994 A Geographical Uejcriptim of BookllL 
rnent of hiS'Conquefts j by reafon that the Robbers 
and feveral of the Nobility had made fuch a formidable 
Infurreftion, that the Emperor feemed to apprehend 
more Ds^nger from them than from the Tartars them- 
felves : Which was indeed afterwards confirmed by the 
Event ; for the Robber Licoung^ after taking feveral 
Cities and whole Provinces, grew fo infolent as to pre- 
fume to attack even the Emperor himfelf in Peking his 
Metropolis, which he knew to be empty of Forces, or 
at leaf!:, that thofe there were commanded by thofe who 
would betray their Prince. The Emperor finding him- 
felf betray’d on one Hand, and deferred on the other, 
being unwilling to fall into the Robber’s Hands alive, 
after he had killed his Daughter with his Sword, ended 
his one miferable Life with a Rope. 
The Conqueror attempted to fix himfelf on the 
Throne ; but Prince Oufangouei^ who commanded the 
Army at the Great Wall, and kept a Watchful Eye on 
the Tartar, defigning either to fall on him with his 
great Force, or engage him on his Side, gained over 
to his Party the Leaotungers, and all thofe who were 
either banifiied, or had fled to that Province ; but 
though they were added to his Army, he did not think 
himfelf ftrong enough to deal with the almoft infinite 
Numbers, and confequently fuperior Force of the 
Ufurper : Wherefore he, by a Treaty with Tfonte or 
Zunte the Tartarian King, obliged him to join his 
Forces againft the Ufurper, in order to revenge the 
Death of his Father, whom the Robber had cruelly 
murthered : He fucceeded in his Defign, and after a 
bloody Fight purfued him ; and it is at prefent utterly 
unknown where Licoung perifhed. During this Purfuit 
of the Robber, Tfonte enters the Empire, in order to 
fupport Prince Oufangouei on Occafion, to clear the Em- 
pire of Licoung*s Followers, and difperfe the Confpira- 
tors. He advanced to Peking, where finding the Coaft 
clear, and the Throne empty, he afeends it, and, aflift- 
ed by his Tartarian Forces, caufed the Chinefc (whofe 
Hearts he had already won by his engaging Deport- 
ment) to proclaim him their Emperor, without making 
any other Alterations in the Government,, than putting 
it in the Hands of an equal Number of Tartars and 
Chineje, and introducing the Tartarian Habit and Hair, 
to which he had in a Sort inured and engaged the Chi- 
nefe by dreffing them in that Manner, by a martial 
Stratagem, in order to deceive the Enemy, ^ and the 
eafier to beat Licoung. 
“ What Nieuhoff relates of this Prince is very re- 
“ markable, and conduces to the Illuftration of this 
“ Story. This Prince (faith he) feemed naturally en- 
“ dowed with all Manner of Perfections, and if he 
“ had any vicious Inclinations, he very arirully cor- 
“ refted them by PraCtice. Before he afeended the 
Throne, he gave plain Indications of his Excel- 
“ lencies. In his tender Age his Father fent him in 
“ Chinefc Habit into China, under the Diredtion and 
“ Care of fome of his Counfellors. He there learned 
“ not only their Language, which his apt Capacity 
“ foon maftered, but became fo tinCtured with their 
“ politer Manners and Morals, that he feemed utterly 
“ to have forgotten the Tartarian Roughnefs and Bar- 
“ barity. As foon as he was got into full Poffeffion of 
“ the Throne, he changed the rigid Manner of go- 
“ verning into a milder, knowing very well that the 
former w'ould prevent his gaining his Ends on the 
“ Chinefe. He fo eftablifhed himfelf on his new 
“ Throne, rather by his Tendernefs and good Man- 
“ ners than by Arms, which endeared the Hearts of 
“ his Subjects to him. He careffed the Chinefe that 
“ came over to him, as much as his own Countrymen ; 
“ thofe he took Prifoners, if they pleafed, he enter- 
tained in his Service, and fuffer’d thofe who were 
“ unwilling, to depart, difmiffing them with obliging 
‘‘ Expreffions and a fafe ConduCl i thus he won their 
“ Hearts, and tender’d a kind Refuge and Protection 
“ to the Exiles, or thofe who had before fled out of 
their Country ; and they indeed were very afljftant 
“ to him in gaining the Empire. There were alfo 
fome amongft them, which had diftinguifhed them- 
“ felves in his Service 5 thefe he rewarded with Places 
“ or Prefents that far exceeded their Expectations.” 
After this, Oufangouei returning from the Purfuit of 
his Enemies, finds the Tartar upon the Throne, and, 
purfuant to the Treaty concluded betwixt them, the 
Empire being now in Peace, and the Rebel totally de- 
feated, defiled him to return to Tartary, tendering him 
the Prefents promifed for- his Affiftance at the Begin- 
ning of the War. To this the E;xiperor putting on 
an obliging Air, anfwer’d, that it was yet too foon, 
fince the Rebel was not fo enfeebled, but that hearing 
of his Departure to Tartary, he might poffibly attempt 
a frelh Infiirredion, and carry all before him •, which 
he fliould not be able to prevent, as not being at Hand 
to help them j wherefore it was much better firft to 
deftroy utterly the Rebel and all his Adherents, and 
revenge on him all the Evils which he had drawn on 
his Kingdom as well as the Empire 5 and withal, 
to reduce them to fo low a Condition, that it fhould 
be impoffible for them to make any new Attempts. 
The Prince either was or pretended to be fatisfied with 
this Anfwer, and applied himfelf to the DeftruClion of 
the Rebels, which he fo warmly purfued, that he did 
not leave the fmallefl; Body of them together, but re- 
flored the Peace of China. 
The Emperor Tfonte was fcarce well fettled on his 
Throne before he died, in the Year 1644. He was 
the firft of the Race of Taicim, who annexed the Im- 
perial Crown of China to his Royal one ; and go- 
vern’d both his own Nation called Mantcheouh and the 
Chineje, thereby tracing out a Way for the greater Glory 
of his Defeendants. 
He left a Son named Chunchi, who was but fix Years 
of Age, to fucceed to his Crown, and committed the 
Care of his Perfon and Education, as well as the Go- 
vernment of the Empire, to his Brother Amavang ; 
who was as careful in the farther Subjeeftion of the re- 
fractory Provinces on one Side, as Oufangouei was in 
the Purfuit of Licoung, in order to take his juft Revenge 
of him on the other : And we are accordingly told by 
fome, that in an Engagement Oufangouei himfelf cut 
Licoung to-pieces, in Sacrifice to the Manes of his 
Father. 
Amavang, to whom was entrufted the fupreme Direc- 
tion and Adminiftration of the War and Empire, ac- 
quitted himfelf with fo much Honour in all his Under- 
takings, that the Redueftion and Maintainance of the 
Empire is to be alcribed to him as much as his Bro- 
ther : He gave continual Proofs of his Wifdom and 
Prudence in the Direcftion of the State, and Forbear- 
ance of his Enemies : As he did alfo of his Valour and 
amazing Vigilance, in Beating of Thoufands of his 
Enemies ; but he gave yet greater Evidences of the 
true Senfe of the moft exalted Honour which animated 
his elevated Soul, utterly untainted with any finifter 
Ends, or private Intereft, in furrendring as willingly 
and freely the Empire to the young Prince as foon as 
ever he came of Age, as he had reduced, governed 
and preferved it to that time. This Aeftion alone is fuf- 
ficiently famous, becaufe there are very few parallel 
Examples can be produced. 
Chunchi^s Reign was but fhort, for he died in 1662, 
and alter his Entry upon the Goverment, met with very 
few other Difficulties than thofe common to the Exer- 
cife of Sovereign Jurifdiftion, and the Care of the 
State. In his Intervals of Relaxation he difeovered a 
ftrong Propenfity to Arts and Sciences, particularly to 
thole which were Mathematical : It was this that enga- 
ged him to promote Father Adam Schaal to be PrefidenC 
of that Tribunal, and graced him with his Favour, not- 
withftanding that he was a Stranger, and a Chriftian 5 
this gave Encouragement to hope that the Chriftian 
Religion would encreafe ; for when Princes begin to 
beftow their Favours on its Teachers, it opens a Door 
to their ingratiating themfelves not only with the Com- 
monalty, but with the Nobility themfelves. 
“ Le Comte faith, that the Emperor Chunchi came in 
“ Perfon to vifit Father Adam above twenty times within 
“ the Space of two Yearsj that he granted him Leave 
“ CO 
