re and
artificiall fire-works. To these may be added the arte of Printing, albeit
their letters be in maner infinite and most difficult, the portraitures
whereof they cut in wood or in brasse, and with maruellous facilitie they
dayly publish huge multitudes of books. Vnto these mechanicall and
illiberall crafts you may adde two more; that is to say, nauigation and
discipline of warre; both of which haue bene in ancient times most
diligently practised by the inhabitants of China: for (as we haue before
signified in the third dialogue) the Chinians sailing euen as farre as
India, subdued some part thereof vnto their owne dominion: howbeit
afterward, least they should diminish the forces of their realme by
dispersing them into many prouinces, altering their counsell, they
determined to containe themselues within their owne limits: within which
limits (as I haue sayd) there were in olde time vehement and cruell wares,
both betweene the people of China themselues, and also against the
Tartarian king, who inuaded their kingdome, and by himselue and his
successours, for a long season, vsurped the gouernment thereof. Howbeit the
kings of the Tartarian race being worne out, and their stocke and family
being vtterly abolished, the Chinians began to lift vp their heads, and to
aduance themselues, inioying for these 200 yeeres last past exceeding peace
and tranquility, and at this day the posterity of the same king that
expelled the Tartars, with great dignity weareth the crowne, and wieldeth
the royall scepter. Albeit therefore the people of China (especially they
that inhabit Southerly from the prouince of Paquin) are, for the most part,
by reason of continuall ease and quiet, growen effeminate, and their
courage is abated, notwithstanding they would prooue notable and braue
souldiers, if they ioyned vse and exercise vnto their naturall fortitude.
As a man may easily obserue in them, that maintaine continuall warres
against the most barbarous and cruell Tartars. Howbeit in this kingdome of
China there is so great regard of military discipline, that no city nor
towne there is destitute of a garison, the captaines and gouernours keeping
ech man his order; which all of them, in euery prouince, are subiect vnto
the kings lieutenant generall for the warres, whom they call Chumpin, and
yet he himselfe is subiect vnto the Tutan or viceroy. Let vs now come vnto
that arte, which the Chinians do most of all professe, and which we may,
not vn