He chastises with wonderful Equity the great Ones as well as the Inferiors; he deprives them of their Charges, and makes them descend from the Rank they held, proportioning always the Penalty to the heinousness of their Fault. He takes Cognisance of the Affairs which are transacted in the Royal Counsel, and in the other Tribunals, even to the causing them to render to him an exact account of the Judgments there given. In one Word, he of himself Disposes and Orders all things; and 'tis by reason of the absolute Authority which he hath thus acquired, that the greatest Lords of the Court, and Persons of the highest Quality in the Empire; even the Princes of the Blood, never appear in his Presence, but with a profound Respect.
But to what remains, the Lamas or Tartarian Priests, of whom we have spoken, are not only respected by the People, but also by the Lords and Princes of their Nation, who for Politick Ends testifie to them a great deal of Friendship: This makes us fear that the Christian Religion, will not find so easie an entrance into the Western Tartary. They are also very powerful upon the Mind of the Queen Mother, who is of their Country, and who is at present Threescore and Ten Years Old; they are wont to tell her, that the Sect (of which she makes Profession) has no more declared Enemies than us. And 'tis a kind of Miracle, or at least an extraordinary Protection of God, that notwithstanding this, the Emperor, who has very much regard and respect for her, has not hitherto ceased to heap on us Graces and Honours, considering us after another manner than the Lamas.
During the Journey, as the Princes and the chief Officers of the Army went oftentimes to the Queen to attend at her Court; and that we also were advertised to do so likewise: We were willing first to consult a Person of the Court, who loved us very much, and who spake for us to the Emperor in our Affairs. This Lord having enter'd the Princes Tent, told him what had passed, and presently coming out again: The Emperor (said he to us) has given me to understand, that 'tis not at all necessary for you to attend the Queen as others do; which made us to apprehend enough, that this Princess did not favour us.
The 3d Reason which the Emperor had for making this Journey, was for his Health: because he knew by his Experience long enough, that when he is too long at Pekin without going Abroad, he cannot avoid his being attacked by several Distempers, which he prevents by means of these long Progresses. For during the whole time he never sees any Woman; and that which is more surprizing, there appears not any one in all this great Army, except those which are of the Retinue of the Queen Mother: 'Tis yet also a Novelty that she has accompanyed the King this Year, it having not been practiced above once, when he took with him the three Queens as far as the Capital City of the Province of Leao-tum, to visit the Sepulchers of their Ancestors.
The Emperor and the Queen Mother pretend moreover by this Journey, to avoid the excessive Heats which are in Pekin, in the Summer during the Dog-days. For in this part of Tartary, there reigns during the Months of July and August so cold a Wind, especially in the Night, that 'tis necessary to put on thick Cloths and Furs. The Reason that may be assigned for this so extraordinary Cold, is that this Region is very much elevated and full of Mountains: There is one among the rest, upon which we continually ascended, for the space of 5 or 6 Days March. The Emperor being desirous to know how much it surmounted the Plains of Pekin, distant about 300 Miles; at our return (after having measured the height of above a hundred Mountains that lay in our Road) we found that it had 3000 Geometrical Pace of Elevation, above the Sea that nearest approached Pekin.
The Salt Peter also with which these Countries abound, may contribute to this great Cold, which is so violent, that in digging the Earth to three or four Foot deep, there are fetched out Clods all frozen, and pieces of Ice.
Divers of the Petty Kings of the Western Tartary, came from all sides for 300 Miles, and some for 500 Miles, together with their Children, to salute the Emperor. These Princes, who for the most part know none but by their own natural Language, which is very different from that of the Eastern Tartary: Took regard of us, with Aspects and Gestures of a goodness very particular. There were some among them, who had made a Journey to Pekin to see the Court, and who had seen our Church.
One or two Days before we arrived at the Mountain which was the boundary of our Journey, we met a Petty King very aged, who returned from accompanying the Emperor, he seeing us stayed with all his Retinue, and enquired by his Interpreter, which of us was called Nauboaij; one of our Servants having made a sign that it was I, this Prince accosted me with a great deal of Civility, and told me that for a long time he had known my Name, and that he had desired to know me. He spoke also to Father Grimaldi, with the same marks of Affection. The favourable Entertainment he gave us in this Re-encounter, gave some Reason to hope that our Religion might find an easie Entrance to those Princes, particularly if care be taken to insinuate into the Minds of those Princes, by the means of the Mathematicks: Which if there should at any time be a design to penetrate into their Country, the most sure way for divers Reasons, (which I have not the leisure to explain here) will be to begin the entrance with the other Tartars more remote, which are not all Subjects of this Empire, from whom we may pass on to these, advancing by little and little towards China.
During the whole Journey, the Emperor has continued to give us singular Tokens of his good Will, shewing us Favours in the sight of his Army, which he shewed to none besides.
One time meeting us in a great Valley, where we were measuring the height and the distance of some Mountains, he made a stay with the whole Court; and calling to us from a great distance, he demanded of us in the Chinese Language, Hao-mo? that is to say, are you well in Health? And then asked us several Questions in the Tartarian Language, concerning the heighth of these Mountains, to which I answered also in the same Language; after which, turning to the Lords that were about him, he discoursed with them concerning us in very obliging Expressions, as I learned the same Night from the Prince his Unkle, who was then by his side.