CHAP. I. Of the Situation, Magnitude, and Di⯑viſion of the ISLE.

THE Iſland Formoſa, which by the Natives is called in their Language, Gad Avia, from Gad, Beautiful, and Avia an Iſle, and by the Chineſe is called Pa⯑cando, is one of the moſt Pleaſant and Ex⯑cellent of all the Aſiatick Iſles, whether we conſider the convenient Situation, the health⯑ful Air, the fruitful Soil, or the curious [146] Springs and uſeful Rivers, and rich Mines of Gold and Silver wherewith it abounds; for it enjoys many advantages which other Iſlands want, and wants none of thoſe which they have.

Formoſa and Japan, are the remoteſt parts towards the Eaſt, which are hitherto known or diſcover'd, and ſo they are the firſt Countries that are viſited with the Rays of the Morning Sun. Formoſa has on the North ſide Japan, diſtant about 200 Leagues; on the North and Weſt, China, from which it is diſtant about 60 Lea⯑gues; and on the South ſide Luconia, from which it is diſtant about 100 Leagues.

This Iſle Formoſa extends it ſelf in length from North to South above 70 Leagues, and in breadth from Eaſt to Weſt 15 Leagues, being about 130 Leagues in Circumference. It is divided into five Iſles, whereof two are called Avias dos Lardonos, or the Iſles of Thieves, the third is called Great Peorko, the fourth Little Peorko, and the fifth, which lies in the middle, and is called Kaboski, or the Principal Iſland, is greateſt of all the five, being 17 Leagues in length and 15 in breadth, is moſt ſtrictly called Gad Avia, or the Iſland Formoſa; tho' all the reſt, which for diſtinction ſake, are called by ſe⯑veral Names, are comprehended under the [147] General Name of Formoſa; and in this Senſe we ſhall uſe the Word in the follow⯑ing Account of this Iſle.

CHAP. II. Of the great Revolutions which have happen'd in the Iſland Formoſa.

WE find in our Chronicles, that a⯑bove 200 Years ago, the Iſland Formoſa had been Govern'd for ſome Ages by one King, who in his Adminiſtration depended upon the Repreſentatives of the People, who are two or three Men choſen in every City and Village, to take care of their publick Concerns. This King whom the Natives in their Language called Ba⯑galo, had one Governor in each of the afore⯑mentioned Iſles, ſubject to his Power, and accountable to him for their Adminiſtration; and this Governour was called by the Na⯑tives Tano. But about 200 Years ago the Emperor of Tartary invaded this Iſland and ſubdued; which continued under the Do⯑minion of the Tartars until the third Ge⯑neration: [148] But the third Emperor who ſuc⯑ceeded after this Conqueſt, being an Au⯑ſtere Tyranical Prince, who was very cruel to the Natives, and had formed a deſign to extirpate their Religion, did ſo provoke their natural Rage, that at laſt they did all with one conſent take up Arms, and roſe againſt his Deputy and the Forces by which he ruled them, and drove them all out of the Country, after a bloody Battle, And thus they ſhook off the Yoke of Tar⯑tarian Bondage, under which they had groan'd above 70 Years; and reſtored their Natural Prince to the rightful Throne of of his Anceſtors, who now became inde⯑pendent not only of a Foreign Prince, but of all the little Commonwealths within his own Dominions; in which ſtate they con⯑tinued above 70 Years. During which time the Eueopeans came thither, viz. the Dutch and Engliſh, who maintained a great Trade with the Natives, eſpecially in Great Peorko, where the Dutch built a Caſtle called Tyowan. At the ſame time while the Dutch were there the Chineſe came and attempted to land in the Iſland, with a deſign to Conquer it, but were ſtoutly repulſed by the Natives, who took up Arms in defence of their Country, and [149] maintained a War with the Chineſe for ſome Years; until at laſt they drove them back into their own Country. And the Formoſans finding that the Dutch under a falſe pretence of joining with them to force back the Chineſe, had treacherouſly under⯑hand aſſiſted them to Conquer Formoſa, hoping at laſt to wreſt it out of their hands and make it their own; the Hollanders were thereupon baniſhed, and prohibited to come any more into that Iſland, and their Caſtle Tyowan was Demoliſhed: Yet upon ſome fair Promiſes they were afterwards permitted again to Land there, provided they ſhould ſtay but a little while, and a ſufficient Guard ſhould attend them and ob⯑ſerve their Motions. Thither therefore they come, and when they can find what they have a mind to in Formoſa, they go no farther; but when they miſs of their aim there, then they travel further into Japan, viz. to the Iſle of Nangaſaque, for they are not permitted to go to any other place. However under theſe Commotions Formoſa ſtill preſerved its form of Government in⯑dependent of a Foreign Prince, until Me⯑ryaandanoo firſt raviſhed Japan by Villany, and then conquer'd Formoſa by a trick, of both which Revolutions I ſhall now give the Reader a ſhort and true Account, [150] as it is to be found in our Hiſtories, and is firmly believed by all the People of Formoſa, upon a conſtant Tradition from Father to Son, for the ſpace of Fifty Years and up⯑wards.

Meryaandanoo was by Nation a Chineſe, but coming to Japan while he was Young, he was by the favour of ſome Great Man admitted to ſome mean Office, in the Court of the Emperor Chazadijn, where he con⯑tinued ſome time, and had his Education. But the Emperor perceiving that he was a a very Ingenious Young-Man, and well qualified for a better Office, gave him at firſt ſome inferiour Place in the Army, in which he behaved himſelf ſo well, that he was quickly preferr'd to a higher Poſt, and by his winning behaviour and admirable Conduct, he ſo far inſinnuated himſelf into the favour of the Emperor, that he was gradually advanced from one Poſt of Ho⯑nour in the Army to another; until at laſt he arrived at the higheſt, and was made Carilhan, or Chief General of all the Im⯑perial Forces, which is the higheſt Office in the Empire, not only for Honour, but for Power and Truſt. And in the admini⯑ſtration of thi [...] Office, he behaved himſelf with ſo much Prudence and Courage, that the Emperor loved him exceedingly; but [151] much more did he win the Heart of the Empereſs, who was ſo taken with his gal⯑lant Mien, that ſhe could not live with⯑out him: So great was her kindneſs to him, and ſhe put ſuch an entire confidence in his fair Speeches, that ſhe would often meet him in private places; which was a favour very rare and unuſual in that Coun⯑try, eſpecially from ſo great a Perſon as the Empereſs. Having thus gained the Love of the Emperor and Empereſs, to ſo great a degree, this ungrateful Villain made uſe of that familiarity to which the Em⯑preſs admitted him, and of that confidence they both put in him, firſt to raiſe a Jea⯑louſie in the Mind of the Emperor againſt the Empereſs; and then by this means to contrive an opportunity for murdering them both: which Barbarous deſign this Bloody Villain accompliſhed after this manner. Firſt, he perſwaded the Emperor that his Empereſs was in Love with a certain Noble⯑man, whom he ſuppoſed, and ſhe often met him, and had private converſation with him in the Garden: Whereupon the Em⯑peror being highly enrag'd both againſt this Nobleman, whom he falſly accuſed, and a⯑gainſt the Empereſs, who was ſuppos'd to have kept company with him, deſired Meryaan⯑danoo to enquire diligently at what Hour, [152] and in what place they were to meet toge⯑ther in the Garden, if it were poſſible for him to find it out; and then ſays he, come and acquaint me with it, and I will take care that neither of them ſhall eſcape out of my hands, until they have both ſuffer'd Death, according to the demerit of their Crime. This Meryaandanoo promiſed to do, as the Emperor had deſired him; and ſometime after he came out of the Empe⯑ror's preſence, he went to the Apartment of the Empereſs, and having good aſſu⯑rance of her ready compliance, by his former private converſations with her, he pray'd her to meet him, at a cer⯑tain Hour of that Day, in a certain place of the Garden, which ſhe, miſtruſting no⯑thing, readily promiſed to do, and appoint⯑ed the time and place for their meeting. Having gained this point, which was a great ſtep towards finiſhing his deſign, he went and acquainted the Emperor, that at ſuch an Hour the Nobleman was to come, and to meet his Empereſs in ſuch a place of the Garden. Whereupon the Emperor preſently commanded his Guards to be got ready, with which he intended to ſeize them both together, and bring them to deſerved puniſhment. In the mean time Meryaandanoo having changed his Clothes, [153] and mask'd his Face, that he might not be known to the Emperor, under this diſ⯑guiſe meets the Empereſs at the time and place appointed, whom he moſt Barbar⯑ouſly ſtabb'd, with a poiſon'd Dagger, to conceal the Murder, by ſtopping the Effu⯑ſion of Blood: The Emperor comes at firſt all alone into that place of the Garden to ſatisfie his Curioſity of ſeeing them toge⯑ther, fearing leſt the appearance of the Guards would make them run away; and he perceiv'd a certain Nobleman, as he ſuppoſed, lying upon the Empereſs in an unſeemly poſture, he called for his Guards, who were at ſome diſtance from the place: But while he advanced towards the Noble⯑man, not knowing him to be Meryaan⯑danoo, Meryaandanoo was too nimble for him, who come fully prepared to execute the wicked deſign he had plotted, for he had no ſooner called for his Guards, but he cloſed in with him, and gave him his Deaths wound with the ſame poiſon'd Dagger; and immediately after he had ſtruck the blow, he fled away with all poſſible ſpeed, through unbeaten Paths a⯑mong Trees and Buſhes, and ſo made his Eſcape without being diſcover'd: When the Guards came and found the Emperor and Empereſs both kill'd, they ſtood for [154] ſome time aſtoniſh'd, at this ſtrange and ſurprizing Event; but they wonder'd moſt of all at the Murder of the Emperor, who ſo lately parted from them, and whom they heard but a little before call upon them to come to him; ſome condoled the ſudden Death of two ſuch great Perſons, while others ſearch'd every where about the Garden, among the Trees and Buſhes, to find out the Murderer; But when they ſaw that no diſcovery could be made, the Sol⯑diers began to Mutiny, had not the Captain of the Guards diverted their Fury, by telling them, That they muſt do nothing until they had firſt acquainted the Carilhan with what had happened; whereupon a Party was immediately diſpatch'd to his Houſe, (whither he had made his Eſcape after he had committed the Murder) and when they came there, and told him, he ſeem'd to be mightily ſurpris'd and troubl'd, as if he knew nothing of the matter: But to loſe no time in a caſe of ſo great conſe⯑quence, he went in all haſte to the place, where having viewed the dead Bodies, he evpreſs'd his great Sorrow, with many Sighs and Tears, for the loſs of two Per⯑ſons ſo great and ſo good, to whom he had been infinitely obliged, and declared that this execrable Murder had been committed [155] by a certain Nobleman, naming him, who had frequently kept Company with the Empereſs in private, and had appointed a meeting with her this very Day, as he was well aſſur'd. This diſcovery gave great ſatisfaction to the Guards, who being glad of the opportunity to revenge the Death of their Maſter, went preſently and ſtruck off the Innocent Nobleman's Head, by his Order, who was the Murderer himſelf. Meryaandanoo having thus far ſucceeded in his deſign, wanted now only to be de⯑clared Emperor, which met with ſome op⯑poſition from thoſe in the Army, who fa⯑voured the Family of Chazadijn, though he had no Children by his Empereſs, but only by his Concubines; and for ſome time there were many Cabals and Facti⯑ons about the next Succeſſor to the Emp [...]e; But at laſt Meryaandanoo, having pre-en⯑gaged a great Party for him, and being generally beloved by the Soldiers, by his prevailing Intereſt in the Army, was cho⯑ſen and declar'd Emperor of Japan; which was the finniſhing of the great deſign he intended to accompliſh, by all the afore⯑mentioned Villainies and Cruelties.

About two Years after he was promo⯑ted to the Imperial Crown of Japan he counterfeited himſelf to be ſick, and [...]d [156] innumerable Sacrifices to be offered to the Gods of Japan, for the Recovery of his Health; but all theſe Sacrifices, proving, as he pretended, ineffectual, ſo that theſe Gods ſeem'd either unable or unwilling to relieve him, he declar'd, tho' in deep diſ⯑ſimulation, that it was neceſſary for him to ſeek for Relief from the Gods of other Countries. And to this end he ſent an Ambaſſadour with a Letter to the King of Formoſa, who was to entreat the King of Formoſa in his Name, that he might have leave to ſend and offer Sacrifices to the God of his Country, by whom he hoped to find that cure of his Diſeaſe, which in vain he had expected from his own Gods, tho' he had offer'd 10000 Sacrifices to appeaſe them.

After the King of Formoſa had read the Letter, he ſent for his Prieſts and acquaint⯑ed them with the Contents of it, and com⯑manded them to conſult their God, whe⯑ther he would grant what the Emperor of Japan had deſired: The Prieſts hoping that they ſhould reap great Profit and Ad⯑vantage from the Emperor, by the Japan⯑neſs's coming into their Country, to offer [158] Sacrifice, told the King, that they had conſulted their God, and he had conſented, that they ſhould come here to offer Sacri⯑fices, but he had not declar'd what ſucceſs their Oblations ſhould have as to reſtoring the Health of their Emperor. The King having received this Anſwer from his Prieſts, ſent for the Ambaſſadors of the Emperor of Japan, and told them, Go and ſalute your Emperor in my Name, and tell him, that he has leave from my God, and from me, to ſend ſome of his Subjects to offer Sa⯑crifices to our God; and if our God ſhall re⯑ſtore his Health, I hope he will perform what he has promiſed of eſtabliſhing the Worſhip of our God in all his Dominions.

The Ambaſſadors having taken their leave of our King returned home, into their own Country, and acquainted the Em⯑peror of Japan with the Anſwer of the King of Formoſa to his Letter, who was very glad at the good ſucceſs of their Negoti⯑ation, having further deſigns in it than they were aware of: And therefore he preſently commanded a great Army to be made ready, and order'd the Soldiers to be put in great Litters, carried by two Ele⯑phants, which will hold Thirty, or Forty Men; and to prevent any ſuſpicion of the the Formoſans, they placed Ox⯑en or Rams to be ſeen at the Windows [159] of the Litters. Thus he covertly convey'd a numerous Army into the Iſle Formoſa, with many of the Nobility of his Court, under the Religious pretence of Offering Sacrifice for the Recovery of his Health, but really with a deſign to Conquer the Country. The numerous Chariots were divided into three parts, the greateſt of which was ſent into the Capital City Xter⯑netſa, and the two other parts into two o⯑ther Cities, called Bigno and Khadzey; And at a certain Hour appointed the Chariots were opened in all the three Cities, the Soldiers came out, and with Sword in Hand, threatning preſent Death to the King, and all the Inhabitants of the City Xternetſa (which was likewiſe done in the other Cities at the ſame time) unleſs they would ſubmit themſelves to be governed by the Emperor of Japan. The King con⯑ſidering that he had no other proſpect but that of imminent and unavoidable Death before him, and that there was no hopes by his Death to preſerve the Ancient Liberties of his Country, choſe rather to ſubmit to the fatal neceſſity he was under, than throw away his Life to no purpoſe; and the reſt of the Inhabitants every where fol⯑low'd his example in this ſurpriſing danger of Death, ſo that the whole Kingdom was quickly reduc'd under the Yoke of the Em⯑peror [160] of Japan, without the Effuſion of much Blood. And from that time the Em⯑peror of Japan ſends a King into the Iſle Formoſa, who is called Tano Angon, or the ſuperintendent King: But he who was King before, in that Iſle, is only as a Baga⯑landro or Viceroy, or one that is next to the King in Dignity without any Power. And this is a ſhort Hiſtory of the manner how the Iſle Formoſa was ſubdued by the Villany of the Emperor Meryaandanoo, who inſtead of Sacrificing Beaſts to the God of the Country, as he pretended, would have Sacrificed the Inhabitants to his own Am⯑bition, if they had not prevented him by a voluntary ſubmiſſion to his Rule and Go⯑vernment. I ſhall therefore in the next place give an account of the Form of Go⯑vernment in this Iſle, which is now almoſt the ſame with that which is in the other Iſles of Japan.

CHAP. III. Of the Form of Government in the Iſland Formoſa, and of the New Laws made by the Emperor Meryaan⯑danoo.

MEryaandanoo being thus ſettled Em⯑peror of Japan and Formoſa, made new Laws relating to the Deputy King, and enforced the old Laws relating to the Sub⯑jects, with grievous Penalties, as will ap⯑pear hereafter.

The Firſt Law is, Concerning the Kings that are ſubject to him, who are Twenty Five in number (beſides the Eight who are not properly called Angons or Bagalos but Viceroys or Bagelanders) And theſe Kings are oblieged, by this Law, twice in a Year to wait upon the Emperor, and then every one of them is to give an account of his Adminiſtration of the Government, and of all the Notable Occurrences which have happened in his Kingdom for the ſpace of half a Year, and to receive the new Com⯑mands of the Emperor, if he ſhall think fit to give any.

[162]The Second Law is, That none of them ſhall tranſgreſs the Commands of the Em⯑peror, unleſs he firſt acquaints him with the neceſſity that forces him to do it; yet in a caſe of urgent neceſſity, this Law is moderated by Equity.

The Third Law is, That they ſhall do nothing to the detriment of the People, ſub⯑ject to their Government; That they ſhall not be unjuſt, or cruel to them, or any ways prejudice them in their Life, Fortune, or Re⯑putation, without a juſt cauſe: which Law he mde to gain the Love of the People.

The Fourth is, That none of the Kings ſhall ſuffer a Chriſtian to live in his Coun⯑try, but every one of them ſhall keep Sear⯑chers, or Centinels in the ſeveral Sea Ports, who ſhall Try all Foreigners, as ſoon as they arrive in the Harbour whether they be Chriſtians or no, by this Teſt, of trampling upon the Crucifix; which Teſt was chiefly deſign'd againſt the Papiſts, who worſhip the Crucifix, and therefore dare not trample upon it: But as to other Foreigners who do trample upon the Crucifix, the Governour is to grant them a Paſs to Travel through all the Cities un⯑der his Dominion, provided they are not above Twenty in number.

The laſt is, That no King can prohibit or enjoin any Religion, in his Country, but every ſubject ſhall enjoy the Liberty of [163] his Conſcience to worſhip his God after his own way, except there ſhall be any found that are Chriſtians; for the diſcovery of whom there ſhall be Searchers appoint⯑ed in all Cities and Villages, who ſhall try them by the Teſt aforementioned. And to all theſe Laws this Sanction is added, That if any Perſon ſhall violate any one of theſe Laws they ſhall preſently be put to Death, which is the true Reaſon, why the Com⯑mands of the Emperor are every where ſo exactly obey'd.

He made no new Laws relating to the Subjects, but only revived the Natural and Ancient Laws, which he enforced with new Penalties proportionable to the Crimes.

The Firſt is againſt the Chriſtians, That if any Foreigner ſhall be found who is a Chriſtian, and who hath ſeduc'd or endea⯑voured to ſeduce the Inhabitants to Chri⯑ſtianity, he ſhall be impriſon'd, together with all thoſe whom he hath ſeduced. And if he will Renounce the Chriſtian Faith, and worſhip Idols, he ſhall not only be pardon'd, but have a certain Penſion al⯑lowed him for his Subſiſtence; but if he refuſe to do this, he ſhall be burnt alive; And as to thoſe who have been ſeduc'd, if they will return to their former Idolatry, they ſhall be ſet at liberty; but if they will not, they ſhall be hang'd.

[164]The Second is againſt Murderers, Thieves and Robbers, viz. Whoſoever ſhall kill another Man unjuſtly, ſhall be hang'd up by the Feet with his head downward, and after this manner ſhall hang alive a longer or ſhorter time, according to the aggravation of his Crime, until he be Shot to Death with Arrows: But if he be both a Robber and a Murderer he ſhall be Crucified. A Thief ſhall be puniſhed according to the heinouſneſs of his Crime, either with Hang⯑ing, or continual Impriſonment, or with Whipping, or a Fine.

The Third Law is againſt Adulterers, viz. They ſhall for the firſt Offence pay a Fine of 100 Copans (each Copan being a piece of Gold weighing a Pound) and thoſe who have not Money to pay ſuch a Fine, they ſhall be publickly Whipt by the Hand of the Hangman: But if any Perſon be guilty of the ſame Crime a ſecond time, he or ſhe ſhall be beheaded. For though, as will appear in the following Chapter a⯑bout Religion, every Man may have as many Wives, as his Eſtate is able to main⯑tain; yet if any Man ſhall carnally know another Woman beſides his own Wives, to whom he has promiſed Fidelity, he is guilty of Adultery. The ſame Law ob⯑liges all thoſe who are unmarried provi⯑ded they be Natives of the Country: But [165] this Law does not extend to Foreigners, to whom the Natives are wont to offer Virgins or Whores, to be made uſe of at their Plea⯑ſure, with Impunity.

But here I muſt deſire the Reader to ob⯑ſerve, that the Husband has ſuch full power over his Wife, that if he apprehend her in the act of Adultery; he may puniſh her after what manner, and to what degree he pleaſes, even unto Death: But if the thing be not commonly known, he may ſpare her, if he thinks fit, upon her promiſe of amendment for the future.

The Fourth Law is, Whoſoever ſhall Suborn falſe Witneſs againſt any Man, both he and the falſe Witneſſes ſhall have their Tongue cut out, and be further puniſh'd according to the heinouſneſs of the Crime, and the damage done to the Party, againſt whom they teſtified.

The Fifth Law is, Whoſoever ſhall balſ⯑pheme the God of the Country he ſhall be burnt alive.

The Sixth is, If a Son or a Daughter ſhall ſtrike their Father or Mother, or one of their Kindred that is Ancient, or one that is ſuperiour to them in Power, their Arms and Legs ſhall be cut off, and a Stone be⯑ing tied about their Neck, they ſhall be thrown into the Sea, or a River. But if any one ſhall ſtrike a Prieſt, their Arms ſhall [166] be burnt off, and then their Body ſhall be buried alive.

Whoſoever ſhall ſtrike his King, Inten⯑dant or Governour, ſhall be hang'd up by the Feet till he die, having four Dogs faſten'd to his Body to tear it in pieces.

The Seventh is, Whoſoever ſhall Re⯑proach or Slander any Man, ſhall have his Tongue bored through with a hot Iron: But whoſoever refuſes to obey his Superiour in things Lawful, ſhall be beheaded.

The Eighth is, Whoſoever ſhall Plot any Treaſon againſt the Emperor, or any of the Kings, or ſhall endeavour the Subver⯑ſion of the Religion eſtabliſh'd, he ſhall be tortur'd with all imaginable Torments.

All theſe Laws Meryaandanoo made, or revived in the fourth Year of his Empire, at a meeting of all the Kings of his Empire, and of all the chief Prieſts of every City: And by verture of them, all the Inhabi⯑tants enjoy a profound Peace; for as the Subjects do readily obey the Laws relating to themſelves, ſo the Governours and Of⯑ficers are careful to put them in Execution whenever there is occaſion.

This is what I chiefly intended in this Chapter, to give an account of the Laws and their Sanctions, by which Meryaandanoo governs his Deputy-Kings and their Sub⯑jects; and though there are other things [167] which might be placed here under this head of Government, yet becauſe they are here⯑after to be inſerted in their proper places, they are here omitted.

CHAP. IV. Of the Religion of the Formoſans.

SInce my deſign is only to give an ac⯑count of the Iſle Formoſa, I ſhall briefly mention but three kinds of Religion that are obſerved in Japan, becauſe of the Af⯑finity ſome of them have with that which is eſtabliſhed in Formoſa.

The Firſt kind of Religion is Idolatry, or the Worſhip of Idols: And this kind of Worſhip moſt generally prevails above all others in Japan, ſo that in one Temple call'd Amida, in the Capital City of Meaco, there are no fewer than 3500 Idols; whereof 1000 are of Gold, 1000 of Silver, and 1000 of Braſs, and 500 of Wood and Stone, and to theſe Idols they Sacrifice Oxen, Rams, Goats, and ſuch like Beaſts, and ſometimes they Sacrifice Infants to them, when their God is not ap⯑peaſed by other Sacrifices.

[168]The ſecond kind of Religion is that of thoſe who acknowledge one God, whom they believe to be ſo Sublime and Great, that they dare not Sacrifice to him; and therefore they have eſtabliſh'd the Sun as the great Power of God which Rules and Governs the World, and the Moon and Stars as powers inferior to the Sun, which more exactly inſpect and take care of Terreſtrial affairs: Wherefore they Sa⯑crifice Infants to the Sun, and Beaſts to the Moon and Stars.

The Third ſort is rather a Sect of Atheiſm than Religion, for they deny the being of God, and affirm that the World was from Eternity and ſhall continue to Eternity. Hence ſome of them think rhat the Soul is Mortal and dies with the Body, like that of Beaſts; but others of them ſay that the Soul is not Mortal, but informs another Body after Death, and ſo it paſſes out of one Body into another to Eternity. When⯑ſoever the Soul has done well, they think it paſſes into the Body of a Rich man who lives in great eaſe and pleaſure, but if it has done evil it paſſes into the Body of ſome poor Wretch to ſuffer Pain and Miſery; and ſo the Soul is liable to endleſs Viciſſi⯑tudes of Vertue and Vice, of pleaſure and Pain. Theſe Atheiſts uſe no Religious Worſhip, ſaving that they all offer Sacrifice [169] to evil Spirits or Devils, that they may not hurt them. But the Tranſmigration of Souls, is believ'd not only by them but by all the Jappanneſe, except thoſe who think that the Soul is Mortal.

But my buſineſs is not to give a particular account of their ſeveral opinions, and dif⯑ferent ways of Worſhip, and therefore I have noted theſe things only en paſſant to ſhow wherein they agree, and wherein they differ from the Religion eſtabliſh'd in Formoſa.

The Religion of the Formaſans was re⯑veal'd by their God, if we may believe their Jarhabadiond (i. e. the Election of the Land) which makes mention of the Re⯑velation upon which they found the Reli⯑gious Worſhip now us'd among them, and gives the following account of it: That about 900 Years ago, the Inhabitants of For⯑moſa knew no other Gods but the Sun and the Moon, whom they believed to be Supreme, and the Stars, which they looked upon to be as it were Semidei, or Subordi⯑nate Gods; and then their whole Worſhip conſiſted in adoring them Morning and Evening, and offering them the Sacrifices of Beaſts, But after ſome time there a⯑roſe two Philoſophers, who had led a Pious and Auſtere kind of Life in the De⯑ſerts, and pretended that God had appear'd to them, and ſpoke to them, to this purpoſe; I am much Troubled for the Blindneſs of [170] this People becauſe they Worſhip the Sun, Moon and Stars ſo devoutly, as the Supreme Deity; go and tell them, I am the Lord of the Sun, Moon and Stars, of the Heaven, the Earth, the Sea and all things that are in them, I Govern the Creatures by the Sun and Moon and the 10 Stars, and without me they cannot exiſt: Go and tell them, that God has ap⯑pear'd to you, and ſaid, if they will worſhip and adore him, he will be their Protector, and will appear to them in the Churches, which they Build to his honour, and promiſe them in my Name, that if they Worſhip and obay me, they ſhall receive great rewards after this Life. The Names of theſe two Philoſophers, were Zeroaboabel, which is a Name unknown to to the Japanneſe, and Chorhe Mathcin, which in the Japan Language ſignifies Creator Annunciat, for Chorhe ſignifies the Creator, and Mathcin declares. Now theſe two preten⯑ding that God had ſpoke to them, came to a certain Mountain call'd Tanalio near the Capital City, where the People were met together to offer Sacrifice to the Sun, and told them to this Effect. O ye Blind Mor⯑tals, who Worſhip the Stars ſo devoutly, and are ignorant of the God who is above them; that God who Created the Sun and Moon, and all things in Heaven and Earth, has this day taken pity on you, and appeared to us, and com⯑manded us to declare him unto you: And [171] after they had ſaid this, they Demonſtrated by many Arguments, that there is one Su⯑preme God, who is above all the viſible things in this World. This diſcourſe ſo much affected the People, that they deſired to know of them, how that God would be Worſhiped, whether they ſhould Worſhip him after the ſame manner, as they now Worſhiped the Sun. To which they an⯑ſwered, no. But if they would Worſhip him according to his mind, in an acceptable manner, they ſhould firſt Build him a Temple, and in that they ſhould make a Tabernacle, and an Altar, and upon the Altar they ſhould Burn 20000 Hearts of young Children, under 9 Years of Age. And when ye have done theſe things, ſaid they, then God will appear to you in this Tabernacle, and tell you what you are to do further for his Service. When the Peo⯑ple heard theſe things, they could no longer refrain themſelves, but exclaimed againſt theſe two Prophets as Hypocrites and Im⯑poſtors; and asked them in great rage, how can your God be ſo Cruel as to require us to kill ſo many of our Sons, and offer them up in Sacrifice to him: Whereupon the two Prophets fled away into the Deſert again, having left theſe Threatning words behind them, We have told you what our God Commanded us to ſay unto you; but if ye will not believe our words, and obey [172] his will, ye ſhall quickly find, that the Divine Vengeance will purſue you.

A little while after it was obſerv'd, that the Sky was Darkned, there fell much Rain with Hail, which deſtroyed the Fruits of the Ground, innumerable claps of Thunder were heard in the Air, there were great Earth quakes in ſeveral places, and the Air became ſo Peſtilential, that the greateſt part of the Inhabitants were viſiſted with the Plague, the wild Beaſts came into their Cities, and even into their Houſes, and de⯑voured their young Children: And theſe Calamities laſted for a day and a half, which were ſo Terrible, that the whole Iſland ſeemed to be in danger of utter Ruin and Deſtruction, Which ſad Proſpect moved all the Inhabitants to return Unanimouſly to the Mountain aforeſaid, and there they confeſſed their great fault in refuſing to be⯑lieve the two Prophets, and cry'd earneſtly with all their Hearts to that God, who had ſpoken to them by thoſe Prophets, de⯑precating his Wrath for their paſt Offences, and Promiſing they would do whatſoever he ſhould command them if he would now ſpare them. And at length, after long and humble Supplication, that God ſent them a Prophet, which ſhould declare a new Peace and Reconcilation between him and them, upon which account they called him Pſal⯑manaazar, []

[173] i. e. the Author of Peace. Af⯑ter he had Publiſhed this joyfull Meſſage unto them, he commanded them to build a Temple, and in it an Alter, above that Al⯑ter to make a Tabernacle, and then to Sa⯑crifice upon the Alter, 100 Oxen, 100 Rams and 100 Goats, and to Burn upon it 20000 Hearts of young Children under 9 Years of Age, and then God would appear to them: They built therefore a Temple, after the form deſcribed in the Firſt Figure.

CHAP. V. Of Faſting-Days.

THeir God ſaid moreover to Pſalmanaa⯑zaar; Beſides thoſe 5 Days aforeſaid, ye ſhall obſerve 2 Faſts: The firſt ſhall be in the laſt Week of the Year, which ſhall laſt for 8 Days, and it ſhall be a Prepa⯑ration for the New Year: The ſecond ſhall be in the third Week of the fifth Month, and it ſhall alſo laſt for eight Days. On theſe Faſting-Days, ye ſhall neither Eat nor Drink any thing until the Sun ſets, but af⯑ter it is ſet, every one may Eat and Drink to the full until he ſatiate himſelf. On theſe Faſting-Days ye may Pray to me, but on your common Days ye ſhall not dare to adore me. Theſe Faſts ſhall be obſerv'd after this manner, When ye riſe in the Morning ye ſhall Worſhip, and then waſh your Head and Hands and Feet, and after that every one ſhall employ himſelf in ſome lawful Buſineſs; but neither you nor your Cattel ſhall Eat or Drink any thing all that Day until the Sun ſet. Theſe Faſts ſhall be every Year obſerv'd as they are preſcrib'd: And indeed they are ſo rigorouſly obſerv'd, [181] that a Man would ſooner Die for Thirſt then taſte a drop of Water on theſe Days, and all the Cattle are ſhut up in ſuch Places, where they have nothing to eat all Day; and all Eatables are laid up where they cannot be ſeen, leſt any one ſhould be tempted to break the Faſt: In fine, theſe are true Faſts and ſtrictly kept, as far as hu⯑man frailty will permit, and not like the Faſts of the Papiſts, wherein they can Feaſt upon Fiſh and Wine.

CHAP. VI. Of the Ceremonies to be obſerv'd on Fe⯑ſtival-Days.

ON the double Feſtivals the People waſh their Head, Hands and Feet, and then they go to the Temple, where the Jarhabadiond is publickly read before them all by one of the Prieſts; and after that is Read, they all of them fall proſtrate on the Ground, and the Prieſts return Thanks to their God with a loud Voice, who of his infinite Mercy has call'd them to the true Knowledg of himſelf, the Peo⯑ple [182] in the mean time joyning in their Hearts with the Words of the Prieſt. After the Thankſgiving the People riſe up, and ſome Hymns made by the Chief Prieſts are ſung, the Flute and Tymbrel and other Inſtruments of Muſick playing all the while: Then the Prieſts begin to pray for the Sanctification of the Victims, and after that they ſlay them and receive the Blood into a Copper; they divide the Fleſh into Pieces, and then Boil it with the Blood in a Chaldron which is upon the Altar; while the Fleſh is a Boil⯑ing, the Chief Prieſt Prays to God, that he would be pleas'd to accept of theſe Sacrifices for the Remiſſion of the Sins of the People: And after the Fleſh is Boil'd, the People draw near before the Altar, and every one of them receives a piece of it from the Hand of the Prieſt, bowing down his Head when he takes it, and all this time the reſt are Sing⯑ing, and the Inſtruments of Muſick play⯑ing. After theſe Ceremonies are ended, a Prieſt goes up to a Place higher than the Seats of the People, and there he Preaches and inſtructs the People, who ask him Queſtions, and he anſwers them. At laſt Thanks are return'd, and Prayers are made for all Things neceſſary, and then all the People go Home to Dinner, where they are to continue only for the ſpace of two Hours, which is all the time allow'd them between [183] Morning and Evening Service, during which time they muſt not indulge them⯑ſelves to exceſs, or do any thing that's un⯑lawful, but behave themſelves very modeſt⯑ly; and then they return to the Temple, where the ſame Ceremonies are us'd as were in the Morning, except the Sacrifices; and the Service being ended they go to their own Houſes, and after Supper they may Walk, Play, or uſe any other lawful Re⯑creation; but they muſt not do any ſervile Work on that Day.

Simple Feſtivals are celebrated after the ſame manner as the Veſpers of the double Feſtivals.

It is further to be remark'd, That on Fe⯑ſtival Days, after the Sacrifice is ended, and the Tabernacle in which their God dwells is open'd, when God appears in the form of a Lyon, or a Bear, or ſome other fierce Beaſt, that then God is thought to be Angry with the People: And therefore in ſuch a Caſe the Tabernacle is to be ſhut up again, and new Sacrifices of Beaſts are to be offer'd, until God ſhall appear in ano⯑ther Shape, viz. of an Ox, a Calf, a Lamb, or ſuch like Beaſts: And if theſe Sacrifices of Beaſts are not ſufficient to change the angry God into another ſhape, then Infants are to be offer'd in Sacrifice unto him, un⯑til ſuch time as, their God appearing in ano⯑ther [184] form, ſhows himſelf to be pacified and reconcil'd unto the People: And if at any time he appears in the form of an Elephant, then we hope that he will do great Things for us.

The Prieſts are to prepare themſelves by Faſting and Prayer, before they preſume to ſpeak to God in ſecret, and after they have been with him, they declare to the People what he ſays.

'Tis yet further to be noted, That their God always aſſumes the ſhape of a maſcu⯑line Creature, and never of a Female, from whence they have been induc'd to believe, that a Woman is ſo impure, that ſhe can never attain to Happineſs, until ſhe be Transform'd into the Body either of a Man, or ſome Male Beaſt.

CHAP. VII. Of the Election of Prieſts.

AFter this, their God ſpoke to Pſalma⯑naazaar, and ſaid, you ſhall chooſe one Prieſt, who ſhall preſide over all the reſt in the whole Iſle, and he ſhall give Power to others to exerciſe the Prieſtly [185] Office. This High-Prieſt ſhall never Mar⯑ry a Wife while he continues in his Office, but if his Conſtitution obliges him to Mar⯑ry, then the other Prieſts ſhall chooſe ano⯑ther in his room, and he ſhall reſign his Office, and Marry when he pleaſes: The other inferior Prieſts may marry and keep one Wife, except they be Regulars; and then they are oblig'd to continue unmarried, and to live in Convents with their Brethren un⯑der one Superior, who ſhall admit them to the Prieſtly Office. But if theſe Regulars alſo ſhould have a violent Inclination to marry, then they muſt firſt leave the Con⯑vent, and reſign their Office, and after that they may marry. The Office of theſe Regulars, is to inſtruct the Youth in the Principles of their Religion, to teach them to Read and Write, and whatſoever elſe may conduce to their Edification. Beſides, theſe Regulars are oblig'd to lead Religi⯑ous Lives, and to Cloath themſelves in diſtinguiſhing Habits; they are to ſhave their Head, but not to cut their Beard▪ They are to wear a Gown that does not open before or behind, and a Hood upo their Heads: And laſtly, they may retire from the World, and live in deſert Places, if they think fit to chooſe ſuch an auſtere kind of Life.

[186]As their God had Commanded, ſo did Pſalmanaazaar. He created one ancient Philoſopher of the Royal Progeny High-prieſt, to whom he gave the power of or⯑daining all the other inferior Prieſts: This High-prieſt therefore choſe three out of the Citizens of every City, whom he ordain'd Prieſts, and one in every Village, until ſuch time as Temples were every where built: And then the number of Prieſts was more encreas'd, inſomuch that in the City Xter⯑netſa the number grew at laſt to 160, and was proportionably augmented in other places, whether Cities or Villages. Pſal⯑manaazaar eſtabliſh'd alſo a Monaſtery in Xternetſa, and in many other Cities, in which the Regulars were to live according to the Rules abovemention'd, which were preſcrib'd by their God. Laſtly he gave order, That this High-prieſt ſhould ordain in every City one Prieſt, who might ordain others; and he was call'd the Chief Sacri⯑ficator, and has the power to ordain other ſubordinate Prieſts and Sacrificators. Theſe are the Rites and Ceremonies deliver'd to the Formoſans from their God, by his Pro⯑phet Pſalmanaazaar, which have been ever ſince obſerved in their Country.

Now the Names of all the ſeveral kinds of Prieſts in our Language are theſe: The High prieſt is call'd Gnotoy Bonzo, the [187] Chief Sacrificator is call'd Gnotoy Tarhadia⯑zar; the inferior Sacrificators, are call'd Os Tarhadiazors; the Prieſts who read the Book of the Law and the Prayers, are call'd Ches Bonzos. The ſecular Prieſts are call'd Bonzos Leydos, and the Regular Bonzos Roches, and the Superior who is ſet over the Regulars is call'd Bonzo Soulleto; the Ma⯑ſters who teach the young Children, are call'd Gnoſophes Bonzos, and laſtly the Preachers are call'd Bonzos Jatupinos.

The Office of the High-prieſt is to ordain others, to ſpeak to God in private, and de⯑clare his Will to all the other Prieſts, and to chaſtiſe thoſe who do not faithfully diſ⯑charge their Office.

The Office of the Chief-Sacrificator is to ordain other Prieſts within his own Precinct, which is as it were his Dioceſe, to rule over them, and to take care of the Sacrifices, but chiefly of the Infants that are to be Sacri⯑fic'd; for which end he is to take an ac⯑compt how many Boys each Family can furniſh, and to admoniſh them in time to ſend in their number.

Moreover he alone is to cut the Throats of the Infants, and pluck out their Hearts; others are to lay them upon the Gridiron, but he is to Pray publickly all the time they are a Burning.

[188]The Office of the Subordinate Sacrfica⯑tors, is to ſlay the Beaſts, to waſh and Boil them, and diſtribute pieces of their Fleſh to the People; and ſome of them are oblig'd to pray with the High-prieſt all the time that theſe things are a doing.

The Office of the ſecular Prieſts is vari⯑ous, for ſome of them are Readers, others Preachers, or Inſtructors of Youth, and others of them look after the Temple and Tabernacle, to ſee that all the Utenſils be⯑longing to them be kept in good Order.

The regular Prieſts, as I have already told you, uſe to inſtruct Youth, and to Preach; but moreover they ſhould live re⯑tir'd from the World, preſerve Chaſtity, and continue in Celibacy; they ſhould ſub⯑mit themſelves to their ſuperiors, faſt once a Week, and by all means improve in Ver⯑tue. But if once they be debauch'd, they do no longer obſerve the Rule deliver'd as they believe, by their God, and their Ance⯑ſtors.

And here it is to be noted, That theſe Regulars do not make ſuch Vows as the Popiſh Monks do; for they only take the Vow of Celibacy, neither do they Vow That ſo abſolutely, but that they are ſtill left at liberty, if they find that they cannot re⯑frain from Women, to leave the Monaſte⯑ry, and then to marry a Wife: But they [189] make no Vows of a blind obedience to their Superiors, of an affected poverty, and Humility, and of renouncing the Riches of this World. The only general Law of theſe Societies is this, whoſoever finds himſelf fit and diſpoſed to embrace a retir'd kind of Life, provided he be Pious, Learned and ſincere, whether he be Rich or Poor, is to be admitted into a Convent, and when he enters, he is to bring with him that part of his Fathers Eſtate that belongs to him, and add it to the Revenues of the Convent. But if he be oblig'd, out of a deſire of Marrying, to leave it, then all the Goods he brought with him into the Convent are reſtor'd to him, and neceſſary Food and Raiment are gratis given him, while he continued in it. But if he require any thing extraordinary, over and above the common allowance of the Convent, as ſome do, then this is to be Furniſhed at his own proper Charge, yet he is never permit⯑ted to go out of the bounds of the Convent, until he leave it for good and all. If any one die in the Convent, he is to leave all his Goods to it, and while he lives in it, he is to obey his Superior in all things which concern their Rules, but no further: For if any Su⯑perior ſhould command one of the Regulars to Eat only Roots, while others fare Deli⯑ciouſly, [190] he may refuſe to obey him: But this is a Caſe that has never happen'd.

Thus all Religious Rites and Ceremonies, are Adminiſtred by one High-prieſt, by ſome Sacrificators, and ſome that are Subordi⯑nate to them, and by Regular and Secular Prieſts. But becauſe all that has been hi⯑therto ſaid, relates only to the Worſhip of their God, we ſhall now add ſomething con⯑cerning the way of Worſhipping the Sun, Moon and Stars, which are their Ancient Viſible Deities.

CHAP. VIII. Concerning the Worſhip of the Sun, Moon and Stars.

MOreover the God of Formoſa ſaid un⯑to Pſalmazaaraar, it ſhall not be Lawful for you on common days to invoke or worſhip me, but only the Sun, Moon and 10 Stars, which I have appointed Governors to Rule the World, and to provide all things neceſſary for you, and ye ſhall Sacrifice the ſame Beaſts to them as ye do to me, but none of your Infants ſhall be offered up in Sacrifice to them, for this is my peculiar [691] Worſhip, which belongs to me only: And after this manner ye ſhall Worſhip and a⯑dore them.

In the Morning, at the firſt hour, at leaſt on the common days, ye ſhall riſe up, and throw Water thrice upon your Head, and then ye ſhall aſcend to the Roof of your Houſe, and there ye ſhall adore the Sun and 5 Stars, and pray to them, not for any thing in particular, but only in general, that they would grant you ſuch things as they know to be neceſſary for you, and return them thanks for the Favours ye have formerly Receiv'd from them. And in the night time, at the firſt hour ye ſhall Worſhip the Moon and the other five Stars, after the ſame manner. For ye muſt know that the Sun is the firſt and moſt ex⯑cellent Creature, which I have Created to govern you, and to him I have given power of conferring Benefits upon you, according as you deſerve well of me and him. The Moon I have plac'd in the next degree be⯑low him, and the 10 Stars likewiſe in their proper Places, as being Inferior to the o⯑ther two. But if ye neglect to Worſhip them, I have given them power not only to keep back the good things they can be⯑ſtow, but alſo to do you miſchief, by afflic⯑ting your Bodies with Grievous diſeaſes, by deſtroying the Fruits of your Ground, [192] and Poyſoning the Air you Breath with Peſtilential Vapors: And therefore ye ſhall account it your daily Duty, on the common days to Worſhip and Adore them, after the manner afore preſcribed: Moreover ye ſhall obſerve three Feſtivals in the Year, one to the honour of the Sun, another to the honour of the Moon, and a Third to the honour of the 10 Stars. The Firſt ſhall be in the Firſt week of the Second Month called Damen, and ſhall laſt from the Third until the Ninth day of the week. The Second ſhall be in the Firſt week of the 5th. Month called Dattibes, and ſhall laſt from the Third unto the 9th. day of the week. The 2d, ſhall be in the Third week of the 8th. Month called Koriam, and ſhall laſt from the 5th. to the 9th. day of the week.

Ye ſhall make choice of a Mountain on which ye ſhall build three Alters, one to the honour of the Sun, another to the honour of the Moon, and the 3d. to the honour of the 10 Stars. Every City ſhall chooſe ſuch a Mountain to it ſelf, in ſome place near adjoyning, in which all the Citizens and Country-men ſhall meet together on the Firſt and laſt day of their Feſtival, and there ye ſhall Sacrifice the ſame Number of Beaſts as ye do to me. Ye ſhall not Eat of the Fleſh of them, but conſume it wholly in the [193] Fire, and every one ſhall carry home with him part of the Aſhes. During all theſe Feſtival days ye ſhall not Work at your ordinary Trades; but after the Sacrifice is ended, ye may uſe any lawful Recreation. The Sacrifice ſhall begin at the 2d. hour in the Morning, and ſhall laſt until the 6th: But at night, every Family, ſhall Worſhip on the Top of their Houſe, as they uſe to do on the common days, the Sun, Moon and Stars, at leaſt all of them together. On the days between the firſt and laſt of the Feſti⯑val ye ſhall go to the Mountain, not to of⯑fer Sacrifice there, but for Adoration, and then ye ſhall Sing and Play upon Inſtru⯑ments of Muſick. The High Prieſt ſhall take care to appoint other Prieſts to do Sa⯑crifice to them, they are employ'd to offer Sacrifice to me; And theſe Prieſts ſhall have leave to keep 2 Wives and no more.

Theſe Rules of worſhip Pſalmanaazaar delivered as from our God to the People, whereupon the Citizens of every City built 3 Altars upon a Mountain, after the fa⯑ſhion repreſented in the following Figure.

CHAP. IX. Of the Poſtures of the Body in Adoring.

THE Formoſans in Adoring God, uſe various Poſtures of Body according to the ſeveral Parts of Religious Worſhip they are performing: For 1ſt, When the Jarha⯑badiond is publickly read in their Temples, every one of them, at leaſt if he be capa⯑ble of doing it, bends a little the right Knee, and lifts up the right Hand towards Heaven. 2. When Thanks are given to God, then all of them fall proſtrate on the Ground. 3. After the Thankſgiving, when they Sing Songs or Hymns, they are to ſtand up with their Hands joyn'd together. 4. When Prayers are made for the Sanctification of the Sacrifices, then every one bends the left Knee, and ſtretches out his Arms wide open. But when the Victims are a ſlaying, every one may ſit upon the ground (for they have no Seats or Pews, ſuch as you uſe here in England) only the Richer ſort have a Cu⯑ſhion to ſit on; while the Fleſh is a boyling, every one ſtands with his Hands joyn'd to⯑gether, looking towards the upper Part of the Tabernacle. After the Fleſh is boyl'd, [196] every one of the People takes a piece of the Fleſh from the Prieſt and eats it, and what remains, the Prieſts keep for themſelves.

When all theſe Ceremonies are ended, the Tabernacle is opened, and then every one for ſometime lies proſtrate on the ground to adore; and after they riſe up, they may look upon their God, and if he appears in the ſhape of an Ox, or ſuch-like tame Beaſt, then they leap for Joy, becauſe they believe that God is well-pleas'd with them: But if he appears in the ſhape of a Lyon, then they think ſome Great Crime has been commit⯑ted, whereby God is much offended, and therefore they endeavour by New Sacrifices to appeaſe him. After the Tabernacle is open'd and every one has ador'd, then there is a Sermon, and while that laſts, the People ſtand; and after Sermon, there is a ſhort Prayer, and then a Thanſgiving; after which the people bow down their Body, and touch the ground with the fore-finger of their right Hand, and then depart.

When the Sun, Moon and Stars, are ador'd upon the Mountain, then they bend the right Knee, and hold up the right Hand toward Heaven; when that Chapter of Jar⯑habadiond is read, wherein our God com⯑mands them to Worſhip, the ſame poſture of Body is obſerv'd in their Songs and Hymns, they ſtand with their Hands joyn'd [197] together. In their Prayers they bend the left Knee and ſtretch out their Arms. At their Thanſgiving the People ſtand, looking to⯑wards Heaven with their Arms extended and wide open; and the ſame poſture they uſe on their common Days, when they wor⯑ſhip the Sun and the 5 Stars; but at Night when they worſhip the Moon and the 5 Stars, they ſtand with their Hands joyn'd together. And this is all that is remarkable, as to the ſeveral poſtures of Body they uſe in their Religious Worſhip.

CHAP. X. Of the Ceremonies that are obſerv'd at the Birth of Children.

BY the Command of our God, the fol⯑lowing Ceremonies are obſerv'd at the Birth of Children. 1ſt, When the Mother feels the time of Birth approaching, ſhe ought to offer Sacrifices to the 10 Stars, more or leſs precious according to her Ability. After ſhe is brought to Bed of a Child, ſhe is to keep the Infant until the 1ſt Day of the Week, and on that Day ſhe is to waſh her [198] ſelf and the Infant, and go unto the Tem⯑ple with her Husband, and to carry the In⯑fant with her, and there to offer a Sacrifice to our God. Then Prayers are made for the Infant, and thanks are return'd for her ſafe delivery: Then the Mother and Father do ſolemnly promiſe, that they ſhall be rea⯑dy to deliver up the Child, (if it be a Son and not the firſt-born) to be Sacrific'd to the Honour of God, whenſoever it ſhall be call'd for. Then a ſmall fire being kindled of ſtraw, the chief Sacrificator takes the Child, and makes it paſs through the flame 12 times; after which there comes another Prieſt, and anoints the Child's skin with Oyl, leaſt it ſhould ſuffer any prejudice by the flame. All theſe things being ended, the Mother takes the Child, and the Prieſt hav⯑ing read the Thankſgiving, ſhe returns Home with it; where it is uſual upon ſuch occaſions, for the Father and Mother to make an Entertainment for their Kindred, Friends, and ſome of the Prieſts.

When the Child arrives at 9 Years of Age, then the Child is to go on a Feſtival Day unto the Temple with its Father and Mother, and there to make a Vow unto God, that ſince he was pleas'd not to deſire him for a Sacrifice, he will faithfully obſerve whatſoever is commanded him in Jarhaba⯑diond: And the Father and Mother do pro⯑miſe [199] on their part, that they will do what⯑ever lies in their Power for the Honour of our God. And then the Prieſt reads a Prayer and Thanſgiving, and they all return Home. The 1ſt Ceremony is call'd Abda⯑lain, or the Purification; the 2d is call'd Blado, or the Vow.

But here it is to be Noted, that tho we uſe this Ceremony of Purification, yet we do it not upon the account of any Original Sin in the Infant, which we are altogether Ignorant of: And yet becauſe our God has commanded this Purification to be us'd, ſome of them believe that it is for the Corruption of our Nature; and others that it is for the Sins of our Anceſtors, and chiefly of our Father and Mother: For we think that God Created this World in time, and re⯑pleniſh'd it with Men; but we believe that God did not Create Mankind in the ſame Corrupt State in which it now is, but that Men by degrees Corrupted themſelves, and that they do daily more and more degene⯑rate from their Primitive State, as we find too plainly by experience. This is no Arti⯑cle of our Faith, but only the Opinion of ſome concerning the Creation of the World, and the State of the 1ſt Men Created by God: But our Scripture makes no menti⯑on of theſe things.

CHAP. XI. Of our Marriage, or Groutacho.

Since our God requires the Hearts of ſo many young Boys to be offered up in Sa⯑crifice, therefore leſt the whole Race of Man⯑kind, ſhould by degrees be extirpated, he has permitted the Men, at leaſt thoſe of the Lai⯑ty, to keep more Wives than one: And ſo ſome of them have 3, 4, 5, 6, or more Wives, every one according to his Eſtate, whereby he is able to maintain a greater or leſſer number; but if any one takes more Wives then his means will maintain, he is to be beheaded: And therefore to prevent this, before any one Marries a Wife, he is to be examin'd whether he has ſufficient means to maintain her: Thus they may have many Wives, that they may beget many Chil⯑dren every Year; of whom ſome of the Sons are Sacrific'd, but the Daughters are all preſerv'd for Matrimony, as will appear more fully hereafter.

In the mean time this is well worthy to be obſerv'd, that neither the Brother can Marry his Siſter, nor the Brother's Son his own Brother's Daughter; all Marriage [201] within theſe 2 degrees of Conſanguinity (but not within the other degrees) being ſo abſolutely forbidden, that the High Prieſt himſelf cannot diſpenſe with it.

Whenever therefore a Man has a mind to take a Wife, whether he has one or more Wives before or no, he is firſt to agree with the Father and Mother for their good will, and then to get the conſent of the Daughter. After this, before he is Married, he is to make known his deſign to the Sacrificator, who is to enquire whether he has ſufficient means to maintain this Wife he intends to Marry: And if he has, then all the Friends and Relations are call'd together, and the Bridegroom and Bride come along with them to the Gate of the Temple, where they are met by a Prieſt, or the chief Sacrificator, who asks them, what they deſire to have done; to which the Bridegroom and Bride anſwer, they deſire to be joyn'd together in Matrimony, after which anſwer they are permitted [...] [...]nter into the Temple. The reaſon why they are thus interrogated be⯑fore their Admiſſion is this, becauſe no Man may enter into the Temple with any Wo⯑man but his Wife, except at the time when he is to be Married. Being thus introduc'd into the Temple in order to their M [...]r [...]e, which is always to be Celebrated on a [...] ⯑ple Feſtival-Day, viz. On the 2d Day [...] [...]e [202] Month, they are firſt to ſay their Prayers, and then to offer Sacrifice; after which the Husband promiſes to be faithful to his Wife, i. e. That he will know no other Woman beſides thoſe to whom he is joyn'd in Ma⯑trimony, that he will exerciſe no Tyranny over this Woman, nor do any thing to her contrary to the Law of Nature, of God, or of Man, &c. Likewiſe the Wife pro⯑miſes to be faithful to her Husband, that ſhe will know no other Man beſides him, that ſhe will be obedient to him in all things, &c. Then they are both to ſwear be⯑fore their God, the Sun, Moon and Stars, that they will faithfully keep this Promiſe, and to imprecate the Divine Vengeance if they ſhall break this ſolemn Vow. Then Prayers are ſaid for them, after which they return Home with all their Company; at which time it is Cuſtomary to make a great Feaſt for them, according to the Eſtate of the Bridegroom. Theſe things concern the Ceremony of Marrying, but as to other things relating to a Married State, they ſhall be mention'd in their proper Places.

CHAP. XII. Of the Ceremonies towards the Dead.

THE ſame Ceremonies are obſerv'd towards every one that is Dead, whe⯑ther it be a Man or a Woman.

In the firſt place, many Prayers are put up and Sacrifices offer'd for the ſick Perſon: But after Death, the Dead Body is to be kept 32 Hours, and to be anointed with Oyl, whether it be to be burnt by Day or by Night. After this, a little while before the Hour wherein it is to be burnt, all the Friends and Relations of the Decas'd are ſent for, and in their preſence the Dead Bo⯑dy is plac'd in a Coffin, which Coffin is plac'd upon a Table: And then all the Com⯑pany that had been invited, ſit down at this Table which is furniſh'd with all ſorts of Meat, of which they eat freely. At laſt, when the Hour is come that the Body muſt be carried away to the place of Burial, then come the Prieſts both Regular and Secular, and the Players upon Muſical Inſtruments, and the Mourners, i. e. thoſe who Act the Part of Mourners for Money; And all theſe being come, the Coffin is laid upon a Litter [204] carried by 2 Elephants: All which may be better underſtood by the Figure here an⯑nex'd. But it is to be remark'd, that in the Deſcription we have given of the Funeral Rites, we ſuppoſe the Perſon Deceas'd to die Rich; for as to others, the Poorer they are, the fewer Ceremonies are obſerv'd at their Funeral. Suppoſing therefore that the Perſon Deceas'd was Rich, after all the aforeſaid Ceremonies are ended, which are to be obſerv'd at Home, then all the Com⯑pany which ought to be preſent at the Fu⯑nerals, meet together in the Houſe of the Deceas'd, and having plac'd the Dead Body in a Litter, they walk from the Houſe to the place where the Body is burnt in this order: Firſt, one of the Officers of the City leads the Van, carrying the banner of the Deceas'd, then follow ſeveral Players upon Inſtruments making a doleful noiſe: After them (if the Perſon Deceas'd be a Noble⯑man, but not elſe) follow the Souldiers who are to guard the Body, whereof ſome are Arm'd with Lances, ſome with Bows and Arrows, and others walk with naked Swords in their Hands: After them follow the Re⯑gulars, before whom goes the Officer of the Convent, carrying the Arms of God and of the Abby; after him follows the Monks, and laſt of all comes the Abbot. After them come the Secular Prieſts, and before them [205] the Officer of the Pariſh Walks, carrying the Enſigns of God and of the Temple, then come all the common Prieſts, and after them the Sacrificator of the Sun, and then of the Moon and of the 10 Stars; after them come the Sacrificators of our God, and laſt of all the Chief Sacrificator with his Servants attending him: As to the High-Prieſt, he never uſes to be preſent at any Funeral, but when a King or a Vice-Roy are Dead; but after the Chief Sacrificator follow the Prieſts, and then come the Chari⯑ots full of Beaſts for Sacrifice, which are car⯑ried by Elephants or Camels: After them come the Mourners who walk before the Dead Body, which is carried in a black Lit⯑ter like yours, (ſaving that the middle is rais'd up to a point like the top of a Turret,) by 2 Elephants, the firſt whereof, that which goes before the Corps, is cover'd all over with black Cloth, ſo that nothing of it is to be ſeen but the Head; and on the Cloth, are faſten'd the Coats of Arms of all the Ance⯑ſtors of the Deceaſed, as his Grand-Fathers, Great Grand-Fathers, and his Parents, all which are diſtinctly plac'd; And laſtly, af⯑ter the Litter, follow firſt the Parents and Kindred, and then the Friends of the De⯑ceaſed. Now when all this Company is come to the place where the Dead Body is to be burnt, then the Prieſts Regular and [206] Secular are to pray for the purification of the Sacrifices: After this the Beaſts are ſlain and burnt, upon an Altar which is built there upon this occaſion, and the aſhes of the burnt Sacrifices, are thrown upon the Pile of Wood, in which the Dead Body is to be burnt; and after the Coffin containing the Dead Body is plac'd upon the Pile, the fire is put to it, which burns till all is conſum'd to aſhes; and then the aſhes are buried in a place under ground, near the place where the Pile of wood ſtood. And thus the whole Ceremony is ended, and all the Company having Saluted one another return Home.

CHAP. XIII. Of our Opinion concerning the State of Souls after Death.

SInce our Scripture or the Book, which they call Jarhabadiond, promiſes great happineſs after this Life, to thoſe who have liv'd according to the Natural, Divine and Human Laws, but ſays nothing expreſly of the State of Souls after Death, hence we are divided into various Opinions about it. []

[207] The Tranſmigration of Souls is generally believ'd by all of them, which appears to have been the common and ancient Opinion of almoſt all Pagans; but as to the manner of this Tranſmigration we differ: For ſome believe that the Soul after Death, paſſes into the Body of ſome Beaſt, either wild or tame, ſome that it paſſes into the Body of another Man, either Poor or Rich, Happy or Miſerable, according to its behaviour in the former body good or bad, and ſo it conti⯑nues to paſs out of the body of one Beaſt into another, or of one Man into another, in endleſs circuits of happineſs and miſery. Others have more ſublime Notions of a de⯑parted Soul, for they believe that the Soul which is to be rewarded with Happineſs af⯑ter this Life, ſhall at laſt be transform'd into a Star, and then being plac'd in Heaven, it ſhall enjoy all imaginable Happineſs, which will conſiſt in the viſion and fruition of our God: But becauſe the Sins of ſuch a Soul deſign'd for this Happineſs, which have been committed in this Life, are not always fully and perfectly blotted out before Death, but only cover'd, by the Sacrifices that have been offer'd for them; therefore they appoint a certain place, in which the Soul, before it arrives at this Happineſs, may do penance for its Sins, which place they think to be the bodies of ſome Beaſts: And for this reaſon, [208] they believe that God forbids the uſe of theſe Beaſts for Food, and will not ſuffer them to be kill'd, but only for Sacrifices, viz. Oxen, Rams, Elephants, Harts, Goats, Doves, Dogs, Horſes, Camels, &c. All which Beaſts are forbidden to be ſlain by any one, but only for Sacrifices; and if any of them die of themſelves, then they are Buried after their Death, leaſt they ſhould be devour'd by wild Beaſts. They believe therefore, that theſe Souls deſign'd for Happineſs, ſhall remain in the bodies of Beaſts, until they have done penance for the Sins committed in their former bodies; But after ſuch a Beaſt dies of it ſelf, or is offer'd in Sacrifice to our God, then they believe that the Soul which was in it, ſhall be transform'd into a Star in Heaven, where it ſhall enjoy eternal Happineſs.

But all this ſeems to me to be a fiction in⯑vented by our Prieſts, becauſe they reap great profit and advantage by it; for when any one dies, the Relations of the Deceaſed, are to pay them a great Summ of Money, more or leſs, according to their Ability, which they promiſe to convey to the Soul under penance: For they perſwade the Peo⯑ple, that the Souls under penance ſtand in need of Money, which none know how to tranſmit to them but themſelves: And be⯑ſides, they receive as much Money for the [209] Prayers and Sacrifices, that are offer'd for theſe Souls while they continue in a State of penance.

As for the damn'd Souls, they determine nothing for a certain truth, but are divided into various Opinions. For ſome think that theſe Souls ſhall inform the Bodies of evil Beaſts, as they call the Lyons, Wolfs, Ti⯑gers, Apes, Cats, Swine, Serpents, and other ſuch like Beaſts. Others believe that they are in a manner annihilated, after they de⯑part out of the Body of a Man: But the more common Opinion is that of thoſe, who believe that they wander eternally in the Air, and that God Creates in them ſuch a pain for the loſs of their Happineſs, and ſuch a ſhame for the Sins they have committed, as fills them with a grief too great for Human Nature to bear. And theſe damn'd Souls they believe to be, what here in Europe you call Devils, and there they call os Pagoſtos: And therefore they offer Sacrifices to theſe evil Spirits, becauſe they believe that theſe Sacrifices give them ſome eaſe of their pain, and ſo hinder them from doing themſelves a miſchief.

CHAP. XIV. Of the Prieſtly Garments.

THE Prieſts were formerly left at their liberty to wear any kind of Garments they pleas'd, provided they were ſuch as would diſtinguiſh them from the Laity: But now they have different kinds of Garments, every one according to their ſeveral Offices; which Cuſtom is never any more to be al⯑ter'd. What theſe Garments are may appear by the following deſcription of them.

The High Prieſt has a Sky-colour'd Mitre, the lower part of which is ſhap'd like a Crown, and is placd upon a Bonnet; the Hair of his Head is ſhort, and of his Beard long; he wears a little Cloak of a Sky-colour, which is round before, tapering be⯑hind, and reaches down only to the Elbow. He wears alſo a long Cloak like a Gown, which hath ſleeves open in the middle thro' which he puts his Arms, and that alſo is of a Sky-colour. Under this Cloak there is a Cloth of a Violet-colour, which hangs down before and behind, and alſo a white Tunick. His ſtockins are ſuch as are commonly worn, but he has no breeches. He wears ſhoes [211] like Sandals, ſuch as are commonly us'd by the Capuchines in the Romiſh Church. He carries an Iron-Rod in his Hand, being a Cubit long, having a round Head on which his Coat of Arms is Engraven.

The chief Sacrificator has alſo a Mitre upon his Bonnet, but no ſhape of a Crown, and from the round part of the Bonnet there hangs a Cloth which reaches down to the ground: He has alſo a long Gown which is tied about with a Girdle. The Mitre is of a Sky-colour, ſignifying his dignity, and the Bonnet of a Red-colour, ſignifying his Of⯑fice of Sacrificator. The Cloth which hangs down from his Bonnet is of a Sky-colour, and his Gown is Red: He always carries a Sword in his Hand, in token of his bloody Office; his ſhoes and ſtockens are like thoſe of the High-Prieſt, and his Girdle is uſually of a White-colour.

The common Sacrificator of our God, has a ſharp-pointed Bonnet of a Red-colour, bending a little downward behind: He wears a Cloak like that of the High-Prieſt, but of a Red-colour, and it is ſo ſhort be⯑fore, that it covers only the Knee; but be⯑hind, it hangs down to the ground: He has alſo a Red Gown under his Cloak.

[212]The Sacrificators of the Sun, Moon and 10 Stars, have the ſame Garments, but of a different colour. The Sacrificator of the Sun, has a white Bonnet with the figure of the Sun on the top of it: He wears alſo a red Cloak and a white Tunick. The Sa⯑crificator of the Moon has a white Bonnet, and the figure of the Moon for diſtinction upon the top of it, a white Cloak and a red Gown. The Sacrificator of the 10 Stars, has the figure of them upon a white Bonnet, and behind, there is a ſhort piece of Cloth hanging down from the Bonnet, he wears a red Cloak with a white Sleeve, and a white Tunick. All Sacrificators carry a Sword in their Hand.

The common Prieſts have a kind of a Bonnet, upon which there is a ſhort Mitre, ſhorter behind then before: They wear a long Gown of a white colour, whoſe Sleeves are long and broad; they do not tye their Gown with a Girdle, but they have a ſhort Tunick under it made of Cotton.

The Officers or Servants belonging to the Temples, have alſo a habit diſtinct from the Laity, for they wear a Bonnet different from the common People, a black Gown, and a black Rod about a Cubit long; and at all the common Meetings they carry the Arms of the Pariſh, and of Religion like a Ban⯑ner.

[213]The Regular Prieſts wear the like Gar⯑ments with the Secular, but they are of a different colour, according to their ſeveral Abbies. They have a ſharp-pointed Cowle upon their Head; they ſhave the hair of their Head often, but never their Beard: They have a long Tunick, and over it a ſhort one, but both of them are cloſe: The ſleeve of their upper Gown, which is ſhort, but large, uſually hangs down low. Their ſtockens and ſhoes are like thoſe of other Prieſts. Their Superior at publick Meetings has a Mitre upon his Head, and his Cowle hangs down behind: Beſides, he has a little ſhort Cloak like that of the High-Prieſts, but it is of a Violet-colour; and a Violet-colour'd Cloth hanging down before and behind, and a long Tunick of a white-colour, and laſtly a long Cloak between the Tunick and the little Cloak, which uſually is of Divers Colours: He ought to have a long Beard and ſhort Hair on his Head, he carries an iron-rod in his Hand like the High-Prieſt; his ſhoes and breeches are like the reſt of the Regulars: But when he is in the Abby, he wears the ſame kind of Cloaths as the other Monks.

The Servants of the Abby are Cloth'd af⯑ter the ſame manner, as the Servants of the Temple, except as to the Bonnet, which is ſuch a Bonnet as the Boys wear here in Lon⯑don; [214] their other Garments are diſtinguiſh'd only by their Colours. And this is all that occurs to me at preſent, as to their Habits and Religion.

All which habits may be ſeen in the Figure of their Funerals, where all theſe habits of the Prieſts are exactly repreſented.

CHAP. XV. Concerning their Manners and Cuſtoms.

'TIS certain that the Manners of the Formoſans, are not ſo Corrupt as the People are in other Places; and the reaſon is, becauſe they are ſtrictly oblig'd to ob⯑ſerve the Laws of their Policy and Religion under ſevere Penalties, with which the Laws are enforc'd againſt the Commiſſion of any Villany or Impiety; ſo that none dare to violate them, being reſtrain'd by the dread of their Penalties, which are certainly and impartially Executed.

They have divers Cuſtoms which will pleaſe ſome, and diſpleaſe others: For firſt, 'tis cuſtomary with them to adore the Em⯑peror as a God: He never ſets his Foot upon [215] the ground, nor ſuffers the Sun to ſhine upon his Face. None but Noblemen are permit⯑ted to Viſit him, nor are the Inferior People admitted to ſee him, except at the Great Fe⯑ſtivals, which are but 3 in a Year; and then he ſhows himſelf to all the People: But firſt, they are to bend their Knees and fall proſtrate on the ground, and adore him: After they have done this, they may riſe up and look upon him.

They Salute the Kings by bending their Knee, joyning their Hands and bowing their Head. They Salute the Vice-Roys alſo by bending one Knee, (viz. The Left, if he be the Vice-Roy of a Foreign King, and the Right if he be Vice-Roy of one of his own Kings) and alſo by carrying his Right Hand from his Head down to the ground.

They Salute an High-Prieſt as they do a King, and the chief Sacrificators as they do Vice-Roys. The Noblemen and Prieſts are Saluted by carrying the Hand from the Head down to the ſhoe, and by bowing the Head. One Friend Salutes another by kiſſing both his Hands, and joyning them with his Friends. Superiors do not Salute an Infe⯑rior, but by a nod of their Head they ſig⯑nify, that they have ſeen him Saluting them. Servants Salute their Maſters, by carrying their Hand from their Mouth down to the ground, and falling proſtrate on their Face. [216] Wives do Salute, and are Saluted after the ſame manner as their Husbands. In ſpeak⯑ing to Noblemen, they uſe not any particu⯑lar diſtinct Language as the Chineſe do, nor any Circum-locutions, or different way of Conſtruction from what is us'd to Inferior Perſons, but calling them by their Title; and in ſpeaking to them, and even to the Empe⯑ror himſelf, they make uſe of the ſecond Perſon of the ſingular Number: And this is the Cuſtomary way of ſpeaking to Great Men, which is obſerv'd in all Japan.

No Converſation is allow'd between any Man and another Man's Wife, nor between a Batchelor and a Maid, but in the greateſt Feaſts and Diverſions every one keeps among thoſe of their own Family, the Wives with their own Husband, the Sons and Daughters with their Father and Mother; for if any Man ſhould ſee one Man with another's Wife, or a Maid with a Batchelor that is a ſtranger, he would certainly account them Adulterers.

Suppoſing that a Man has 6 Wives, each Wife has a private Chamber for her ſelf, in which ſhe lives with her own Sons and Daughters, and takes pains in ſome kind of work, and when the hour of Dinner or Sup⯑per comes, a Servant goes and knocks at their Doors; and then they come out of their Chambers into the Parlour where they [217] are to eat. After Dinner, they may walk for ſometime with their Husband in the Gar⯑den, and then every one of them returns to her own Chamber again, and continues there until the time of Supper; only ſometimes they are allow'd to meet, and drink toge⯑ther, ſuch Liquors as Thee, Chila, &c. Aſſoon as the hour of Supper is come, then a Ser⯑vant goes and calls them all, and they come to Supper. After Supper they walk, and divert themſelves with Dancing, Singing, or telling old Stories, or any ſuch like Recrea⯑tion. At laſt, at the third hour of the Night (which is the 9th hour here in England) every one of them goes to her own Cham⯑ber, and the Husband ſends for one of them whom he has a mind to lye with that Night; and in the Day-time he ſometimes Viſits one of them, ſometimes another, according to his fancy. This kind of Life is ſweet and pleaſant enough, as long as every one of them is of an agreeable humor; but if the Husband begins to love one Wife more then another, then ariſes Envy and Emulation againſt that Woman whom he loves moſt, and hence ſtrife and diſcord is ſpread thro' the whole Family: But when the Hus⯑band is civil and diſcreet, and imparts to each of them an equal ſhare of his good will and friendſhip, then all the Wives en⯑deavour to pleaſe him in all things, and the [218] Houſe is like a Paradiſe, by their good agree⯑ment, and dutiful care of their Husband. The Women employ themſelves in ſome kind of work proper for them, in teaching and taking care of their Children: And ſometimes they Viſit one another, or ſpend their time in Innocent Recreations. And while they continue dutiful and peaceable, they may have any thing of their Husbands that they deſire: Who always Marry them when they are very young, viz. Between 10 and 15 Years of Age, that they may the more eaſily bend them to comply with their humor. Every Wife takes care of her own Children; but if one die and leave Children behind her, then the Husband Marries ano⯑ther and commits the care of them to her.

This Prerogative is granted to the firſt Wife above all the reſt: That ſhe is to take care of the Family, and is not ſo much ſub⯑ject to the Husband as the others are; for the other Wives cannot go out of the Houſe, unleſs the Husband be with them, but the firſt Wife may. Beſides, her firſt Son is ne⯑ver to be Sacrific'd, but is the Heir of the Fa⯑mily, as we ſhall ſhow hereafter; and when the Husband dies, the firſt Wife governs the Family, and the reſt are ſubject to her. And this Cuſtom prevails alſo among the Japan⯑ners, but with this difference: That the Ja⯑pan Women after the Death of their Hus⯑band [219] may Marry again, but the Formoſan cannot; the former receives ſome Portion of their Father's Eſtate, but the latter do not.

When any Man has a mind to Marry a Maid, with whom he is in love, he muſt firſt acquaint the Father and Mother with his deſign, and diſcover to them what Eſtate he has, &c. And if the Father and Mother conſent to give him their Daughter in Mar⯑riage, then he is permitted to ſpeak to the Daughter, but never before: Neither then is he allow'd to converſe with her in private, but only in the preſence of the Father or Mo⯑ther, or one of the Maids Kindred: And if the Daughter conſent, then the Father and Mother preſent him with ſome Gift of ſmall Value, as a Ring, ſome Clothes, or the like, but they give him no Portion out of the Fa⯑ther's Eſtate with her.

The firſt Born Son of the firſt Wife, as has been already noted, is not to be Sacri⯑fic'd, and is the Heir of the Family: Now the Right of Inheritance conſiſts in this, that he receives one half of the Eſtate after the Father's Death: But the Brethren di⯑vide the other half among them; and if any one of them will Marry a Wife before the Death of the Father, then the Wife whom he Marries, continues in the Hus⯑band's Family until the Father be Dead, and then the Eſtate is divided, and each Brother [220] takes his ſhare of it, and lives by himſelf.

'Tis Cuſtomary on Solemn Days, between the firſt and laſt Day of a Feſtival, for all ſorts of People, to Feaſt their Relations and Friends, as they uſe to do at Births, Mar⯑riages and Burials, which has been already obſerv'd.

The Poor are not ſuffer'd to beg in the Iſle Formoſa, but every Precinct has ſome Publick Houſe, wherein they keep all their Poor, who are Fed and Cloth'd at the Charge of the whole Precinct; and thoſe of them who are able, are put to Work and Labour, but others who are diſabled by Age or Sickneſs, are maintain'd Gratis. This Publick Houſe is call'd the Houſe of God for the Poor, or in the Language of the Na⯑tives, Caa tuen pagot ack chabis-collinos. If any ſtranger, who comes from ſome other Iſland of the Japan Empire, happens to want ſubſiſtence while he is Travelling thro' the Country, he is furniſh'd with neceſſaries in every City and Village that he paſſes thro' at the expence of the publick.

They have alſo Taverns and Victualling-Houſes, which Men frequent for Eating and Drinking, Smoking and Playing, &c. But no Woman muſt come into any of theſe Publick Houſes.

[221]All Japanners were wont to be very curi⯑ous to ſee ſtrangers, and to entertain them very civilly; but ever ſince the great ſlaugh⯑ter was made of the Chriſtians that were there, they hate all ſtrangers that come into their Country, unleſs they come from ſome other Iſland of Japan, as will appear more fully hereafter.

CHAP. XVI. A Deſcription of the Men in Formoſa.

ALtho' the Country be very hot, yet the Men in all Formoſa are very fair, at leaſt thoſe who can live upon their Means; but the Country People, Servants, and others, who are expos'd to the heat of the Sun, and are forc'd to work in the open Air all Day, are very much tawn'd by the burning heat. The Men of Eſtates, but eſpecially the Wo⯑men, are very fair; for they during the hot ſeaſon, live under ground in places that are very cold: They have alſo Gardens and Groves in them ſo thick ſet with Trees, that the Sun cannot penetrate thro' them; and they have Tents which they uſe to ſprinkle with water, ſo that the heat can do them no [222] hurt: And hence it comes to paſs, that altho the Formoſans live in a hotter Country than the Engliſh, yet they cannot ſo well endure heat.

They uſe Diſtill'd Waters, not only to waſh themſelves, but alſo to remove any ſpeck upon the skin, which is not rooted in the fleſh: And this is one means which makes them ſo fair.

And here I muſt not omit to give ſome account of a Controverſie, between the Chi⯑neſe and Japanneſe on the one ſide, and the Natives of Formoſa on the other, relating to the Cuſtoms of theſe Countries. Ye muſt know then that the Chineſe and Japanneſe make their Teeth artificially black, but the Formoſans preſerve theirs white. The Jap⯑paneſe plead for their Cuſtom, that all Beau⯑ty conſiſts in Variety of Colours, and there⯑fore as an Ethiopian is counted moſt Beauti⯑ful, who has a black Face and white Teeth; So the Beauty of the Natives in our Coun⯑try who have a fair Face, muſt conſiſt in having black Teeth. But the Formoſans granting this argument, anſwer for them⯑ſelves, that Beauty may conſiſt in ſome things, which cannot be had: Thus it would be Beautiful to have black Eyes, which yet cannot be made ſo, and therefore, ſay they, nothing artificial ought to be made uſe of, to make us appear otherwiſe than Nature has fram'd us.

[223]Hence the Reader may obſerve, that the Formoſans are alſo white and very fair, but chiefly the Women; and if we may believe the Proverb, Turkey and Japan breeds the faireſt Women in the World. The Formo⯑ſans, generally ſpeaking, are of a ſhort ſtature, but they make up in thickneſs what they want in tallneſs. They are commonly ſtrong-bodied Men and indefatigable in La⯑bour; they are very good Souldiers, and love War better then Peace. They are very kind and good-natur'd towards their Coun⯑trymen: Whom they love, they love ſo well, that they would loſe their Lives for them in a caſe of neceſſity; but whom they hate, they hate mortally, and uſually con⯑trive their Death in any way that's poſſible to them. They are very Induſtrious and Cunning, and quickly learn any thing they ſee done before them. They abhor all falſe⯑hood and lying, and therefore they have no value for Merchants, becauſe they uſe many lies to commend their Wares, and put them off at a better Price.

CHAP. XVII. Of the Cloaths worn in Formoſa, by all Ranks of People.

THE Formoſans are certainly very curi⯑ous in their Cloaths, but they affect no new faſhions as the Europians do; wherefore they ſeem to be ſtill Cloathed according to their Ancient Cuſtom. In this they excel the Europeans, that the Qualities and Condi⯑tions of Men may be diſcern'd there by the diſtinction of their Habits, whereas here a Nobleman cannot be known from a Tradeſ⯑man by his Cloaths. The Habits of the Fomoſans are not much different from thoſe of the Jappanneſe, eſpecially as to the com⯑mon ſort of People; but the Kings and Vice-Roys, and Noblemen have different ſorts of Garbs. The great difference be⯑tween the Jappanneſe and Formaſans, conſiſts in this, that the Jappanneſe wear 2 or 3 Coats, which they tye about with a Girdle; but the Formoſans have only one Coat, and uſe no Girdle. They walk with their Breaſt open, and cover their Privy parts with a Plate tied about them made of Braſs, Gold, or Silver. The Jappanneſe alſo wear little []

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[225] light Bonnets, but the Formoſans uſe larger Bonnets, with a train hanging down to the ground, made of ſome light ſtuff, as Silk, Cotton, &c. And when they walk, they wrap it about their Arm.

We ſhall add no more about the Jappan⯑neſe, ſince our deſign is only to give an ac⯑count of the Iſle Formoſa: And ſeeing, as I have ſaid, the dignity and condition of every one may be diſcern'd by their different Ha⯑bits, I ſhall now briefly deſcribe them.

The King wears a ſhort Coat of Silk, which he ties with a moſt precious Girdle, and above that a long open Gown made of very coſtly Silk, wrought with Gold and Silver: He has a Scarf that hangs over the Right Shoulder, and reaches down to the left ſide, of Cloth of Gold or Silver curiouſly wrought with the Needle, which is the Badge of his Dignity. He wears alſo a Bonnet, from whoſe top the ſtuff hangs down to the ground, which Bonnet is en⯑compaſs'd with a kind of a Crown, that gli⯑ſters with precious Stones and Carbuncles. He has no Breeches, but his Knees are nak⯑ed; he wears ſtockens made of Silk, adorn'd with many Ribbons. His ſhoes, like thoſe of the Prieſts afore-mention'd, are a ſort of Sandals, but moſt curiouſly wrought. When he or any Nobleman Rides, then he wears Stockens and Breeches together in one piece, [226] and a little Bonnet. His Collar is made of Silk, but ſet with precious Stones; the Hair of his Head is ſhort, as is uſual thro' all Ja⯑pan, and his Beard is about a Thumb's length.

The Queen wears moſt Beautiful Gar⯑ments, that gliſter with precious Stones; ſhe has no ſuch Headgeer as the Women wear here in England, but ſomething made of Gold or Silver wrought with Silk, and ſo adorn'd with Diamonds, that it ſeems to be a Crown. Her Neck-cloth is made of ſome precious matter: Her Garments are very precious, curiouſly wrought with the Nee⯑dle, and long enough to reach down to her Heel; and the upper part of her ſleeve is ſo broad that it touches the ground, as does alſo her Manto which hangs down ſo low be⯑hind. Her ſhoes and ſtockens are like her Husband's, but of a leſs ſize, and have a higher Heel. She wears her Hair hanging down behind, over her Gown which is not wide, nor hath many plaits. She wears a Girdle tied about her body very precious.

The Sons are clad after the ſame manner as the Father; only inſtead of the ſhort Gown, they go with their Breaſts wide open, and have a half-girdle about their Loyns. They wear not a Bonnet until they be 9 Years old. The Daughters alſo are Cloath'd after the ſame manner as the Mother, except []

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[227] as to their Head-gear, for they wear nothing upon their Head, but a little Crown made of flowers, or the feathers of ſome Bird; and they have no Manto.

The Vice-Roy who had formerly been a King, is ſtill very ſplendid in his Cloaths. His Bonnet is very great and precious, both for the matter of it, and the Curioſity of the Workmanſhip, and it is adorn'd with preci⯑ous Stones; the Hair of his Head, and his Beard is ſhort; his Collar is of black Silk finely wrought with Silver. He wears a ſhort Coat of white Silk, which is tied about with a precious Girdle, and over that a long Gown open and wide; he has alſo a Scarf like the King, which hangs on the right-ſhoulder down to the left-ſide; and laſtly, over his ſhoulders he has a little Cloak made of red and black Silk; his Veſt is lin'd with the skin of ſome Tyger or Leo⯑pard; he has no breeches, but only ſtockens, and his ſhoes are like thoſe afore-menti⯑on'd.

The Vice-Roys Queen is Dreſs'd much after the ſame manner as the Queen, ſaving that the Queen has a Coyff, ſuch as above-deſcrib'd; but the Vice-Roy's Queen, wears only her own Hair adorn'd with Silk and Ribbons: Her Gown is made after the ſame faſhion as the Queen's; but her Manto is different in this, that the Queen's Manto [228] hangs down behind only from her ſhoul⯑ders; but that of the Vice-Roy's Queen is like a large Morning-Gown, which is worn here in England: Only it wants ſleeves, and is lin'd with ſome Beautiful skin. The Vice-Roy's Son has 2 Coats, a ſhort one and ano⯑ther long; but the ſhorter one is uppermoſt, and comes down only to the Knee: His Daughters are clad after the ſame manner as the Mother, ſaving that they have no Man⯑to.

The Noblemen wear the ſame Coats as the Vice-Roy, but with this difference, that the Vice-Roy has no Girdle about his long Coat, which the Noblemen have: They wear a Scarf of Silk from the right-ſhoulder to the left-ſide, but their Bonnet is like that of the Citizens.

The Carillan, or Chief-General, has a Bon⯑net like the Vice-Roys, but not ſo Great: In the fore-part it is adorn'd with a Diamond and Precious Stones: His Collar is of Silk, which encompaſſes his Neck, but does not hang down. Inſtead of a Scarf, he has a ſhort Cloak of Silk, which covers only his ſhoulders; and a ſhort Tunick of Silk; his breeches and ſtockens are tied together; his ſhoes are like other Men's: And laſtly, he has a long and wide open Gown, like the Morning Gowns that are worn here, but much larger, whoſe ſleeves being open in []

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[229] the middle, he puts his Arms through, and the reſt of the ſleeves hang low down to⯑wards the Ground. His Wife is clad like the Vice-Roy's Queen, ſaving that ſhe does not wear a Manto: His Sons and Daughters, are Cloath'd after the ſame manner as the Vice-Roy's.

The Wives of Noblemen, wear a little Bonnet made of artificial flowers: They have 2 Tunicks, one that's long, and a ſhort one over that which comes down only to the Knee, which they tie about with a Girdle. There is an Handkerchief faſten'd to their Bonnet, which hangs down to their ſhoul⯑ders. Their Sons and Daughters are Cloath'd after the ſame manner as thoſe of the Carillan.

The Citizens wear one Gown only, ought to keep the Hair of their Head ſhort, have a Bonnet like the Noblemen, whoſe top made of Silk or Cotton, reaches down to the ground: They wear a Collar, but no ſhirt, except in the Night-time when they go to Bed, which is the Cuſtom of them all. They walk in a long Gown with Naked Breaſt and Thighs, but their Privy-parts are cover'd with a Plate tied about them made of Braſs or Silver, or Gold: Their ſtockens and ſhoes are ſuch as are commonly us'd by others.

[230]Their Sons have a little Bonnet, a ſhort Gown tied about with a Girdle, which reaches down to the middle of their Thigh: They have ſhoes like their Father, but nei⯑ther breeches nor ſtockens.

The Country People who dwell in Vil⯑lages and Deſert-places, wear nothing but a Bears skin upon their ſhoulders, and a Plate to cover their Privy-parts made of Braſs or the ſhells of Fiſh, or the bark of Trees. Their Sons have nothing but a Scarf hang⯑ing on their right ſhoulder down to their left ſide, but otherwiſe they are ſtark Naked. When the Countrymen are Rich, they and their Sons wear a Girdle about their Loyns, which half covers their Thighs inſtead of a Plate tied with a Girdle to cover their Privy-parts.

The Female Sex is diſtinguiſh'd alſo among the common ſort of People by 5 kinds of Habits, Infants, Virgins, Brides, Married Women and Widows, all which are clad in different Apparel. Infants wear a ſhort Gown that reaches down to the mid⯑dle of their Thigh; they have ſtockens and ſhoes like others, but they do not cover their Head until they be 9 Years old. Virgins after they are 9 Years old, adorn their Head with Birds feathers, or artificial flowers done up with Ribbons: They wear a ſhort Gown above another, that is long and []

[231] reaches to the ground, both which they tie about them with a green Girdle. The long Gown is divided into two in the lower part, ſo that their Legs appear as high as their Knee. They have ſtockens and ſhoes like other Women.

The Brides at the time of their Marriage do wonderfully adorn themſelves; their Head is encompaſs'd round with Flowers, Laurels and Feathers, which make a great ſhow: They have two Coats equally long, whereof the under Coat is white and the upper black, and both of them are tied with a black Girdle. They wear a Scarf of red Silk hanging on the left ſhoulder down to the right ſide. The black Gown which is uppermoſt is open, ſo that the white Petti⯑coat underneath may be ſeen. And after this manner they are clad during all the time of Courtſhip, but 9 Days after the Celebra⯑tion of Marriage, they put on the Habit of Married Women.

The Married Women wear a long open Gown, and below it a ſhort Coat which reaches down to their Knee. They have a kind of a Cap upon their Head like a Plat⯑ter, and let their Hair hang down in wreaths before their Breaſt; and when they go out, they ſo cover their Face, that it can hardly be ſeen.

[232]Widdows have another kind of a Cap which is twofold: The firſt which they put on their Head, is almoſt round like an Engliſh Woman's Coyff, the other is a little ſharp⯑pointed. They dreſs their Hair in wreaths; they wear 2 Gowns, one long and another ſhort one over it; the ſhort one ought always to be of a black colour, but the other, which may be of any other colour, has long and broad ſleeves, which reach down to the Knee; and both the Gowns are tied about with a Girdle.

The Country Women have nothing but a Bear's skin upon their ſhoulders, and a Cloth about their middle which reaches down to their Knee: They tye a piece of Linnen about their Head and Hair; they have no ſtockens, but ſhoes, ſuch as are worn by others. Their Daughters wear nothing but a Cloth about their middle, and a Scarf on the right ſhoulder hanging down to the left ſide, and they have ſhoes like their Mo⯑ther.

And here 'tis to be obſerv'd, that all of them generally wear a Bracelet about their Arm; but the Women wear it both about their Arm and their Neck. And this is all that I know to be remarkable as to their Apparel; I ſhall now only add ſomething as to the Military Habit.

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[233]The King of the Iſle Formoſa has his own Guards, and ſo has the Vice-Roy, and there⯑fore for diſtinction-ſake they are differently clad. All the Officers in the King's Guards are clad like the Carillan, ſaving that the Ca⯑rillan wears a Carbuncle upon his Bonnet which they have not, and they wear a Scarf which he has not.

The King's Guards have a round Bonnet, whoſe forepart is like a Mitre, and has the King's Arms upon it: The Hair of their Head is ſhort, and of their Beard long; and they have alſo a Breaſt-plate or Stomacher made of Silver on which are the King's Arms; a Belt made of Silk, a ſhort Gown, and ſtockens and breeches in a piece: They wear a Sword hanging by their left ſide, and the Weapons they uſe when they Guard the King, are the Halberd or Lance.

The Officers of the Vice-Roys Guards are Cloathed like the Tano's or Noblemen, ſaving that they have not a Scarf, and uſe a ſhort Bonnet like the King's Guards. All the ſeveral Degrees of Officers are diſtin⯑guiſh'd by Colours, at the pleaſure of the King or Vice-Roy.

The Guards of the Vice-Roy wear a large long Bonnet having 2 Wings, a long Gown which they take up behind when they walk, breeches and ſtockens in a piece, the common ſort of ſhoes: The Hair of their [234] Head and Beard is ſhort, and their Arms are ſhort Lances, Arrows, and a Sword by their ſide.

All the Souldiers which ſerve to Guard the Cities are Cloath'd after the ſame manner, viz. They have a ſhort Bonnet with a Creſt of 2 or 3 feathers, a ſhort Gown, ſtockens and breeches in a piece. All of them wear black Cloaths: Some are Archers and carry a Bow under their Arm, and have a Quiver full of Arrows; others are Spearmen, and carry a long Spear upon their ſhoulders; but others have ſhort Spears.

The Drummers have a Bonnet ſharp⯑pointed at top, with a piece of Braſs in the Frontiſpiece of it, whereon are Engraven the Arms of the Iſle. They wear a ſhort Gown and a long one underneath it, which they throw behind them: Their Cloaths are of a light red colour.

The Enſigns have a Bonnet like the No⯑blemen, and they are all ſuch who are in this Poſt. They wear a long Gown and a ſhort one over it.

This is all that I thought worthy to be re⯑mark'd as to their Apparel, which altho it may appear ridiculous to the Europeans, yet is there accounted very Beautiful and Splen⯑did, both for the Colours and the materials of which it is made, ſuch as Hair, Silk, Cot⯑ton, which are curiouſly wrought with the [235] Needle; for tho they do not affect new fa⯑ſhions of Cloaths, yet they are very nice in chooſing the fineſt Stuff, or Cloth whereof to make them

CHAP. XVIII. Of their Cities, Houſes, Palaces, Caſtles.

THere are only ſix Towns in the Iſle Formoſa, which deſerve the Name of a City: Two of them are in the Principal Iſland, and they are call'd Xternetſa and Big⯑no; there is one in great Peorko, which is call'd Chabat; and the 4th is in one of the Iſles of Robbers, and is call'd Arriow: The 5th and 6th are in the other Iſle of Robbers, and they are call'd Pineto and Jarabut: But in the little Iſle Peorko there are none, as will appear afterwards.

Xternetſa, as it is the Capital City, ſo it is the moſt Beautiful of all the reſt; being ſi⯑tuated in a very pleaſant Plain: It's Walls are 20 Cubits high and 8 broad; It's length is about 12 Day's Journey for an Ele⯑phant, i. e. about ſix Engliſh Miles. There are in it Deſert-places, Fields and Moun⯑tains, [236] Orchards, Meadows, and the like Places which are not Inhabited; but about the middle of it, the Houſes are very mag⯑nificent and ſtately: Not far from it, there is a Mountain which abounds with many wholeſom Springs. It is built by the ſide of a River, which was made there on pur⯑poſe for its convenience; It abounds with Fiſh and runs over the whole Iſle. That which contributes much to make it Beauti⯑ful, are the many Palaces that are in it, viz. Of the King, the Vice-Roy, and the No⯑bles; of the High-Prieſt and Chief Sacrifi⯑cator; all which are built after a wonderful manner, as may appear by the Figure here annex'd, which is a Repreſentation of the Vice-Roy's Palace.

This Palace is built of four-ſquare ſtones, curiouſly cut, as all the reſt are, whereof the greateſt part is cover'd with Gold: This Houſe alone is three Engliſh Miles in Circum⯑ference, having a great Ditch round about it. Beſides there belong to it, Greens, Gar⯑dens, Walks, Groves, all which are enclos'd with a Wall.

The High-Prieſt and Vice-Roy have Pa⯑laces there almoſt as good; but the King and Carillan, whoſe Offices do not deſcend by Succeſſion to their Poſterity, do not care to have ſuch ſtately Houſes. But the No⯑bles have there very Beautiful and Magnifi⯑cent [237] Houſes. There are alſo in the City Xter⯑netſa 3 great Abbies, and 5 Temples, and ma⯑ny Beautiful Houſes of the Citizens. 'Tis ob⯑ſervable, that in the whole Iſle Formoſa there are no Houſes very high, but in moſt Great Houſes there are 2 ſtories, one above ground for the Cold ſeaſon, and the other under ground for the Hot ſeaſon; which in all re⯑ſpects are very Magnificent, whether you look upon them within or without.

The Rich Men and Nobles, build their Houſes of four-ſquare Stones; but others build the outer-part of plain Timber, while the inner-part is adorn'd with Painted Wood, or fine Earthen Ware Gilded and Painted, which the Natives there call Porchellano, but the Engliſh China-Ware. The Citizens Houſes are long, and the Country People's round, in ſuch manner as they appear in the Figures here annex'd.

A. The Place above the Roof of the Houſe, where they adore the Sun, Moon and Stars twice a Day. B. The Roof of the Houſe. C. The Place above ground. D. The Place of the Houſe which is under ground.

Nevertheleſs, ſuch long Houſes are ſome⯑times to be found in the Villages, and thoſe that are round in the Cities, at leaſt in the remote Places of them.

[238] Bigno is a fine City, but has nothing pe⯑culiar that is remarkable. In the ſame Prin⯑cipal Iſland, is the Sea-Port Town call'd Kadzey, which is very large and contains many Villages, and yet becauſe it is not Wall'd about, it is accounted only a Vil⯑lage.

Chabat, Arriow and Pineto are Cities, which have nothing peculiar that is remark⯑able, but in Jarabut 'tis worth obſervation, that the City is build round about a Moun⯑tain, which is a Mile high; And upon the top of it, is built the Palace of the Go⯑vernour, who from his Houſe can ſee the whole City, and ſo can every Citizen from the Roof of his Houſe behold the Gover⯑nour's Palace. Beſides in the ſame City, there is a Fountain repreſenting an Elephant Dan⯑cing upon 2 Feet, which is 20 Cubits high, and throws forth water out of all the Parts of the Body.

This Fountain is believ'd by the Jappan⯑neſe to have been built above 11500 Years ago, by a certain God or Hero, who had been Baniſh'd thither when the Iſle was yet uninhabited. This God was call'd Arbalo, or Wanderer: And the ſtory ſays, that when he had built this Fountain there, it furniſh'd him with Fruit, fleſh and ſweet Wine; but that after ſuch time as he left the Iſland, it became barren, and produc'd [239] none of theſe things. After this Iſland came to be Inhabited, ſome Men coming there and finding the curious fabrick of this Foun⯑tain, convey'd water into it by Aquaeducts, from a Mountain which is in the midſt of the City: From whence the Jappanneſe have ſtill in their Temple Amida, the God Arbalo with a Painted Fountain. But the Natives of the Iſle Formoſa give no credit to this ſto⯑ry: Tho they know not by whom, nor when this Fountain was built, yet they call the Place of the Fountain by the Name Arbalo.

The Hiſtory I do not deliver for a certain Truth, but neither do I account it altogether fabulous; for it ſeems to me very probable, that there is ſomething of truth in it, and therefore for the explication of it, I ſhall add the following remarks.

And firſt, the Reader is to take notice, that all the Gods which are call'd by any particular Name, ſuch as Amida, Xakha, Na⯑kon, Arbalo, &c. Are only Saints, or Heroes and Illuſtrious Men, who in former times were deified, either for their reputed Sancti⯑ty or ſome Noble Exploits, or wonderful Feats which they had perform'd. Such an one was Arbalo, who is the God of Harveſt among the Japoneſe, and whoſe Image is commonly ſet in the husk of a Grain of Bar⯑ley. He is called Arbalo, i. e. a Wanderer, [240] becauſe he continually went about the Fields and Woods, bleſſing the Fruits of the Ground.

Now 'tis poſſible, that this Man while he was alive did ſomething that diſpleas'd the Emperor, or the Dairo, for which reaſon he was Baniſh'd from his Native Country, and there is no difficulty in conceiving this: But how he ſhould Travel from Japan to For⯑moſa, which is 200 Leagues diſtant from it, and was then unknown to the Japoneſe, and uninhabited, is ſomething difficult to appre⯑hend. Let us therefore ſuppoſe, that this God Arbalo was deſcended of ſome Noble Race, for ſuch are all the Heroes in Japan, who were either come of ſome Illuſtrious Family, or had been promoted to ſome Emi⯑nent Poſt of Honour: And this is the more probable, becauſe if he had been ſome infe⯑rior and mean Family, he would rather have been puniſh'd with Death, than ſent in⯑to Baniſhment for his offence. This being granted, we may ſuppoſe further, that this Honourable Perſon carried along with him as his Retinue a great Multitude of Servants, and was ſent at firſt, at an Iſle next adjoyning to Japan, and from thence paſſing on in a direct Line through many little Iſles, (which are ſo near, that you may ſee from one to the other in a clear Day) he came at laſt in ſight of Formoſa, where out of Curioſity he [241] landed with his Servants; and finding it a pleaſant and fruitful Country, he ſettled there for ſome time, and built the Fountain above-mention'd. And then we may ſup⯑poſe, that he return'd again to Japan, and ſent from thence ſome Colonies to Inhabit Formoſa. But I muſt confeſs, that we have no Hiſtory in Formoſa, ſo Ancient as this, which is only to be found in Japan, and therefore we can give no account of any thing that happen'd between us and the Ja⯑poneſe, after this firſt Settlement; for we have loſt all the Memoirs of our firſt Original, and the tranſactions which happen'd after the firſt Plantation of our Country, until the Japoneſe raviſh'd our Kingdom from us, and reſtor'd it to the Empire of Japan. How⯑ever it may appear from what has been ſaid, that the ſtory of Arbalo is not fabulous, nor ſo improbable as at firſt bluſh it may ſeem to be.

Beſides theſe Cities already Nam'd, there are 3 Sea-Port Towns which exceed ſome Cities for bigneſs; but becauſe they are not Wall'd about, they are held only Villages or Towns. Theſe 3 are call'd Aok, Louctau, and Voo, and beſides them, there are many other Villages of the like bigneſs. But this is to be noted of Villages, Sea-Port Towns and others, that they all depend on their [242] own Cities, and that the other Cities depend upon the Capital City Xternetſa.

In the little Peorko, there is neither City nor Village to be found: But concerning this Iſland it is to be obſerv'd, that at firſt it belong'd to the King who is now Vice-Roy, but afterwards the Prieſts purchas'd it, to feed in it the four-footed Beaſts which are deſign'd for Sacrifice: And now every one is oblig'd to give not the firſt Fruits of their flocks, but one out of every three Beaſts that fall, which is to be kept there until it be fit to be Sacrific'd: And therefore in little Peorko, there are only ſome Shepherd's who look after the Beaſts that are fed in that Iſland, which is very fruitful in Graſs and Hay, and might perhaps produce many other things if they were Planted there: But this is not done becauſe it is deſign'd only for the Beaſts aforeſaid.

Theſe are all the notable things that oc⯑cur to me concerning their Cities, Villages and Houſes; yet it muſt be acknowledg'd that there is a great deal of difference be⯑tween the Cities of Formoſa, and thoſe of Japan, both for their Bigneſs and the Rich⯑neſs of their Materials, tho the Jappanneſe when they come to Formoſa, cannot ſuffici⯑ently admire its Cities, for their Beauty, Si⯑tuation and Conveniences.

CHAP. XIX. Of the Commodities which they have, and ſome that they want.

THE great quantity of Gold and Silver that is in Formoſa, is that which brings them the greateſt Profit; for in the Princi⯑pal Iſland, they have two Mines of Gold and two of Braſs, tho none of Silver; In Great Peorko there are 2 Mines, one of Gold and another of Silver. In one of the Iſles of Robbers there is a Mine call'd a Gold-Mine, which is not valued in others Coun⯑ties becauſe it is not truly and properly Gold; but it is highly eſteem'd in the Iſle where it is found, becauſe it is fitter for ma⯑ny neceſſary uſes among them than Gold it ſelf is. In the other Iſle of Robbers there are 2 little Silver-Mines; So that in all, there are 3 Mines of Gold and 3 of Silver. All theſe Mines formerly pertain'd to the Vice-Roy, but now the King has one third Part, and the Emperor another.

Silver in Formoſa is almoſt eſteem'd as much as Gold, becauſe it is fitter for uſe, being a ſof⯑ter Mettal which is more eaſily wrought in⯑to any ſhape. They have no Iron or Steel, [244] but what the Jappanneſe bring thither, who have one Mine of Iron: And therefore Iron, and alſo Copper, which is brought from other Parts, is more eſteem'd there than Gold and Silver: But Braſs is very common among them.

Utenſils and Diſhes, are uſually made of Gold or China Earth: Their Temples and Houſes are often cover'd with Gold, both in Cities and Villages: But ſince the Hol⯑landers came there and exchanged their Iron for our Gold, the Natives have more rarely made any Gold.

Lead and Tinn are not the product of the Iſle, but they are abundantly ſupplied with it from the Neighbouring Countries.

Silks, and Cotton, of two ſorts, they have in great quantities, which are very Artificially Inter-woven with Gold and Silver: One ſort of Cotten grows upon Trees in bags and is the finer ſort, another grows up⯑on a Shrub like a Thiſtle and is a coarſer ſort. And this is the great Employment of the Women, who of theſe Materials make Clothes, Carpets, Tapeſtry, and ſuch kind of things; wonderfully fine. Of Silk and Hair are made Velvet and Pluſh: But this kind of Work belongs to the Men and not to the Women. They have not Woollen-cloth becauſe they know not how to make it but they receive great quantities of this [245] Cloth from the Hollanders. They make Stuffs of Hair and Cotton, but no Cloth of Flax, which does not grow there; but Flax⯑en Cloth they receive from the Dutch. They Work, paint, and Gild China-Earth very Wonderfully, nay even much finer then they do in China. They have learn'd from the Hollanders to make a kind of Paper, which they knew not how to do before; for they wrote either upon plates of Copper or upon Parchment. But now they Write on Paper made of Silk after the ſame man⯑ner as it is made here.

Inſtead of Leather to make Shoes of, they uſe the bark of Trees for the Soles, and ſome skins of Beaſts to ſerve for the Upper⯑leather.

CHAP. XX. Of Weights and Meaſures.

BEfore the Dutch arriv'd on our Coaſts, we had a certain way of reckoning things, whereby we could know when their Numbers were equal or unequal; but we had no kind of weight, ſuch as a Pound or an Ounce, and therefore we bought and ſold [246] things by View, and not by Weight. But after the Hollanders came among us, and ſhow'd us how Profitable the uſe of Pounds and Ounces would be in Commerce, we be⯑gun to weigh things that are rare by Ounces, and Pounds; but things that are common and leſs valuable, by 50, or 100l. weight at a time, as the Buyer and Seller had a mind: Our Pound agrees with the Dutch Pound, which conſiſts of 16 Ounces, and is more then that Pound which is us'd in France: Which I found by a Copan of our Money that I brought with me to France, which weigh'd more then one of the French Pounds, tho it was but a Dutch Pound.

Things are meaſur'd in Formoſa, accord⯑ing to the People's various humors, for ſome uſe a greater, ſome a leſs meaſure; but the price is always fix'd according to the Great⯑neſs of the meaſure.

The Inſtrument wherewith they weigh things, is ſuch as is us'd by the Butchers here in England when they weigh their Meat, but ſome are Bigger, ſome leſs as their oc⯑caſions require.

They had no Names for Numbers be⯑fore the Dutch came here, but they ſuffici⯑ently declar'd to one another what Num⯑ber they meant by their Signs and Fingers; but becauſe the Dutch did not underſtand this way of Reckoning, they perſwaded us [247] to invent names to Signify Numbers, which now we uſe after the ſame Manner as they do, proceeding from One to Ten, from Ten to Twenty, and ſo to a Hundred, a Thou⯑ſand, &c. As appears in this example.

Taufb 1 Bogio 2 Charhe 3 Kiorh 4 Nokin 5 Dekie 6 Meni 7 Thenio 8 Sonio 9 Kon 10 Amkon 11 or Tauf⯑kon 11 Bogiokon 12 Charhekon 13 Kiorhkon 14 Nokie⯑kon 15 Dekiekon 16 Menikon 17 Thenikon 18 Soniokon 19 Borhny 20 after this Borhny2-tauf1 or am Borhny 2 Bogio2, and ſo on to Chorhny 30 Kiorhny 41 Nokiorh⯑ny 50 Dekiorhny 60 Meniorhny 17 Theniorhny 80 Soniorh⯑ny 90 Ptommftomm 100 and Ianate 1000 ſo 1000, 2000. &c. And this may ſuffice for this Article.

CHAP. XXI. Of the Superſtitious Cuſtoms of the common People.

THe common People are ſo much ad⯑dicted to the Superſtitious ways of foretelling things Future, that nothing happens to them either Ordinary or Extra⯑ordinary, [248] of which they do not make a good or bad Omen, and Particularly they lay a great ſtreſs on Dreams; of all which I ſhall give ſome Inſtances, ſo far as I can Remember. If any one Dreams that he is at a great Feaſt among Women, this Sig⯑nifies that he has many Enemies, who are Contriving to kill him or do him ſome Miſchief. If any one Dreams that he is bit or hurt by a Lyon, a Serpent, or ſome ſuch Beaſt, he ought to have a care of a certain E⯑nemy who will attempt to do him an Injury; but if he Dreams that he has kill'd a Wild Beaſt, then he thinks himſelf Secure from all Danger until a contrary Dream happens: If any one Dreams that one of his Relations or himſelf is Dead, they believe that God is angry with him, and therefore they uſually conſult the Prieſts what they are to do in this caſe, who always adviſe them to give ſomething wherewithal to Atone their angry God. If any one Dreams that he has Lice, Gnats, or Ants, upon his Body, then they think that the Soul of ſome of their deceas'd Relations is detain'd in the Body of ſome Beaſt, (as was before-men⯑tioned) and wants Money and other things; which they therefore take care to give to the Prieſts, that they may convey them to the Soul in diſtreſs. If any one dreams that he has lain with another man's Wife, then he is afraid leſt ſome man lie with one [249] of his Wives, and therefore he more narrowly obſerves them then at other times. And ſo much may ſuffice concerning Dreams.

They obſerve alſo other Omens, as the firſt thought that comes into their mind in a Morning after ſleep, and the firſt Beaſt they ſee in a Morning: But then they ſay, if ſuch a thing which comes into their mind do not ſtrike their Fancy, the Omen concerns ſome other Body, but if it ſtrikes the Imagination, then they apply it to them⯑ſelves. There were a certain ſort of men who pretended to explain very clearly all kinds of Omens for a very ſmall Matter; but being for the moſt part miſtaken in their Conjectures, the People complain'd of them to the Prieſts, who accuſed them to the Viceroy as Guilty of a Capital Crime, for which the Viceroy Condemn'd them to Dye: And ever ſince the Prieſts alone Challenge to themſelves the Priviledge, who ſo explain all ſorts of Omens, that they can never be convicted of Lying in what they Say: For either they pretend that their God is well-pleas'd, or that he is angry with ſuch a Man, or that the Souls of ſome of his Deceas'd Relations want Money, or that in the ſame Inſtant when they ſaw ſuch an Omen the Soul of ſome of his Relations was Transform'd into a Star; all which the People do eaſily believe, who are therefore perſwaded by [250] the Prieſts to acquaint them with all the Omens they meet with.

And here I ſhall briefly relate a Not⯑able Story concerning this Matter. A cer⯑tain Rich Countryman being much Ad⯑dicted to this kind of Superſtition, had us'd for a long time to conſult the Prieſts, who were wont very often to expound his Omens of the need ſome of his Rela⯑tions Souls ſtood in of Money, becauſe he was Rich. The Countryman at laſt grew weary of ſuch expenſive Enquiries, and thought he had given Money enough to Re⯑deem all the Souls that belonged to the Iſle, and therefore contriv'd a way to cheat the Prieſt: For which end he went and told him, that in the Morning he had ſeen in his Garden more then a 100 Birds Sing⯑ing, which after a ſhort ſtay Flew away: But the Prieſt told him, If theſe Birds had continued a Longer time in the Garden, then for certain the Souls of your Deceas'd Relations had been Transform'd into Stars, but their ſudden departure Signified that they ſtill wanted ſomething, which being Furniſh'd, then, ſays he you may ſee them, this night aſcending into Heaven; For which end you muſt give me ſo much Gold, ſo much Rice, and ſo much of other Commodities, and then you may remain two hours upon the Roof of the Houſe, and [251] you ſhall ſee the Stars, as it were, moving themſelves, which are the Souls ſignified by the Birds you ſaw in the Garden. The Country-man, tho' much againſt his Will, gave the Prieſt what he demanded, and perhaps did ſtill believe that there was ſomething of Truth in what he ſaid; and therefore he went up to the top of his Houſe, and as the Prieſt had ſaid, he ſaw the Stars moving themſelves; but having continu'd there all night, he obſerved a great Multi⯑tude of Stars thus moving: And this ob⯑ſervation he renew'd every night for a whole week, untill at laſt he recckoned more Stars thus moving, then the Number of Men who were known to be Dead in the whole Iſland for the ſpace of three Years amounted to: Whereupon he went to the Prieſt and told him of it, and the Prieſt, perceiving that he had detected the Im⯑poſture, carried him before the chief Sacri⯑ficator, who carried them both before the High Prieſt, or their Pope, who upon hear⯑ing the whole matter condemned the Prieſt to perpetual Impriſonment, becauſe he had expoſs'd to the Country-man the Miſtery of Transforming Souls into Stars, but con⯑demned the Country-man to death for not yeilding due Deference and Submiſſion to the Prieſt; from whence every one may clear⯑ly perceive, what Tyranny the Prieſts exer⯑ciſe [252] over the common People, who are not permitted to declare Publickly any doubt they have even of thoſe things they know to be falſe. I could add ſeveral other things to the ſame purpoſe, but that I think they will be Tedious to the Reader; as the Noiſe which is made by the Dogs when they Bark aloud or Houle, the Crowing of a Hen like a Cock, the time when the Serpents hiſs in the Fields, when the Bears do not go out of the Wood, when the Eagles ſit upon ſome Turrets, Houſes or Trees, all which are in⯑terpreted to be good or bad Omens. But I have ſaid enough of theſe Fopperies.

CHAP. XXII. Of the Diſeaſes in Formoſa and their Cures.

THe greateſt Diſeaſe to which the Na⯑tives are Subject is the Plague, which they believe does not proceed from Natural Cauſes, but from the common conſent of the Sun Moon and Stars, who agree in ſending it for a Puniſhment to Men, and therefore they rather make uſe of Sacrifices than Medicins for the cure of it. This does not happen frequently, for [253] 'tis now 170 years, ſince there was a Pla⯑gue in Formoſa, if we may believe their written Books and Tradition. One Cuſtom they have during the time of the Plague which is very remarkable; They aſcend to the Tops of the Higheſt Mountains, that at other times are not Inhabited for the thinneſs of the Air, which is then accounted very wholeſom; and there they ſeek out a Fountain of Water, of which they drink to exceſs, Eating nothing but herbs and certain Fruits: And this they continue to do till they think that the Plague is ceaſ'd, and then every one returns to his own Houſe.

As to other Diſeaſes which are very com⯑mon here, as the Gout, the Tertian and Quartan Ague, they are not at all known there, yet they are ſometimes, but very ſeldom, troubled with burning Fevers; at other times they have a pain in the Head or Stomach, but it laſts not long. If at any time they find themſelves indiſ⯑pos'd, or any Diſeaſe coming upon them, they commonly uſe this Method for a Cure. They run 2 or 3 Miles as ſwiftly as they can, and in the mean time one prepares a Potion for him that runs, made of ſome Herbs and Roots, which he drinks off, after he has run his Race, while he is very hot, and Immediately goes to Bed, [254] where he ſweats till he has cured the Diſ⯑eaſe. And beſides, their temperate way of Living conduces very much either to pre⯑vent or cure their Diſeaſes, eſpecially when they take Tobacco, which purges the Head and Body of ill humours. Here in England the generality of People fre⯑quent Taverns or Alehouſes, and the con⯑ſtant cuſtom of Drinking ſuch Liquors as are ſold there, proves prejudicial to the Health; but in Formoſa they commonly ſpend their Idle hours, in Walking or Chat⯑ting together, and Smoking a Pipe of To⯑bacco; and if they drink any thing, it is only a diſh or two of Tea or Chila, which if it does not any good, at leaſt is no ways hurtful to the Health: And hence it comes to paſs, that Men generally Live longer there than they do here, and are free from many diſeaſes to which Engliſhmen are lia⯑ble. 'Tis a miſtake to think that the Air alone will preſerve our Health, unleſs we be alſo Temperate in Eating and Drinking; And this I have found true by experience, that no diſtinction of Climates has ever deprav'd my Temper and Conſtitution of Body, but by the help of Temperance I have ſtill preſerved my Health, thanks be to God, not only in my own Country, but in all the other Countries thro' which I have Travelled. But to return to the [...]iſeaſes [255] of Formoſa, the ſmall Pox is very rife there, and ſcarce one eſcapes them; but they have them commonly whilſt they are very young as in the 1ſt. or 6th. Month, or the 1ſt. or 2d. Year after they are Born, but they very ſeldom have them after they are three Years old, neither do I remember that I have ever heard of one that died of that diſeaſe.

After the Small-pox, there commonly Succeeds a certain Diſeaſe which we call Schimpyo which is only a Redneſs of the Fleſh, together with a great Internal heat: And the Infants which are troubled with this Diſeaſe run the hazard of Death, unleſs they be kept at a diſtance from a Serene Air, and muſt live in places that are very warm until they be cur'd. But theſe 2 Diſeaſes Incident to Children laſt no longer then 3, or at moſt 4 Weeks.

Colicks are alſo very frequent in Formoſa, in which the pain is ſometimes ſo Into⯑lerable, that ſome kill themſelves, others Com⯑mand another to kill them.

Women in Child-bed are in great danger of Death. Which I think proceeds from want of Exerciſe, becauſe when they are with Child they never Stir out of the Chamber, but ſit and Work there all the day long: Many of them die before they bring forth, or if they eſcape Death yet at leaſt they are Cruelly Tormented with [256] pains, which ſome of them endure for a whole Month before they are brought to Bed.

Maids, for the moſt part, when they come to be 18 or 20 years Old, are trou⯑bled with a certain Diſeaſe, which we call Chatarsko, and here in England is called the Green-ſickneſs, which makes them Me⯑lancholy, and deſtroys all their appetite to any thing except Matrimony, corrupts the Blood, and makes them pale-colour'd. This Diſeaſe is peculiar to the Female Sex, for which there is no other Remedy but Marriage.

Theſe are all the Diſeaſes which I can Remember; but there may be others un⯑known to me. I will conclude with this General Obſervation, that both Men and Women, for the moſt part, die rather of a great Old Age, than of any other pains, except in Child-bearing and fits of the Colick; and you may frequently ſee Men a 100 years Old, without Labouring un⯑der any grievous Diſeaſe. If any ask me whether there be any ſuch thing as the French-pox there, I anſwer I never heard of any ſuch Diſeaſe, and probably there is no ſuch thing in Formoſa; becauſe they allow Polygamy and prohibit Adultery.

CHAP. XXIII. Of the Revenues of the King, the Vice-Roy, the General of the Army, and of all others in high Places of Power and Truſt.

THE King, beſides the third part of the Gold and Silver dug out of the Mines, which is paid him by the Vice-Roy, as has been obſerv'd in the Chapter of Metals, receives alſo from the Empe⯑ror of Japan 400000 Copans; out of which Revenue he is to pay 15000 Japan Soldi⯑ers above mention'd, his own Guards, and to maintain the Port of his Court. The Caril⯑lan or General has every Year about 70000 Copans. The Vice-Roy has 168760 Copans; out of which he pays to the Gnotoy Bon⯑zo, or the High Prieſt, 50000 for himſelf: To the ſeven Gnotoi, Tarhadiazos, or chief Sacrificators 7700: To the four Governours of the four Iſles 3600, viz. to each of them 900: To the ſix Governours of the ſix Cities 3000, viz. to each of them 500: To the ſix⯑teen Governours of the Villages and Towns 4000, viz. to ſome of them 300, to others 250, and to others 200. But the [258] Secular Prieſts are maintain'd by the People. After all which Disburſements, there re⯑mains in the hands of the Vice-Roy 100460; out of which he is to pay his Sol⯑diers, and all Officers employ'd by the Government, as Searchers, Guards, and ſuch-like: But this Revenue of the Vice-Roy is not always a certain ſtated ſum, for ſometimes he receives more, ſometimes leſs; but the others above-mention'd re⯑ceive always the ſame Salaries.

This Revenue of the Vice-Roy ariſes partly from the Mines, partly from a Tax of a fifth part of all Goods, which is paid by Merchants, Countrymen, and all others who have no Office under the Government, and is call'd Tuen Koon Bogio, i. e. two parts out of ten; and from another Tax which is rais'd upon all Goods exported and imported, which is call'd Tuen Dekie Bogio, becauſe they pay a third part to the Vice-Roy.

CHAP. XXIV. Of all the Fruits of the Ground.

NO Corn, ſuch as Wheat and Barley does grow in the Iſle Formoſa; and the reaſon of it is this, becauſe the Sun being very hot, the Soil is ſandy and dry, and ſo the Grain is dry'd up, not having ſufficient moiſture, before it is fully ripen'd: But inſtead of Corn they make uſe of Roots to make Bread withal. There are two Roots of which they make Bread, where⯑of one is call'd Chitok, and the other Mag⯑nok: Both theſe Roots are ſown like Rape-Seed, and when they are grown ripe they are as big as a Man's Thigh. Theſe Roots grow twice, and ſometimes thrice in a year, when it is a good ſeaſon; and as ſoon as they are fully ripe, they are cut off and laid in the Sun to be dried, and when they are dried they are cut in pieces and ground into a kind of Flower: And then this Flower being mix'd with Milk, Water, Sugar and Spices, is bak'd; and ſo it makes a very good ſort of Bread, which is as white as Snow, and is call'd by the Natives Kahatzadao. They have Bread [260] alſo made of Wheat, whichis brought thither from Foreign Parts; but that is too dear for the common ſort of People. They have a kind of Bread alſo made of Rice boil'd with Saffron, which Bread is like an Engliſh Pudding, and is call'd by the Natives Kdekh; but this Bread will not keep like the former.

They have Vines alſo, and make Wine of the Grapes in ſome few places; but this Wine is not ſo ſweet as the Spaniſh Wine in Europe; from whence they have that and other Wines, and alſo Ale, brought thither by the Dutch; but they are very dear, and are not ſo much lov'd by the Natives as they are by the Europeans. They have many other kinds of Drink, as Ar-mag⯑nok, Puntet, Charpok, Chilak, Caffe and Tea. Ar-magnok, i. e. the fellow of Mag⯑nok, becauſe theſe two are an agree⯑able mixture for health, which Liquor is made after this manner. They boil a great quantity of Rice in ſpring-Water till it grows very thick, and then they make Balls of it as big as a Man's Fiſt, which they dry in the Sun, and then boil them in freſh ſpring-Water; and when it is boil'd enough, they put it into great earthen Veſſels, and let it ferment, and after that, it is as ſtrong or rather ſtronger than Engliſh Beer; and the longer [261] it is kept the ſtronger it grows. Puntet is a Liquor that runs from ſome Trees, which they tap at a certain ſeaſon of the Year: And the Liquor that comes from them they receive into Veſſels, and mix it with Sugar, and then having kept it for ſome time, it has the ſame taſte as ſoft Ale made of Oat-Malt. Charpok is the name of the Fruit of a Tree, and of the Liquor that comes out of it: The Trees is like a Wall⯑nut Tree, but in this differs from all other Trees, that whereas their Fruit hangs downward, the Fruit of this ſtands up⯑right. The Fruit in ſhape and bigneſs re⯑ſembles a Gourd, and when it is ripe, it is cut off and pierc'd through, that the Liquor may run out of it, which is very ſtrong; for if it be not preſs'd, the Li⯑quor is more intoxicating than diſtilled Waters, or Brandy-Wine. Chilak is a kind of a Powder made like Coffee, and is boil'd after the ſame manner, either with Milk or Water; but in this it differs from Coffee, that it may be drunk cold, where⯑as Coffee is always drunk hot. Tea and Coffee are of the ſame ſort, and the Li⯑quors are made after the ſame manner there as every-where elſe. Beſides theſe Liquors they have many others ſorts: Such are the Bullan, which is made of Apples and Pears, or of Oranges and Lemmons, [262] and another Liquor, which is made like the Orgeat of the ſame Materials: And laſtly, they who can get no other Liquor drink Milk and Water.

Beſides all ſorts of Fruits which are to be found here in England, as Apples, Pears, Cherries, Nuts, Plums, &c. they have many other things, ſuch as Oranges, Lem⯑mons, Sugar in great quantities, and Spices, as Pepper, Cinamon, Cloves, Nutmegs, Tea, Coco's, Coffee, and the like, which are either wholly wanting here, or at leaſt grow very rarely in England. Their Trees bear twice in a Year, and the Fig-tree three or four times: And theſe Fruits ye have here of the ſame kind with theirs, are not half ſo good or ſo great, or ſo well-taſted; ſo that the Ground there ſeems to have a peculiar virtue for ripening and improving the Fruit, which here it has not. As for inſtance, ye have here the ſame ſort of Trees, which are there call'd Puniet; but pierce theſe Trees here when you will, and ye will find they will not run the 20th part of the Liquor which they yield there, neither is it ſo well-taſted. And this is confirmed by the experience of many.

CHAP. XXV. Of the Things which they commonly eat.

BEſides Bread and Fruit, of which we have ſpoken already, they eat alſo Fleſh, but not of all ſorts of Beaſts, for the Fleſh of ſeveral Beaſts, as has been formerly obſerv'd, is forbidden: But they are permitted to eat of Swine's Fleſh, of all ſorts of Fowl, except Pigeons and Tur⯑tles; of all ſorts of Veniſon, except the Hart and the Doe, of all the Fiſh that ſwims in the Sea or the Rivers without any exception. They ſome times roaſt or boil their Fleſh, but they know not what it is to ſtew any Meat, and therefore do not uſe it, though it is not forbidden. They commonly eat the Fleſh of Veniſon and of Fowls raw: And, which may ſeem ſtrange here in England, they eat Serpents alſo, which they look upon as very good Meat and very ſavoury, being broil'd up⯑on the Coals: But before they eat them, they take care to extract all the Poiſon out of them, which they do after this man⯑ner: They take them when they are alive [264] and beat them with Rods until they be very angry; and when they are in this furious paſſion, all the Venom that was in the Body aſcends to the Head, which be⯑ing then cut off, there remains no more Poiſon in the Body, which may therefore be ſafely eaten. They feed alſo upon Hen-eggs, Gooſe-eggs and the like, and all ſorts of wholeſome Herbs and Roots.

CHAP. XXVI. Of the Animals in Formoſa, which do not breed here in England.

GEnerally ſpeaking all the Animals which breed here, are to be found in Formoſa; but there are many others there which do not breed here, as Ele⯑phants, Rhinocerots, Camels, Sea-Horſes, all which are tame, and very uſeful for the ſervice of Man. But they have other wild Beaſts there which are not bred here, as Lyons, Boars, Wolves, Leopards, Apes, Tygers, Crocodiles; and there are alſo wild Bulls, which are more fierce than any Lyon or Boar, which the Na⯑tives believe to be the Souls of ſome Sinners [265] undergoing a great Penance: But they know nothing of Dragons or Land-Uni⯑corns, only they have a Fiſh that has one Horn: And they never ſaw any Griphons, which they believe to be rather fictions of the Brain than real Creatures.

Beſides the Animals abovementioned, they have alſo familiar Serpents, which they carry about their Body; and Toads which they keep in their Houſes to at⯑tract all the Venom that may happen to be there; and Weaſels for eating of Mice, and Tortoiſes for their Gardens. There is alſo a kind of Animal much like a Liz⯑zard, but not ſo big, which the Natives call Varchiero, i. e. the Perſecutor of Flies; its Skin is ſmooth and clear like Glaſs, and appears in various colours according to the ſituation of its Body: 'Tis wonder⯑ful to ſee how eagerly and induſtriouſly it purſues the Flies whereſoever it ſees them, upon a Table, or on Fleſh, or in Drink, and it ſeldom fails of catching them. This kind of Animal is to be found only in Japan and America, beſides the Iſle For⯑moſa.

Though the foreſaid Animals do not breed here in England, yet they are too well known here to need any parti⯑cular deſcription.

CHAP. XXVII. Of the Language of the Formoſans.

THE Language of Formoſa is the ſame with that of Japan, but with this difference that the Japanneſe do not pro⯑nounce ſome Letters gutturally as the For⯑moſans do: And they pronounce the Auxi⯑liary Verbs without that elevation and de⯑preſſion of the Voice which is uſed in For⯑moſa. Thus for inſtance, the Formoſans pronounce the preſent Tenſe without any elevation or falling of the Voice, as Jerh Chato, ego amo; and the preterperfect they pronounce by raiſing the Voice, and the future Tenſe by falling it; but the preterimperfect, the pluſquam perfectum, and paulo poſt futurum, they pronounce by ad⯑ding the auxiliary Verb: Thus the Verb Jerh Chato, ego amo, in the preterimperfect Tenſe is Jervieye chato, Ego eram amans, or according to the Letter, Ego eram amo; in the preterperfect Tenſe it is Jerh Chato, and the Voice is raiſed in the pronunci⯑ation of the firſt Syllable, but falls in pro⯑nouncing the other two; and in the pluſ⯑quam perfectum the auxiliary Verb viey is [267] added, and the ſame elevation and falling of the Voice is obſerv'd as in the preterit. The future Tenſe of Jerh Chato is pronoun⯑ced by falling the Voice in the firſt Syl⯑lable, and raiſing it in the reſt; and the paulo poſt futurum is pronounced after the ſame manner, only adding the Verb Viar, as Jerh viar Chato, ego ero amo. But the Ja⯑panneſe ſay, Jerh Chato, Jerh Chataye, Jerh Chatar, pronouncing the auxiliary Verb always after the ſame manner.

The Japan Language has three Genders; all ſorts of Animals are either of the Maſ⯑culine or Feminine Gender, and all inani⯑mate Creatures are of the Neuter: But the Gender is only known by the Articles, e. g. oi hic, ey haec, and ay hoc; but in the Plural number all the three Articles are alike.

They have no Caſes, and they uſe only the ſingular and plural Number, but not the Dual: As for example, oi banajo, hic ho⯑mo, os banajos, hi homines. But ſince I do not intend to write a Grammar of the Language, but only to give ſome Idea of it, it may be ſufficient to add this general Ob⯑ſervation. That it is very eaſy, ſounds mu⯑ſically, and is very copious. If any one ſhall ask from what Language it is deriv'd? I anſwer, That I know of no other Lan⯑guage, except that of Japan, that has any great affinity with it; but I find many [268] Words in it which ſeem to be deriv'd from ſeveral other Languages, only chang⯑ing either the ſignification or termina⯑tion.

The Japanneſe wrote formerly in a ſort of Characters moſt like thoſe of the Chine⯑ſes; but ſince they have held correſpon⯑dence with the Formoſans, they have ge⯑nerally made uſe of their way of writing, as more eaſy and more beautiful; inſomuch that there are few now in Japan who un⯑derſtand the Chineſe Characters.

But here it is to be noted, that the ſame Prophet Pſalmanaazar, who delivered the Law to the Formoſans, did alſo teach them this way of writing, as is commonly be⯑liev'd.

They uſe only twenty Letters in their Language, which are to be read from the right Hand to the left; whoſe Names and Figures are as follows.

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[269]They have many particular Rules, as to the uſe of theſe Letters, which it would be endleſs as well as uſeleſs here to ſet down, and therefore I ſhall only add the names of ſome things that are moſt common, and ſubjoin to them the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and ten Command⯑ments in that Language, to give the Reader ſome Idea of it.

The Emperor is call'd in that Language, Baghathaan Cheveraal, i. e. the moſt high Monarch; the King, Bagalo, or Angon; the Vice-Roy, Bagalendro, or Bagalender; the Nobles, Tanos; the Governours of Ci⯑ties or Iſles, os Tanos Soulletos; the Citi⯑zens, Poulinos; the Countrymen, Barhaw; the Soldiers, Pleſſios; a Man, Banajo; a Woman, Bajane; a Son, Bot; a Daughter, Boti; a Father, Pornio; a Mother, Por⯑niin; a Brother, Geovreo; a Siſter, Javraijn; Kinſmen, Arvauros; an Iſle, Avia; a City, Tillo; a Village, Caſſeo; the Heaven, Orh⯑nio; the Earth, Badi; the Sea, Anſo; Water, Onillo.

The reaſon why the Japan Language differs from that of the Chineſe and For⯑moſans, is this, becauſe the Japanneſe be⯑ing baniſh'd from China, ſetled in the Iſles of Japan; upon which account they ſo much hate the Chineſe, that they have chang'd all things they had in common [270] with them, as to their Language, Religi⯑on, &c. So that there is no affinity be⯑tween the Japan and Chineſe Language. But the Japanneſe being the firſt Inhabi⯑tants of Formoſa, brought their Language along with them into that Iſland, which is now much more perfect than it was at their firſt coming. Yet the Formoſans pre⯑ſerve ſtill the purity of their Language without any conſiderable alteration, where⯑as the Japanneſe are continually changing and improving it every Day.

But that the Reader may have ſome Idea of the Formoſan Language, I have here ſubjoin'd the Lord's Prayer, the Apo⯑ſtles Creed, and the ten Commandments in that Language, printed in Roman Cha⯑racters.

CHAP. XXVIII. Of the Shipping of the Formoſans.

BEſides the Ships they have for making long Voyages into remote Parts, they have other Veſſels which they call Balco⯑nos and Floating Villages, or Arcacaſſeos, which belong only to Noblemen, and are made uſe of by them to travel, or take their pleaſure upon the River. The Em⯑peror, the King, Vice-Roy, and the Noble⯑men, have every one a Balcon for himſelf, and a Floating Village for their Guards: Which Veſſels will be beſt explain'd by the following Figures.

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[277]You muſt note, That there is no diffe⯑rence between the Balcon of the Emperor, a King, and a Vice-Roy, but that one is a little more magnificent than the other: The Arcacaſſeos or Floating Villages, in which are the Guards of him to whom the Balcon belongs, are all alike; only the o⯑thers are not ſo long, nor ſo broad and ſplendid as that of the King.

They have no Coaches to travel in by Land, but they have another kind of Car⯑riage which is much more convenient, for they are carried by two Elephants or Camels, or Horſes, in a thing like a Lit⯑ter, call'd by the Natives Norimonnos, in⯑to which thirty or forty Men may enter; the Figure whereof is to be ſeen in the fol⯑lowing Cut.

All theſe Litters, whether they belong to Noblemen, or inferiour People, are made after the ſame manner, ſaving that ſome of them are more ſtately than others.

CHAP. XXIX. Of the Money of the Formoſans.

THE Japanneſe have three ſorts of Money, whereof ſome is made of Gold, and the other two ſorts are of Sil⯑ver and Braſs. All theſe kinds of Money are current in the Iſle Formoſa; and beſides them they have ſome of Iron and Steel.

The higheſt piece of Gold that's Coin'd at Japan is call'd Rochmoo, and is in value nine Copans and a half. A Copan is a piece of coin'd Gold worth ſeven Talos, and a Talo is a piece of Silver coin worth 58 Stivers, according to the Dutch way of reckoning, and very near worth an Engliſh Crown: But the Braſs Money is of little value, as the Caxae, which are only worth about two Pence of Engliſh Money; and yet there are half Caxae and quarter Caxae; but this laſt kind of Money is only us'd in Japan and not in Formoſa.

But in the Iſle Formoſa a Rochmoo is va⯑lu'd only at eight Copans, and each Copan at ſix Talos, and a Talo at forty eight Sti⯑vers; not that theſe ſeveral pieces of Mo⯑ney weigh leſs in Formoſa, for they are of the ſame weight, but becauſe Gold and

[279] Silver is more plentiful there than in Ja⯑pan: And beſides them the Formoſans have a piece of Steel Money, which they call Colan, and is of the ſame value with a Talo, though it is not ſo big. They have alſo Money made of Iron, which they call Riaon, a half Riaon and a quarter Riaon. Now a Riaon is worth fifteen Dutch Sti⯑vers. They have a little piece of Braſs Money which they call Capchau, worth a⯑bout ſeven Farthings. The Figures of all which may ſeen in the following Table.

A Rochmoo which weighs eight pound and half of Gold, is of this ſhape. A is the upper part of it, whereon is the Head of the Emperor; on the lower part of it are his Arms. But on the other ſide are the Arms of the King, who reigns in that Province where the Money is coin'd. There are alſo half Rochmoos of the ſame ſhape, and of half the weight.

A Copan is a piece of Gold which weighs one pound. In the upper part on one ſide it has the Head of the Emperor, and in the lower part the Head of the King: But on the other ſide it has their Arms. There are alſo half Copans; and both theſe ſorts of Money have a hole in the middle.

A Talo is a piece of Silver Coin which weighs four Ounces, and on one ſide it has a Sword; and on the other are the an⯑cient [280] Characters of the Japanneſe, denoting its value.

Of the Caxae, ſome are round, others four ſquar'd and triangular; but theſe are coin'd only in Japan.

The Steel Money which is peculiar to the Iſle Formoſa, weighs one ounce and three quarters of an ounce. It is four ſquar'd, and is call'd Colan: On the one ſide it has the Arms of Religion, with this Inſcription in Formoſan Letters, Honour to God: And on the other ſide are the Arms of the King.

A Riaon is a piece of Iron Money, al⯑moſt of the ſame bigneſs as a Kolan, and is worth fifteen Dutch Stivers. It has the ſame Inſcription with a Kolan, but its Fi⯑gure is almoſt round.

The Kapchau is a piece of Braſs Money almoſt of the ſame value with a Japan Ca⯑ſiens or Cax [...]; its Figure is almoſt round, but it has no Inſcription. There are alſo half Kapchaus and quarter Kapchaus.

CHAP. XXX. Of the Arms of the Japanners and Formoſans.

EVery one I think knows that the Ja⯑panneſe uſe no ſuch Arms as are com⯑monly us'd here in Europe: But after the Jeſuits and Dutch came there, they gave them ſome Guns and Muskets, which are not ſo many as to be ſerviceable to them in making War againſt their Enemies, but are laid up and kept as Curioſities to be ſhewn. The warlike Inſtruments which they make uſe of, are as follows.

Firſt, the Battering-Ram, which is an Engine they make uſe of for deſtroying the Walls of a City. Fachos which are made of a certain tough Wood, to which are faſtned many ſharp plates of Steel, and are cover'd all over with Pitch, Roſin, and ſuch-like combuſtible ingredients: And when it is kindled, it is thrown out of an Engin with ſo much force, that the ſharp plates of Steel will cut three Men through the middle, ſtanding directly behind one ano⯑ther. Next, they uſe in fighting long and ſhort Spears, Bows and Arrows, and Cy⯑miters.

[282]This muſt be confeſſed by all that know them, that they are wonderfully skilful in all the ways of exerciſing their Arms, eſpe⯑cially in ſhooting an Arrow, which they will direct as exactly to the Mark intended, as any European can a Bullet-ſhot out of a Musket.

They make Swords and Daggers ſo won⯑derfully fine, that they are highly eſteem⯑ed in all the Eaſtern Countries. Metals are there ſo plentiful, and they are ſo skil⯑ful in melting and mixing, purging and tempering them, that in theſe arts of pre⯑paring Metal, they far excel the Europeans. Iron is the Metal of which the Japanneſe make their Swords and Daggers, of which they have one Mine; and their Swords are ſo curiouſly and exactly temper'd, that one of them is more precious than a Sword made of the pureſt Gold; for ſome of them are found to have ſo good an edge, that they will cut the biggeſt Tree in two with one blow, or divide a piece of Iron in two without blunting their edge. Their Daggers are made of ſuch a mixture of Metals, that if any one be but ſlightly wounded with them, unleſs he cut off the wounded Fleſh in the ſame inſtant, the wound becomes incurable. Of the ſame Materials they make the heads of their Lances, Arrows and Spears, ſo that their [283] wounds are always mortal, unleſs the ſpreading of the Poyſon be preſently ſtop⯑ped; which practice ſeems to be unjuſtly condemn'd by the Europeans, ſince they themſelves make uſe of more deadly Wea⯑pons than are uſual there: Neither is it any great matter when we intend to de⯑ſtroy an Enemy, after what manner we kill him: Nay, in this reſpect the moſt deadly Weapons ſeem the beſt, becauſe the more they kill, the ſooner War is ended, which is the beſt for all parties.

However, all over the Eaſt the Soldiers formerly made uſe of theſe Japan Weapons: But now the Emperor has prohibited to ex⯑port them under the pain of Death, ſo that none dare bring them into Formoſa; yet the King who is ſent thither has a Magazine full of theſe Arms, which are laid up for a time of War; and ſo they are far from being very rare and precious there: Nay, notwithſtanding the prohi⯑bition, there are ſome who venture to ex⯑port them clandeſtinely; for I remember I ſaw many of them in Goa, which are there publickly expos'd to Sale. They uſe alſo Slings, wherewith they throw Stones; yet this they do but very ſeldom.

CHAP. XXXI. Of the Muſical Inſtruments of the Ja⯑panneſe and Formoſans.

IT muſt be acknowledg'd that the Art of Muſick was not known for many Years in any of the Eaſtern Countries, neither had they any certain method of ſinging and playing upon Inſtruments of Muſick, though they had then ſuch as reſembled the Drum and the Tabor, the Trumpet and Flagellet, the Lute and Harp: But ſince the time that the Europeans came thither, they have learn'd the way of making and uſing theſe Inſtruments, which are now made almoſt after the ſame faſhion as they are here in England: For when they heard the Jeſuits play upon the Organs in their Churches, and ſing Muſically after the manner of the Romiſh Church, they were mightily taken with it, and inflam'd with a deſire of learning the Art of Muſick, which now by their induſtry and ingenui⯑ty they have attained, tho' not in perfecti⯑on, yet to ſuch a degree as wonderfully pleaſes themſelves; and therefore they commonly uſe both vocal and inſtrumen⯑tal Muſick at their Marriages, Funerals, [285] Sports and Recreations; and at their of⯑fering Sacrifices, chiefly when they Sacri⯑fice Infants.

Thus it is in Japan; but in the Iſland Formoſa, the Natives ſtill obſerve their ancient method of ſinging and playing up⯑on Muſical Inſtruments, if their way of ſing⯑ing may be call'd a method; for except ſome few particular Prayers, which are ſung by the Prieſts only, the People ſing all other things, every one after a different man⯑ner, according to his fancy; which they do not look upon as ridiculous, becauſe they know no better; but on the contrary the different voices and tones, which every one uſes at pleaſure, ſeems to them to make a pleaſant harmony. After the ſame irregu⯑lar manner they play upon the Inſtru⯑ments of Muſick, which are us'd in Temples, ſuch as the Drum, the Ta⯑bor, &c.

In which A is the Hand that ſtrikes; B the Finger which makes the ſound; E E the Skin or Parchment which is ſtruck; D D the Plates of Gold or Silver, or ſome other Metal, which make a tinkling like a Cymbal. They uſe alſo the Harpſichord and Lute, Trumpets and Flagellets; but the Harp they do not uſe in their Temples. They have alſo Kettle-Drums, which make a harſh and warlike ſound when they [286] go to Battle; but they are ſo big that they muſt be carried by an Elephant. Other Inſtruments of Muſick they have not.

CHAP. XXXII. Of the way of Educating their Children.

I Have already ſaid, that every Wife takes care of her own Children, but if ſhe be the Wife of a Nobleman, ſhe has Ser⯑vant-Maids to look after them. They be⯑gin to teach a Child to read at three Years of age, and ſome of them will both read and write very well when they come to be five Years old; and from five to eight they inſtruct them in the Principles of Religion and Morality, and teach them how to behave themſelves in company: After eight they ſend them to the Schools or Academies, which they do not before that time, becauſe they think their Un⯑derſtanding is not ripe enough to appre⯑hend ſuch things as are taught there, tho' many of them go to Schools before they are ſeven Years of age. The Mothers take a great deal of care in their Education, and their Fathers often examine them what [287] progreſs they have made in their Learning: But their Parents never beat them, which they think improper, even when it may ſeem neceſſary to reform their manners, and deter them from the Vices to which they are addicted, (much leſs do they uſe ſuch imprecations upon them as ſome Europeans do upon their Children,) but they inſtruct them the more carefully in their Duty, admoniſh them of their Faults, and by the moſt winning Perſuaſives exhort them to amend; for they hope that as their Rea⯑ſon encreaſes with their Years, they will of themſelves abandon their Vices. And indeed this gentle method of Admonition and Exhortation does commonly prove ſo effectual, that young Men of ſix or nine Years of age will behave themſelves with as much civility and modeſty in their Diſcourſes and Geſtures as an old Man can do, which deſerves no ſmall admira⯑tion.

They have a very ſharp natural Wit, which readily learns the Languages and li⯑beral Arts: And if any one think that I boaſt too much of my Countrymen, they may read the Account that is given of them in the Relations of ſeveral Au⯑thors.

When they are arriv'd at the fifth or ſixth Year of age, then their Parents ſend [288] them to the School, and after that tho' they be negligent in their Studies, they never force them by threats to do any thing to mind their Book, but encourage them by good Words and fair Promiſes, and by propoſing to them the Examples of others, either real or feign'd, who by im⯑provement in their Studies have arriv'd at great Honours and Dignities; and by theſe and ſuch-like means they prevail more over the Youth, than they could by blows and menaces; for to ſpeak the Truth, it muſt be confeſs'd, that the Natives of Ja⯑pan and Formoſa, are naturally ſo ſtubborn and ſurly, that they cannot endure blows; and hence it often happens, that Servants when they are undeſervedly and unmer⯑cifully beaten, will in revenge kill their Maſters.

The Infants of Noblemen are carefully tended, and very carefully brought up by their Mothers and Nurſes, who conſtantly attend them to ſee that they want for no⯑thing, and cover them with Silk or Cotton to keep them warm; but never wrap them in ſwadling Cloths as they Euro⯑peans do: But their Country People are careleſs in cloathing their Children, and keeping them warm while they are In⯑fants; and when they come to be two Years old, they ſuffer them to run na⯑ked [289] over the Mountains, Meadows and Woods.

CHAP. XXXIII. Of the Liberal and Mechanical Art in Japan.

Though the Japanneſe are inferiour to the Europeans in the Knowledge of the liberal Arts, yet this muſt be ſaid for them, that as to all Arts whether Liberal or Mechanical, they excel all the other Ea⯑ſtern People. And though the Jeſuits do mightily extol the Chineſe above all the other Orientaliſts for their Ingenuity, yet I think they are much inferiour to the Japanneſe in ſagacity and ſharpneſs of Wit: for many of them, chiefly the Bonzii, ſpend their whole Life in ſtudying; but their Wit for the moſt part conſiſts in Riddles, Paradoxes and dark-ſayings. They write many Books of Theology, which are chiefly deſign'd for the explication of their Articles of Re⯑ligion, and the defence of their Idolatrous Worſhip: And in all their Meditations they chiefly apply themſelves to the ſtudy of Philoſophy, which with them is no⯑thing [290] elſe, but a collection of the Opinions of all the ancient Philoſophers they know, which favour their own Superſtition.

Altho' the Bonzii are bound to miniſter in holy Things, and by their office are pe⯑culiarly ſet apart for that ſervice, yet they do not only ſtudy Philoſophy and Theo⯑logy, but Mathematicks, Medicine and Law; ſo that their Academies ſeem to reſemble Univerſities here in teaching all the liberal Sciences. They teach alſo the Greek Tongue in the Iſle Formoſa, and every one may learn it in their Academies, who has Money enough to pay the Prieſts; but the Japan Bonzii teach it only among themſelves, but not to the Laity.

Theſe Colleges in which the Youth are taught, are endow'd with great Revenues; for all Princes, Noblemen and Gentlemen, ſend their Sons thither, and give great Gifts to them.

As to the Law, they have no Rules, but ſuch as are diſcover'd by natural Light, or the dictates of Reaſon, or are founded up⯑on the Authority of their Superiours, whoſe Will is a Law to their Subjects: Thus the Anſwer of the Prince decides any Controverſie, and puts an end to the Suit of the contending Parties. But, as we have before obſerv'd, Meriandanoo made new Laws to reſtrain the Kings and [291] Princes from enſlaving their Subjects ſo much as they were wont to do.

The Phyſicians and Chyrurgeons in For⯑moſa are very ignorant and unskilful, tho' they are very much honoured by all ſorts of People. They know nothing of the art of Muſick, as has been before obſerv'd: But as to the other liberal Arts, all the Sons of Citizens and Gentlemen ſtudy them in their Academies, provided their Fa⯑thers have ſufficient means to maintain them there. They are excellent at making Verſes, but chiefly the Bonzii in the Iſle Formoſa, who do not only compoſe Prayers, but alſo Sermons in Verſe. They mighti⯑ly affect Brevity in all their Writings, and labour only to expreſs in a few Words the ſubſtance of any matter of fact, without taking notice of many Circumſtances which ſet off the Hiſtory: And therefore when they write Libels to any Prince, they con⯑trive them wonderful ſhort, yet ſo that nothing which is pertinent to the matter or ſubſtance of the Libel is omitted. Some of them are great lovers of Eloquence, but chiefly the Bonzii, and practiſe it very much in their Sermons, the better to move the Affections of their Hearers, and per⯑ſuade them to do what they have a mind to.

[292]The Japanneſe did formerly write from the top down the bottom: Which way of writing they learn'd from the ſhape of a Man, whoſe Head is the higheſt part, and the Feet the loweſt. But after that Meri⯑andanoo had once obtain'd the Iſle For⯑moſa, and annex'd it to the Empire of Ja⯑pan, the Japanneſe ſeeing the way of wri⯑ting that was us'd by the Formoſans to be much better and more eaſy, have ever ſince continued to write after that man⯑ner: And this they do ſo generally, that none but the Bonzii underſtand the an⯑cient way of writing; for the reſt are al⯑together ignorant of it.

Hitherto I have treated of their liberal Arts, I ſhall only add a few Words of their mechanical Arts. The Formoſans have Painters who draw fine Pictures with great Art and Skill; and their Engravers are very famous for working both in Wood and Stone. They have alſo Potters, who are very curious in making Diſhes, which they call Porcellane, and the Engliſh China-Ware; and 'tis very well known, that in this Art they excel the Chineſe and all the oriental People. But they have no Shoe-makers, Brewers or Bakers there; neither do they know the way of making Candles as you do here; but inſtead of them they uſe Lamps, with Oil, Links and Torches, [293] made of the Pine-tree; and the Country People kindle Straw, or any kind of Wood which will flame and give light. The art of making Glaſs is not known over all the Eaſt, and when it was firſt brought to Japan, it appear'd to the Natives ſo ad⯑mirable for its clearneſs and tranſparency, that the Mariners would ſell a piece of Glaſs worth no more than a penny here for half a Copan; but now ſince Ships have frequently arriv'd in theſe parts, the value of them is very much fallen; and yet they coſt twenty times more there than here. Some Noblemen have Glaſs-Win⯑dows in their Houſes, but theſe coſt ſo much that they are very rare, for the ge⯑nerality of the Natives uſe a thin waxen Silk-ſtuff, or Paper made of Silk, for their Windows, which they receive from the Chineſes. Their chief Arts are the Pot⯑ters art, and the art of working with the Needle, in which they are ingenious to admiration: But above all they excel in the art of purging and preparing Metals, as has been obſerv'd in the Chapter of their Arms. And laſtly, their Husbandmen are skilful enough in ordering and improving the Ground, according to the nature of the Soil.

And here it is to be noted, that all Ar⯑tificers, and ſuch as get their livelihood by [294] their labour, are very little eſteemed: And the Merchants the richer they are, are ſo much the leſs valued, becauſe they believe they muſt uſe many Lyes in commending and putting off their Merchandize, to en⯑creaſe their Gain and Riches: And be⯑cauſe the Japanneſe abhor a Lye, there⯑fore they deſpiſe the Merchants, whom they look upon as great Lyars; as the Engliſh deſpiſe the Mountebanks, who tell many Lyes of the Operations of their Medicines, which they ſell upon a Stage. I ſhall only add, that as to other Me⯑chanical Arts which are us'd here in Europe, the Natives are always learning ſome⯑thing new from the Hollanders, having a very ſharp Wit, which eaſily apprehends any Arts they once ſee.

CHAP. XXXIV. Of the Splendid Retinue that attends the Vice-Roy of Formoſa when he goes to wait upon the Emperor.

SInce all Kings have not the ſame Dig⯑nity and Revenues, but ſome are more, ſome leſs rich and honourable, therefore every one of the King's Subject to the Em⯑peror of Japan, hath a Retinue propor⯑tionable to his Dignity. But the King of the Iſle Formoſa being ſent from the Em⯑peror, is therefore always attended by the Vice-Roy and Carillan when he goes to wait upon the Emperor. 'Tis the office of the Carillan to give the Emperor that account of the Iſle which is made by the King; and the Vice-Roy relates as from himſelf the ſame things which the King relates by the Carillan, viz. all things which concern the Government, the Sub⯑jects or the Commonwealth.

The Vice-Roy of Formoſa does uſually travel twice a-Year to wait upon the Em⯑peror of Japan; and then he has his own Balcon, which has been before deſcrib'd, and thirty ſix Balcons of the Noblemen, [296] who attend him: But the Carillan travels in the ſame Balcon with the King, as be⯑ing his Companion. Beſides theſe Bal⯑cons there are eighty floating Villages, in which are the Guards of the Vice-Roy and Carillan, and the Litters or Palan⯑quins, in which they travel when they paſs through the Iſland. All things are ſet in order when they come to the Iſle Xyphon; forty floating Villages go before, and eighteen Balcons of Noblemen, then comes the Balcons of the Vice-Roy, and after it eighteen Balcons of Noblemen, and laſt of all forty floating Villages, whereof one or two belongs to each Nobleman.

In this order they make their Progreſs till they come to the Sea-Port Town, where they are to Land, and then they all go out, and Noblemen go into the Lit⯑ters which are carried aſhore for them, and the Balcons remain there till the Vice-Roy returns. There are thirty-ſix Litters which belong to the Noblemen, who ac⯑company the Vice-Roy, and there is one for the Vice-Roy, with whom the Caril⯑lan travels to bear him Company. All the Litters of the Nobility are an Ell and a half in height and length, and are made of Wood, curiouſly adorn'd within and [297] without with Silks and Tapeſtry, finely wrought with the Needle, with plates of Braſs or Copper, and many Pictures, and are uſually carried by two Elephants.

The Vice-Roy and Carillan travel in one Litter, which is two Ells and a half high, and three Ells long, and is carried by two Elephants: Inwardly it is adorn'd with Silks and Cloth of Gold, finely wrought with the Needle; and outwardly it is co⯑vered with moſt pure Gold. In this Lit⯑ter, beſides the Vice-Roy and Carillan, are one Nobleman and ten Ladies of Ho⯑nour, which are branches of the King's Fa⯑mily: It goes in the middle of all the other Litters, and is guarded with Soldiers be⯑fore and behind, and on both ſides.

All things being thus diſpos'd, they enter into the Emperor's Palace, where they con⯑tinue for a Month, and then return into their own Country. The Emperor does them this Honour, as to ſend twenty of his Courtiers to receive them when they land at the Sea-Port Town, and as many to accompany them, in Litters guarded with Soldiers, when they return to the Sea-Port. And during all the time they ſtay at the Emperor's Court, he puts all kinds of Ho⯑nour upon them; for he diverts them with Hunting, Sports and Comedies, and ad⯑mits them to a hearing every Day for an [298] Hour in a publick Aſſembly: And laſtly, when they are to go away, he loads them with Gifts, and very honourably takes a farewel of them.

'Tis a part of the Office of the King of Formoſa to accompany the Vice-Roy to the Sea-Port Town call'd Khadſey, where he takes Shipping, and to receive him at the ſame place when he returns, and attend him as far as the Caſtle. And laſtly, it is to be noted, that altho' the Emperor gives him only the Title of Vice-Roy, who was for⯑merly King of Formoſa, yet he does him greater Honour than any other King of the Empire.

CHAP. XXXV. Of the Succeſs of the Jeſuits in pro⯑pagating the Chriſtian Faith in Ja⯑pan, from 1549 to 1615. More eſpecially of the Reaſons of the ter⯑rible Slaughter that was made of them about the Year 1616. And of the Law prohibiting Chriſtians un⯑der pain of Death to come into Japan.

SInce my deſign is only to give an Ac⯑count of the Iſle Formoſa, and to touch upon the Affairs of Japan ſo far as they have Relation to it; I ſhall not pretend to give a particular Hiſtory of the various ſucceſs the Jeſuits met with in propagating the Chriſtian Religion through the ſeve⯑ral Kingdoms of Japan, of which I have receiv'd no certain information. But in general I am very well aſſur'd, by the con⯑ſtant uncontroll'd Tradition of my Coun⯑trymen; that notwithſtanding all the dif⯑ficulties they met with, they made a won⯑derful progreſs in the converſion of that Empire between the Year 1549. in which Xaverius ſays he, firſt arriv'd at Cangoxima, and the Year 1616 or thereabout; for 'tis commonly believ'd in Formoſa that in this [300] ſpace of time more than a third part of Japan was converted to the Chriſtian Reli⯑gion; and Tampouſamma himſelf, who was Emperor of Japan in the ſaid Year 1616.

Though many other cauſes might con⯑cur to promote the ſpreading of the Chriſti⯑an Religion in Japan by the Jeſuits, of which I can give no particular account, yet I am very certainly inform'd that one thing which contributed very much to the propagation of it, was their propoſing the Chriſtian Religion, after ſuch a man⯑ner as was moſt agreeable to natural Rea⯑ſon, and the Doctrines and Practices com⯑monly receiv'd among the Japanneſe.

Thus the Jeſuits taught them in their firſt Lectures, That there was but one God, the Creator and Governour of all things in Heaven and Earth, and demonſtrated his Eternity and other Attributes by natu⯑ral Reaſon; but ſaid nothing of a Trinity of Perſons in the Unity of the God-head, leſt it ſhould ſhock their Belief of the one true God. And as to Chriſt, they affirm'd that he was a Divine Vertue reſiding in a human Body, or a mighty Hero ſent from God to reveal his Mind and Will to Mankind; and they enlarged upon the Holineſs of his Life, the Reaſonable⯑neſs and Excellency of his Doctrine, the many Miracles he wrought for confirma⯑tion [301] of it, and the bitter and painful Death he endur'd on the Croſs for the ex⯑piation of the Sins of Mankind: All which were agreeable enough to the opi⯑nions the Japanneſe had conceiv'd of their pretended Heroes, That they had done many wonderful Feats, and endur'd great and laſting Pains to deliver their Follow⯑ers from future Torments. But all this while the Jeſuits ſaid nothing of his be⯑ing God and Man in one Perſon, but con⯑ceal'd that Myſtery, as being too difficult for the apprehenſion of the Japanneſe, un⯑til a more convenient opportunity.

They taught the Japanneſe to worſhip the only true God, and his Son Jeſus Chriſt, who was rais'd from the Dead by the Almighty Power of God, and aſcend⯑ed into Heaven, and was exalted in the humane Nature to all Power in Heaven and Earth, to aſſiſt and relieve his faith⯑ful Servants; which was agreeable enough to the notions they had of their Deified Men, ſuch as Xaca and Amida, to whom they pray'd for Relief in all their Straits and Neceſſities. And as to the Worſhip of Images and Saints departed, there was ſuch a perfect Harmony between the Je⯑ſuits and the Japanneſe, That they deſir'd them only to change their Idols for the Images of Jeſus Chriſt, the Virgin Mary, [302] and other Saints of the only true God, and to continue the ſame way of worſhip⯑ping and truſting to the Saints, as Inter⯑ceſſors with God for them, but not to offer Sacrifices to them.

They adminiſtred Baptiſm in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghoſt, as the Rite of admitting Men into the Chriſtian Church, and never declared the Holy Ghoſt to be a Divine Perſon in the ever-bleſſed Trinity, but repreſented him as the Power of God.

They adminiſtred the Lord's Supper in commemoration of the Death of Chriſt, but never offer'd to explain the Myſtery of Tranſubſtantiation, or the Sacrifice of the Meſs.

And by this way of repreſenting the Chriſtian Religion, and concealing thoſe Myſteries which are more difficult to be ap⯑prehended and believ'd, and the peculiar Abſurdities of the Popiſh Doctrines, it ap⯑pear'd to contain nothing but what was agreeable to natural Reaſon, and the Noti⯑ons and Practices commonly receiv'd among the Japanneſe, and ſo it eaſily gain'd credit and ſpread mightily among the ingenious Japanneſe; eſpecially being recommended by ſome peculiar advantages it has above all other Religions, as particularly by the full aſſurance it gives of a future ſtate of eternal Life and Happineſs.

[303]But as this Artifice gain'd the Jeſuits ma⯑ny Followers, while they conceal'd the aforeſaid Doctrines, which they did for many Years, until they found their Party very ſtrong and powerful: So when they declar'd them to the People, and impos'd them as neceſſary Articles of Faith, the Chriſtian Converts murmur'd againſt them for changing the Religion they had for⯑merly taught; and the Pagans, but eſpeci⯑ally the Bonzies exclaim'd againſt them as Impoſtors, for deceiving the People with new Devices, which occaſion'd many to make defection from them, and rais'd in all a ſtrong ſuſpicion of their Inſincerity: So that this Declaration of theſe new Doctrines prov'd very much to their diſ⯑advantage, and may be reckon'd one cauſe of their utter Ruin and Extirpation.

A ſecond Cauſe was the great Envy and Indignation which all the Pagans, but chiefly the Bonzies, conceiv'd againſt the Jeſuits, becauſe they inſinuated themſelves ſo far into the favour of Kings and Prin⯑ces, and all the rich Men who were Con⯑verts to their Religion, that they ſetled great Revenues upon the Chriſtian Mona⯑ſteries, which us'd formerly to be given to the Bonzies; nay, the Fathers diſinhe⯑rited their Sons to enrich their Monaſte⯑ries, which ſo exaſperated the Minds of [304] the Pagans againſt them, that they endea⯑voured by all means to extirpate them.

A third Cauſe was the diſcovery of a Conſpiracy, carried on by the Jeſuits, to betray the Empire of Japan into the Hands of the King of Spain; for which end they had ſent him Letters, which were found out, giving him an account of the ſitua⯑tion of their Harbours, and of their ſe⯑veral Cities, Caſtles and Forts, and the manner how they might be beſieg'd and taken. The Jeſuits confeſs, that the great Dominions which the King of Spain poſſeſs'd in the Eaſt and Weſt Indies, gave the Japanneſe a great Umbrage; and this they ſay mov'd them to ſet on foot a de⯑ſign of aboliſhing their Religion, and dri⯑ving them out of their Country: But they deny that they ever wrote ſuch Letters to that King, giving him an account of the Strength of the Japan Empire, and the ways of attacking it; and pretend that theſe Letters were forged by the Hollan⯑ders, on purpoſe to render the Portugueſe odious, and get their Trade in Japan out of their Hands. But this Forgery was ne⯑ver prov'd againſt the Dutch; and there⯑fore 'tis commonly believ'd in Formoſa, that the Jeſuits were the Authors and Con⯑trivers of the aforeſaid Letters, which muſt certainly render them very odious to all the Pigans.

[305]But all theſe three Cauſes were only preparatory to that which follows, which was the laſt and immediate Cauſe of the great ſlaughter of the Chriſtians in Japan. For the better underſtanding of which we muſt conſider, that in the great progreſs which the Chriſtian Religion had made in Japan, by the preaching of the Jeſuits and other Miſſionaries of the Romiſh Church, there were not only ſeveral Kings and Princes and many great Lords, but alſo an Emperor who had em⯑braced Chriſtianity, whoſe name was Tampouſama; and he gave them not only a Toleration, but all manner of Encouragement to propagate and ſettle their Religion in all parts of the Empire. The Jeſuits being puffed up with this ſuc⯑ceſs, and ſupported by ſo great an Autho⯑rity, ventur'd boldly to expoſe their pe⯑culiar Dogmata of Tranſubſtantiation, and the Sacrifice of the Meſs, &c. which they required all the Chriſtians to believe, un⯑der pain of Damnation; and to uſe all the pious Frauds they could invent, for drain⯑ing the Riches of Japan into their own Coffers. And having by this means given great offence to the Chriſtians, and in⯑curr'd the great hatred of the Pagans, and raiſed a vehement ſuſpicion in all ſorts of People of their being Impoſtors; they [306] began to be afraid, leſt the Pagans ſhould conſpire together to work their Ruin, and therefore were reſolv'd to be beforehand with them, and to take the ſhorteſt way for converting the whole Em⯑pire to their Religion.

To this purpoſe they forg'd a Lye, which they went and told the Emperor, That the Pagans were contriving to raiſe a Rebel⯑lion againſt him, and to cut the Throats of all the Chriſtians. That they had al⯑ready had ſeveral Conſultations about car⯑rying on this wicked Conſpiracy, which they would certainly put in execution, un⯑leſs they were timely prevented. The Em⯑peror who look'd upon them as very wiſe Men, and put an entire confidence in them, asked them, what they would have him to do? To which they readily anſwered, That to ſecure himſelf and the Chriſtians from this Conſpiracy, he could do nothing better, than to ſend his Letters to all the Chriſtian Churches, requiring the Chriſti⯑ans every-where throughout the Empire, to riſe up in Arms on ſuch a Day, about a certain Hour of the Night, and kill all the Pagans: For by this means, continued they, the wicked Deſign againſt your Ma⯑jeſty and the Chriſtians will be prevented, and the Chriſtian Faith alone will flouriſh through all your Empire, and there will [307] be none left alive to trouble you, or diſturb the Peace of your Government. Beſides, the better to excite the Emperor to this undertaking, they aſſur'd him that he was oblig'd to do it, not only in point of Po⯑licy, but of Religion, becauſe this would be ſuch a commendable and meritorious Work, to extirpate Heatheniſm and ſettle Chriſtianity in all his Dominions, that he might certainly expect the Bleſſing of God, and of Chriſt upon himſelf, and all his Chriſtian Subjects, for finiſhing ſuch a glorious Deſign. But, added they, if you delay much longer to put it in execution, you will certainly find by woful experi⯑ence, that your Majeſty and all the Chri⯑ſtians will be murther'd in one Night; the conſequence of which muſt be the utter Extirpation of Chriſtianity in Japan.

Theſe Things they repreſented with ſo much ſeeming Zeal and affectionate Con⯑cern for the Chriſtian Religion, that the Emperor was prevail'd upon, as is com⯑monly reported, to grant them his Letters to be ſent to all the Chriſtians, requiring them to deſtroy all the Pagans in his Do⯑minions; though others ſay that the Je⯑ſuits preſum'd ſo far upon the Emperor's good Affection to their Cauſe, that they wrote theſe Letters in the Emperor's Name without his Knowledge, and diſpatch'd [308] them to all the Chriſtian Churches. How⯑ever this is certain, that all the Churches receiv'd Orders written in the Emperor's Name, to riſe up in Arms on ſuch a Day, at ſuch an Hour of the Night, and deſtroy all the Pagans. And though this Deſign was managed with all the Artifice of the Jeſuits▪ to conceal it until the time of execution, yet they could not carry it on ſo ſecretly but the Pagans came by ſome means or other to hear of it, time enough to prevent the fatal Blow: For either the Chriſtians, who had Fathers or Mothers, or other near Relations that were Pagans, out of natural Affection to them, diſco⯑ver'd the Plot, that they might have an opportunity to ſave their Lives; or others being touch'd with an Horror of the Bloody Conſpiracy againſt their Countrymen and Friends, found their good Nature too hard for their Religion; and therefore gave timely notice to the Pagan Kings and Princes to fortify themſelves againſt the intended Maſſacre: Which they did ſo effectually, that having got all things ready, they roſe up in Arms with their Pagan Sub⯑jects on the very Day before that in which the Chriſtians were to put their Deſign in execution, and fell upon them, and de⯑ſtroy'd them with a very great ſlaughter whereſoever any Chriſtians could be found. [309] The Emperor being a Chriſtian, and ha⯑ving too much countenanced the Jeſuits in their intended Maſſacre, was forc'd by the Pagans to leave his own Dominions, and went into the City of Goa, where he died, and his Body is ſtill preſerved in the Church of the Jeſuits, where a ſtately Monument is erected to his Memory, with an Inſcription to this purpoſe, Here lies Tampouſama Emperor of Japan, who was baniſhed out of his Dominions, and died a Martyr for the Chriſtian Religion. At the ſame time there were five Kings and two Vice-Roys apprehended, who had pro⯑moted the Chriſtian Religion in their ſe⯑veral Kingdoms; and they were thrown into Priſon, and there remain'd until they died.

The ſlaughter was ſo general, that not only the Jeſuits and other Miſſionaries of the Romiſh Church, but all the Japanneſe that had been converted by them, were put to Death whenſoever they were ſeiz'd: Some were hang'd, ſome thrown into the Rivers, or old Ditches, others were be⯑headed, and great numbers ſuffered the moſt cruel Deaths the Pagans could in⯑vent. But though the ſlaughter was very general, yet it cannot be imagin'd, that all the Chriſtians were apprehended at the ſame time, but many of them lay conceal'd, [310] and skulk'd up and down in Corners for ſeveral Years before they were diſcover'd; and after the firſt Heats of the Perſecution were over, many of thoſe Jeſuits and Monks who were ſeiz'd, were for ſome time reſpited, and being caſt into Priſon, continued there until a new Emperor was Created, and then were put to cruel Deaths, with moſt exquiſite Torments.

After this time the name of a Chriſtian grew ſo odious through all the Empire of Japan, that no Chriſtian was ſuffered to live in it, but the Pagans ſlew them all whenſoever they diſcovered them. And this wicked and bloody Conſpiracy, which was ſo contrary to the mild and charita⯑ble Spirit of Chriſtianity, was ſuch a Scan⯑dal to the Pagans, and reproach to the Chriſtians, that henceforward they were all eſteem'd Villains, Rebels, Impoſtors, and the worſt of Men; and therefore when any of them were found out, all the People cry'd out, Away with them, Crucifie them: And Searchers were appointed to enquire diligently in all places, if any of them could be diſcovered; as has been al⯑ready obſerv'd in the Chapter of Laws.

And this Relation of the Conſpiracy of the Jeſuits and other Popiſh Prieſts, a⯑gainſt the Pagans, and the great Slaughter of the Chriſtians, which follow'd upon [311] the Diſcovery of it, is as firmly believ'd in Formoſa, by Tradition from Father to Son, as the Gunpowder-Plot is believ'd here in England, to have been contriv'd by the Jeſuits and other Papiſts: But I muſt con⯑feſs, that I cannot poſitively determine the time when it happen'd; only I think it moſt probable, that it was about the Year 1616.

CHAP. XXXVI. Of the coming of the Dutch into Ja⯑pan, with their Succeſs, and the Tricks they play'd.

THE Dutch hearing of the great Slaughter of the Papiſts in Japan, and that they were for ever baniſhed from that Empire, laid hold of this Opportuni⯑ty to ſettle a great Trade with the Japan⯑neſe; and for that end having laded ſeve⯑ral Ships with great Stores of ſuch Com⯑modities as they thought moſt vendible in that Country; they ſail'd to Japan, where being arriv'd, they were preſently [312] call'd to an account, what they were? and from whence they came? They an⯑ſwer'd, They were Hollanders; and when the Japan Inquiſitors urg'd them farther to declare, whether they were Chriſtians or no? They pretended at firſt they did not underſtand what they meant by that Name, and therefore they could only tell them they profeſs'd the Holland's Religion. But at laſt ſome of them told the Japanneſe, That they had heard of ſome call'd Chri⯑ſtians, who were Impoſtors, and worſhip⯑ped a Crucified Man: By which Character the Japanneſe underſtood that theſe were the Chriſtians who had formerly been in Japan. And then the Dutch added far⯑ther, That there were none ſuch in their Country, but in other parts of Europe; and that the Hollanders were ſo far from being of the ſame Religion with them, that they had always been hated and per⯑ſecuted by theſe Chriſtians upon the account of Religion.

Theſe things being related to the Em⯑peror, he commanded that they ſhould have leave to land, and to bring them before him: When they were come into the Em⯑peror's preſence, they preſented him with two great Guns, and a ſtriking Clock with an Alarm, and a muſical Bell; both which wonderfully pleaſed the Emperor, but [313] chiefly he admired the two Guns when he ſaw them charg'd and diſcharg'd be⯑fore him: Whereupon he gave them free leave to come and import their Commodi⯑ties into his Country, as thinking that their Commerce would be not only ſafe, but very advantageous to Japan. But af⯑ter they had traded there for ſome Years, they begg'd leave of the Emperor to build a great Store-houſe, in which they might lay up all their Merchandize; pretending it was a great loſs to them to carry their Goods up and down the Country before they could ſell them; and that it would be more convenient, not only for them⯑ſelves, but alſo for the Japanneſe to have a certain place appointed whither all Per⯑ſons might reſort, either to buy their Com⯑modities, or take them in exchange for the Product of their Country. The Em⯑peror granted them leave to build ſuch a Houſe for containing their Goods: But they inſtead of a Ware-houſe, built a ve⯑ry ſtrong Caſtle, with very good Fortifi⯑cations; yet none of the Natives ever ſuſ⯑pected them of any ill deſign, (but thought that the Houſe was built after the Dutch way,) until ſome time after it was finiſh'd. But their deſign was diſcover'd when a new Fleet of Ships arriv'd from Holland in Japan; for theſe Ships were laden with [314] Guns, Muskets, Piſtols, and all ſorts of Warlike Inſtruments, and great Stores of Gunpowder and Bullets; as plainly ap⯑pear'd by this Accident: The Dutch ha⯑ving conceal'd their Arms and Ammuni⯑tion in Wooden Frames, that they might not be ſeen by the Japanneſe, convey'd them out of their Ships, and laid them upon Carts to be carried to their Caſtle: But it happen'd, unluckily for them, that ſome of the Carts were broken by the way, and the Wooden Frames burſt in pieces by the fall, which diſcover'd their hidden Treaſure of Arms and Ammuni⯑tion, and alarm'd the Japanneſe, who ſaw them, with the apprehenſion of ſome wick⯑ed Deſign, which was to be executed by ſuch great quantities of Warlike Prepara⯑tions: Whereupon ſome of them run pre⯑ſently and acquainted the Emperor with what they had ſeen, and the danger that threatned his Country by the Tricks of theſe deceitful Hollanders; and he ſent away in all haſte 10 or 12 Companies of Soldiers, who kill'd as many as they could find of them, but the greateſt part of them had eſcap'd from the Caſtle, and were got into their Ships which had put to Sea, be⯑fore the Soldiers arriv'd: which happen'd by the over-ſight of the Natives, who might eaſily have encompaſs'd the Caſtle [315] at ſome diſtance, ſo that none could enter in or go out of it, whereby all that were in it would have been forced either to ſur⯑render themſelves or die for Hunger. Af⯑ter this their Caſtle and all the Guns they could find were ſeized by the Japanneſe for the uſe of the Emperor; and the Dutch were for ſome time prohibited any Com⯑merce with Japan. But upon their hum⯑ble Petition and fair Promiſes, the Empe⯑ror gave them leave to come into Formoſa, which was then under his Dominion, and thither they reſorted for ſome time: But the Hollanders not finding in Formoſa all the Commodities they wanted, did a⯑gain beg leave of the Emperor to trade in⯑to Japan; which the Emperor would not allow, until at laſt the King of Nangaſak, interpos'd on their behalf, and pray'd that he might be permitted to receive them in⯑to his Iſle, which is not far diſtant from the reſt of Japan. And this the Emperor granted upon the following Conditions, 1ſt, That they ſhould trample upon the Crucifix. 2dly, That the Inquiſitors ſhould take out of their Ships all their Guns and Ammunition, all their Sails, Maſts, Ropes, and other Furniture, to be kept in a Store-houſe as long as the Dutch ſtay'd in the Country. 3dly, That he ſhould appoint Soldiers to go along with them through the [316] Country, and obſerve them. 4thly, That they ſhould not ſtay any longer than the Emperor pleas'd; but as ſoon as he ſhould ſend his Orders for their going away, they ſhould make all things ready for ſailing, and depart preſently.

Theſe Conditions have been hitherto very exactly obſerv'd; whenever therefore they have ſold off, or barter'd all their Com⯑modities, and are ready to put to Sea a⯑gain, then all their Warlike Inſtruments and Ship-Tackle, that were taken away at their firſt coming, are reſtor'd to them again, and they have free liberty to return into their own Country.

After the Dutch had got footing in Japan, and the Chriſtians were prohibited to come there under pain of Death, the Dutch adviſed the Emperor to diſtinguiſh Chri⯑ſtians from all other Foreigners by this Teſt, viz. by making an Image of Chriſt Crucified, which theſe Chriſtians adore, and keeping it in all their Sea-Port Towns, and requiring all Foreigners to trample up⯑on this Image: For, ſaid they, If theſe Foreigners be Chriſtians they will not trample upon it; and all others who do trample upon it, are certainly no Chriſtians.

This Teſt was afterwards try'd upon ſome Jeſuits, or other Monks of the Romiſh [317] Church, who ventur'd to come into Ja⯑pan, hoping perhaps to conceal themſelves under the diſguiſe of being Hollanders: But when they came into the Harbour, an Image of Chriſt Crucified was brought to them, and they were required to trample upon it, which they refus'd to do; where⯑upon they were all apprehended, being about 46 in number, and within a few Days crucified according to the Laws of Japan; and the Feſtival in Commemoration of their Martyrdom is celebrated by the Jeſuits to this Day: But the Hollan⯑ders make no ſcruple to trample upon the Crucifix when-ever they are requi⯑red to do it; and therefore they are not accounted Chriſtians by the Japanneſe; ac⯑cording to the common opinion of all Ja⯑pan, That thoſe Foreigners only are Chri⯑ſtians who refuſe to trample upon the Crucifix.

CHAP. XXXVII. Of the new Devices of the Jeſuits for getting into Japan.

THus the Hollanders, by denying Chri⯑ſtianity, ſecur'd their freedom of Trade in Japan, but the Papiſts were for ever ſhut out of that Country by this Teſt of Chriſtianity, until the Jeſuits by their ſubtilty invented a new way for procuring their admiſſion into it, which was this: They learn in the firſt place the Japan Lan⯑guage in the City of Goa, where it is taught in the Academy; and when they can ſpeak it very well, they put on the Ja⯑pan Habit, and thus accoutred, they go to ſome Port in Japan, and being examined by the Searchers what Country they be⯑long to, and from whence they come? They readily anſwer, That they are Ja⯑panneſe, and come from ſuch an Iſland, and ſuch a City in Japan, naming them, which is eaſily believ'd by the Searchers, becauſe of their Language and Habit.

And having thus ſecurely paſs'd the Teſt, when they come aſhore they diſguiſe themſelves under various ſhapes; for ſome ſet up for Merchants and Toy-ſellers, [319] others for Tutors or Mechanicks, and they live in a private Houſe, and follow their ſeveral Employments, with as much care and induſtry, as if they depended upon them for a livelihood, though 'tis certain they are otherwiſe provided with ſufficient means to maintain them, by thoſe who ſend them thither. For the Pope of Rome ſends every Year a certain number into Japan, and takes care to furniſh them with all things neceſſary, and they are allow'd two Years for learning the Japan Lan⯑guage, four Years for their ſtay in Ja⯑pan, and about three Years for their Jour⯑ney backward and forward. They have a certain Japan Word, which they pro⯑nounce after a manner peculiar to them⯑ſelves, whereby they know one another; the Word is Abo, which in Japan ſignifies quickly, by which the new-comers, as they walk through the Cities and Villages, know their Brethren that have been there before them; and after they know one another, they meet together in private places to diſcourſe about their own Affairs.

Thus there is a continual Succeſſion of a new Miſſionary after four Years are ex⯑pir'd, to ſupply the place of him who then returns home, as I am very well aſſur'd by my own experience, though 'tis not eaſy to gueſs for what end they are ſent, or [320] what good they do when they come there. For it is in vain for them to pretend that they convert many of the Natives, du⯑ring their four Years ſtay, to the Chriſtian Religion, as I know that ſome of them boaſt after their return, ſince it is impoſ⯑ſible they ſhould eſcape the diligence of ſo many Searchers, as are every-where appointed to detect them, if they ſhould publickly own themſelves to be Chriſtians, and endeavour to convert the Pagans: And indeed, if it were true what they relate, that one had converted twenty, another thir⯑ty, and a third fifty, during their ſtay in Japan, ever ſince the time of their Baniſhment, there would be very few Pa⯑gans left in that Country, according to their account of Converſions. 'Tis true, that ſome Years ago there were Jeſuits, or Po⯑piſh Prieſts, who made ſome Converts to Chriſtianity; but in a little time they were diſcover'd by the Searchers, and both they and their Converts were burnt alive, ex⯑cept a few who renounced Chriſtianity and embraced their ancient Idolatry, for fear of the Torments of ſuch a cruel Death: But at Rome they talk nothing of any ſuch diſaſters, but every one boaſts of the nu⯑merous Converts he has made in the Em⯑pire of Japan, and pleaſes himſelf with the Relation of his Travels, and the many [321] wonderful things he has ſeen, being greatly puffed up with an Opinion of the great Glory and Fame he has merited by ſuch a difficult and noble Undertaking. Upon the whole matter it ſeems to me moſt pro⯑bable, that the great Deſign of the Miſ⯑ſionaries, who are ſent to Japan, ſince the time of their Baniſhment from it, is to ſpy out the Country, and to inform them⯑ſelves exactly of the Situation of their Har⯑bours, the Number of their Forts and Ca⯑ſtles, and all the Strength of the Empire, and to take Aim by what Methods they may be attack'd with beſt ſucceſs, hoping that at length ſome magnanimous Chri⯑ſtian Prince will undertake a glorious Ex⯑pedition, with ſufficient Forces to conquer that Empire by their direction, and to plant the Chriſtian Religion among the Natives, in ſpite of all the Prejudices wherewith they are poſſeſs'd at preſent againſt it: For indeed I cannot perceive what other Benefit and Advantage they can propoſe to themſelves by all the Trou⯑ble and Expences they are at, in ſending ſo many Miſſionaries into Japan.

Within a few Years after the Perſecu⯑tion of the Chriſtians in Japan, the Empe⯑ror having obtain'd the Iſle Formoſa, as has been above related, began to perſecute alſo [322] the Chriſtians that were in that Country; but tho' he treated the Jeſuits and Popiſh Prieſts there with the ſame ſeverity he had us'd in Japan, burning ſome alive, cruci⯑fying others, or hanging them up by the Legs till they were dead; yet to the Na⯑tives who were Chriſtians he ſhew'd more Mercy, leaving it to their own free Choice, either to renounce Chriſtianity, or to de⯑part for ever out of their own Country; whereupon many of them choſe rather to fly into other Countries than deny Chriſt; but others being unwilling to leave their Eſtates and their Country, renounc'd Chri⯑ſtianity, and embrac'd their former Super⯑ſtition. And after that time the ſame Law was in force againſt the Chriſtians in Formoſa, as was made againſt them in Japan.