Memorabilia mundi, or, Choice memoirs of the history and description of the world by G.H.

China.

THis Kingdom is in the utmost bounds Eastward of the East India, and therefore lyes farthest remote from Christendom; the Chinoyse do much exceed us for ample Cities, and multi∣tude of Inhabitants: It is now a vast Empire, and without doubt, as they are infinitely populous, so they are propor∣tionably Rich, beyond any other Na∣tion of the World. Their principal Commodities are Silks and Sugars; yet besides these, they send forth Wool, Cotton, Olives, Metals, Rhu∣barb, Honey, Purslain dishes, Camphire, Ginger, Pepper, &c. Musk, Salt great store.

The men are in their several imploy∣ments infinitely laborious, and ingenu∣ous:

it is very rare to see any of them in a strange Country, nor will they easily admit a stranger far into theirs; they are addicted much to Manual Arts, for they have excellent practick Wits, and indeed for that go beyond any other Nation: Much quarrel hath been about the invention of Guns and Printing, which several people have been ambi∣tious to take to themselves, as the Master-piece of Mans wit; but with∣out doubt they were both used here, long before any of Europe pretended to the knowledge of either. In their wri∣tings, they make not their Lines from the Right hand to the left, as the He∣brews, nor from the left to the right as we do, but from the top to the bottom of the page, and use all one Character through the whole Kingdom. Their special skill, which we much admire, but cannot imitate, is in making the Pur∣slain dishes white as very Snow, and transparent as Glass, formed up only of Cockles found in the Sea-shore, mixt

with Egg shells, but lye buryed in the Earth many years before they come to perfection, and are seldom took up by the same Artificer, which kneads them, but are left as a portion to some of his Posterity.

When they travel over the Plains, they use a kind of Coach, yet not drawn with Horses or other Beast, but driven with the Wind under-sail as a Bark on the Sea, which the people are as perfect to guide which way they please, as the Mariner is to direct his course unto any Coast whither he is bound; as they sail upon Land, as if it were Sea; so they dwell as frequent upon the Sea, as if it were Land; for they have an incredible number of ships and Boats, which are in many places ranked like streets upon the Waters, and filled with Inhabitants, such as are here born, live, traffick, mar∣ry, and die. Mr. Purchas Reports that upon one River from Nanquin to Pa∣quin, they are thus ordered for three hundred leagues. No mar••••l then, if

their number exceed any part proportio∣nable of the whole Earth, since their Land is not sufficient, but is forced to borrow room out of the Sea, for their habitation. Yet are they all governed by one Monarch, whom they call the Lord of the World, and Son to the Sun. In matters of State they are very Politick, in Peace wary, and in War Va∣liant, crafty and excellent Engineers.

Their Laws are for the most part just, and severely executed, especially against idle drones which set not a hand to ad∣vance their State, or maintain them∣selves; they will not cherish the very blind by Alms, since without eyes a man may be fit for some corporal im∣ployment; but to the maimed and lame, they deny not a charitable main∣tenance; the Son is bound to exercise his Parents occupation, so that no pre∣tense almost is left for Wonderers: and briefly, as far as humane Laws can pro∣vide, all other vain occasions, for mis∣expence of time are taken off; for

within the Cities no stews are allow'd, or lewd persons to withdraw them, Adul∣tery is punished with death, but yet they have liberty to take many Wives, one they keep at home, the rest are disposed of abroad, where they best please. Their Marriages they chiefly solemnize at the New Moon, and for the most part in March, which begins their year.

For their Religion, they are Gentiles, but have a confused knowledge of God, Heaven, and the Creation: When they would decipher their great God, they express him by the first Letter in their Alphabet, and in their Devotions; they worship him as their chief (but not on∣ly) preserver, for they have their pray∣ers to the Sun, Moon, Stars, and to the Devil himself, that he would not hurt them. Their Priests are distinguished into the black and White Friers as we call them, for they much resemble Fri∣ers in their course of life, some are cloath∣ed in White, their heads shorn, and their Victuals in common; others in

black, long hair, and live apart, neither are marryed, but both take their liberty to live obscurely, as the debauchest swaggerers.

The chief of the Cities is Paquin, where the King hath his continual Resi∣dence, his Pallace here is compassed with a Triple wall, carrys the bulk and face of a fair Town, for indeed his re∣tinue are no fewer then might well peo∣ple a large City, among the rest he hath 16000 Eunuchs daily attending, such as their own Parents have emascul'd in their Infancy, to make them capable of this Court preferment. The seat Imperial was heretofore at Nanquin, where still remains a Golden testimony of her past glory. It is a fair City thirty miles in compass, seated nine leagues from the Sea upon a fair Navigable River, where there Rides commonly at least 10000. of the Kings ships, besides Merchants; it hath three brick walls, the streets are six miles in length, of a proportionable breadth, and trimly paved.

The Metropolis is Quinsay or Suntien, the largest City in the world; for it contains 100 miles in compass, it is seat∣ed in a low and Fenny ground, is subject to floods, and hath been forced in very many places, to erect bridges for free passage from one street to another; there are in all 12000. built of stone, and most of them so high, that a good ship may strike under them with full sail, each of them hath its ten for a night guard. The Inhabitants of this City live luxuriously, especially their Women, who are much more comely then their men; yet all of them almost eat both Horse and Dogs flesh. Toward the South part of the City, there is a great lake about 24 miles in circuit, in the midst stand two Islands, whither the chief Nobilty repair and invite their friends to Solemnize their Marriage, and have in each a stately Pallace erected, furnished sufficiently with all fitting Or∣naments for a Wedding jollity. In ma∣ny parts of the City there are publick

places of Receipt; for such as sustain any misfortune by fire, there they may lodge their Goods safe upon a suddain casualty, till they can make better pro∣vision.

In each Province the Cities stand so thick, and are so populous, that they all seem to be as one, one as well for their continued building almost as their fa∣shion of building; for they all observe the same form, and dispose their streets alike, two broad, crossing each other in the middle in so strait a line, that the eye may reach clean from one end to the other.

The Revenues of the whole Empire and number of Inhabitants, are not easily to be reckoned. Yet this in brief, he hath subject under him 70 Crowned Kings, gathers up yearly 120 Millions of Crowns, stirs not into the field without 300000 foot, and 200000 horse.