1579.
PURCHAS HIS PILGRIMES
another, according to the vicissitude of humane Affaires: The China custome of changing names & yet this name China, Sina, or Cathay, unknowne to them.He which attayneth the Throne, imposeth a name at his pleasure. So hath it beene sometimes called Than (which signifieth exceedingly large) another while Yu, that is, Rest; after that successively Hia, or Great; Sciam, Adorned; Cheu, Perfect; Han, The Milkie way in Heaven, &c. And since this Family, called Ciu, which now holdeth the Sovereigntie, hath reigned, it is called Min, which intimateth Splendour, and by usuall addition of one syllable Ta-min, that is, the Kingdome of Great Splendour, Brightnesse or Glory. Yet doe few of their Neighbour Nations observe these changes of Names, whereby each of them almost, stile it by severall appellations. Those of Cocin, Cauchin-china, and the Siamites call it Ciu; the Japanders, Than; the Tartars, Han; the Westerne Saracens, Catay. Also amongst the Chinois themselves, besides that arbitrary name so imposed by their Kings, it hath some common to all Ages. Such are Ciumquo, that is, the Kingdome; and Chiumhoa, which signifieth a Garden, a name arising from their Geography, Conceit of the Earths forme.beleeving indeed the roundnesse of the Heaven, but a squarenesse of the Earth, and their Kingdome in the midst thereof, a conceit growne out of conceit now, by better instruction of the Jesuits.
The Kings Title.Their King is called Lord of the World, and they supposed accordingly that their Kingdome contayned the principall part thereof; not deeming the Neighbour Kingdomes worthy to bee called Kingdomes, which yet before their Commerce with Europeans were all they knew. And not unworthily is the name Great prefixed to their Kingdomes appellation, Largenesse of the Kingdome of China.beeing the greatest Kingdome in the World, which at this day carrieth One Name, or hath done in former times. For Southward it beginneth in the nineteenth degree, at the Ile which they call Hainam, that is, the South-Sea, and runneth into the North to the two & fortieth, even to those wals which divide the Chinois from the Tartars. The longitude beginneth from the one hundred and twelfth (reckoning from the Canaries) in the412
