Purchas his pilgrimes. part 3 In fiue bookes. The first, contayning the voyages and peregrinations made by ancient kings, patriarkes, apostles, philosophers, and others, to and thorow the remoter parts of the knowne world: enquiries also of languages and religions, especially of the moderne diuersified professions of Christianitie. The second, a description of all the circum-nauigations of the globe. The third, nauigations and voyages of English-men, alongst the coasts of Africa ... The fourth, English voyages beyond the East Indies, to the ilands of Iapan, China, Cauchinchina, the Philippinæ with others ... The fifth, nauigations, voyages, traffiques, discoueries, of the English nation in the easterne parts of the world ... The first part.

TO THE READER.

REader, I here present thee a piece of a Historie, so much as abuts on Tartaria, and China. Alhacen, a learned Mahumetan was the Authour; whether an exact Historian, euery where literally to be vnderstood; or whether in some part he be parabolicall, and presents a Tamerlane like Xenophons [ 60] Cyrus, (in some things rather what he should haue beene, and what the Authour could say, then what he was) I vndertake not to determine. The Abbat of Mortimer takes it for a iust Storie, and so doth Master Knolls in his Turkish Historie. If it be an Historie partly parabolicall, yet doth the decorum exact of the Authour a verisimilitude euery where of actions and places (sufficient to procure our par∣don, if not thankes) the veritie of a great part being euident in other Stories. It is true that some things

seeme false for want of truth in our intelligence, rather then in themselues. And so hath it fared with all (the subiect of this Booke) Tartarian and Chinesian affaires: of which we had as little knowledge as of Tame••lan, f••rther then terrors of Tartarian Armes and some mens speciall occasions and tra∣uels haue giuen vs light. Euen the Sunne riseth in those parts whiles it is not day-breake with vs, and hath attayned almost his Noon-point before we see him: and worthy wee are still to abide in a blacke night of ignorance, if we welcome not what light we can get (if we cannot get what wee would) from so remote an East. Once; Tartarian affaires (as it happens in Conquests) were changeable, and their New Moone was quickly at the full; diuers chances and changes succeeding after Poles dayes to these; such wealth whetting the Tartars to get and hold, and no lesse the Chinois to recouer, the China State be∣ing vnquiet so long as the Tartar greatnesse continued, and freed (for the most part) with their dimini∣shing, and diuision into diuers Estates. As for these times of Tamerlan (if this Story be exact) it is like [ 10] the Can held the North parts of China from Quinsay forward, with Cataio; and the King of China the rest; then Nanquin being the Seat Royall, as since the expulsion of the Tartars Paquin. Or per∣haps the Quinsay heere mentioned, is that which Conti hath in the former Page told vs, was lately built by the Can: and not that which Polo speakes of; in Catay and not in China: which cleareth this doubt of the Cans residence and rule in China. To reconcile all doubts is for mee too hard a taske, because Cataio and China are euen still bemysted, and leaue their Surueyers perplexed, bounding the search of the most curious in searching their iust bounds, how farre they are the same or differing; where∣in our Iesuites will more amuse and amaze vs (where wee will cleare our selues as well as we can) when wee come to them. I haue premised Conti, though Tamerlane be a little Elder for his Religions sake, [ 20] and to recreate with a little Relation, before this longer Storie.