Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 313

1841.

Travels in Europe and Asia.

307

longitudes with certainty, in discovering the emersions and immersions of stars. It is childish to say, that we will not find wherewithal to fill up the other hemisphere; and since M. Vossius was no better vers'd in the those principles of astronomy and geography, as M. Hire observes with reason, he might at least, to satisfie himself, have taken the trouble to look upon father Riccioli's geographical tables, or Dudly's maps. Vossius was undoubtedly & great man, and incomparably well read, nay, beyond any other; but at tire same time it is undeniable, that the desire of appearing universal, often plunged him into gross errors, in taking him out of his province.

“In fine, I am persuaded, that were Vossius alive still, though never so prepossessed with his hypothesis, he would yield to the proofs that are set down in this book. And indeed, I have not only observed the stars to take the altitudes of the countries where I have been myself: I have also followed the rules he has prescribed to discover the exact extent of every country, the which he prefers to astronomical demonstrations: I have taken information from the inhabitants; I have spoken to them, I have heard from them how many days they employed in traveling to China, and how many leagues they travel'd a day: 1 have seen them go from Moscow, and come back from Peking: in a word, I have taken such precautions, that I have reason to believe, I have not been deceiv'd. All my third book is chiefly employed in relating the different roads the Muscovites and Tartars use to travel into China; for which reason I call this book, Travels into China, though I have not had the happiness to reach it myself, according to my expectation.

"I may add in this place, that though our profession in general obliges us not to be sparing of our lives and health, and to run to the utmost bounds of the world, through the greatest dangers, to the assistance of souls that are redeem'd by the blood of Jesus Christ, and that we are engaged so to do by a solemn vow; yet people may the better rely upon the certainty of the way 1 have discovered, by reason that this project has been approved and followed by the superiors of our society, who have always a particular eye upon our foreign missions, as the most essential and most holy part of our profession, and are always cautious not to expose their inferiors too rashly, without a reasonable ground, thereby to derive some advantage for the good of the church, and for the propagation of the true faith.

So that it may be inferred from thence, that they would not have hazarded twelve of their brethren, all persons of singular merit, who are gone within these few months for China, and all of them by land, unless they had found some solidity in the memoirs and instructions I have given them. There are yet several others, who being moved by these examples, and the desire of suffer- ing much for God's sake, are disposing themselves for the same journey, who are resolved to take the way of the Yousbecs and of the Thibets, according to the design that had been proposed to me by the late count Syri, which he would have put in execution before this, had not death stop him in the mid- dle of his glorious enterprise.

-