Читать книгу History of the Kingdom of China (Vol. 1&2) - Juan González de Mendoza - Страница 31

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How manie kinges hath beene in this kingdome, and their names.

In the fourth chapter of the first booke, I did promise particularly to declare howe many kinges haue beene in this kingdome, and their names. Nowe to accomplish the same, I will beginne and declare the succession of them from Vitey, the first king of China.Vitey (who was the first that did reduce the kingdome to one empire gouernment) vnto him that dooth reigne at this daye, remitting that which shall lacke vnto the chapter aforesaide: whereas shall be found the number of the kinges, and how many yeares since the first beginning of this kingdome, and the manner of the succession.[76]

This Vitey was the first king of China (as it appeareth by their histories, where as they doo make particular mention). But amongest other thinges that they do declare of the kinges person, they do say that he was in height so much as seuen measures, which is accustomed in China; and euerie Which is foure yeardes quarter and halfe. measure is two thirdes of a Spanish vare, which is by good account foure vares[77] and two terses[78] in length: he was sixe palmes broade in the shoulders, and was as valiant in his deedes as in bignesse of his bodie: he had a captaine called Lincheon, who was not onely valiant, but politike and of great wisedome, by reason whereof with his valour and strength he did subiect vnto Vitey all the whole countrie that he doth now possesse, and caused all people to feare him. They do attribute that The first inuention of garments and dying of colours. this Vitey did first inuent the vse of garmentes for to weare, and by the dying of all manner of colours, of making of shippes: hee likewise inuented the sawe to sawe tymber; but aboue all thinges he was a great architector, and an inuenter of buildinges, whereof hee made verie manie and verie sumptuous, which doo indure vnto this day in the remembraunce of his name: he did also inuent the wheele to turne silke, the which is vsed to this day in all the kingdome: hee was the first that did use to weare golde, pearles, and precious stones for iewelles, and to weare cloth of golde, siluer, and silke in apparell: he did repart all the people of the countrie into cities, townes, and villages, and did ordaine occupations, and commaunded that no man should vse any other but that which his father did vse, without his particular licence, or the gouerners of his kingdome. And that should not be granted without great occasion for the same.

All of one occupation were put in streetes by themselues, the which order is vsed vnto this day throughout al the kingdome; so that if you doo desire to know what occupation is in anye street, it is sufficient to see the first house thereof, although it be very long: for it is verie certaine that they be all of one occupation and not mingled with any other. Amongst all other things he ordeyned one thing of great consideration, that was, no woman to be No woman to be idle. idle, but to worke, either in her husbands occupation, or in sowing or spinning. This was a law so generall amongst them, that the queene her selfe did obserue and keepe it.

A strange kind of hearb. They saye that he was a great astrologician, and had growing in the court of his pallace a certaine hearbe, the which did make a manner of demonstration when that any did passe by it, whereby it did shewe if any were euill intentioned against the king. Many other things they do declare which I let passe, because I would not be tedious vnto the reader, referring the dreames and fondnesse of these idolaters vnto the iudgement of your discretion: for vnto the discreete is sufficient to touch of euerie thing a little. He had foure wiues, and by them fiue and twentie sonnes; he reyned a hundreth yeares: there was betwixt this king and he which did build the great wall (that was spoken of in the ninth chapter of the first booke) one hundred and sixteene kinges, all of the lynage of this Vitey. All the which did raigne, as appeareth by their histories, two thousand two hundreth and fiftie seuen yeares. I do not here declare their names, because I would not be tedious, although they be particularly named in their histories; but here I will set downe them that I finde necessarie to be spoken of for the succession vnto him that now reygneth.

The last king of the lynage of this woorthie Vitey, was called Tzintzon: this did make the mightie and great wall aforesaide. Finding himselfe to be greatly troubled with the king of Tartarie, who did make warre vppon him in many places of his kingdom, he did ordaine the making thereof, and for the furnishing of the same, he did take the third man of the countrie to the worke; and for that manie people did die in this tedious worke, by reason they went so farre from their owne houses, and in diuers climes cleane contrarie vnto that where as they were bred and borne: it grew that the king was hated and abhorred of all people, in such sort that they did conspire his death, which in effect they did accomplish and slew him, after he had reigned fortie yeares: and also his sonne and heyre, who was called Aguizi. After the death of this Tzintzon and his sonne, they did ordaine for their king one that was called Anchosan, a man of great valour and wisedome; hee reigned twelue yeeres: a sonne of his did succeede him in the kingdom, called Futey, and he reigned seuen yeares. After the death of this king, who died very young, his wife did reigne and gouerne, and was of his owne lineage: she did maruellously gouerne that kingdome for the space of 18 yeares, and for that shee had no issue naturall of her bodie, a sonne of her husbands y^t he had by an other wife did succeede in the kingdome, and reigned three and twentie yeares: a son of his did succeede him, called Cuntey, and reigned 16 yeares and eight monthes: a son of his called Guntey, did reigne 54 yeares: a sonne of his did succeede him called Guntey, and reigned thirteene yeares: his sonne, called Ochantey, did succeede him, and reigned 25 yeares and three monthes: his son, called Coanty, succeeded him, and reigned 13 yeares and two monthes. After him reigned his sonne Tzentzey 26 yeares and 4 monthes: then succeeded his son called Anthrey, and reigned no more but 6 yeares; his sonne, Pintatey, did inherite and reigned 5 yeares. This Pintatey when he died was not married, and therefore a brother of his did succeede him, called Tzintzuny, and reigned but 3 yeares and 7 monethes: after him succeeded a younger brother called Huy Hannon, and reigned sixe yeares: his sonne, called Cubun, did succeed him, and reigned 32 yeares: his sonne, Bemthey, did inherite and reigned 18 yeares: after him his son, Vnthey, and reigned 13 yeares: Othey succeeds him, and reigned 17 yeares; his sonne, called Yanthey, reigned but 8 monethes, and left a sonne, called Anthey, who reigned 19 yeares, whose eldest sonne, called Tantey, died incontinent after his father, and reigned only 3 monthes, and his brother, called Chyley, reigned one yeare; his son, called Linthey, reigned 22 yeares; his sonne, called Yanthey, did succeede him, and reigned 31 years. This Yanthey (the historie saieth) was a man of small wisedome, which was the occasion that he was abhorred and hated of those of his kingdome. A nephew of his, called Laupy, did rebell against him; he had two sociates for to helpe him, gentlemen of the court; they were two brethren and verie valiant, the one was called Quathy, the other Tzunthey; these two did procure to make Laupy king. His vncle the king vnderstoode thereof, and was of so litle valor and discretion, that he could not, neither durst he put remedie in the same, which caused commotions and common rumors amongst the people. But in especiall there was foure tyrantes ioyned in one, and all at one time, they wer called, Cincoan, Sosoc, Guansian, and Guanser. Against these Laupy did make warre vnder colour to helpe his vncle, but after a while, that the warre indured, he concluded and made peace with Cincoan, and he married with one of his daughters, who straight wayes made warre against the other three tyrants with the helpe of his father in lawe.

At this time this mightie kingdome was diuided in three partes, and beganne the tyrannie as you shall vnderstande: the one and principall part fell vpon Laupy by the death of his vncle, the other to Sosoc, and the other vnto Cincoan his father in law. In this sort remained the kingdome in diuision a while, til such time as Cuthey, sonne vnto Laupy, did reigne in his fathers steede. Then did there a tyrant rise vp against him, called Chimbutey, and slew him: he by his great valour did bring the kingdome all in one as before, after that it had bin in diuision 41 yeares, and reigned after that alone 25 yeares: his sonne, named Fontey, did succeede him, and reigned 17 yeares. And to make short of this linage, there was 15 kinges, and reigned 176 yeares; against the last of them, who was called Quioutey, there did arise against him tyrannously Tzobu. Of this linage there was eyght kinges, who reigned 62 yeares: against the last of them, called Sutey, there arose one called Cotey, of whose lynage there was fine kings, and reigned twentie foure yeres; the last of them, called Otey, was slaine by Dian. There was of this lynage foure kings that reigned 56 yeres: against the last of them rose vp Tym, and there was of this race fiue kinges, and reigned one and thirty yeares: against the last of this house rose vp Tzuyn. And there was of this linage three kings, and reigned seuen and thirtie yeares, against the last of these rose vp Tonco. This and all the rest of his lynage did gouerne maruelous well; which was the occasion that they endured the longer time. There was of them one and twentie kinges, and reigned 294 yeares; the last of them, called Troncon, did marrie with one that had beene his fathers wife, called Bausa, a verie faire woman: hee tooke her out of a monasterie, where she was a nunne, onely to marrie with her: she vsed such policie that he was slaine, and did gouerne the kingdome after, alone, one and fortie yeares. The historie sayth that she was dishonest, and that with extremitie, and vsed the companie of the best and principallest of the realme; and not content with that, she married with one of base lynage, one fit for her purpose, because she was so vicious. They say that before she did marrie, she caused to be slaine the sonnes she had by her first husbande, for that she had a desire that a nephew of hers should succeede her in the kingdome. Then those of the kingdome perceiuing her intent, and wearie of her by reason of her ill liuing, sent out to seeke a bastard sonne of her husbandes, who was fledde away, and with a common consent they raysed him for king. He was called Tautzon: he caused cruell and rigorous iustice to be done vpon his stepmother, as was reason for her euilles, and an example to all those of the kingdome, who by a president of her ill liuing beganne to straggle: there was of his lynage seuen kinges, that reigned 130 yeares: against the last, called Concham, arose Dian; of this linage there were but two kinges, and reigned eighteene yeares. Against the second and last arose Outon, and was of his linage three kinges, and reigned but fifteene yeares: against the last there arose Outzim; of this there was but two kinges, and reigned nine yeares and three monethes; there arose against the last Tozo: he and his sonne reigned foure yeares: with the sonne of this one Auchin did fight and slewe him in the combat, and succeeded him in the kingdome: hee with other two of his lynage reigned tenne yeares; against the last of these arose vp one of the lynage of Vitey, the first king, and slewe him; hee was called Zaytzon; there was of this lynage seuenteene kinges, and reigned with all peace and quietnesse three hundred and twentie yeares: the last of this lynage was called Tepyna, with whom did fight the gran Tartaro called Vzon, who entred into China with a mightie armie, and got all the kingdome; and it was possessed with nine Tartare kings, the which reigned 93 yeares, and intreated the inhabitantes with great tyrannie and seruitude: the last of these was called Tzintzoum; this was more cruel vnto the Chinos then any of the rest, which was the occasion that all the kingdome did ioyne together in one, and did elect a king, called Gombu, a man of great valour and of the lynage of ancient kinges past, who by his great woorthinesse and ioyning much people together, did so much that hee did driue all the Tartaros out of the kingdome, with the death of many thousands of them, who obstinately and without iustice did with all tyrannie keepe that kingdome in possession: there was of this lynage twelue kinges with this that now reigneth: the eleuen kinges past reigned two hundreth yeares: he that now possesseth the kingdome is called Boneg, who by the death of his elder brother that died by a fall hee had from his horse, did inherite the kingdome: he is of 21 yeares of age (as they saye) and hath his mother aliue, of whom, as yet, there is nothing written: so that I can write nothing in particular, but that they say he is a gallant gentleman, and welbeloued of his subiects, and a great friende vnto iustice. He is married with a cosen of his, and hath one sonne.

Those of his linage hath got of the Tartares many countries since they were driven out of China, the which are on the other side of the mightie wall. God for His mercie's sake bring them to the knowledge of His holy lawe, and accomplish a prophesie that they have amongst them, by the which they are given to vnderstand that they shall be ruled and brought in subiection by men with great eyes and long beards—a nation that shall come from countries farre off, by whom they shalbe commanded, which signifieth to be Christians. The king of this countrie is had in so great reputation amongest his subiects, that in all the prouinces where he is not resident, in the chiefe cities whereas are the vizroyes or gouernors, they haue a table of gold, in the which is portred the king that nowe reigneth, and couered with a curtin of cloth of gold, verie riche, and thether goeth euery day the loytias, which are the gentlemen, men of lawe, and ministers of justice, and do by dutie reuerence vnto it, as though the kinge were personally present. This table and picture is discouered the first day of their feasts which they doo celebrate, and is at the newe moone of euery month, on the which day all people do repaire and do reuerence vnto the picture with the same respect as they would doo if he were present: they do call the king Lord of the Worlde, and Sonne of Heaven.