Page 336

~(aTHASN>d1VS kKCHE9 'S 
e only endea-vor that the Matter may come to the knowledge of the Emperor.
God pro/per 
1 to bis o-wn Glory. 
Father Francii Hurtade, from the Province of Nancbeu, alfo confirmeth this,
nd addeth, "Thatin the fame Year a Paffage was open'd into the new Pro-
vinces of the Empire of China, viz. Xenfi, Xanfi, Fobum; which lait is con.
terminate with Coucbincbina, and eafily admitteth of Strangers. And thus
roceeding fays, "Unto thefe were annexed ten or twelve Lines in Syriack,
which I could not Interpret ; alfo the Priviledges granted by the Kings of
China to the Priefts of-that Law were adjoin'd. The Verfion was made 
word for word out of the @inefe Language. There were alfo other Tranf. 
latioris, but they all agree in the Effential Matters. It is Recorded in
the 
Books of the Kings of Cina, that the Cbrifltan Faith airiv'd amongft the
Cbi. 
hefeS above 994 years fince, and that this Infcriptionwas made 140 years
after its entrance. Thus Father Emanuel Dia. 
But in other Letters of a more later Date,- from Maccao z 1Novemb, 1627.
re fin4 it thus written concerning this City : " Some years fince there
was 
found a very long and ancient Writing Engraven on a Stone in the Cbineflan
and Cbaldean, or Syrian Language;j from whence it is evident, That the L4,
of our Lord and Saviour arriv'd amorigft the Cbinefes about a thoufand years
fince, AnOno Dom. 636. Now the Stone was ereled and infcrib'd nno 781. 
that is a hundred and forty fix years after the Preaching of the Gofpel there,
by which a great Converfion unto the Faith was wrought, Churches were 
built, and Bifhops conflituted. The Kings that Govern'd at that time are
reckon'd about eight, whofe Names are exprefs'd in that Stone, and who all
of them favor'd the Cbrifians : Now the Preachers of this Lav came out of
Palefline, and other adjoiring Places. It cbntaineth the chief Milferies
of our 
Faith, which are manifefl from the Infcription. All which are largely evi-
nt from the foremenrtion'd Teftimonies of Father f~oim, Martiniu, and Daniel
wrtolus, which were colle&ed from the Study of the Colledge of our Society.
ut I think it will be worth our time to produce this Syrian InfcriDtion in
the 
_I7.                  ,- ,__ ..            .. . 
fame 8trangeilick Chara&ers in which it was exprefs'd in @Iina, together
with 
the Interpretation efpecially feeing the Fathers of our Society in (bina
there- 
fore fent it hither into Europe in a particular Folio, Printed in Cbhinaby
the Ma- 
flers of that Language, for a better Explanation of it : For this being Ex-
plain'd, .1 hope it will fo come to pafs, that both the Day, the Names, the
Country, and the Offices of the Preachers of the civine Lav, and finally
our 
Defign, will the more evidently be difcover'd. 
The Infcription of the Syriack Names is twosfold; one of them Sculp'd on
the Margin, the other on the Foot of the Monument : And becaufe this latter
containeth the Year 'ofits Ere&ion, we fhall begin the Thred of our Expofi-
tion from it. The Syrian Infcription is as followeth: 
Adam Kafifo Ucurapifcupd Upapafi ti Zinflan. Bejume bao dabohotbo lor Hanan
Jefua k ataliko Patriarchis. Befanatb alf uItifaain utarten dia vanoie. Mor
Ibuz,ad 
Iafifo 1curapifcupo de Cumdan medinab malcutbo bar nibb napfo Milis J.afifo
dmen 
-Dalebb Medintho Tabburflan Ai Lucbo bono apa diffa bou beb medabarnutho
dpbarukan Ucaruzatbon dabbain daluat maicbe dizinio. 
Adam Mefcbamfcbono !Bar idbuiad Curapbifcopo. 
May Sargiskal/o, vUcurapcupo 
Sam    uaao 
Gabriel afifo rrcodia cun*Ur/cb- abito d...umbdan  afrag.  This