as not so great, that the one nation might marry with the other.
[Sidenote: Marriage of the kings children.] And demanding with whom they
married, they said, that in olde time the Chinish kings when they would
marry their daughters, accustomed to make a solemne feast, whereunto came
all sorts of men. The daughter that was to be married, stood in a place
where she might see them all, and looke whom she liked best, him did she
chuse to husband, and if happely he were of a base condition, hee became by
and by a gentleman: but this custome hath bene left long since. Now a dayes
the king marrieth his daughters at his owne pleasure, with great men of the
kingdome: the like order he obserueth in the marriage of his sonnes.

They haue moreouer one thing very good, and that which made vs all to
maruelle at them being Gentiles: namely, that there be hospitals in all
their Cities, alwayes full of people, we neuer saw any poore body begge.
[Marginal note: He speaketh not here of all China, but of the Cities, for
in other places there be beggers, as you haue seene already, swarming out
of trees.] We therefore asked the cause of this: answered it was, that in
euery City there is a great circuit, wherein be many houses for poore
people, for blinde, lame, old folke, not able to trauaile for age, nor
hauing any other meanes to liue. These folke haue in the aforesaid houses
euer plentie of rice during their liues, but nothing else. Such as be
receiued into these houses, come in after this maner. When one is sicke,
blinde or lame, he maketh a supplication to the Ponchiassi, and prouing
that to be true he writeth, he remaineth in the aforesaid great lodging as
long as he liueth: besides this they keepe in these places swine and
hennes, whereby the poore be relieued without going a begging.

I said before that China was full of riuers, but now I minde to confirme
the same anew: for the farther we went into the Countrey, the greater we
found the riuers. Sometimes we were so farre off from the sea, that where
we came no sea fish had bene seene, and salt was there very deare, of fresh
water fish yet was there great abundance, and that fish very good: they
keep it good after this maner. Where the riuers do meete, and so passe into
the sea, there lieth great store of boats, specially where no salt-water
commeth, and that in March and April. These boates are so many that it
seemeth wonderfull, ne serue they for other then to take small fish. By the