A DISCOURSE OF CHINA
hereby capable of very good Magistracies. After the Act, the Kings Examiners publish a Booke of their proceedings, the names of the Graduates and their principall Writings, especially his which is as the Elder Brother (they call him Quiayuen) and whose Theames were best liked. The Bachelors of other Provinces may not here be admitted; some only except of the Kings Schoole in Pequin and Nanquin.
Third degree as of Doctors called Cinsu. The third Degree is like our Doctorship, called Cin-su, which is conferred every third yeare also, but onely at Pequin, and alway is the next yeare after that Commencement of Licentiates. Only three hundred chosen out of the whole Kingdome obtayne it, although the Licentiates of every Province are admitted to the Examination.
This Act is in the second Moone on the same dayes that the former and in like forme, saving that the diligence is greater, as for a greater degree, and the Colai, the chiefe Colai. Magistrates of the Kingdome are Examiners. The Doctors being pronounced in the same Palace, where the Licentiates use to bee; all of them in the Kings Palace, before the chiefe Magistrates of the Court (yea anciently the King was wont to bee present) make a Theame, according to the judgement whereof, the order of the Magistracies which they are to beare, is declared, being distributed in three Rankes.
Hee that in Examination of Doctors had the first place, hath in this second Examination the third place without First and second place glorious. question: but hee which hath the first or second enjoyeth a great dignitie during his life, besides the greatest Offices in the Common-wealth; and might (compared with ours) bee as a Duke or Marquesse, if it were Hereditary. These Doctours presently have their peculiar Vest, Cap, Bootes, and other Ensignes of Magistrates, and are preferred to the best Offices, such as the Licentiates may not attayne, and are as the prime men of the Kingdome.
[III. ii. 387.] Those Licentiates which are rejected from the Doctorship, if they meane to proceed no further, are preferred to Magistrate; but if they list still to stand for that degree429
