OCR Text |
Show ATHANASIVS KIRCHE obyeétis reprefented, and being tempered with divers Colours, and beautifie with Birds, Flowers, and Dragons, the {everal Effigics of Godsand Goddeffes, an other Figures drawn to the life, at once abundantly delight and caufe admiratio i the beholders This Cam they gather, and make it of whatfoever colour the pleale, burthe Gold colour is the beft, and next the moft Black ; before it i drycd it fendeth forth venomous exhalation, which caufeth Swelling, the Prifick, an Confumption 5 but they who ufe this preparation, have an Antidote ready, whic dcfends them from the infe&ion Things Printed with this Gum or Vernice dr fooncftin a damp place, but once dryed it never yields nor melteth 5 but of thi Secret, with the manner of making and ufing it, wide Author Part 5. Chap. 1 Folio 220 2271 The Chinefes boaft of other Inventions, as firft that' of Printing, ufed by the long before it was known in Europe 5 but though they have found' the Invention yet the right ule of it they underftand not,being altogether ignorant of the Art o Founding of Letters, or Compofing with them, but Cutting or Engraving upo Wood what they have to Print, like our Sculped Plates fitted for the RowlingPrefs ; fo that not being able to diftribute their Charader, they are forced to hav a ftanding form for every Page, by which means the Printing of one Volumn oft times filleth a whole Houfe with their Typographical Tables 3 as for example if the whole have but one hundred Sheets, they muft have four hundred Tables Secondly, Though we donot deny but they had the Invention of Gun-pow der before us, bccaufi; the Fathers of our Society have feen great Ordnanc bi as Bazalilcocs, caft for a Siege in divers Provinces, efpecially in Narking, whic are very antient ; yet they neverarrived to our perfedtion, being unskilful in Fireworks; but their Art in cafting excels,asappears by the mighty Statues,great Guns and ponderous Bells each where' freqtient 5 but the Bells mentioned in a Lette from Father Ferdinando Verbift to Father Fobn Gruberns in Peking, in refpe& o which the greatelt in Europe may be called Saints Bells, fhall demonftrate. Ann 1403 there Reigned an Emperour of China named Yum lo, bethat firft removed th Court from Nanking 1 a prodigions maguitude the leaft of which ar Chum leu, all fair an Pcking, he the better to perpetate his nane, caft many Bells o whereof one of Iron," and eight of Brafs are now at Peking 120000. weight: I faw fewen lying in one place near unt lfl;_e ours, but the Margents are not fo (preading, nor the top [ Conick5 andbecanfe Father Athanafins Kircher in bis Mulurgia Folio 522. bat Jet downthe meafurcof the Bell of Erford in Germany, which for the bignefs be termeth prodigions 5 I will here give the dimenfions of one of thofe which I faw at Peking, and compare it with that of Etford, reducing Meafures to the Cubits of China The Bell of Peking The Bell of Erford 1. The Aldtude included in the Carva- | 7. The Alticude included in the Cyretre 512 Cubics. " " ~vature, 1s 8 Cubits 5 Digits 1 2. The Diameter of the' Orifice or Bafis' |' 2. ‘The Diameter 7 Cubits r Digit . 10 Cubitsand 8 Digits 3. The thicknefs 6 Digits and3 3. Thethicknefs of the Bell g Digits. | 4." The Circumference or Periphery 4. The exteriour circumfererice mea- ' according to the ‘meafure alledge fured by the ‘Diameter onlythree'|' by Father Kirchzrus,is 26.Cuabits an times taken, thatis omitting} of the | /¢ Digie Diameter, is 39 Cubits and 6 Pigits 5. The weight 25400. pounds 5. The weight 120000. pounds p |