n,
as we haue before signified. In this most large kingdom are conteined 15
prouinces, euery one of which were in it selfe sufficient to be made one
great kingdom. Six of these prouinces do border vpon the sea, namely (that
I may vse the names of the Chinians themselues) Coantum, Foquien, Chequiam,
Nanquin, Xantum, Paquin: the other 9 be in-land prouinces, namely, Quiansi,
Huquam, Honan, Xiensi, Xansi, Suchuon, Queicheu, Iunan, Coansi. [Sidenote:
The seats roiall of the king of China.] Amongst all the foresayd prouinces,
two are allotted for the kings court and seat roial, that is to say, Paquin
for his court in the North, and Nanquin for his court in the South. For the
kings of China were woont to be resident altogether at the South court: but
afterward by reason of the manifold and cruell warres mooued by the
Tartars, they were constrained to defixe their princely seate and
habitation in that extreme prouince of the North. Whereupon it commeth to
passe, that those Northren confines of the kingdom doe abound with many moe
fortresses, marciall engines, and garrisons of souldiers. LEO. I haue
heard, amongst those munitions, a certaine strange and admirable wall
reported of, wherewith the people of China doe represse and driue backe the
Tartars attempting to inuade their territories. MICHAEL. Certes that wall
which you haue heard tell of is most woorthie of admiration; for it runneth
alongst the borders of three Northerlie prouinces, Xiensi, Xansit and
Paquin, and is sayd to contayne almost three hundred leagues in length, and
in such sort to bee built, that it hindereth not the courses and streames
of any riuers, their chanels being ouerthwarted and fortified with
wonderfull bridges and other defences. Yet is it not vnlikely, that the
sayd wall is built in such sort, that onely lowe and easie passages bee
therewith stopped and enuironed; but the mountaines running betweene those
lowe passages are, by their owne naturall strength, and inaccessible
heigth, a sufficient fortification agaynst the enemie. LINUS. Tell vs
(Michael) whether the kingdome of China be so frequented with inhabitants,
as wee haue often bene informed, or no? MICHAEL. It is (Linus) in very deed
a most populous kingdom, as I haue bene certified from the fathers of
societie: who hauing seene sundry prouinces of Europe renoumed for the
multitude of their inhabitants, doe notwithstanding greatly admire the
infinite swarmes of people in China. Howbeit these mu