Martini, Martin

, a Jesuit, born at Trent, who resided many years as a missionary in China, and there compiled several curious works on the history and geography of that country, returned to Europe in 1651, and published a description of China, with an exact map of that empire, and fifteen separate maps of the fifteen provinces; to which he added two others, of Corea and Japan. We have met with an account, though on no warranted authority, that he returned afterwards te Asia, and died at Hang-chew in China, at the age of seventy-four. His works consist of, 1. “Sinicae Historiae Decas prima, a gentis origine ad Christum natum,” 4to, and 8vo. This has been translated by le Pelletier, 1692, in 2 vols. 12mo. 2. “China Illustrata,” already mentioned, Amsterdam, 1649, in folio. This was the best account of China, before that of du Halde. 3, “De Bello inter Tartaros et Sinenses,” which has also been translated. 4. “An account of the number and quality of the Christians in China.” Like other missionaries, he is apt to speak in exaggerated terms of the antiquity, riches, policy, &c. of the Chinese. ¹