a.d.
1579.
PURCHAS HIS PILGRIMES
any can be made of Guts. The Symmetrie of their Instruments is answerable to ours. All their Musike is simple and single-toned, utterly ignorant of consort in discord-concord: yet much applaud they themselves in their owne Harmonie, howsoever dissonant to our eares. But this pride seemes to grow (as usually it doth) from ignorance, and it is likely they would preferre ours if they knew it.
Want of Hour-glasses, Clocks, and Dials. They have scarcely any Instruments for measuring of (that which measures all things) Time; such as they have, measure by water or fire, but very imperfectly, as is also their Sun-diall, which they know not to fit to differing places. They are much addicted to Comedies, and therein exceed ours; some practising the same in principall Townes, others travelling thorow the Kingdome (or roguing, if you will) being the dregs of the Kingdome, buying Boyes whom they frame to this faigning facultie. Comedies. Their Commedies are commonly antient, whether Histories or devices, and few new written. They are used in publike and in private Solemnities; as also in Feasts, whereto being called, they offer to the Inviter a Booke, in which to take his choise, the Guests looking, eating, drinking together; and sometimes after ten houres feasting, they will spend as much succeeding time in a succession of Interludes one after another. Their pronunciation is with singing accent, and not with the vulgar tone. Seales.Scales are of great use with them, not onely for Letters, but for their Poems also, Pictures, Bookes, and many other things. These contayne the name, sur-name, dignitie, and degree: neither content they themselves with one, but have many, inscribing sometimes the beginning and the end of their workes; not imprinting them in Waxe, or such like substance, but onely colour them red. The chiefe men have on the Table a Boxe full of Seales, which containe their divers names (for every Chinese hath many names) and those of Wood, Marble, Ivorie, Brasse, Crystall, Corall, and better stones. There are many workemen of that Seale-occupation, their Characters420
