Page View
Nieuhof, Johannes, 1618-1672 / An embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham, emperor of China: delivered by their excellencies Peter de Goyer and Jacob de Keyzer, at his imperial city of Peking wherein the cities, towns, villages, ports, rivers, &c. in their passages from Canton to Peking are ingeniously described by John Nieuhoff; also an epistle of Father John Adams, their antagonist, concerning the whole negotiation; with an appendix of several remarks taken out of Father Athanasius Kircher; Englished and set forth with their several sculptures by John Ogilby
(1673)
Chap. V. Of their ceremonies, and manner of burials; and of their tombs or monuments., pp. 175-179
Page 178
%- 1 178 They whofe Weath raiifs them to the4iigheft pitch' of humane Feliciy, andenlarges their Pleafures beyond the limit of a Satisfadion in this Life, fueh as the Gelubden, beftowv uft &m? of Money upon their Tombs, building them ttle inferior to Pala ces,-with feveral Apartments within, and Triuti. phal Arches flanding beforethem. In the Province of Xnfi, upon the Mountains, are feveral of thtfe famou Sepulchral Monuments. Neut to the City T min gis a very noble Piece of Anti. quity in this kind, built by themperorCavw, about 40ooo. years ince, asthey report. So likewife near to the CityCOn, upon the Mountains are built very fumptuous Tombs, as well of Kings, as of other eat Lords. Imy felffaw ome of thefe Sepulchres,very artiicially bui pon fome fo- litary Hills, which were not the Produas of Nature, but, to make the Work the more flupendious and confiderable, were cat up with the Spade, and rais'd to almoft an incredible height. In the middle of Wall was a Gate, through which we entred into the Sepulchre (to which belong commonly three fuch Doors) and afcended by ealie Steps up to-the Mouth of the fame, which was Plaifter'd on the infides and had Benches about it. At certain times of the Year, the fiurviving Friends come and vifit there Graves, bringing hore of Provifions with them, and then exprefs their Sorrow afrefi, iledding Tears, and ufing other Lamentations for the lofs of their dear Friends; nay, fome of them do with fuch reality.of Grief and Affeioa oftentimes take it to heart, that they will by no means be drawn thence, but defire to be reckon'd among the Dead. Without the City of Kanking;(heretofore the Court and Imperial Chamber of the ancient Princes) but not far diftant from the Walls, prows a very plea- fant Wood, full of Pine-trees, Wall'd "in, and containing twelve Italian Miks in circumference ; in the middle whereof rifes a Hil, whereupon are tobe view'd feveral wellobuilt Tombsand divers other very famous Works; among which a certain Idol.Temple may be accounted the chiefeft Mailer-piece, for thereby doth fufficiently appear the great efteem thefe People had of their Burying-places, not only in regard of the pleafant folitarinefs, but of theal- moft infinite Coftbeftow'd upon it. It is fituate upon an high Hill, and built all of Wood, except the Walls, which are Of Stone. The Entrance into this . .. .Temple
Top of Page
Based on the date of publication, this material is presumed to be in the public domain.| For information on re-use see: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/Copyright