Juan González de Mendoza

“ The tree being regarded as sacred passed for a wonder of the world: a keeper appointed by the inhabitants had it in charge to collect the water in cisterns, and presided at its distribution among all those who came to draw. ”

“ The people of China are, in general, neither brave nor skilful, nor have they any natural inclination for warlike affairs; if they maintain themselves it is by the multitude of the people, the strength of the walls and towns, and the provision of ammunition. At the boundary of the kingdom of China, where it borders on the Tartars, there is a wall of wondrous strength, of a month's journey in extent, where the king keeps a great military force in the bulwarks. ”

“ White people as bigge as gyants. All these ilands are inhabited with white people, of comely faces, like vnto those of Europa, but not of their bodies, for that they are as bigge as gyants, and of so great force and strength: for one of them hath taken two Spaniardes, of a good stature, the one by one foot, and the other by the other, with his handes, and hath lifted them both from the grounde with so great ease, as though they had bin two children. They go naked from top to toe, as well women as men ”

“ In the present advanced age, when enlarged facilities have opened up to the knowledge of the world the characteristic peculiarities of remote countries and their inhabitants, we can do justice to the courage and fidelity of those who, six centuries ago, could dare to describe such apparent anomalies, while at the same time we can find an excuse for the disbelief of those who regarded them as extravagant and impudent fictions. ”

“ God, for his infinite mercy, conuert them, and take pittie on them, as hee did when that he came from heauen vppon the earth to die for all, and put into the heart of the king of Spaine, that, amongst other good workes, the which, with his most Christian zeale dooth intend and do, for to procure this, which will be so much vnto the glory of God, and great desert of honor vnto himselfe, the which he may do very commodiously, being, as he is at this day, Lord of all the Indies, and of the biggest part of all that newe world. ”

“ The people of any consequence wear black silk for their dress, because coloured is held dishonourable for clothing; so much so, that no one dares to go before any officer or person of quality without a black dress; and if he has gone away from home with a coloured cloak, and he happens to have to speak to any officer, he takes a black cloak from some acquaintance whom he meets, and leaves him his own while he transacts his business. The common people always speak to the nobles cap in hand, and they may not wear black cloaks, but only very short coloured ones. ”

“ I beseech the Lord God, if it be his pleasure that it may go forwardes in such order, that so many soules redeemed by his precious bloud be not condemned: whose wits and vnderstanding do farre exceed those of Mexico and Peru, as by the information of those that haue delt with them appeareth, wherby we may presume that with great facilitie they will imbrace the law of the gospell, and leaue the idolatrie that the most part of them do vse, which God for his mercies sake permit, so it may be for his glorie and exalting of the Catholike faith. ”

“ The other day they had a quarrel with some other Chinese who were carrying provisions to market, and beat them; the latter went to complain to the governor of Macao, who caused forty soldiers to be arrested and beaten with bamboos. They came out afterwards crying like children. They are mean, spiritless, and badly armed knaves. There is nothing formidable in thousands of such soldiers. Besides what can the soldiers be in a country where their position is looked upon as dishonourable and occupied by slaves. Our Indians of the Philippines are ten times more courageous. ”

“ All the countrie is verie populous, and the townes one so neere an other, that it may better be sayde to be all one towne and not manie, and might with more propertie be called the citie of China, and not the kingdome of China. In all the whole countrie there is not one foot of ground vnoccupied, by reason of the great abundance of people that there is; and they permit amongest them no idle people (as [167] more at large it hath beene declared vnto you) ; and the countrie beeing fertile, is the occasion that they have all thinges in great abundance and at a lowe price. ”

“ Thus, whenever two or three Japanese vessels happen to make a descent upon the coast, the crews penetrate into the interior, even seize upon the large towns, pillage and put everything to fire and sword, and no one dares to resist them. ”

“ All the souldiers when they go to fight, they weare long garments down to their knees, very wel stuffed with cotton wooll, the which doth resist the thrust of a lance, or a stabbe: all such souldiers as haue the king's ryall pay weare, in token thereof, red and yellowe hats, of the which there is so great a number, as well horsemen as foot men, that almost it is impossible to Englande, France, Spaine, and the Turke hath not so many souldiers as this kingdome. ”

“ They praise and extol the richness of the king's dress, which they say is always of the colour of heaven. The officers, on the principal feasts, on the first day of January and at the beginning of the moon, dress themselves richly in coloured damask, and on the breast and back of the vesture they bear a stag and an eagle, very naturally embroidered, for they are clever designers. ”

“ But there grew a great contention amongest them, which people of what ilande should first come vnto the shippes, and was in such order that they fell vnto blowes, and wounded the one the other maruellously, more liker beastes than men; of the which there were many slaine in the presence of the Spaniards, and would neuer leave off their contention a good while, till in the end, by way of peace, they consented a conclusion amongest themselues, but with a great noyse, which was, that those of one iland should go to the larbord of the ship, and those of the other iland should go to the starbord ”

“ The houses which are upon them are very high, all of wood, painted and gilded. An officer resides there who collects the revenue of the province, and there are similar ones in the other provinces. Each of these houses is separately enclosed by walls, within which they are accustomed to plant trees and make very pleasant gardens, with all kinds of fruit, which the Chinese are exceedingly fond of, and also of having ponds at their houses in which they breed fish for their amusement. ”

“ It is verie little and not of much people, yet notwithstanding it hath beene the death of many Spaniardes both men and women: such as haue come thither in shippes, not knowing the daunger thereof, haue gone a shore for fresh water, or else to wash their lynnen, and vppon a soddaine vnlooked for, haue beene be set by the Indios, who haue slaine them, and after eaten them: and they say that it is very sweete flesh and sauorie, so that it be not of a fryer, for of fryers by no meanes they will eate, nor would not after that happened vnto them as hereafter followeth. ”

“ The father and uncle of Marco Polo, natives of Venice, had in 1254 made a trading journey to Tartary; the exploration of the east, and the importation of its rich and beautiful productions, offering a peculiar attraction to the commercial enterprise of that great and flourishing city. Marco was not born till some months after the departure of his father, but by the time of the return of the two brothers was become a young man, fifteen years having been devoted to their interesting and extraordinary peregrinations. ”

“ The interpreter, whose euill conscience did accuse him for the euils which he had done, was so timorous, that all men might see plainly his default, and without al doubt the iustices are so right in executing the same, that if their complaint had gone forwards, they would haue punished him and his companion, and that very cruelly: but the religious friers woulde not consent that the souldiers shoulde declare against them, although their will was good, but thought it a sufficient punishment to see in what affliction the poore men were in, and tooke pittie on them. ”

“ They take all possible pains to avoid condemning any to death. It can scarcely be expressed how much the king is feared by his subjects: they call him god and king for the strict government and justice that he maintains in his kingdom, which is necessary from the people being bad and malicious. ”

“ All cities are walled. All the cities and townes of this kingdome are walled about with stone walles, and at euerie fifteene paces a bulwarke; and without the wall commonly all of them haue a riuer, or else a great deepe moote, wherein they may bring water at all times, with the which they are very strong: they doo vse no fortes, neyther haue they any, but onely ouer the gates of the cities, towers (as hath been declared) , and in them is put all the artilerie, the which is for the defence of that citie or towne.
They vse hargabushes, bowes, and lances. ”

“ The island furnishes timber, but every other necessary for them has to be imported from the continent. There are always more than two hundred and fifty armed vessels in this province of Canton, as far as Chincheo, where a separate jurisdiction begins, and the coasts of which are guarded by another fleet. The admiral has the title of Chunpin; it is a very high rank, although inferior to the tutan; he has a numerous guard and many drums and trumpets, which make a most agreeable music to the ears of the Chinese, but an insufferable din to ours. ”