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Show His ‘Dcfcrtption of C HAI»N A more t‘learly difcover the fituatioonf each Kingdom,and th t we may not appea to have let flip any thing memorable in reference unto the Cities Mountain Rivers, Lakes, and other occurrences worthy of obfervation; I h ve liere prefixed this Geographical Table, which containeth 2 Defcription of all the Kingdoms 5 from which, as from an alone Compendium you may find what{gever pre fentethit felf worthy of confideration $ CHA I N 4 the Year 1823. whenin Siganfu the Metropolis of the Kingdom of Xenf in a certain Village a Trench was digged for the fic foundation of an Edifice ing of the place being moved with the ftrangenef(s of this Monument, having moré {erioufly The diulgin contemplated the Venerable Antiquity of it, that he might allute and draw Ser Mom by the injury o e and alfo that as many as were Speators of this unafual Monuirient might read and much concerned to know what they related unto who at laft were {atisfie by the diligence of our Society,as it will appear more at large in the following Difcourfe. Leo the Mandorine being now inftra&ed in the Chriftian Faith, tirft of all others divulged it, exactly defcribed unto the whole Kingdom, for the great 5::';:!%% advantage of the Chriftian Religion, which he hoped might accrue from thepce : ™4 it Pub 3 lick with which the Fathers of our Society being excited firft, when that they ha read it, they could not fufficiently admire the Providence of the Divige Majefty that fhould condefcend fo far to difclofe a Monument of {o great Concern fo the Converfion of the Heathen in this Novel Vintage of Chrift; wherefore no being able to continue, they betook themfelves to Siganfu, the great Metropo litan City of Xenfr, for to be ocular Speatours of it ; ‘of which the firft wa Father Alvares Samedis a Portuguefe, whofe wordsI fhall the rathef alledge, b ho And becaufe that on the Margents there were difcovéred CharaGers unknowe unto the Chinefes, intermixed with thofe of their own, they were very penfive examine, and defcribe it at their own conveniency many more out of the whole Kingdom, (which Fam had now etchoed forth, :i,‘?:%'éi'i to the acquiring of reputation to the City) placed it on@ Table or Pedeftal Empire curioufly wrought, within the Court of the Temple of the Bonwii, and ere&e e men i a Roof over it, partly t of th Governou Th thither from all, Parts goaz A3 reforte g wh Men port of the finding of this Stone prefently attraGed a great multitude of their rious ¥ And as the Chinefes are carrie r f K t 6 1 f g i t t u t f e o p as it were by a certain natur radter, as is manifeft from the Figure adjoyned i g throughout the whole {uperficies of the Stone in the Chinefian Language and Cha Learne - Under this Crofs followeth the Title of the Infcription, exprefle 3 and cloaks Fernfalem bore partly hanging on their necks, and partly fewed to their garment or Building, it fo hapned, that in the cafting up of the Earth the Labourersfi;i'if&ffn‘i' chanced to light upon a Stone-Table, worthy of note for its Chincfran Writing which when that they had extra&ted aloft, they began to meafure irs guantity and found it in length 9 of our handfuls, in latitude 5. and in thicknefs abou one, {culped curioufly with a Crofs; thofe, who ftudioufly viewed ir, r por that the Crofs was bent inwards like to the Lillies, in the manner of that which The figure o Crofs o is to be feen at Meliapore in India, on the Sepulchre of Saint Thomas the Afom & ththee to of th and not much unlike unto that, which the Knights of the Order of Saint Fobs o fMonumcnc 3 The firft find, |