A TREATISE OF CHINA ad. 



1590. 



most heavy & sharpe scourges of mankind, warre, famine, 

 & pestilence. But that opinion is more common then 

 true : sithens there have bene most terrible intestine and 

 civile warres, as in many and most autenticall histories 

 it is recorded : sithens also that some provinces of the Chinian 

 sayd kingdom, even in these our dayes, have bene afflicted stortes - 

 with pestilence and contagious diseases, and with famine. 

 Howbeit, that the foresaid three benefits do mightily 

 flourish and abound in China, it cannot be denied. For 

 (that I may first speake of the salubritie of the aire) the 

 fathers of the societie themselves are witnesses, that [II. ii. 90.] 

 scarcely in any other realme there are so many found 

 that live unto decrepite and extreme old age : so great 

 a multitude is there of ancient and grave personages : 

 neither doe they use so many confections and medicines, 

 nor so manifold and sundry wayes of curing diseases, 

 as wee saw accustomed in Europe. For amongst them 

 they have no Phlebotomie or letting of blood : but all 

 their cures, as ours also in Japon, are atchieved by fasting, 

 decoctions of herbes, & light or gentle potions. But 

 in this behalfe let every nation please themselves with 

 their owne customes. Now, in fruitfulnes of soile this 

 kingdom certes doth excel, far surpassing all other 

 kingdoms of the East : yet is it nothing comparable unto 

 the plentie and abundance of Europe, as I have declared 

 at large in the former treatises. But the kingdom of 

 China is, in this regard, so highly extolled, because there 

 is not any region in the East partes that aboundeth so 

 with marchandise, and from whence so much traffique 

 is sent abroad. For whereas this kingdome is most large 

 & full of navigable rivers, so that commodities may easilie 

 be conveyed out of one province into another : the 

 Portugals doe find such abundance of wares within one 

 and the same Citie, (which perhaps is the greatest Mart The city of 

 throughout the whole kingdome) that they are verily Coanchefti, 

 perswaded, that the same region, of all others, most 

 aboundeth with marchandise : which notwithstanding is 

 to be understood of the Orientall regions : albeit there 

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