THE 
P R E F A G E 
' I • Artary, ^;^^^ ^//^North-Eaft<?/^China, h^ingfms Ar^ 
\^ fia, the leafi kmwj^ and hitherto th^ mofi fahuUujly defer 
bed^ I com^iv d it muld not hx unfhjifmg too ths Cm imsjn, 
England, to befurnijht with the Tranflation of two Letters fuhli^ 
find lately at Paris, xvhichgive a €okftderabk I^rSation concern^ 
ing the fnfent State of them. The FuUi^er Dedicated them to 
the French and afirm th^m to the Letters of the fk- 
moU'S Father Verbieft, who is one <f the I Futhers , Cvi^ Li> 
dov'icus BugUus > Gabiiel Magelianus^ ^ and :i^ArciijiandDS 
Verbicft ) th4t mre: ieft m Pekin tc Sallmte the caufe^of.'i^^ 
fiiahityj a^d mho by his great Skill in Matheniatick £f^r/?Xi5g 
obtained accefs to that Emperaur, and thereby many Favmrsfar 
himfelf and the <)ther Miffionjiries J As af feays hy a BookJPri^t*\ 
ed in the Chinefe andlj3itmG Ch^^^r M Clieuftf 
Metropolis of the Provimc: ^ Quam turn Cimi^ Jnm 
^ ■ ■/ ' • — 
Bntme Reafon more of Printing this TranflatCj was to mAm- 
fefi by Exf erkme^ tk^ great uf^ of Mathematical ^C^W^f^/?, 
j^ich^hy thefe^yot^ wiUfefceive highly efi 
\is mwe di:fficult to he obtained thm, . hm^ fo. .that when net . ofirer 
m€ans could frocure entrance ufon the skirts dfthdty^ Empire 
China, this alone has got admitjtame iMo the Metropolises 
the whole Empire, nay^ into th^F aLlau andPrefemje of the Eror 
perour, with the fr attic al far,ts of which knowledge^ you. will herf 
find Him delighted mde'ven captivated:; And that thisFeamr 
ed Father ^jtldges it the mofi effectual m^ns tah^/mate mtotie 
Minds al(oj of the mofi rude and ignorant ( of Allot her things a^d 
parts of the W orld^ but what their own Country affords ) in arder 
to propagate the Chriftian Religion. I fb all not now add as a 
Confirmation of this Opinion j what to this effeif we h^ve long fmce 
