C H 
valour and wifdomof Kya-tfe-tau. This proved the fub- 
verfion of the empire j for, in t26o, the Mogul emperor 
fent Hauking to the Chinefe court to execute the treaty, 
according to the terms agreed on with Kya-tfe-tau. The 
minifter, dreading the arrival of this envoy, imprifoned 
him near Nanking; and took all poffible care that/nei¬ 
ther Hupilay, nor Li-tfong, the Chinefe emperor; Ihould 
ever hear any thing of him. It was impoffible fuch trea¬ 
cherous conduit could fail to produce a new war. Hu- 
pilay’s courtiers incelfantly prelied him to revenge him- 
lelf on the Song; and he loon publilhed a manifefto againft 
them, which was followed by a renewal of hoftilities in 
1268. The Mogul army amounted to 300,000 men ; but, 
notwithftanding their numbers, little progrefs was made 
till the year 1271. Syan-yang and Fan-ching, cities in 
the province of Se-chew, had been long befie^ed ineffec¬ 
tually ; but this year an Igur lord advifed Hupilay to fend 
for fome engineers from the weft, who knew how to call 
ftones of 150 pounds weight out of their engines, and 
which made excavations in the ftrongeft walls. Two of 
thele engineers were accordingly lent for; and, after 
giving a fpecimen of their art before Hupilay, were fent 
to the army in 1272. In the beginning of 1273, they 
planted their catapultas againft the city of Fan-ching, 
and prefently made a breach in the walls. After a bloody 
connibl the l'uburbs were taken ; and loon after the Mo¬ 
guls'made themfelves mailers of the gates of the city. 
Neverthelefs, a Chinefe officer, with only 100 foldiers, re- 
folved to light from llreet to ftreet. This he did with the 
greateft obftinacy, killing vaft numbers of the Moguls ; 
and both parties 'are laid to have been fo much overcome 
with thirft, that they drank human blood to quench it. 
The Chinefe fet fire to the houfes, that the great beams, 
falling down, might embarrafs the way of their purfuers ; 
until wearied out, and filled with defpair, they put an end 
to their own lives. After the taking of Fan-ching, all 
the materials which had ferved at the fiege were trans¬ 
ported to Seyen-yang. The two engineers polled theni- 
fielves againft a wooden retrenchment railed on the ram¬ 
parts. This they quickly demoliffied ; and the befieged 
were fo intimidated by the nolle and havock made by 
the ftones call from their engines, that they immediately 
Surrendered. 
Notwithftanding the progrefs of the Moguls, vaft ter¬ 
ritories Hill remained to be fubdued before they could 
become mailers of the Chinefe empire. On the death of 
Twon-tfong, the Chinefe emperor, the mandarins railed 
to the throne his brother, named Te-ping, at that time 
but eight years of age. His army confilted of 200,000 
men; but being void of difcipline, and ignorant of war, 
they were defeated by 20,000 Mogul troops. Nor was 
the fleet more luccefsful; for being put in confufion by 
that of the Moguls, and the emperor in danger of falling 
into their hands, one of the officers taking him on his 
fhoulders, jumped with him into the lea, where they were 
both drowned. Moll of the mandarins followed this ex¬ 
ample, as did alio the emprefs and minifter, all the ladies 
and maids of honour, and multitudes of others, info- 
much that 100,000 people are faid to have perilhed on 
that day. Thus ended the Chinefe race of emperors; 
and the Mogul reign, or dynafty, known by the' name of 
Ywen, commenced. 
Though no race of men that ever exifted, were more 
remarkable for cruelty and barbarity than the Moguls ; 
yet it doth not appear that the emperors of the Ywen 
dynafty were in any refpebt worfe than their predecef- 
fors. On the contrary, Hupilay, by the Chinefe called 
Ski-tfu, found the art of reconciling the people to his 
government, and even of endearing himfelf to them fo 
much, that the reign of his family was ftiled by the Chi¬ 
nefe, the wife government . On his firft acceffion to the 
crown, he fixed his refidence at Tay-ywen-fu, the capi¬ 
tal of Shen-fi ; but he afterwards removed it to Peking. 
Here, being informed that the barks which brought to 
court the tribute of the fouthem provinces, and carried 
Vox,. IV. No, 209, 
N A. 441 
on the trade of the empire, were obliged to come by fea, 
and often fullered fhipwreck, he caufed that immenfe ca¬ 
nal to be made, which is one of the wonders of the Chi¬ 
nefe empire. By this canal above 9000 imperial barks 
tranfport with eafe, and at linall expence, the tribute of 
grain, rice, filks, &c. which is annually paid to the court. 
In the third year of his reign, he formed a defign of re¬ 
ducing the iflands of Japan, and the kingdoms of Tonk - 
quin and Cochin-china. Both tliele enterprifes ended 
unfortunately, but the firft remarkably lo; for out of 
100,000 perl’ons employed in it, only four or five efcaped 
with the melancholy news of the dellruftion of the reft, 
who all perilhed by Ihipwreck. Shi-tfu reigned fifteen 
years, died in the eightieth year of his age, and was fuc- 
ceeded by his grandlbn. The throne continued in the 
Ywen family till 1367, when Shud-ti, the lafl of that dy¬ 
nafty, was driven out by a Chinefe named Chu. During- 
this period the Tartars had become enervated by long 
profperity ; and the Chinefe had been roufed into valour 
by their fubjeblion. Shun ti, the reigning prince, was 
funk in lloth and debauchery; and the empire was op- 
preffed by a wicked minifter named Ama. In June 1355, 
Chu, who was a Chinefe of mean extraction, and the head 
of a fmall party, fet out from How-chew, palled the Ky- 
ang, and took Tay-ping. He then allbciated with fome 
other malcontents, at the head of whom he reduced the 
town of Tu-chew. Soon after he made himfelf mailer 
of Nanking, having defeated the Moguls who came to its 
relief. In December 1356, he was able to raife too ,000 
men, at the head of whom he took the city U-chew; and 
here, affembling his generals, it was refolved neither to 
commit violence, nor to plunder. The moll formidable 
enemy he had was Chen-yew-lyang , ftiled “ emperor of the 
Han.” This prince being grieved at the progrefs made 
by Chu, equipped a fleet, and railed a formidable army, 
in order to reduce Nan-chang-fu, which his antagonill 
had lately made himfelf mailer of. The governor, how¬ 
ever, found means to inform Chu of his danger; upon 
which that chief caufed a fleet to be fitted out at Nan¬ 
king, in which he embarked 200,000 foldiers. As foon 
as Chen-yew-lyang was informed of his enemy’s ap¬ 
proach, he railed the fiege of Nan-chang-fu, and gave 
orders for attacking Chu’s naval force. An engagement 
enfued between a part of the fleets, in which Chu was 
victorious ; and next day, all the fquadrons having come 
to a general engagement, Chu gained a fecond victory, 
and burnt 100 of the enemy’s veffels. A third and fourth 
engagement followed, in all of which Chu came off vic¬ 
torious. Chen-yew-lyang was killed, his fon taken pri- 
foner, and his generals obliged to furrender at difcretion. 
In January 1364., Chu’s generals propofed to have him 
proclaimed emperor ; but this he declined, and contented 
himfelf with the title of king of U. In February he made 
himfelf mailer of Vu-chang-fu ; where, with his ufual 
humanity, he relieved thole in diftrefs, encouraged the 
literati, and would allow his troops neither to plunder 
nor deftroy. This wile condudl procured him an eafiy 
conqueft both of Kyang-fi and Hu-quang. The Chinefe 
readily lubmitted to him, and profefled the greateft vene¬ 
ration for his perfon and government. All this time 
Sliun-ti, with an unaccountable negligence, never thought 
of exerting himfelf againft Chu, but continued to employ 
his forces againft the rebels who had taken up arms id 
various parts of the empire; fo that now Chu thought 
himfelf in a condition to affume the title of emperor. 
This he cliofe to do at Nanking, on the firft day of the 
year 1368. After this his troops entered the province of 
Honan, which they prefently reduced.^ In the third 
month, Chu, who had now taken the title of Hong-hju f 
or Tay-tJ'u, reduced the fortrefs of Tong-quan; after 
which his troops entered Pe-tcheli from Honan on the 
one fide, and Shan-tong on the other. Here his general's’ 
defeated one of Shun-ti’s armies; after which they 
took the city of Tong-chew, and then prepared to’ 
attack the capital, from which they were now but twelve 
5 U miles 
