University of Virginia Library

CHAP VI. in the Translator's manuscript.

The Chinese title in the Translator's MS. is
Too-sieu Ho-shang. — The idolatrous Monks or
Priests of Fo, called by the Portuguese Bonzi (in
the singular number Bonzo, from a Japanese word,
which signifies Religious [3] ,) are in China called
Ho-shang. These monks appear so like some of
the religious orders abroad, that P. Premare, a
jesuit missionary, can no otherwise account for it,
than by supposing the devil had in view to counterfeit
the holy rites of the church. "These
priests of satan (says he, Let. ed. ij. 103.) "have
long robes which reach to their ancles, with
vast sleeves, which exactly resemble those
of some of the religious [orders] in Europe.
They live together in their Pagodes, as in Convents;
they go about the streets [a la quête] a
begging as the mendicants [two and two together,
says P. Semedo.] They rise in the
night to worship [F O:] they sing together
in their choirs in a tone, which very much
resembles our psalmody or chanting."—They
go with their heads and beards shaven: (says
P. Semedo, p. 89) They have several offices
and prayers against fire, tempests, misfortunes,
and especially for the dead. Their caps are
like ours, [meaning those of the jesuits]; and
their sprinkling brushes without any difference
at all." They also[4] use large chaplets of
beads, practise rigorous fastings, and never marry.
Some of them are hermits, others solitary wanderers,
but the greatest part live in Convents. [See
vol. 1. p. 220. note.] They have superiors whom
they call Ta-Ho-shang, or Great Bonzees, who preside
over their Convents, and govern them, but at
large: distributing the several offices among them,
deciding their differences, &c.—After all, the
Bonzees in China are very much kept under,
and so little esteemed, that to keep up the succession
they are commonly obliged to buy poor
children of seven or eight years old, whom they
bring up: they are so much despised, except by
the vulgar, upon whose superstition they practise,
drawing them to their Pagods on long pilgrimages
&c. that they are very humble and subservient to
the great. But altho' they are generally great
hypocrites, and have little real virtue, they are
however so careful of their exterior, as to be
seldom detected in scandalous vices. P. Semedo
tells, that during his residence of two and twenty
years, he only heard two ill stories of them:
and one of these was doubtful. He even says,
that the greater part of them are very patient
and meek, &c. This is mentioned because the
modern Jesuits affect to speak of them as guilty
of such profligate and bare-faced villainies as
are no way credible in a country under any kind
of government, and where they have no other
ascendant than what they gain by their personal
behaviour. For the worship of Fo, altho' the
most popular of all others, is barely tolerated
in China; whither it was not introduced out
of India till sixty-five years after the birth of
Christ.

The account of Fo is briefly this: his mother,
who conceived upon sight of a white elephant in
her sleep, was delivered of him thro' her left side.
As soon as he was born he stood up &c. and
pronounced these words, No one except MYSELF,
either in heaven or earth ought to be worshipped.
At the age of seventeen, he married three
wives. At nineteen he retired to study under
four sages, At thirty he became Fo [or a deity]
called by the Indians Pagod: and from thenceforth
wrought miracles, &c. At seventy-nine
he died, or passed into an immortal state according
to his disciples; of whom he left eighty
thousand, and among them ten of more distinguished
rank. These published five thousand
volumes in his honour: relating that their master
had been born eight thousand times, and that
his soul had successively passed into different animals.

N.
B. He left Five commandments behind him.
I. Not to kill any living creature. II. Not to
take another's goods. III. Not to commit any
impurity. IV. Not to tell a lie. V. Not to
drink wine.

P. Du Halde, vol. 1. p. 650. 672. and P.
Semedo, p. 89. &c. Picart, vol. iv. 228.
P. Le Compte, tom 2. p. 117. See also
Martinius, Couplet, &c.

As the Monks or Priests of the sect of Tao-tsë are
sometimes called Bonzees, it may not be improper
to give a short account of them. They are a kind
of Epicureans or Quietists, teaching that happiness
consists in a calm which suspends all the operations
of the soul: they are much addicted to
alchymy, boasting to have discovered an elixir
that will render them immortal: they are also
great pretenders to magic, and a familiar intercourse
with demons. They hold a plurality and
subordination of gods, which are all corporeal.
They live together in communities: do not
marry: use chaplets: are cloathed in yellow:
wear a kind of little crown: and are always
called to sacrifices and funerals.

Their founder lived about the time of Confucius,
and was called Lao-tsë, or the infant old man,
from his coming into the world with white hairs:
they pretend his mother went with child of him
eighty years. His books are extant, and said to
contain many noble maxims.

P. Semedo, p. 87. P. Du Halde, vol. 1. p.
648. 669. P. Couplet proemial declar.
Picart ubi supra. & Author. supra citat.

Nieuhoff tells us (p. 59. that some of the Tao-tsë
marry: and P. Magalhaën calls those of this
sect by way of distinction The married Bonzees.
See his Hist. p. 207, 220, &c.

Let. ed. xxviij. 407.

Vid. Authores infra citat.

In the original Tieh-siang-coon. See vol 1.
p. 114. note. It may not be unnecessary to add,
that Siang-coon or cung, is properly applied only
to such as have taken the degree of Batchelor;
but commonly given in compliment to others. See P. Couplet. Confuc. p. 123.

In the original it is "Tho' your mistress is a
woman with all the delicacy of her sex in her
person, she hath a masculine capacity."

This is a very high compliment among a
people, who entertain so unfavourable an opinion
of the ladies understandings. Nieuhoff
tells us, that in a Pagoda at Pe-king is to be seen
the following epitaph: Passengers: here is a
Lady, who had nothing female in her: all was
masculine; all was generous; all a prodigy. Vid.
Ambass. page 135.

Pieces of silk, &c. are usually given as presents
in China. See P. Semedo.

This probably means no more than what we
call a lenten Entertainment: for it does not appear
that the Bonzees have periodical times of fasting.
They refrain all their life-time from the
use of flesh, fish, eggs, wine, onions, garlick, and
every thing that heats the blood. Yet they have
upon occasion Feasts of such provisions as are
allowed them. Nothing however can be more
rigorous than the fasting and discipline of the
Bonzees: who seem to sacrifice themselves to
the public good. They will drag heavy chains,
fastened to their arms and legs in such a manner,
as to wound them every step they go: they
will beat their heads against stones, till they
burst out with blood, in order to extort alms
from the people. Their pretence however for
these severities, is to do penance in this life, that
themselves and their votaries may be the better
provided for in the next: which they suppose to
consist in a transmigration into other bodies.

As it is well known they dare not touch flesh,
the Reader will smile at the story told by P. Le
Compte of their feasting on ducks, of which they
had defrauded a peasant, under pretence that
the souls of their fathers were transmigrated into
them. This may shew, what credit is to be given
to some other stories told of the Bonzees by the
Jesuits.

[Compare P. Le Compte, tom. 2. p. 117. with
p. 120. Compare also P. Du Halde, vol. 1.
p. 653. with p. 656. lin. 16. See also p.
654. 655. &c]

Before we conclude this note, it may be proper
to observe, that the Missionaries at first assumed
the habits of the Bonzees, but finding those
wretched disciplinarians in small repute among
the Mandarines, &c. they afterwards chose to
appear in the garb of the Literati, and stiled
themselves Doctors of the Western Law: by which
means they were greatly respected, while they
were permitted to reside in China. Vide Let.
ed. viij. 218. &c. P. Semedo, Martin. &c.

Physicians in China never write any prescriptions,
but commonly give their own medicines:
a boy carrying after them a cabinet with
five drawers; each divided into more than forty
little squares, and all of them furnished with
medicines ready prepared. When they have
felt the pulse, they make up two compositions,
one to be taken on the spot, the other afterwards.
Their medicines are only simples; in
the uses of which, and in the knowledge of the
pulse, their whole art consists. Blood-letting is
very rarely practised among them; and the use
of Clysters was not known till they learned it
from the Portuguese at Ma-cao, which they therefore
call "the Remedy of Barbarians." The
Circulation of the blood is said to have been
known to them from time immemorial; but
from their aversion to dissecting, and ignorance
of Anatomy, they have made no improvements
from it. The profession is chiefly handed down
from father to son, tho' they have good ancient
Books of the art, Extracts from which may be
seen in Du Halde. Their fees are very moderate;
but they never repeat their visits unless sent for:
so that the patient is at liberty to change his
physician.

Vid. plura apud Du Halde, vol. 2. p. 183,
&c. P. Semedo, p. 56. Mod. Un. Hist.
VIII. 194. &c. Le Compte, Martin. &c.

In the original Low-Ho-shang, or porter
father. Trans.

In the night it is not usual to carry flambeaus
as in Europe before the Mandarines, but
several very large handsome Lanthorns, on which
are written in capital characters, the titles and
quality of the Mandarine, with the order of his
Mandarinate. All his relations cause these titles,
&c. to be written on the lanthorns carried before
them in the night. Once a year, a Feast of
Lanthorns is celebrated throughout the empire,
when every house is lighted up with them painted
of several fashions: some of which cost a vast
sum of money. These Lanthorns, which are
very large, and are adorned with beautiful carvings,
gilding, &c. consist some of them of several
panes of thin silk, made transparent by a
fine varnish, whereon are painted figures, &c.
others are round, made of a blue transparent
horn, very beautiful to the sight. From the top
and corners hang rich streamers. In some of
them are represented figures, ships, horses, people,
&c. put in motion by imperceptible threads,
&c. The whole is accompanied with curious
fire-works, in which the Chinese excel: they
having had the use of gunpowder long before
it was known in Europe.

See Du Halde, vol. 1. p. 253, 271, 290, &c.
Mod. Un. Hist. v. viii. p. 253.

In the original it is "Gin-seng, Long-yen,
Leah-méé."

The Ging-seng, or human plant, so called from
the fancied resemblance of its root to a human
body, is in such request in China, that an ounce
of it sells at present for seven times its weight
in silver. The best of it is found in Eastern
Tartary, where it is called Orhota i. e. the first
or queen of plants. The Tartars use its leaves
instead of tea: but that which is alone used in
Physic is its Root, which is about half as thick
as the little finger, but something longer, of a
light yellow. It is sweet and agreeable to the
taste, although it leaves a little smack of bitter.
It is esteemed the most sovereign of all cordials
and restoratives; and is taken by way of decoction.
P. Jartoux, (to whose description and
drawing of the Ging-seng we shall refer the
reader, see Jesuits travels, vol. 2. p. 424. P.
Du Halde, vol. 1. p. 321.) tells us, that after
taking it, he found his pulse beat quicker and
livelier, his appetite keener, and himself possessed
of uncommon ease and aptitude for business.
That once finding himself on a journey
greatly fatigued, and his spirits exhausted to such
a degree that he could scarcely sit on horseback,
he took some of the root, and in an hour after
his feebleness was quite gone. "To try its
goodness, saith a Chinese Author, two persons
are set to walk together; one goes with
Gin-seng in his mouth, the other without;
at the length of half a league, the former
will not find himself at all out of breath,
when the other is tired and breathless." The
Chinese call the best sort, the golden well set round
with precious stones: and give the Gin-seng other
names expressive of its high character, such as,
the spirituous simple; the pure spirit of the earth;
the fat of the sea; the medicine which bestows
immortality, &c.

Vide plura apud P. Du Halde, v. 2. p. 215.
245. P. Le Compte, tom. 1. 341. & ubi
supra.

"The Long-yen, the Translator says in a note,
is a fruit, which, after the Li-chee is over,
comes on the same tree." But he is mistaken.
The Li-chee, stiled by the Chinese, "the king of
fruits," is about the size of a nut; of an oval
form; with a rind rough like shagreen. Its
stone is long, and covered with a soft, juicy
pulp, very agreeable to the taste, but like no
fruit known in Europe. It is said to be the most
delicious fruit in the world. Next to it is the
Long-yen or dragon's eye, which is round with a
smooth and greyish rind, a little inclined to yellow.
Its pulp is white, juicy, and a little acid.
These fruits are dried, and sold all over the empire,
like prunes with us, being esteemed very
wholsome, and proper to be given to sick folks.

P. Le Compte, tom 1. p. 152. P. Du Halde,
vol. 1. p. 8. 84. Nieuhoff, p. 90. Denys
Kao. p. 182. &c.

With regard to the Leah-méé, all the information
the Editor could meet with about it, is com-prized
in a short note of the Translator's, which
seems to carry the etymology of its name.
"That Leah-méé is the root of the great
leaf in the water."

The Chinese are very fond of Poetry, and in their Romances, Novels, &c. often insert four or five Verses to enliven the narration. See Du Halde, v. 2. p. 147.

N. B. The Reader ought to be informed, that in the Translator's M. S. the three first of the above verses were so obscurely written, with such interlineations, corrections, &c. that the Editor was obliged to guess at the meaning, or rather to substitute something equivalent. In other small pieces that will appear hereafter, he hath been fortunate enough to recover the exact expressions of the Chinese author.