PURCHAS HIS PILGRIMES
Closenesse of
Women. Apparell, [III. ii. 376.] Small feet. Histories of their Kings. Knowledge of the Flood. PURCHAS HIS PILGRIMES in praising it in words, though neverthelesse they doe not follow it, nor put it in practise. And the discontentment which the Women have among themselves, and with their Husbands for this occasion, is like to proove a great encouragement unto them, to make them desirous to receive our holy Faith, and to perswade their Husbands to embrace the same, seeing that it doth not permit any more but one lawfull Wife onely.
Of their other Conversation, Customes, and other things, wee know nothing, neither is any thing to bee learned : for they keepe house all their life time, and goe out of doores exceeding seldome to visite either their Mother or Sisters, or nearest kinswomen, for they goe not to any else, no not in thought : And therefore as they have no conversation, (but alwayes to keepe home) I can speake nothing of their behaviour. - Their Apparell seemeth unto mee honest and comely : (for sometimes I have seene the Wives of Officers, and of the poore people, for many of them doe goe abroad.) In some parts of the Countrey wee have met many women upon the high way, in short garments, like to the men of our Countrey, without any difference, save on their heads, and their feete : for all the rest is all one kinde of Apparell ; but these are the common people onely : One of the greatest ornaments that the Women have, is, to have verie little feete, and they are so little, that they goe verie badly, and alway they seeme to goe as though they would fall. I could not know the cause, nor the Chinois themselves know not the originall occasion, why this is counted for a beautie : albeit some say, it began not for a comelinesse, but onely with a purpose to cut off all occasion from them of going abroad.
The Chinois have beene very carefull in their Histories, and therefore they have histories of their Kings of above foure thousand yeeres. And if credit bee to be given to that which their Bookes report, touching those times, and is gathered by divers of their Histories ; There are many
more yeeres from the Flood to our dayes (whereof they400
