Note 4 — Relation of 1627–28

Since we do not find a port of China in Macan it will be right for us to enter the interior, and we shall tell what is passing [there] in the spiritual and temporal. Christianity continues to increase. There are [182] twenty-two members of the Society in all China, established at the court of Pequin and other chief cities. Ours go about there with more liberty and publicity than they have ever done. Happy times are expected if the uncle of the king who is now reigning enters into the kingdom, as is heard, and if the king is held in guardianship, as he is a boy. The latter succeeded his brother who died.4 Immediately upon entering his kingdom, he exiled from his court a eunuch, a prime favorite of his brother, who had command of everything and even played the tyrant; he also exiled other favorites. The seas of that kingdom of China are infested with pirates from China itself, and they are so numerous that it is said that there are more than a thousand ships of them. They pillage everything and infest all places, and have sacked and burned many maritime places of that great kingdom. They have been the cause this year of very few ships coming to these islands to trade; for the mandarins have put an embargo on all ships, in order to build a large fleet to oppose the said pirates. A large stone was found in the interior of China with Chinese and some Chaldean characters, which tell how preachers of the gospel came to China a thousand years ago and preached the gospel. They [183] had bishops, and many churches and Christians, and the mysteries of our faith were established there. As it is a long matter I shall not relate it here, but shall only say that after having examined the circumstances, it appears to be true, without ground for doubt of it.5