The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 11Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 11
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
after him but one hat, and that may not be yealowe: but if he be of the
better sort, then may he haue two, three, or foure: the principall and
chiefe Louteas may haue all their hats yealow, the which among them is
accompted great honour. The Loutea for warres, although he be but meane,
may notwithstanding haue yealow hats. The Tutans and Chians, when they goe
abroad, haue besides all this before them ledde three or foure horses with
their guard in armour.
Furthermore the Louteas, yea and all the people of China, are wont to eate
their meate sitting on stooles at high tables as we doe, and that very
cleanely, although they vse neither tableclothes nor napkins. Whatsoeuer is
set downe vpon the boord is first carued before that it be brought in: they
feede with two sticks, refraining from touching their meate with their
hands, euen as we do with forkes: for the which respect they lesse do need
any table clothes. Ne is the nation only ciuill at meate, but also in
conuersation, and in courtesie they seeme to exceede all other. Likewise in
their dealings after their maner they are so ready, that they farre passe
all other Gentiles and Moores: the greater states are so vaine, that they
line their clothes with the best silke that may be found. The Louteas are
an idle generation, without all maner of exercises and pastimes, except it
be eating and drinking. Sometimes they walke abroad in the fields to make
the souldiers shoot at pricks with their bowes, but their eating passeth:
they will stand eating euen when the other do draw to shoot. The pricke is
a great blanket spread on certaine long poles, he that striketh it, hath of
the best man there standing a piece of crimson Taffata, the which is knit
about his head: in this sort the winners be honoured, and the Louteas with
their bellies full returne home againe. The inhabitants of China be very
great Idolaters, all generally doe worship the heauens: and, as wee are
wont to say, God knoweth it: so say they at euery word, Tien Tautee, that
is to say, The heauens doe know it. Some doe worship the Sonne, and some
the Moone, as they thinke good, for none are bound more to one then to
another. [Sidenote: After the Dutch fashion.] In their temples, the which
they do call Meani, they haue a great altar in the same place as we haue,
true it is that one may goe round about it There set they vp the image of a
certaine Loutea of that countrey, whom they haue in great reuerence for
certaine notable things he did. At the right hand standeth the diuel much
more vgly painted then we doe vse to set him out, whereunto great homage is
done by such as come into the temple to aske counsell, or to draw lottes:
this opinion they haue of him, that he is malicious and able to do euil. If
you aske them what they do thinke of the souls departed, they will answere
that they be immortall, and that as soone as any one departeth out of this
life, he becommeth a diuel if he haue liued well in this world, if
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