DE CHRISTIANA EXPEDITIONE APUD SINAS SUSCEPTA AB SOCIETATE IESU – A GIFT FOR POPE PAUL V FROM THE JESUITS

130

Monika Miazek-Męczyńska

Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań

DE CHRISTIANA EXPEDITIONE APUD SINAS SUSCEPTA AB SOCIETATE IESU – A GIFT FOR POPE PAUL V FROM THE JESUITS

Even the fi rst look at the title chart of the book De Christiana expeditione apud Sinas suscepta ab Societate Iesu1 lets us assume that we deal with monumental work. This publication, published in Augsburg in 1615, including 645 pages, was in its time the most precise, the most versatile, and most infl uential source of information about the Middle Kingdom – the country still covered with the fog of mystery and understatements for the European people. It was very appreciated, because its authors were not only fl uent in Chinese and familiar with the culture of the Chinese empire, but they also travelled through its notable spaces, what made their relation not only more interesting, but also more reliable. The fact that this book was so popular may be supported by the fact that its Latin original was published again in 1616, 1617, 1623 and 1684. The French translation was published in Lyon in 1616, 1617 and 1618, the German translation was published in 1617 (Augsburg), Spanish in 1621 (Seville and Lima), Italian in 1622 (Naples) and English in 1625 (London as a part of Hakluytus Posthumus or Purchas his Pilgrimes by Samuel Purchas). During the ten years from its fi rst edition De Christiana expeditione… was available in six languages, what was crucial for the number of readers2.

1 The full title of the book is De Christiana epeditione apud Sinas suscepta ab Societate Iesu ex Patris Matthaei Ricci eiusdem Societatis commentriis. Libri V. Ad Sanctissimum Dominum Nostrum Paulum V in quibus Sinensis Regni mores, leges atque instituta, etnovae illius Ecclesiae difi cillima primordial accurate et summa fi de describuntur Auctore Patre Nicolao Trigautio Belga ex eiusdem Societate.2 Also in modern times De Christiana expeditione… was an object of interesting of many scholars, e.g. G.H. Dunne, Generation of Giants: The Story of the Jesuits in China in the Last Decades of the Ming Dynasty, Indiana 1962, pp. 162-182; L. Fezzi, Osservazioni sul De Christiana Expeditione apud Sinas Suscepta ab Societate Iesu di Nicolas Trigault, ‘Rivista di Storia e Letteratura Religiosa’, 2 (2000), pp. 541-566; J. Gernet, Della Entrata della Compagnia di Giesù e Cristianità nella Cina de Matteo Ricci (1609) et les remaniements de sa traduction latine (1615), ‘Académie des Inscriptions & Belles Lettres. Comptes Rendus de séances de l’année 2003, janvier-mars’,

131 De Christiana expeditione apud Sinas suscepta ab Societate Iesu ...

The title chart of the work was prepared by Wolfgang Kilian (1581-1662) originating from a famous engraving family from Augsburg. It combines in a harmonious way the portraits of Francis Xavier (surrounded by the nimb of holiness) and Matteo Ricci (posing in the robe of a Chinese scholar) with the map of China made by Ricci. The whole engraving is modelled into the plan of the building that was given to Jesuits in Beijing by the Emperor Wanli, which was planned to be transformed into a church, which would contain the tomb of Matteo Ricci. There are three names in the title chart. The most visible and eyecatching is the name of Pope Paul V (1552-1621) to whom the work was dedicated. Above and below are names of Matteo Ricci and Nicolas Trigualt. The title chart says that the work was made relying on hand writings of Ricci, but its author (auctor) is Nicolas Trigualt – like Ricci – a Jesuit and missionary, that spent most of his life in China, but never met Ricci personally. So then how did it happened that this work of combining knowledge and experience of two different persons, joint with a common idea of spreading Christian faith among the Chinese – was created? It seems that it was mainly made by external factors, especially the policy of propaganda of the Society of Jesus, that made this book its main weapon not only in the fi ght for the souls of the Chinese people, but also in the fi ght (sometimes much fi ercer) for getting the fi nances in Europe for further missions. When Matteo Ricci died in Beijing on May 11th 1610, on his desk was found the history of the origin and evolution of Christianity in China, written in Italian. Ricci was writing it on the directive from the general of the Jesuit order – Claudio Aquaviva (1543-1615), given during his visit in the capital of the Chinese Empire in 1608-1610. Most probably these notes were made for future publishing, so to prevent them from disappearing or destruction, very soon they were duplicated in Italian and into Portuguese. At the end of 1610 Nicolas Trigault came to Beijing. Three years later, as procurator, nominated by the superior of the missions in China – Niccolo Longobardi (1565-1655), he went to Europe with

Paris 2003, pp. 61-84; E. Lamalle, La propagande du P. Nicolas Trigault en faveur des missions de Chine (1616), ‘Archivum Historicum Societatis Iesu’, IX (1940), pp. 49-120; D.E. Mungello, Curious land: Jesuit accommodation and the origins of Sinology, Honolulu 1989, pp. 46-73.

132 Monika Miazek-Męczyńska

the mission of propagating Jesuit activities in the Far East, and getting fi nancial support for the missionaries. The manuscript of Ricci, translated into Latin, was supposed to be the tool to archive both goals. Why was such a diffi cult task given to Nicolas Trigault? For certain it is not coincidence – Trigault, less known than his Italian confrère, had also great merits for the evolution of Jesuit missions in China, and for enlarging the knowledge of the Middle Kingdom. It’s worth saying a couple of words about he, who published Ricci’s work in Europe, becoming one of the precursors of European sinology, by creating fi rst a system of the transcription of the Chinese language into the Latin alphabet – enclosed in the dictionary Xiru ermu zi (Support for the ear and eye of western scholars). His look was preserved for future generations by Peter Paul Rubens in Antwerp in 1617. On the painting, in the folds of a robe of a Chinese scholar, covering the whole silhouette, the eye is attracted by a thin, face full of thought, portrayed in the silhouette. In his look you can see seriousness, and the care of a person responsible for the lasting of mission. Nicolas Trigault (known in Europe under his Latin names Trigautius and Trigaultius, and in China known as Jin Nige) was born in 1577 in Douai, belonging at that time to the Spanish Netherlands (he called himself by the Latin name Belga). He joined the Jesuit order at the age of 17. During his preparations for the mission he studied math, astronomy and geography. In 1609 he moved from Europe what was typical for a Jesuits vocation? via Lisbon and Goa to Macau, from where he was sent to study language to Nanjing (he was gifted in languages – after 2 years he mastered Chinese), and after that he was sent to Beijing. From there, assigned as a procurator of the Chinese mission, he went to Europe. His ship sallied off from Macau harbour on February 9th 1613. During his sea travel to India Trigault worked intensively on the translation of the Italian memories of Ricci into Latin. Trigault was fl uent in Latin, while Ricci’s Italian, not used for a long time, was not very elegant as a literary language. So in theory Trigault’s job was to raise the level of the language and fi ll in the gaps where Ricci’s memory failed, and editing the text, which was not fi nished by Ricci – ending when death knocked the pen from his hand. During his work Trigault extended that task by completing Ricci’s notes with information gathered from other missionaries, curiosities and information about the life and


work of Ricci, who – as it was written in the foreword Ad Lectorem – in his modesty always made his accomplishments smaller (‘Deinde, quod variis in locis lacuna, ut dixi, erant explenda, addenda multa, augenda pleraque, qua viri modestia cum de se loqueretur, vel omiserat, vel leviter attigerat’3). Rearranging the layout of some parts, fi lling and sometimes changing the original text Trigault became more than the translator, in fact the co-author of the work he wanted to publish after his arrival to Europe. Then there came unexpected obstacles in his journey which stopped his literary work. From India Trigault had to take a land road to Europe – through Persia and Egypt to fi nally get to Rome on October 11th 1614. In Rome he again started with his literary work, but he was weakened by a serious illness, and he worked in a great hurry – what he says in his foreword describing his book as tumultaria scriptio – hasty writings. Moreover he had other very important things to do. His main goal was to ensure independence of the Chinese Jesuit mission from the mission in Japan, a goal he accomplished by the end of 1614 from the general of the Society of Jesus. Trigault had also made a report to Pope Paul V, to whom he came and bowed to his knees after returning from the Far East. Pope Paul V (actually Camilio Borghese) to whom De Christiana expeditione… was dedicated (as a Pope – controversial because he condemned work of Nicolaus Copernicus and he started the inquisitor action against Galileo) was well-disposed toward all missions especially those conducted by Jesuits. During his pontifi cate the famous Paraguay Reductions had developed, he also beatifi ed in 1609 Ignatius Loyola – founder of the Society of Jesus, and soon he was to beatify Francis Xavier (1619). After receiving information about the evangelization process in China, but mostly about its specifi cation and exceptional demands required from missionaries, Paul V agreed to celebrate liturgy in China in the local language (the priests were allowed to conduct liturgy with their head covered!). It was a huge step towards embodying Ricci’s accommodative way of evangelization, which interpretation was presented in De Christiana expeditione… . It is no wonder that the residing successor of Saint Peter was chosen to be the addressee of that work, and that to him was dedicated the, almost fi ve page inscription, preceding the usual foreword Ad Lectorem.

3 De Christiana expeditione…, Ad Lectorem, p. 3.


The inscription begins with pointing the addresse (‘Sanctissimo, beatissimoque Patri, ac Domino nostro Paulo Quinto Pontifi ci Maximo’), after there is a notion towards the Old Testament book of Tobias. Reminding the scene of the return of the youngster from the East to his yearning parents and quoting the recommendation given to Tobias by angel Raphael: ‘Opera Dei revelare, et confi teri honorifi cum est’4. Trigault feels that he has right to say the same words since he safely returned from the Far East. To determine the importance of his journey, the missionary recalls another picture and compares himself to the three Wise Kings or Men, that came from the East, when they saw the star announcing the birth of Jesus Christ. Trigault says like them: ‘I saw the star to the West’, and although it was not the true light of faith, it was the dawn of Christian glory over the lands covered for so many years in the darkness:

Ne igitur taceam, audacter, sed vere tamen, cum peregrinantibus etiam Magis duce stella dico; Vidimus stellam in Oriente, nondum quidem solem, qualis iam dudum orbi splendet Christiano, sed stellam tamen, nec amplius terras illas tot saeculorum tenebras, sed lucis Christianae crepuscula5.

After seeing the light Trigault – as he writes – returns to Rome to respect the Pope, who had supported, with his authority, the actions of the Jesuits in the East. And although the number of Jesuit missionaries is not big there, they send to His Holiness gifts as did the Three Wise Men. That gift was the presented book, containing ‘the gold’ – the wealth of China, ‘incense’ – lit for the new born Christ by neophytes, that had just met him for the fi rst time, and ‘myrrh’ of Jesuit actions:

Societatis nostrae tenuis apud Sinas manipulus, qui eam expeditionem Sedis Apostolicae auctoritate, suoque instituto suscepit, Sanctitati tuae per me libellum offert, in quo Sinensis opulentiae, aurum, thus Christo recens nato, quia recens noto ab Neophytis incensum, et laborum nostrorum myrrha continetur6.

Trigault says that he wants to present in that work reconversion of the most noble nation of China onto the faith of Christ, describing the childhood

4 ‘It is worth of praise to spread abroad and glorify the work of God’, Tob 12, 7.5 Ibidem, Dedicatio, pp. 1-2.6 Ibidem, p. 2.


of Christianity in China. He uses the words infantia Ecclesiae Sinensis, though he is aware that so far the achievements are not great, and to some were not worthy to be show to His Holiness and to the entire Christian world (though in his own opinion conversion of such a great community contains proper dignity). That argument is defended with reminder that the greatness of Rome was taken from udders of she-wolf, disputes of the sheppards, from the walls that might be overlapped with a single jump. That’s why it does not bring shame to the author to write about the cradle, rattlers or children fi ngernails of Chinese church because – if the God permits – others will describe its growth in the next stages of its life:

Verum enimvero magnitudo illa Romana a lupae uberibus, a pastorum latrociniis, a moenibus saltu superatis, sine nota solet inchoari. Quocirca neque me pudebit huius Ecclesiae cunas, crepundia, unguiculos, et si quid est infantilius proponere: […] Posteri nostri, dante Domino incrementum, caeteras infantiae, prout res excreverint, superaddent aetates7.

Apologising for the roughness of his work Nicolas Trigault reminds, excusing himself, that it was created partially during his sea voyage and partially in Rome, among other duties that were distracting and making it hard to focus. But although the gentle matter of the work should be covered with elegancy of the form Trigault hopes to fi nd the understanding of the Holy Father and believes that the Pope would accept the work dedicated to him:

Oportebat quidem nobilem materiam operis elegantia cohonestari, sed veniam mereor, Beatissime Pater, ex eo quod huius tumultuariae scriptioni [sic!] altera pars inter nauticos clamores scripta sit, eo in mari, quod ex India in Armuzianam Persici sinus insulam navigatur; altera Romae praepropera festinatione, post aegritudinem prope extremam, interrupta negotiis scriptione coaluerit8.

Missionary believes that the work devoid of the colours of the eloquence, in its nakedness will shine with the glamour of the purest truth, devoid of ornaments, therefore more beautiful. Together with the book Trigault entrusted to Paul V, with request for prayer and further assistance, the whole infant Chinese Church, which tutors

7 Ibidem, p. 3.8 Ibidem, pp. 3-4.


were made, with God’s will, the Jesuits. Trigault thanks also for the collection of books given to the missionaries by the Pope, allowing the creation of the library worthy of the Holy See, the library that would be the symbol of Rome on the distant lands (‘iamque etiam dignam Pontifi ce Bibliothecam apud Sinas instruis, ut ea sit perpetuum fi dei, ab Sede Apostolica in eos terrarum fi nes derivatae, monumentum’9). It seems that Paul V especially liked books, because at his time the Vatican Library extended its collection of books. He had also founded the Vatican Archives. The book given by Trigaulat was a precious gift to the heart of the addressee, who reciprocated with an entire library (as Trigault writes – ‘recepta pro exiguis, de more Magorum, ingentia munera’10). The mention of the books given to Jesuits for the creation of the library in Beijing, refers to another task given to the Chinese procurator by his superiors: he was supposed to make a travel to Europe, propagate Jesuit activities in China, gathering fi nances, books and searching for new missionaries willing to evangelise the Middle Kingdom. Every one of these task were accomplished with success. While travelling through Europe, Trigault visited Frankfurt, Köln, Antwerp, Lyon, Madrid, Munich, Naples and Würzburg, and when he returned to China in 1618, he brought twenty two new missionaries and seven thousand books11. No doubts that priceless help in achieving such formidable crops was for Trigault the book published in Augsburg. An elegant book gifted to dignitaries for sure encouraged them to open their pouches and making generous donations for the missionaries. The book was read in collegiums and convent houses setting on fi re minds and hearts of Jesuits, who discovered their calling to convert people of the Far East and sent ad Indiam petentes letters to the general. Therefore it must be asked what kind of essence had the mutual work of Ricci and Trigault to achieve such a success? Its content was described on its title chart: Libri V […] In Quibus Sinensis Regni mores, leges, atque instituta, et novae illius Ecclesiae diffi cillima primordia accurate et summa fi de describuntur12. But

9 Ibidem, p. 4.10 Ibidem (‘in exchange for small gift, he received enormous gifts’).11 See S. Witkowska, How to say ‘God’ in Chinese, or about the beginning of sinology, ‘Fundamenta Europaea’, (4-5) 2005, pp. 19-26.12 ‘Five books in which are described in detail and reliably customs, laws and institutions of


the content was not divided equally into the work. Trigault had divided the work into fi ve books. The fi rst of them is descriptive and gives information about China: its geography, nature, craft, customs, with special emphasis on its religious beliefs. The chapters 2-5 contained the history of the Jesuit mission in China, beginning with the failure of the journey to the Middle Kingdom by Francis Xavier (1551-1552) up to the spring of 1611 – the year of Ricci’s death. The last two chapters of book V, concerning the glorious death of Ricci and passing by Emperor Wanli to the Jesuits and the building of the tomb of the missionary and a temple are of course written by Trigault (caput XX – De foelici P. Matthaei obitu; caput XXI – P. Matthaeo Riccio ab Rege sepultura, Nostris aedes sacra et profana designatur). Here at page 613 one can read the famous words Ricci said on his death-bed: ‘Relinquo vos in ostio ad magna merita patefacto, sed non sine multis vel periculis vel laboribus’13. His relation to Ricci Trigault showed in the beginning of the foreword to the reader with statement that Ricci has full rights as the author of the whole work, which can be actually called his posthumous child (‘Liber hic, Lector candide, posthumus P. Matthaei Riccii partus’). That is why Ricci’s biography included in that foreword, begins the whole work, and clips it with biographical braces. Almost the whole text of composition was created by Ricci – besides the mentioning before in the ending chapters and the dedicational parts, Trigault enclosed in the IV and V books only a couple of chapters concerning actions of non-Jesuit missions. What’s more, what he wrote had its basis on his own research, reports of eye-witnesses, reports of confrères, or facts written in annuals of the Society of Jesus. That declaration is supposed to make its own fragments more reliable, because what was written by Ricci cannot be doubted at all. In that aspect it is safe to assume that De Christiana expeditione apud Sinas suscepta ab Societate Iesu in assumption of its translator, editor and co-author was supposed to become a living, though paper, monument of Matteo Ricci – his life, actions, beliefs and ideas. Here for the fi rst time the concept of evangelization of China, through acceptation and adaptation of local rites, traditions and beliefs was made. In it was shown the ideological closeness of

Chinese state, and hard beginning of the Church there’.13 ‘I leave you in front of a door opened to great goals, but not without dangers or efforts’.


Christianity and Confucianism, what allowed to let the Confucius person cult be present among the neophytes. These matters belong to other complicated topic – the dispute about Chinese Rites, also known as an accommodation dispute. Trigault remained in China till his death in November 1628. Despite his achievements on the scientifi c and evangelisation fi eld, he never considered himself to be worthy of the name of his adopted parent of De Christiana expeditione… Metaphorically it can be said, that if Matteo Ricci was the father of De Christiana expeditione…, Trigault deserves at least the name of the great obstetrician, who helped give birth to this work, and gave it to the best hands to care about it – Pope Paul V himself.

SUMMARY

De Christiana expeditione apud Sinas suscepta ab Societate Iesu (About Christian expeditions to China undertaken by the Society of Jesus) was perhaps the most infl uential description of China, which had been published during the fi rst half of the seventeenth century. This monumental book covers the period from 1583 until 1610, in many ways the most exciting and revealing years of the Jesuit mission and contains an overview of the late Ming China’s geography, politics, and culture, its philosophy and religions, and describes the history of Christianity’s inroads into China (primarily, the work of Ricci himself and his fellow Jesuits, also an accommodationist policy). The book was written by two authors – Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) and Nicolas Trigult (1577-1628) – to be precise: Trigault translated Ricci’s memoirs into Latin, written in Italian, which after Ricci’s death were found unfi nished by his fellow Jesuits in his Beijing offi ce. However, in editing the translation, Trigault rearranged the order of the passages and added much interesting materials from other sources. The goal of that paper was to describe the history and contents of this monumental book, presented shortly by Trigault in the dedication for the Pope Paul V.


(1552—1610) (1577—1628)

14 2010. 4

Documents

DE CHRISTIANA EXPEDITIONE APUD SINAS SUSCEPTA AB SOCIETATE IESU – A GIFT FOR POPE PAUL V FROM THE JESUITS