solemnly and religiously worship their father as a Saint: which being done, the Bonzii are paied each one in his degree. The master of the ceremonies hath for his part five duckats, sometimes tenne, sometimes twentie, the rest have tenne Julies a piece, or els a certaine number of other presents called Caxæ. The meate that was ordained, as soone as the dead corps friends and all the Bonzii are gone, is left for such as served at the obsequie, for the poore and impotent lazars.

The next day returne to the place of obsequie the dead man his children, his kinred and friends, who gathering up his ashes, bones, and teeth, doe put them in a gilded pot, and so carie them home, to bee set up in the same pot covered with cloth, in the middest of their houses. Many Bonzii returne likewise to these private funerals, and so doe they againe the seventh day: then cary they out the ashes to bee buried in a place appointed, laying thereupon a fouresquare stone, wherein is written in great letters drawen all the length of the stone, the name of that devil the which the dead man worshipped in his life time. Every day afterward his children resort unto the grave with roses and warme water that the dead corps thirst not. Nor the seventh day onely, but the seventh moneth and yeere, within their owne houses they renue this obsequie, to no small commodities and gaine of the Bonzii: great rich men doe spend in these their funerals 3000 duckats or thereabout, the meaner sort two or three hundred. Such as for povertie be not able to go to that charges, are in the night time darkelong without all pompe and ceremonies buried in a dunghill.

They have another kinde of buriall, especially neere the Sea side, for them that bee not yet dead. These fellowes are such, as having religiously with much devotion worshipped Amida, now desirous to see him, doe slay themselves. And first they goe certaine dayes begging almes, the which they thrust into their sleeves, then preach they in publique a sermon unto the people, declaring what they mind to doe, with the great good liking of all such as doe heare them: for every body wondreth at such a kinde of holinesse. Then take they hookes to cut downe briars and thornes that might hinder them in their way to heaven, and so embarke themselves in a new vessell, tying great stones about their neckes, armes, loines, thighes, and feete: thus they launching out into the maine

Sea be either drowned there, their shippe bouged for that purpose, or els doe cast themselves over-boord headlong into the Sea. The emptie barke is out of hand set a fire for honours sake by their friends that folow them in another boat of their owne, thinking it blasphemie that any mortall creature should afterward once touch the barke that had bene so religiously halowed.

Truly when we went to Meaco, eight dayes before we came to the Ile of Hiu at Fore towne, sixe men and two women so died. To all such as die so the people erecteth a Chappell, and to each of them a pillar and a pole made of Pineaple for a perpetuall monument, hanging up many shreds of paper in stickes all the roofe over, with many verses set downe in the walles in commendation of that blessed company. Wherefore unto this place both day and night many come very superstitiously in pilgrimage. It happened even then as Aloisius Almeida and I went to christen a childe wee traveiled that way at what time foure or five olde women came foorth out of the aforesayd chappell with beades in their handes (for in this point also the devill counterfaiteth Christianitie) who partly scorned at us for follie, partly frowned and taunted at our small devotion, for passing by that holy monument without any reverence or worship done thereunto at all.

It remaineth now we speake two or three wordes of those Sermons the Bonzii are woont to make, not so many as ours in number, but assuredly very well provided for. The Pulpit is erected in a great temple with a silke Canopie over it, therein standeth a costly seate, before the seate a table with a bell and a booke. At the houre of Sermon each sect of the Japans resorteth to their owne doctors in divers Temples. Up goeth the doctor into the Pulpit, and being set downe, after that hee hath lordlike looked him about, signifieth silence with his bell, and so readeth a fewe wordes of that booke we spake of, the which he expoundeth afterward more at large. These preachers be for the most part eloquent, and apt to drawe with their speach the mindes of their hearers. Wherefore to this ende chieflie (such is their greedinesse) tendeth all their talke, that the people bee brought under the colour of godlinesse to enrich their monasteries, promising to each one so much the more happinesse in the life to come, how much the greater costes and charges they bee at in Church matters and obsequies: notwith

standing this multitude of superstitious Sects and companies, and the diversities thereof amongst themselves: yet in this principally all their Superintendents doe travell so to perswade their Novices in their owne tales and lies, that they thinke nothing els trueth, nothing els sure to come by everlasting salvation, nothing els woorth the hearing. Whereunto they adde other subtleties, as in going gravitie, in countenance, apparell, and in all outward shew, comelinesse. Whereby the Japans mindes are so nousled in wicked opinions, & doe conceive thereby such trust and hope of everlasting salvation, that not onely at home, but also abroad in every corner of the towne continually almost they run over their beades, humbly asking of Amida and Xaca, wealth, honour, good health, and everlasting joyes. Thus then, deare brethren, may you thinke how greatly they need the helpe of God, that either doe bring the Gospell into this countrey, or receiving it brought unto them, doe forsake idolatrie and joine themselves with Christ, being assaulted by so many snares of the devill, troubled with the daily dissuasions of their Bonzii, and finally, so injuriously, so hardly, so sharpely vexed of their kinred and friends, that except the grace of God obtained by the sacrifices and prayers of the Catholique church doe helpe us, it cannot be chosen but that the faith and constancie of many, if not of all, in these first beginnings of our churches, will greatly be put in jeopardie. So much the more it standeth you upon that so earnestly long for the health of soules, to commend specially these Japanish flocks unto our Lord.

We came to Sacaio the eight and twentie day of January: Aloisius Almeida first for businesse, but afterward let by sicknesse, staied there some while, but I parting the next day from thence came thirteene leagues off to Meaco the last of Januarie. Of my comming all the Christians tooke great comfort, but specially Gaspar Vilela who in 6 yeres had seen none of our companie at Meaco his yeeres are not yet fortie, but his gray haires shew him to be seventie, so vehemently is his litle body afflicted and worne with extreme cold. Hee speaketh Japanish so skilfully after the phrase of Meaco (the which for the renowne of this people and royal seat of the king is best accounted of) that hee doeth both confesse and preach in that language. Certaine godly bookes also he hath done into that speach, not omitting to translate other

as laisure suffreth him. To make an ende, our Lord for his goodnesse vouchsafe to preserve us all continually, and to give us ayde both rightly to interprete his will, and well to doe the same. From Meaco the 19 of February 1565.

Other such like matter is handled both in other his letters, and also in the Epistles written by his companions to be seene at large in the aforesaid volume. Amongst the rest this seemed in my judgement one of the principall, and therefore the rather I tooke upon me to do it into English.

Of the Iles beyond Japan in the way from China to the Moluccas.

AMONGST other Iles in the Asian sea betwixt Cantan a Chinish haven in Cathaio & the Moluccas, much spoken of in the Indian histories and painted out in Maps, Ainan and Santianum are very famous. Ainan standeth 19 degrees on this side of the Equinoctiall line nere China, from whence the Chinish nation hath their provision for shipping and other necessaries requisite for their Navie. There staied Balthasar Gagus a great traveiler 5 moneths, who describeth that place after this maner. Ainan is a goodly countrey ful of Indian fruits & all kind of victuals, besides great store of jewels and pearle, well inhabited, the townes built of stone, the people rude in conditions, apparelled in divers coloured rugs, with two oxe hornes, as it were, made of fine cypres hanging downe about their eares, and a paire of sharpe cyzers at their foreheads.

The cause wherefore they go in such attire I could not understand, except it bee for that they do counterfeit the devil in the forme of a brute beast, offring themselves up to him.

Santianum is an Ile neere unto the haven Cantan in the confines likewise of China, famous for the death of that woorthy traveiler and godly professour and painfull doctor of the Indian nation in matters concerning religion, Francis Xavier, who after great labours, many injuries, and calamities infinite suffred with much patience, singular joy and gladnesse of mind, departed in a cabben made of bowes and rushes upon a desert mountaine, no lesse voyd of all worldly commodities, then endued with all spirituall blessings, out of this life, the 2 day of December, the yeere of our Lord 1552. after that many thousand of these

Easterlings were brought by him to the knowledge of Christ. Of this holy man, his particular vertues, and specially travell, and wonderfull works in that region, of other many litle Iles (yet not so litle, but they may right wel be written of at laisure) all the latter histories of the Indian regions are full.

An excellent treatise of the kingdome of China, and of the estate and government thereof: Printed in Latine at Macao a citie of the Portugals in China, An. Dom. 1590. and written Dialogue-wise. The speakers are Linus, Leo, and Michael.

LINUS. Concerning the kingdome of China (Michael) which is our next neighbour, we have heard and daily do heare so many reports, that we are to request at your hands rather a true then a large discourse and narration thereof. And if there be ought in your knowledge besides that which by continual rumours is waxen stale among us, we will right gladly give diligent eare unto it.

MICHAEL. Because the report of this most famous kingdome is growen so common among us, reducing divers and manifold particulars into order, I will especially aime at the trueth of things received from the fathers of the societie, which even now at this present are conversant in China. First of all therefore it is not unknowen, that of all parts of the maine continent this kingdom of China is situate most Easterly: albeit certaine Ilands, as our native Japon, & the Ile of Manilia stand more Easterly then China it selfe. As touching the limites & bounds of this kingdom, we may appoint the first towards ye West to be a certaine Ile commonly called Hainan, which standeth in 19 degrees of Northerly latitude. For the continent next adjoining unto this Ile trendeth towardes the East, and that especially, where the promontorie of the citie called Nimpo or Liampo doeth extend it selfe. Howbeit, from that place declining Northward, it stretcheth foorth an huge length, insomuch that the farthest Chinian inhabitants that way doe behold the North pole elevated, at least 50 degrees, and perhaps more also: whereupon a man may easilie conjecture (that I may speake like an Astronomer) how large the latitude of this kingdom is, when as it containeth about more then 540 leagues in direct extension towards the North. But as concerning the longitude which is accounted from East