The history of the conquest of China by the Tartars together with an account of several remarkable things concerning the religion, manners, and customes of both nations, but especially the latter / first writ in Spanish by Senõr Palafox ... and now rendred English.

CHAP. XXIX. How much addicted the Tartars are to War. Their Arms offensive and defen∣sive. Their great••••st force consists in their Horse. The excellency of their Hors••••s.

THe Tartars cannot live out of Arms and War; they affect and desire nothing so much as to be always in the field, and have Enemies to fight with, which is the joy and pleasure of their Life. They never think them∣selves so graceful and handsome as when they appear with their faces full of seams and scars; whereas other Nations are so careful to keep their Faces smooth and beautiful, their Complexions clear and fair, their Hair, or rather their Periwigs, curled, poudred, and perfumed, to the shame, not only of their Nation, but nature

too, who made them Men and not Women, whom they do so much imi∣tate, and like whom they so strive to appear. The Tartars are far from this effeminacy, and are so transpor∣ted with a violent passion for Arms and Souldiery, that all the beautiful Pro∣vinces of China have been turned into forges, in which the Tartars employ an infinite number of Work-men in making incessantly all sorts of Arms. All the Black-smiths and all sorts of Work-men, who work in either Iron or Metal throughout that vast Empire, have been solely taken up with making Arms. If any one should be so curious, as to be inquisitive wherefore the Tartars make so many Arms? I know not how to answer them, but that to believe they design to make Arms enough for the whole world. All the fine Libraries in China were turned into Armories and Magazines, for Warlike provisi∣ons. Heretofore it would have been difficult to have found a Sword, though old and rusty, unless amongst the

Souldiers. If the Chineses were en∣gaged in any quarrel, they contented themselves with plucking one another by the hair of the Head, or the Beard, or else scratching; and those who were not armed with Nailes long e∣nough, decided it at fisticuffs. The Chineses did so naturally make use of their Nails instead of A••••ms, that those who would be reputed hectoring Gal∣lants, thought it an ornament, to have their Nails as long as the Talents of a Hawk or Eagle. It is so true, that they never ma••••e use of Arms in China, that though they had very many able and expert Physitians, they had not one Chirurgion in the whole Country; for they had no Wounds for them to practise upon. As for all accidental Hurts, outward Swellings, Impo∣sthumes, and such like Distempers, Physitians undertook the Cure thereof. But after the Tartars had subdued Chin••••, all sorts of persons wore Arms: Nay little Children of eight years old, ••••specially if their Parents were of qua∣lity, had a Hanger or Scymitar begirt

about their waste, which gave occa∣sion to the Chineses both to laugh at, and pity the little Children, that in so tender an age they should be trou∣bled to carry so unnecessary and useless a burden.

The Tartars exercised their Souldiers every day before the Palaces of their Vice-Roys: There they drew up the Troops in Battalia, and fired at one another with their Muskets and Guns as eagerly, as if two Armies had been contending for Victory. They had likewise Prises, and persons appointed to take notice of, and recompense the address and expertness of those who shot with Bows and Guns every day at a mark. Whosoever hit the mark with three Bullets, or three Ar∣rows, had given him, as a reward, a little piece of Siver Plate, fashioned like a shell, worth about four Iulio's; (a Iulio is in value about six pence ster∣ling:) He who hit the mark twice had one worth about two Iulio's; and he who hit it but once had one only of the value of one Iulio. But they who

missed the mark thrice were instantly bastinado'd. And to disgrace them the more, were publickly hooted and hissed at, or else had some other af∣front put upon them. The Tartars were not obliged to these exercises, but the Chineses of those Provinces, who had submitted them••••elves, that by custome they might learn not to be afraid of Guns or Arms. They de∣signed by this continual exercise, to disaccustome them from that Effemi∣nacy and Lazines••••, in which they had lain so long buried. These idle Fel∣lows would very willingly have been excused from this trouble. But they deserved to be learnt by their Enemies the exercise of Arms, th••••t they might carry them in their Service, since they so little concerned themselves, to make use of them in the defence of their own Country, and for the preservation of themselves.

As for the several sorts of Arms the Tartars make use of: The Defensive are, Breast-plates and Back-pieces, Head-pieces, Shoulder-pieces and

Vambraces, which are in a manner like the defensive Arms in Europe, but their Armour is not so bright, nor so well wrought, which makes them who wear them look the more terrible and dreadful. The Viser of ther Helmet is not fastned and rivited to the Cask as in Europe; but is only a loose pla••••e of Iron very strong, which covers the face, throat, and shoulders, and is seperated from the Helmet when they please. They likewise have se∣veral other pieces and plates of Iron, with which they cover the head, throat, neck and shoulders. These are to defend them in Fights from showers of Arrows, which fall thick, and might pierce an Artery, or wound them so deep in those parts as might cause so great an effusion of Blood, as might be very dangerous. And therefore they defend those parts with all the caution imaginable; for the defence of the rest of their body, they make use of certain Buff Coats m••••de very wide and large, and quilted in the inside with Cotton. When they

are at their own houses and in peace, they wear these Coats, but then they are not so well lined.

Their Offensive Arms are Bows and Arrows, short Swords and Lances: Their short Swords are pointed in the fashion of the Turkish Scymitars. They are usually very short but heavy, they have very sharp edges, and are excel∣lently well tempered. They make use likewise of another sort of Swords, which are very broad, and are by the Chineses and Iapanners called Catanes; there are some of these very great, and are two handed like the Swissers Swords: The fashion of the Handles both of their short and broad Swords is not extraordinary, but they are made of Gold, Silver or Brass, ac∣cording to the Riches or Curiosity of the owners▪ they have no Pikes, judging them not convenient for their manner of fighting. Their Lances are very short, and they use them as we do Haltbards or Partisans But their Bows and Arrows are their most ho∣nourable Weapons, of which they are

very proud, and take pleasure in shew∣ing how skilfully they can shoot with them, which they do so dexterously, that several persons with one draught of the Bow will let fly three or four Arrows at a time, with that force and violence, that should they at a due di∣stance hit any man, the lightest would pierce him quite thorough. Their Bows are rather little than great. They are light but very strong and solid. Their Arrows are some long, some short, but all so strong, that they will pierce through a stiffboard: The Iron heads are made four square, or triangular, but long and extraor∣dinary well pointed and tempered.

They had no Fire Arms, when they first entred into China: But as soon as they had possessed themselves of some places, they took out all the great Guns, Muskets and Fire Arms, which they found, and made use of them ever afterwards. But they ne∣ver employed any Tartars as Canno∣neers and Gunners, but only Chineses, and some few Europeans: Nor suffe∣red

any to carry Muskets or Fire Arms, but only the Chineses of those Provin∣ces which had submitted themselves, with whom they encreased their Ar∣my, that they might the sooner com∣pleat their Conquest. As for Petards or Fire-works, they neither know how to make them or use them, nor how to spring a Mine. It may seem strange, that the Tartars would thus put their best Weapons into the hands of their new Subjects, and not learn how to handle them themselves. That they should train up both Citizens and Countrey people in their Military Discipline: For which several persons censure the Conduct of Xunchi, as likewise for entrusting the Princes of his Family with so great a Power. But this Monarch was convinced that the more he confided in his Uncles, the more he engaged and secured their Loyalty; and by manifesting how lit∣tle he feared, and how much he slight∣ed the Chineses, he made them the more dread his valour, and the cou∣rage of the Tartars. It is very true▪

that a long time after the Chineses trembled if they did but hear his Name mentioned. And perhaps this great confidence and security of Xun∣chi did not prejudice his affairs. But this is most certain, that if it should have proved pernicious and fatal to him, he would not have been the first or sole Prince who was ruined and lost by being too secure, and confident of his own power and force.

It remains that I should speak of that in which the chief strength and force of the Tartars consisted, and by which they did almost solely conquer the Em∣pire of China. And this may well be said to have been their Horses. There are indifferent handsome Horses in China, but they are but weak, and they tire and lose their Wind at the first Course. Neither are they so fit for the War as those of Tartary, which are long winded, stout, strong, well set, and excellently shaped, and are all fit to make War-horses; and withall they are so nimble and swift, that it is a great pleasure to see them gal∣lop

over the most ragged Hills and Mountains, as if it was in a plain Mea∣dow. As for shape and strength, they come not short of the Horses either in Europe or Arabia. But all the Hor∣ses upon Earth; yield them the advantage of a certain highness of mettle and spirit, which cannot be de∣scribed, and keeps always in heart. As for those who ride them, they are seated as firmly, and as gracefully, as if their Horse and they were of one piece. But they apply themselves to this exercise when they are very young, and never quit it as long as they live. There are several Tartars who will tye the Rains of the Bridle to their Girdles, and only by the mo∣tion of their Body guide and govern their Horses as they please, make them turn upon all the Volts, and go any kind of Manage. By this means they have their hands free to make use of their Bows and Arrows. Others will hold their Bow with the same hand they do their Bridle, and at the same time draw their Bow and guide

their horse with great facility. It was these Tartarian horses which over∣threw all the Chineses which durst op∣pose them. And it may be said, that these were the Conquerors of China; for the Chineses having no Pikes to defend themselves, and keep off the horse; fifty thousand Horse, as there was in the least Army of the Tartars▪ and in that in which the Emperour commanded in person, above a hun∣d••••ed thousand, did presently break through, and rout all the Chineses Armies. These Horses, so bold and high mettled, broke through all opposition, and made a clear p••••ssage where ever they went; and besides they we••••e so numerous, and spurred on by so re∣solute men, that there are f••••w Armi••••s which can resist them, much less thos•••• of Chin••••, and such like, where they have no stands of Pikes, nor close Bat∣talions, nor Horses equal to ••••hose of Tartary.

The Tartars ride with their Stirrups very short, and all the furniture of their horses is not ••••sually ••••ither cu••••i••••u••••

or rich, but durable and serviceable, for their manner of fighting. The greatest force of the Tartars consists in their Horse, their Foot are nothing in comparison: which is not so in the Armies of Europe. Their Horse goes on first upon all occasions, and they are ever the first and last at all assaults. Finally, it was they who began and compleated in so short a time the entire Conquest of the vast Empire of China.