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Show the Empire of C u 1 N A.‘ \‘ CHAP. III Of fewerel CHINESE HANDYCRAFT-TRADES DIANS, JUGLERS, 4#d BEGGERS COME o l ‘H 1S Empire is notaltogether void of ArchiteGure, although for neatnef and polite curiofity, it is notto be compared with that in Europe ; neithe are their Edifices o coftly nor durable, in regard they proportion their Houfes t the fhorenefs of Life, building, as they fay,for them(lelves, and not for others ; an ey are lock this futelyis on whic coftl oever while the A€ 2ppointed thre :&dd" cighth monthc: oMY Sxamined M"Mmdb o Fue Mythirdyca " ar ?i",mdmhadlngtca ‘and Prince-lik Palace whic canno ar comprehen in Europe An nor 1magine th whe they hav heard that {ome of the faid Edifices have ftood for many Ages, they feem a it were amazed thereat; but if they confidered the true reafons of fuc continuance the woul rathe applau an imitate, then wonder; for tha whereas in China they dig no Foundations at all, but lay the Stones even with th furface of the ground, upon which they build high and heavy Towers ; and by thi means they foon decay, and require daily reparations Neither is thisall, for th A Houfesin China are for the moft part built of Wood, or reft upon Wooden Pil can only three hyp dflrl.ammg why the Chinefe which ‘makes our Buildings laft fo long, is, becaule we make deep Foundations Wlnf'fia mb. reafo lars 3 yet they are covered with Tyles, as in Exrope, and are contrived commodi oufly within, though not beautiful to the eye without; howeverby the curiofit of the Péople, they are kept very clean and neat Their Temples are moft curioufly buile, fome whereof in folitary places, nea the High-ways, tothe great accommodation of Travellers. They are hung ful of Images, and heavy Lamps, which burn continually in memory of one or othe that lived well, and dyed happily Thefe People havé made no {mall Progrefs in feveral Sciences, by thei early being acquainted with the Art of Printing ; for though thofe of Exrope d therein exceed the Chinefes, having reduced the fame to more exa&nefs and certain Method : Yetfays Trigantius in his ficft Book, in the fourth Chapter, Th ufe of the Printing-Prels was much fooner in China, thenin Europe; for it i moft certain, that the fame has been in ufe amongft the Chirefes for five Age paft5 nay, fome ftick not toaffirm, that they ufed Printing before the Birth o our Saviour Mercatoi r bis great Atlas writes, that the Printing-Prefs, and th ufe of Cannon, are of {o great Antiquity in China, that it is not known who wa the Inventer of them : All whichif it were taken for granted, neverthelefs the are too large, in faying, that Printing hasbeen ufed gy them ever fince their Countrey hath been called the Empire or Kingdom of China But how antien {oever it 1s, they ufe quite another manner and method therein, then th CHAP Europeans For in regard of the great number of Charaers they are enforce to cut their Charaters upon a fmooth board, made of Pear-Tree, or Apple- Tree Upon this board they lay the Writing that is to be Printed, then they fcrape th fheet fo long, when it is dry, till the Chara&ters, by reafon of the thinnefs, begi toappear thorow And laft of all, they bore the board with an Iron, tha the firokes of the Charaters are left ftanding : This being done, they Prin this board the Writing, which ftands already engraven upon it, upon othe (heets, but with {fo much eafe and quicknefs, that one Man is able to Prin fheets in aday ; and i the boring of the boards onl wit clea goo they are {o dexterous, tha they will cut ouc one almoft as foon as an European Compofitor can make read a Form to the Prefs This manner of Printing 1s much more commodious ; fo V th |