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230 who rejoiced in the hope of seeing the whole of that great empire follow the example of their mistress; but the arms of the conquering Tartar soon subdued the southern provinces, and the imperial race of Ming became extinct.

In the mean time Adam Schaal retained his place at court, and stood high in the favour of the Tartar-Chinese monarch, who appointed him superintendent of the astronomical board, and conferred upon him many marks of his approbation. During the lifetime of Shun-che, the Jesuits were in favour at Peking; permission was granted to build new churches, great accessions were made to the number of missionaries, and Verbiest became the coadjutor of Schaal, in presiding over the tribunal of mathematics. The emperor frequently entered into conversation with these fathers, on the subject of religion, read the Christian books, and admired the morality of the Gospel; amongst the rest, the seventh commandment, saying, "That is indeed a holy law." The sovereign, however, far from giving a practical testimony in its favour, fell into a crime similar to that which tarnished the reign of David, and was led by the blandishments of his favourite, to disregard the missionaries. The death of his idol so wrought upon the offending sovereign, that he died of grief, in the twenty-fourth year of his age: sending for Schaal in his last moments, and hearing his advice with seeming humility, but not seeking the rite of baptism.

The next emperor, Kang-he, was a minor, under four guardians. His education was entrusted to Schaal, who by that means obtained so much influence at court, that he procured the exemption of Macao from