Amongst many things worthie to bee considered, which haue beene and shalbe declared in this historie, and amongst manie other which of purpose I omit, because I would not be tedious vnto the reader, no one thing did cause so much admiracion vnto the Portugals, when that they did first traficke in Canton, neither vnto our Spaniards, who long time after went vnto the Philippinas, as to finde in this kingdome artilerie. And wee finde by good account taken out of their histories, that they had the vse thereof long time before vs in Europe. It is said that the first beginning was in the yeare 1330, by the industrie of an Almane,[122] yet howe he was called there is no historie that dooth make mention: but the Chinos saie, and it is euidently seene, that this Almaine dooth not deserue the The first inuenting of armor. name of the first inuenter, but of the discouerer, for that they were the first inuentors, and from them hath the vse thereof beene transported vnto other kingdomes, where it is now vsed. The Chinos saie that their first king, called Vitey, did first inuent the same, and that he was taught the matter how to make them by a spirite that came out of the earth, for to defende himselfe and his kingdome from the Tartares, that did much molest him with warres: for, according vnto the tokens giuen him, (as it dooth appear in their histories,) and the industrie for the same, it appeareth that it was some spirit, enimie vnto mankind, onely for to destroy them, as in these daies the experience thereof is apparent vnto vs. All the which carieth a similitude of the trueth, for that this king was a great sorcerer and inchanter, as you may well vnderstand by the herbe that he had growing in ye court of his pallace, whereof before I haue told you. And if this be not credible, because so many yeres are past since this kings raigne, yet it is of truth, yt when these Chinos went to the kingdom of Pergu,[123] Artilerie 1300 years before us. and to cōquest ye east Indies more then 1500 yeares since, they caried with them ye like instruments of warre, which did serue them in their conquest: the which conquest being ended, they left behind them certaine peeces of artilerie, which were found afterwards by the Portugals, whereon were grauen the armes of China, and in what yeare they were made, agreeing iust with the time of the conquest.
Such artilerie as the frier Gerrarda and his companions did see at their being there, they say it was of antiquitie, and very ill wrought, and was for the most part peeces to shoote stones, or murderers: but it was giuen them to vnderstande that in other prouinces of the kingdome, there be that bee verie curiouslie wrought and faire, which may bee of such which the Captaine Artreda did see: who in a letter that hee wrote vnto King Phillip, giuing him to vnderstande of the secreats of this countrie, amongst which hee saide, the Chinos doo vse all armour as wee doo, and the artilerie which they haue is excellent good. I am of that opinion, for that I haue seene vessels there of huge greatnesse, and better made then ours, and more stronger.
In euerie citie they haue certaine houses, where they make their ordinance and artilerie continuallie: they doo not plant them on castles (for that they haue not the vse of them in all the kingdome), but vppon the gates of their cities, which hath mightie great and thicke walles, and deepe ditches, which they doo fill with water out of the next riuer, at all times when neede requireth, which they account the greatest strength in all the kingdome. At euerie gate of the citie there is a captaine with manie souldiours, that keepeth watch and warde, night and daie, to suffer no stranger to enter in without especiall lycence of the gouernour of the citie or towne. By this that I haue alredie saide, as seemeth vnto me, is apparantlie shewed and declared the antiquity of artilerie in this kingdome: and howe that they were the first inuentors thereof. Likewise it dooth plainely appeere that there was the first inuention of printing, a thing as strange as the other, whose antiquitie in that kingdome shall be shewed in the chapter following.
CHAP. XVI.
Of the antiquitie and manner of printing bookes, vsed in this Kingdome, long before the vse in our Europe.
The admirable inuention, and the subtill ingenie of printing is such, that for lacke of the vse thereof, should haue beene forgotten the worthinesse of manie excellent men, and of their deedes doone in the happie daies and times long past: and manie in these our daies woulde not trouble themselues so much as they doo, in learning to get honour and promotion, or in feates of warres, if that their fame should no longer continue in writing then their liues on the earth. Leauing apart the woonderfull effectes of this subtile inuention, least speaking thereof I should be ouer tedious, I will heere onlie goe about to prooue that which this chapter dooth propounde, with some ensamples, whereof manie are found in their histories, and likewise in ours. It doth plainlie appeare by the vulgar opinion, that the inuention of printing did beginne in Europe in the yeare 1458, the which was attributed vnto Toscan,[124] called John Cutembergo: and it was saide of trueth, that the first mould wherewith they doo print was made in Maguncia, from whence an Almaine called Conrado[125] did bring the same inuention into Italie. And the first booke that was printed, was that which saint Austine did write, intituled De ciuitate Dei: wherein manie authors agree. But the Chinos doo affirme, that the first beginning was in their countrie, and the inuentour was a man whome they reuerence for a saint: whereby it is euident that manie yeares after that they had the vse thereof, it was brought into Almaine[126] by the way of Ruscia and Moscouia, from whence, as it is certaine, they may come by lande, and that some merchants that came from thence into this kingdome, by the Redde Sea, and from Arabia Felix, might bring some books, from whence this John Cutembergo, whom the histories dooth make authour, had his first foundation. The which beeing of a trueth, as they haue authoritie for the same, it dooth plainlie appeare that this inuention came from them vnto vs: and for the better credite hereof, at this day there are found amongst them many bookes printed 500 yeares before the inuention began in Almaine: of the which I haue one, and I haue seene others, as well in Spaine and in Italie as in the Indies. The frier Herrada and his companions, when they came from the China vnto the Philippinas, did bring with them manie printed bookes of diuers matters, which they did buy in the citie of Ancheo, the which were printed in diuers places of the kingdome.[127] Yet the most part of them were printed in the prouince of Ochian,[128] whereas is the best print: and as they did report, they woulde haue brought a great number more, if that the vizroy had not disturbed them, for they haue great libraries, and very good cheape; but hee suspected that those bookes might be a meane to giue them to vnderstande the secrets of their kingdome, the which they doo indeuour to keepe close from strangers. The vizroy vsed a policie, and sent them word, how that he was certified that they went about buying of bookes for to carry them into their countrie, and howe they shoulde not spende their money on them, for hee would giue them for nothing so manie bookes as they woulde haue, which afterward hee did not performe, possible for the reason aforesaide, or else he did forget his promise.
At such time as this commandement came vnto them, they had bought a good number, out of the which are taken the most things that wee haue put in this small historie, for to giue a briefe notice of them and of that kingdome, till such time as by a true certificate the experience of manie shall cause more credite thereunto: for that vnto this day, by reason of the small notice wee haue, we cannot with so great authoritie make it so credible as wee hope that time hereafter will doo. The which hath moued mee, yea and constrained me, to leaue to intreat of manie things, which in those parts are to bee credited, yea and are most true: and for the same I haue beene blamed and reprehended by such as haue had perfite notice thereof.
And nowe for that I will not go from my purpose, you shall vnderstand in the chapter following, whereof these bookes that they brought doo intreat, that the better you giue credite vnto the curiositie and policie of that kingdome, as in manie places I haue declared, and hereafter will declare.