether you have a King, who for the service of God, and for the discharge of his dignity, is inclined to do good to the poor, and to render them justice, to the end that with tears in their eyes, and hands lifted up, they may not ad∣dresse their complaints to that Soveraign Lord, which hath made the bright Enamel of the skies, and for whose holy feet all they that reign with him, serve but for sandals. To this demand we answered him, that we were poor strangers, natives of the Kingdom of Siam, who being imbarqued with our Merchandise for Liampoo, were cast away in a great storm at sea, from whence we escaped naked with the loss of all that we had, and how in that deplo∣rable estate we were fain to get our living by begging from door to door till such time as at our arrival at the Town of Taypor, the Chumbim, then resident there, had arrested us for prisoners without cause, and so sent us to the City of Nanquin, where by his report we had been condemned to the whip, and to have our thumbs cut off, without so much as once daigning to hear us in our justifications, by reason whereof lifting up our eyes to Heaven, we had been adviced to have recourse with our tears to the four and twenty Judges of aust••er life, that through their zeal to God, they might take our cause in hand, since by reason of our poverty we were altogether without support, and abandoned of all men, which with an holy zeal they incontinently effected by revoking the cause, and annulling the judgment that had been given against us, and that these things considered we most instantly besought him, that for the ser∣vice of God he would be pleased to have regard to our misery, and the great injustice that was done us, for that we had no means in this Country, nor person that would speak one word for us. The Judg remained somtimes in suspence upon that we had said to him, at length he answered, that we need say no more to him, for it is sufficient that I know you are poor, to the end this affair may go another way then hitherto it hath done, neverthertheless to acquit me of my charge, I give you five days time, conformably to the Law of the third Book, that within the said term you may retain a Proctor to undertake your cause, but if you will be advised by me, you shall present your request to the Tanigores of the sacred Office, to the end that they carryed by an holy zeal of the honour of God, may out of compassion of your miseries, take upon them to defend your right. Having spoken thus, he gave us a Taeis in way of alms, and said further to us, Beware of the prisoners that are here, for I assure you that they make it their trade, to steal all that they can from any one; whereupon entring into another chamber where there were a great number of prisoners, he continued there above three hours in giving them audience, at the end whereof he sent seven and twenty men, that the day before had received their judgment to execution, which was inflicted upon them by whipping to death, a specta∣cle so dreadful to us, and that put us in such a fright, as it almost set us besides our selves: The next morning, as soon as it was day, the Jaylors clapt irons on our feet, and manacles on ou•• hands, and put us to exceeding great pain, but seven days after we had endured such misery, being laid on the ground one by another, and bewayling our disaster, for the extream fear we were in, of suffering a most cruel death, if that which we had done at Calempluy should by any means chance to be discovered, it pleased God that we were visited by the Tanigores of the house of mercy, which is of the jurisdiction of this prison, who are called in their language Cofilem Gnaxy; At their arrival all the prisoners bowing themselves, said with a lamentable ton••, Blessed be the day wherein God doth visit us by the ministery of his servants; where∣unto the Tanigories made answer with a grave and modest countenance, The Almighty and di∣vine hand of him that hath formed the beauty of the stars keep and preserve you; Then approaching to us, they very courteously demanded of us what people we were, and whence it proceeded that our imprisonment was more sensible to us then to others? To this speech we replied with tears in our eyes, that we were poor strangers, so abandoned of men, as in all

that Country there was not one that knew our names, and that all we could in our poverty say to intreat them to think of us for Gods sake, was contained in a letter, that we had brought them from the Chamber of the Society of the house of Quiay Hinarol, in the City of Nan∣quin; whereupon Christophoro Borralho, presenting them with the letter, they received it with a new ceremony, full of all curtesie, saying, Praysed be he who hath created all things, for that he is pleased to serve himself of sinners here below, Whereby they may be recompensed at the last day of all days, by satisfying them double their labour with the riches of his holy treasures, which shall be done, as we believe in as great abundance, as the drops of rain fall from the clouds to the earth. After this, one of the four, putting up the Letter, said unto us, that as soon as the Chamber of Justice for the poor was open, they would all of them give an answer to our business, and see us furnished with all that we had need of, and so they departed from us: Three days after they returned to visit us in the prison, and in the next morn∣ing coming to us again, they asked us many questions answerable to a memorial which they had thereof, whereunto we replyed in every point according as we were questioned by each of them, so as they remained very well satisfied with our answers; Then calling the Register to them, who had our papers in charge, they inquired very exactly of him, touching many things that concerned us, and withall required his advice about our affair; that done, having digested all that might make for the conversation of our right into certain heads, they took our process from him, saying, they would peruse it all of them together in their Chambers of Justice with the Proctors of the house, and the next day return it him again, that he might carry it to the Chaem, as he was resolved before to do.

Not to trouble my self with recounting in particular all that occurred in this affair, until such time as it was fully concluded, wherein six months and an half were imployed,* 1.2 during the which we continued stil prisoners in such misery, I will in few words relate all that befel us unto the end; when as our business was come before the twelve Conchalis of the criminal Court, the two Proctors of the house of mercy most willingly took upon them to cause the unjust sentence, which had been given against us, to be revoked; Having gotten then all the proceedings to be disannulled, they by petition remonstrated unto the Chaem, who was the President of that Court, How we could not for any cause whatsoever be condemned to death, seeing there were no witnesses of any credit that could testifie that we had robbed any man, or had ever seen us carry any offensive weapons contrary to the prohibition made against it by the Law of the first book, but that we were apprehended quite naked, like wretched men, wandering after a lamentable shipwrack, and that therefore our poverty and misery was wor∣thy rather of a pitiful compassion, then of that rigour, wherewith the first Ministers of the arm of wrath had caused us to be whipt; moreover that God alone was the Iudg of our in∣nocency, in whose name they required him once, twice, nay many times, to consider that he was mortal, and could not last long, for that God had given him a perishable life, at the end whereof he was to render an account of that which had been required of him, since by a so∣lemn oath he was obliged to do all that should be manifest to his judgment, without any con∣sideration of men of the world, whose custom it was to make the ballance sway down, which God would have to be upright, according to the integrity of his divine Iustice. To this pe∣tition the Kings Proctor opposed himself, as he that was our adverse party, and that in certain articles, which he framed against us, set forth, how he would prove by ocular witnesses, as well of the Country, as strangers, that we were publique thieves, making a common practise of robbing, and not merchants, such as we pretended to be; whereunto he added, that if we had come to the Coast of China with a good designe, and with an intent to pay the King his due in his Custom-houses, we would have repaired to the ports, where they were establish∣ed by the Ordinance of the Aytan of the Government, but for a punishment, because we went from Isle to Isle, like Pirats, Almighty God, that detests sin and robber••, had permitted us to suffer shipwrack, that so falling into the hands of the Ministers of his justice, we might receive the guerdon of our wicked works, namely, the pains of death, whereof our crimes rendred us most worthy; In regard of all which, he desired we might be condemned accord∣ing to the Law of the second book, that commanded it in express terms; And that if for other considerations, no way remarkable in us, we could ••y any law be exempted from death, ye•• nevertheless for that we were strangers, and vagabonds, without either faith, or know∣ledg of God, that alone would suffice at leastwise to condemn us to have our hands and no∣ses cut off, and so to be banished for ever into the Country of Ponxileytay, whither such peo∣ple

as we, were wont to be exiled, as might be verified by divers sentences given and execu∣ted in like cases, and to that effect, he desired the admittance of his articles, which he pro∣mised to prove within the time, that should be prescribed him. These articles were presently excepted against by the Proctor of the Court of Justice, established for the poor, who offered to make the contrary appear within a certain term, which to that end, and for many other reasons alleadged by him in our favour, was granted him, wherefore he required that the said articles might not be admitted, especially for that they were infamous, and directly contrary to the Ordinances of Justice. Whereupon the Chaem ordered, that his articles should not be admitted, unless he did prove them by evident testimonies, and such as were conformable to the Divine Law, within six days next ensuing, and that upon pain in case of contravention not to be admitted to any demand of a longer delay. The said term of six days being prescribed the Kings Proctor, he, in the mean time, producing no one proof against us, nor any person that so much as knew us, came and demanded a delay of other six days, which was flatly de∣nied him, in regard it but too well appeared, that all he did was only to win time, and therefore he would by no means consent unto it, but contrarily he gave the Proctor for the poor five days respit to alledge all that further he could in our defence; In the mean time, the Kings Proctor declaimed against us in such foul and opprobrious terms, as the Chaem was much offended thereat, so that he condemned him to pay us twenty Taeis of silver, both for his want of charity, and for that he could not prove any one of the obligations which he had exhibited against us. Three days being spent herein, four Tanigores of the house of the poor, coming very early in the morning to the prison, sent for us into the Infirmirie, where they told us that our business went very well, and how we might hope that our sentence would have a good issue, whereupon we cast our selves at their feet, and with abundance of tears desired God to reward them for the pains they had taken in our behalf. Thereunto one of them replyed, And we also most humbly beseech him to keep you in the knowledg of his Law, wherein all the happiness of good m••n consists; and so they caused two coverlets to be given us, for to lay upon our beds in the night, because the weather was cold, and withall bid us, that we should not stick to ask any thing we wanted, for that God Almighty did not love a sparing hand in the distributing of alms for his sake. A little after their departure came the Re∣gister, and shewing us the Chaems order, whereby the Kings Proctor was condemned to pay us twenty Taeis, gave us the mony, and took an acquittance under our hands for the receipt of it; For which giving him a world of thanks, we intreated him for his pains to take as much thereof as he pleased, but he would not touch a peny, saying, I will not for so small a matter lose the recompence which I hope to gain from God, for the consideration of you.

* 1.3We past nine days in great fear, still expecting to have our sentence pronounced, when as one Saturday morning two Chumbims of Justice came to the prison for us, accompanied with twenty officers, by them called Huppes, carrying Halberts, Portisans, and other arms, which made them very dreadfull to the beholders; These men tying us all nine together in a long iron chain, lead us to the Caladigan, which was the place where audience was given, and where execution was done on delinquents; Now how we got thither, to confess the truth, I am not able to relate, for we were at that instant so far besides our selves, as we knew not what we did, or which way we went, so as in that extremity all our thought was how to conform our selves to the will of God, and beg of him with tears, that for the merit of his sacred pas∣sion, he would be pleased to receive the punishment, that should be inflicted on us for the satisfaction of our sins. At length after much pain, and many affronts, that were done us by many which followed after us, with loud cries, we arrived at the first Hall of the Caladigan, where were four and twenty Executioners, whom they call, The Ministers of the arm of justice, with a great many of other people, that were there about their affairs. Here we re∣mained a long time, till at length upon the ringing of a bell, other doors were opened, that stood under a great A••ch of Architecture, very artificially wrought, and whereon were a num∣ber of rich figures; On the top a monstrous Lion of silver was seen, with his sore and hind feet upon a mighty great bowl, made of the same mettal, whereby the arms of the King of China are represented, which are ordinarily placed on the Fore-front of all the Sovereign Courts, where the Chaems precide, who are as Vice-roys amongst us. Those doors being o∣pened, as I said before, all that were there present entred into a very great Hall, like the Body of a Church, hung from the top to the bottom with divers pictures, wherein strange kinds

of execution done upon p••rsons of all conditions, after a most dreadful manner were constrain∣ed, and under every picture was this inscription, Such a one was executed with this kind of death for committing such a crime; so that in beholding the diversity of these fearful pour∣traitures one might see in it, as it were, a declaration of the kind of death that was ordained for each crime, as also the extream rigour which the Justice there observed in such executions. From this Hall we went into another room far richer, and more costly, for it was guilt all o∣ver, so that one could not have a more pleasing object, at least wise, if we could have taken pleasure in any thing, considering the misery we were in. In the midst of this room there was a Tribunal, whereunto one ascended by seven steps, invironed with three rows of ballisters of iron, copper, and ebony; the tops whereof were beautified with Mother of Pearl: At the upper end of all was a cloth of State of white damask, frenged about with a deep cawl frenge of green silk and gold; Under this State sat the Chaem with a world of greatness and majesty, he was seated in a very rich Chair of silver, having before him a little table, and about him three boys on their knees, sumptuously apparelled, with chains of gold, one of the which (namely, he in the middle) served to give the Chaem the pen wherewithall he signed; The other two took the petitions that were preferred, and presented them on the Table, that they might be signed; On the right hand in another place somewhat higher, and almost equall with the Chaem, stood a boy, some ten or eleven years old, attired in a rich robe of white Sa∣tin, imbroidered with roses of gold, having a chain of pearl three double about his neck, and hair as long as a womans, most neatly plaited with a fillet of gold, all enamelled with green, and powdered over with great seed pearl; In his hand he held, as a mark of that which he represented, a little branch of roses, made of silk, gold thread, and rich pearls, very curiously intermixed; And in this manner he appeared so gentile, handsome, and beauiful, as no wo∣man, how fair soever, could overmatch him; this boy leaned on his elbow upon the Chaems chair, and figured mercy. In the like manner, on the left hand was another goodly boy, richly apparelled in a Coat of carnation Satin, all set with roses of gold, having his right arm ba∣red up to the elbow, and died with a vermilion as red as blood, and in that hand holding a naked sword, which seemed also to be bloody: moreover, on his head he wore a crown, in fashion like to a Myter, hung all with little razors, like unto lancets, wherewith Chyrurgions let men blood, being thus gallantly set forth, and of most beautiful presence, yet he struck all that beheld him with fear, in regard of that he represented, which was Justice. For they say, that the Judg, which holds the place of the King, who presents God on earth, ought necessa∣rily to have those two qualities, Iustice, and Mercy; and that he which doth not use them is a Tyrant, acknowledging no Law, and usurping the power that he hath. The Chaem was ap∣parelled in a long Gown of violet Satin, fr••nged with green silk and gold, with a kind of s••a∣pulair about his neck, in the midst of which was a great plate of gold, wherein an hand holding a very even pair of ballance was engraven, and the inscription about it; It is the nature of the Lord Almighty, to observe in his justice, weight, measure, and true account, therefore take heed to what thou doest, for if thou comest to sin thou shalt suffer for it eternally. Upon his head he had a kind of round bonet, bordered about with small sprigs of gold, all enamelled violet and green, and on the top of it was a little crowned Lion of gold, upon a round bowl of the same mettal; by which Lion crowned, as I have delivered heretofore, is the King signified, and by the bowl, the world, as if by these devices, they would denote, that the King is the Li∣on crowned on the throne of the world; In his right hand he held a little rod of ivory, some three spans long, in manner of a Scepter; upon the top of the three first steps of this Tribunal stood eight Ushers with silver maces on their shoulders, and below were threescore Mogors on their knees, disposed into three ranks, carrying halberts in their hands, that were neatly damasked with gold; In the vantgard of these same stood, like as if they had been, the Commanders or Cap∣tains of this Squadron, the Statues of two Giants, of a most gallant aspect, and very richly attired, with their swords hanging in scarfs, and mighty great halberts in their hands, and these the Chineses in their language call Gigaos; on the two sides of this Tribunal below in the room were two very long tables, at each of which sat twelve men, whereof four were Presidents, or Judges, two, Registers, four, Solicitors, and two, Conchalis, which are as it were, Assistants to the Court, one of these Tables was for criminal, and the other for civil causes, and all the officers of both these Tables were apparelled in gowns of white Satin, that were very long, and had large slieves, thereby demonstrating the latitude and purity of justice; the Tables were covered with carpets of violet damask, and richly bordered about with gold,

the Chaems table, because it was of silver, had no carpet on it, nor any thing else, but a cu∣shion of cloth of gold, and a Standith; Now all these things put together, as we saw them, carried a wonderful shew of State and Majesty; But to proceed, upon the fourth ringing of a bell, one of the C••••chalis stood up, and after a low obeysanc•• made to the Chaem, with a very loud voice, that he might be heard of every one, he said, Peace there, and with all sub∣mission hearken, on pain of incurring the punishment, ordained by the Chaems of the Govern∣ment for those, that interrupt the silence of sacred Iustice. Whereupon this same sitting down again, another arose, and with the like reverence, mounting up to the Tribunal, where the Chaem sat, he took the Sentences from him that held them in his hand, and published them aloud one after another, with so many ceremonies, and compliments, as he employed above an hour therein; At length coming to pronounce our judgment, they caused us to kneel down, with our eyes fixed on the ground, and our hands lifted up, as if we were praying unto Hea∣ven, to the end that in all humility we might hear the publ••cation thereof, which was thus; Bitau Dicabor, the new Chaem of this sacred Court, where justice is rendred to strangers, and that by the gracious pleasure of the Son of the Sun, the Lion crowned on the throne of the world, unto whom are subjected all the Scepters and Crowns of the Kings that govern the earth; ye are subjected under his feet by the grace and will of the most High in Heaven, having viewed and considered the Appeal made to me by these nine strangers, whose cause was commanded hither by the City of Nanquin, by the four and twenty of austeer life, I say▪ by the oath I have taken upon my entry into the Charge, which I exercise for the Aytao of Ba∣tampina, the chief of two and thirty that govern all the people of this Empire, that the ninth day of the seventh Moon, in the fifteenth year of the reign of the Son of the Sun, I was pre∣sented with the accusations, which the Cumbim of Taypor, sent me against them, whereby he chargeth them to be theeves, and robbers of other mens goods, affirming that they have long practised that trade, to the great offence of the Lord above, who hath created all things; and withall that without any fear of God they used to bathe themselves in the blood of those, that with reason resisted them, for which they have already been condemned to be whipt, and have their thumbs cut off, whereof the one hath been put in execution; but when they came to have their thumbs cut off, the Proctors for the poor, opposing it, alledged in their behalf, that they were wrongfully condemned, because there was no proof of that wherewith they were charged, in regard whereof they required for them, that in stead of judging them upon a bare shew of uncertain suspitions, voluable testimonies might be produced, and such as were con∣formable to the divine Laws, and the Iustice of Heaven; whereunto answer was made by that Court, how justice was to give place to mercy, whereupon they that undertook their cause made their complaint to the four and twenty of austeer life, who both out of very just conside∣rations, and the regard they had to the little support they could have, for that they were stran∣gers, and of a Nation so far distant from us, as we never heard of the Country where they say they were born, mercifully inclining to their lamentable cries, sent them and their cause to be judged by thi•• Court, wherefore omitting the prosecution thereof here by the Kings Pro∣ctor, being able to prove nothing whereof he accused them, affirms only that they are worthy of death for the suspicion and jealousie they have given of themselves, but in regard sacred ju∣stice, that stands upon considerations which are pure and agreeable to God, admits of no rea∣sons from an adverse party, if they be not made good by evident proofs, I thought it not fit to allow of the Kings Proctors accusations, since he could not prove what he had alledged, where∣upon insisting on his demand, without shewing either any just causes, or sufficient proof concern∣ing that he concluded against those strangers, I condemned him in twenty Taeis of silver a∣mends to his adverse parties, being altogether according to equity, because the reasons al∣ledged by him were grounded upon a bad zeal, and such as were neither just, nor pleasing to God, whose mercy doth always incline to their side that are poor and feeble on the earth, when as they invoke him with tears in their eyes, ••s is daily and clearly manifested by the pitiful ef∣fects of his greatness; so that having thereupon expresly commanded the Tanigores of the house of mercy, to alledge whatsoever they could say on their behalf, they accord••ngly did so, within the time that was prefixed them for that purpose; And so all proceedings having re∣ceived their due course, th•• cause is now come to a final Iudgment: wherefore every thing duly viewed and considered, without regard had to any humane respect, but only to the merit and equity of their cause, and according to the resolution of the Laws, accepted by the twelve Chaems of the Government in the fifth book of the will and pleasure of the Son of the Sun, who

in such cases out of his greatness and goodness hath more regard to the complaints of the poor, then to the insolent clamors of the proud of the earth; I do ordain, and decree, that these nine strangers shall be clearly quit and absolved of all that, which the Kings Proctor hath laid to their charge, as also of all the punishment belonging thereunto, condemning them only to a years exile, during which time they shall work for their living in the reparations of Quansy; and when at eight months of the said year shall be accomplished, then I expresly enjoyn all the Chumbims, Conchalis, Monteos, and other Ministers of their government, that immediately upon their presenting of this my Decree unto them, they give them a passeport and safe con∣duct, to the end they may freely and securely return into their Country, or to any other place they shal think fit. After this sentence was thus published in our hearing, we all cried out with a loud voice, The Sentence of thy clear judgment is confirmed in us, even as the purity of thy heart is agreeable to the son of the Sun. This said, one of the Conchalis, that sate at one of the tables, stood up, and having made a very low obeisance to the Chaem▪ he said aloud five times one after another, to all that presse of people, which were there in great number; Is there any one in this Court, in this City, or in this Kingdom, that will oppose this Decree, or the deliverance of these nine prisoners? Whereunto no answer being made the two boyes, that represented justice and mercy, touched the ensignes which they held in their hands together, and said aloud, Let them be freed and discharged according to the sentence very justly pronounced for it; whereupon one of those Ministers, whom they call Huppes, ha∣ving rung a bell thrice, the two Chumbims of execution, that had formerly bound us, un∣losed us from our chain, and withall took off our manacles, collers, and the other irons from our legs, so that we were quite delivered, for which we gave infinite thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ, because we always thought, that for the ill conceit men had of us, we should be condemned to death. From thence so delivered as we were, they led us back to the prison, where the two Chumhims signed our enlargment in the Jaylors book; nevertheless that we might be altogether discharged, we were to go two months after to serve a year according to our sentence, upon pain of becoming slaves for ever to the King, conformable to his Ordinances: Novv because vve vvould presently have gone about to demand the alms of good people in the City, the Chifun, vvho vvas as Grand Provost of that prison, per∣swaded us to stay till the next day, that he might first recommend us to the Tanigores of mercy, that they might do something for us.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 1.
• * 1.2

  §. 2.
• * 1.3

  §. 3.