44 4. The. ^(aturallanctMorall 



l.cge of hcrbs,by means whcrof, they cure many difeu 

 fes,& vfe it much. They write with pcnfils,& have ma 

 ny books writcn with the hand,and others printcd,but 

 in a bad order. They are great plaiers of comedies, the 

 which they perform with great preparation of theaters, 

 apparel,bels, drums,and voices. Some fathers report to 

 have (cenc comedies which laftcd ten or twelve clayes 

 and nights, without any want of comcdians,nor com 

 pany to bcholde them. They doe make many different 

 fceanes,and whilft fome aft, the others fcede and deep. 

 In thefe comedies they do commonly treate of moral! 

 things,and of good examples, intermingled with plea- 

 fant devifes. This is the fumme of that which our men 

 report of the letters and exercifes of them of China^ 

 wherein wee muft confeffe to be much wit and indu- 

 ftrie. But all this isoffmallfubftance 5 forin eifcdtallthe 

 knowledge of the Chinois , ttfndes oncly to readeand 

 write, & no fartherrfor they attaine to no high know 

 ledge. And their writing, and reading, is not properly 

 reading, and writing- feeing their letters are no letters 

 that can repi'efent wordes , but figures of innumerable 

 thingSjthe which cannot belearned,but in a long time 

 and with infinite labour. But in the end with all their 

 knowledge, an Indian of Peru or Mexico, that hath lear 

 ned to reade and write, knowesmore then the wifeft 

 Mandarin that is amongft them : for that the Indian 

 with foure and twcntic letters which he hath learned, 

 will write all the wordes in the world: and a MAndarin 

 with his hundred thoufind letters , will be troubled to 

 write feme proper name,as of Martin w Alonjc,& with 

 greater reafon he flialbe lefle able to write the names of 

 things hcknowesnot Soas the writing in 'China ,\s no 

 other thing but a maner of painting or ciphring. 



