Hongpiao
Item
Title
Hongpiao
Vermillion Decree
Description
The Hongpiao, or Vermillion Decree, is a trilingual document in Latin, Chinese, and Manchu disseminated by the court of the Kangxi emperor in 1716 related to Jesuit emissaries concerning the Rites Controversy. The signatures of Jesuits and Vincentians living in Beijing are found in the Latin section.
Language
Latin
Chinese
Manchu
Date
1716
Repository
Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History
translation
In compliance with His Majesty's Imperial Order, We, the Intendants of the Imperial Press at the Wuyingdian, Yi Duli, Wang Daohua, and Zhao Chang, respectfully announce to all who have come from West the following manifesto:
In the 45th year of the Kangxi reign the Westerners Fr. António de Barros, S.J. [Long Anguo] and Fr. Antoine de Beauvollier, S.J. [Bo Xianshi] were appointed Imperial envoys. During the 47th year of the Kangxi reign the Westerners Fr. Giuseppe Provana, S.J. [Ai Ruose], and Fr. José Raimundo de Arxo, S.J. [Lu Ruose], were likewise appointed envoys, received their Imperial orders, and departed for the West.
For these many years until the present, there has not only been no written contact from them, but other missives difficult to interpret or validate have been received. For this reason another letter [to Rome] was sent via the Russians which we hope reached its destination.
Certainly until the men we dispatched have returned and these matters settled no credence can be placed in other explanations. If our envoys fail to return, we will have no positive evidence for whatever other letters may be had, and thus we cannot place our trust in them.
Therefore, fearing that our [most recent] letter will fail to reach its destination, this manifesto, with Western language text appended, has been printed and given the seal of the Provincial Governor of Guangdong Province. It is an open-letter to be copied and distributed among all Westerners who arrive that they may carry back for distribution.
[Dated] 17th day of the 9th month of the 55th year of Kangxi [October 31, 1716]
In the 45th year of the Kangxi reign the Westerners Fr. António de Barros, S.J. [Long Anguo] and Fr. Antoine de Beauvollier, S.J. [Bo Xianshi] were appointed Imperial envoys. During the 47th year of the Kangxi reign the Westerners Fr. Giuseppe Provana, S.J. [Ai Ruose], and Fr. José Raimundo de Arxo, S.J. [Lu Ruose], were likewise appointed envoys, received their Imperial orders, and departed for the West.
For these many years until the present, there has not only been no written contact from them, but other missives difficult to interpret or validate have been received. For this reason another letter [to Rome] was sent via the Russians which we hope reached its destination.
Certainly until the men we dispatched have returned and these matters settled no credence can be placed in other explanations. If our envoys fail to return, we will have no positive evidence for whatever other letters may be had, and thus we cannot place our trust in them.
Therefore, fearing that our [most recent] letter will fail to reach its destination, this manifesto, with Western language text appended, has been printed and given the seal of the Provincial Governor of Guangdong Province. It is an open-letter to be copied and distributed among all Westerners who arrive that they may carry back for distribution.
[Dated] 17th day of the 9th month of the 55th year of Kangxi [October 31, 1716]
