RELIGION. 



widows, one by the name of Candida, the other that of ^^^//7(3'. 

 The wealthy founded churches; and the poor filled them with 

 their nun:ibers. Perfecutions were raifed againft them ; but the 

 abilities of i^/ca overcame them all. He died highly refpecfled, 

 in i6ro, at Peking, in the reign of Van Lye ; and by the order of 

 the emperor w^as moft honorably interred in a garden allotted 

 for that purpofe. Ricci inconteftibly merited the title he re- 

 ceived, of founder and father of the Chinefe church. 



Several other Jefuits of great abilities fucceffively fupported 

 his labors ; a perfecution had been raifed againft them, but luck- 

 ily at the fame time an invafion w^as threatened by the Tartars. 

 A Mandarine, a Chriftian convert, advifed the calling in the af- 

 fiftance of the Portiiguefe engineers to dire6l the artillery ; the ad- 

 vice was taken, and their fuccefs again brought the Chriftians 

 into favor. 



Father Schaal was employed in cafting of cannon, and father Father 

 Verbiejl, another Jefuit of firft rate abilities, was engaged in the 

 fame fervice. It certainly w^as not the fpiritual merits of the fa- 

 thers that gained them the patronage of the Chinefe emperors, 

 but their knowlege of the arts. They had brethren of all pro- 

 fefTions, painters, mechanics, turners, watch-makers^ founders, 

 accomptants, aib'onomers, and mafters of ordnance. Verbieji, 

 and fome of the ablett of the fathers, were confulted about mat- 

 ters of ftate ; and by thofe various means became a moft pow- 

 erful miniftry. They were created Mandarines, and appeared at 

 court in a rich drefs of that order, with the dragon flaming on 

 their breafts. Cam-hiewtn iffued an edict in favor of the Chriftian 



Vol. III. O religion. 



97 



