Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 623

1842.

History of the Ming Dynasty.

601

thrown every obstacle in the way of the trade. Not satisfied with this treatment, they destroyed the habitations of some Tartar colo- nists, carried the people into the interior of Liáutung, where those who had escaped the sword died of the winter's cold, and of starva- tion. Since all this was done with impunity, Wanli sent more officers, who destroyed all the houses near the borders and drove the Niúchí, now called the Mantchous, to despair. They had hitherto been a scat- tered nation, but were united under Tienming, their first chief, who in 1618, assumed the style and title of emperor, having but a few naked savages under his banners. His father had been murdered by the officers, and he swore that he would sacrifice 200,000 Chinese to his names, and he kept his dreadful oath. He first attacked the city, where the cattle fair was generally held, and took it by stormi ; his warriors seemed to be so resistless that the Chinese generals des- paired of opposing him themselves, and called in the aid of their loyal vassals the Portuguese. At that time Gonçalves Teixera was embassador, or rather tribute-bearer, at Peking, and as the emperor liberally furnished the means, a body of 200 Portuguese and 200 western Asiatics were equipped and sent to the capital. Each of them had a servant and plenty of inoney, so that the whole cavalcade ap- peared more a like gay equipage than a real ariny. When they reached Peking the officers of Canton, doubting the policy of permitting such access to the court, bribed them who had suggested this measure, to dissuade the emperor from einploying the barbarians, and thus was this little band under the valiant captains Cordier and Del Capo led back to Macao.

Tienming, tired of war, proposed a peace, but the imperial court answered by a rescript, ordering the extermination of all barbarians. Nothing was heard but extermination-the fashionable word of the present warlike times. The Mantchous gave up all hope of nego- tiating with such a people, and took possession of the whole of Liáu- tung, from whence they made inroads to the gates of Peking. The terrific generals sent out to annihilate them disappeared like gigantic shadows at the approach of night, and notwithstanding all edicts to the contrary, the barbarians grew inore powerful every day, and would no longer hear to any treaty. Wanli could not bear these reverses, and losing his beloved wife, he died of a broken heart in the year 1620.

His son

Taicháng, called in the chronicles 光宗

Kwangtsung, promised well at his accession, and exerted himself to put government affairs in order

These exertions brought on ak

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