The Seventh Dynasty, called Tsin

The Seventh Dynasty, called Tsin, which had Fifteen Emperors in the Space of 155 Years.

Chi tsou vouti, the first Emperor, reigned 25 Years.

THIS Name, which was assumed by the Son of the General Song tchao, Founder of this Dynasty, seems to be the same as that of the fourth, nevertheless it’s vastly different from it, not only in the Character wherein, it is written, but also in the Pronunciation.
This new Emperor kept his Court in the Province of Honan : He was a magnanimous Prince, and of a quick Apprehension ; his Integrity was so great, that he could not endure the least Dissimulation.
His Reign was very much disturbed by the warlike Preparations of many petty Sovereigns who aspir’d to the Crown, but those of the South were often overcome by those of the North. The Emperor, having subdued and pacified the Northern Provinces, march’d with his Army into the Southern Provinces, and passed the River Yang tse kiang Without Opposition ; he went afterwards into the Kingdom of Ou, and besieged the Metropolis . The King, being unable to make any Resistance, came out of the City, and delivered himself into the Hands of the Emperor, who gave him a small Principality, where he ended his Days.
In the seventeenth Year of his Reign, finding that he was at Peace both at home and abroad, he imprudently disbanded his Army, and gave himself up to Idleness and Luxury : He died in the fifty fifth Year of his Age, and the forty-fifth of the Cycle, and left a numerous Posterity. Hoei ti his eldest Son succeeded him.

Hoei ti, the Second Emperor, reigned seventeen Years.

THIS Prince had no Spirit or Genius, and was entirely incapable of filling the high Station he was placed in : However the Beginning of his Reign was successful through the Ability of four of his Chief Ministers, in whom he put Confidence, but a jealous and passionate Wife soon put the Court and Empire into Confusion.
This Woman had the Title of Second Queen , she got the Empress removed from Court, poison’d her only Son, and procured all the Nobles of the Empress’s Party to be put to Death.
These barbarous Actions caused a great deal of Bloodshed ; the Second Queen was murdered in her turn, with all that were of her Party, and the Emperor was obliged to fly in order to save his Life.
The tributary Princes took advantage of all the Disorder ; the King of Tsi headed an Army, and being swelled with some Success, which he had obtained at first, doubted not to make his way to the Crown, but was slain in a Battle : Another Prince of the Family of Han, who reign’d in the Northern Provinces, and had taken Arms, met with the fame Fate.
At that time there sprang up a new Sect, which was only a Branch of that of Lao kiun, but was called Vau guei kiao, that is to say, the Doctrine of the Void; and of Nothing : These Sectaries taught the Way how to obtain a certain Degree of Tranquillity, which bound up all the Faculties of the Soul, and suspended the Functions of Sense, in which they thought Perfection consisted.
The third Year of the Cycle Cycle 445;Year A.D. 304. Hoei ti died of the Poison which was given him, in the forty-eighth of his Age; leaving no Issue behind him : The Grandees chose the twenty-fifth Son of the Founder of this Dynasty Emperor , called Hoai ti.

Hoai ti, the Third Emperor , reigned six Years.

THE Choice of this Emperor at first was generally approv’d, for he was indued with Qualities which promised a happy Reign j but the Pride and Ambition ,f all the little Sovereigns, which I have already mentioned, and which increased daily through the Weakness of the Emperors, caused great Troubles in the Empire during many Years.
One of these petty Kings, called Lieou yuen, was ready to dethrone the Emperor, but Death interrupt to the Course of his Victories : However his Son Lieou tsong followed his Steps with Success, got possession of the Palace, and slew the Emperor’s Son.
And after that he had forced the Emperor to wait on him at Table, in the Habit of a Slave, he had him put to death : It was in the tenth Year of the Cycle, and the thirtieth Year of his Age, that Hoal ti was slain, and the Grandees chose Hoai ti Grandson of the Founder of this Dynasty.

Min ti, the Fourth Emperor, reigned four Years.

THIS Prince had no better luck than his Predecessor ; he had scarcely reigned three Years when Lieo, yao plundered his Palace ; he granted him his Life, and banished him into a Principality of the Province the province of Chansi, where he lived about a Year in exile, and was then slain by the king of Han: They chose in his place a Grandson of the Founder of this Dynasty.

Yuen ti, the Fifth Emperor reigned six Years.

THIS Emperor is commended for his Gravity, Frugality, Moderation, and Esteem of wise and learned Men.
This Prince removed his Court from the West to the East, and kept it in the City of Nan king, which has given the Name to his Family of the Eastern Family of Tsin: In the sixth Year of his Reign he fell into a deep Melancholy, which was the Cause of his Death in the forty-sixth Year of his Age : His Son succeeded him.

Ming ti, the Sixth Emperor, reigned three Years.

THE Chinese History mentions nothing particular of this Prince, only that he reigned three Years, and died the twenty-second Year of the Cycle, in the twenty-seventh Year of his Age, and was succeeded by his Son Tching ti.

Tching ti, the Seventh Emperor y reigned 17 Years.

WHEN this Prince ascended the Throne he was but five Years old, and the Empress, his Mother, was entrusted with the Government.
Some of the most powerful of the petty Sovereigns were then at War with each other, in order to pave their Way to the Imperial Throne. When this young Prince died he was but twenty-one Years old, and his Brother Cang ti succeeded him.

Cang ti, the Eighth Emperor, reigned two Years.

THE fortieth Year of the Cycle this Prince ascended the Throne, and died the forty-first Year of the Cycle, in the forty second Year of his Age, leaving the Crown to his eldest Son, called Mo ti.

Mo ti, the Ninth Emperor, reigned seventeen Years.

THE Empress was made Guardian of this young Prince, who was but two Years old when he came to the Crown : As soon as he had passed his Infancy he shewed Marks of Prudence and Wisdom far superior to his Age , he followed the Advice of his Ministers, and recovered several Provinces.
Houan ven, who commanded the Imperial Army, went into the North, and punish’d a petty King of the Family of Han, virho had revolted from the Emperor, whose Palace he plundered and burnt to the Ground.
However this punishment did not frighten the petty Sovereigns, but they still continued the War with each other to increase their Dominions, in order to obtain the Imperial Crown.
If the Emperor had lived he would have overcome them, but he died in the nineteenth Year of his Age, and the fifty-eighth of the Cycle : The Grandees chose Ngai ti, who was the Son of Tching ti, the seventh Emperor of this Dynasty.

Ngai ti, the Tenth Emperor, reigned four Years ,

THIS Prince reign’d but four Years, and died in the Cycle 46. A.D. 364. second Year of the Cycle, and the twenty-fifth of his Age, when Ti ye, his younger Brother, was elected by the Grandees to succeed him.

Ti ye, the Eleventh Emperor, reigned five Years.

The Reign of this Prince was not much longer than that of his Predecessor, altho’ he lived longer ; for his Prime Minister, called Houan ven, having obtained a great Victory in the North over the King of Yuen, dethroned the Emperor, and confined him in a Cittadel, where he lived an obscure Life fifteen Years : He died in the forty-third Year of his Age, and the Grandees chose in his room Kien vien ti the last of the Children of Yuen ti, the fifth Emperor of this Dynasty.

Kien ven ti, the Twelfth Emperor, reined two Years.

HE reigned only two Years, and dying in the fifty-third Year of his Age was succeeded by his Son

Vou ti, the Thirteenth Emperor , reigned 24 Years.

VOU TI came to the Crown the tenth Year of she Cycle ; Fou kien, who was Emperor in the North, resolved to march with an Army into the South to attack the Emperor, and conquer his Provinces : His Ministers advis’d him to the contrary, and to forbear such a dangerous Enterprise, but he rejected their Advice, and relying upon the Number and Bravery of his Soldiers, march’d immediately with a potent Army into the South.
Vou ti, being informed of this, drew put the bravest of his Men, and march’d directly towards the Enemy, and attacked his Camp, with such Bravery and Courage, that with a handful of Men entirely defeated his numerous Army : The Generals of Fou kien’s Army being drove to despair seiz’d him, and conducted him into a Temple, and there strangled him.
Notwithstanding this great Success of Vou ti, several of the small Sovereigns revolted, which he might have easily subdued, if he had made good use of his Victory, and march’d with his Forces into the North , but he return’d to his Court, and gave himself up to all manner of Luxury and sensual Pleasures.
This Heroe died by the Hand of a Woman for having, by way of Raillery, called the Second Queen an old Woman, which was but thirty Years old ; this Princess, being highly offended with such an ill-grounded Reproach, immediately revenged herself upon him. the Emperor was found stifled in his own Bed, and Ngan ti his Son succeeded him.

Ngan ti, the Fourteenth Emperor, reigned 22 Years.

THE little Merit this Prince was matter of, his Indolence and want of Application, gave no nopes of his restoring the Tranquility of the Empire, and his Reign was accordingly full of Troubles and Revolts, and perpetual Wars among the petty Sovereigns : A Grandson of the King of Tai defeated the King of Yen, and took his Principality from him.
About th,t time there was a Man of mean Birth, called Lieou you, who got his Living at first by dealing in Shoes, with which he travelled from place to place, but afterwards he turned Soldier, and came to be General of a great Army, and was so powerful as to usurp the Imperial Throne ; he was the Founder of the following Dynasty ; he murdered the Emperor at the Age of thirty-seven, Kong ti, Brother of this Prince, succeeded him.

Kong ti, the Fifteenth Emperor reigned two Years.

THIS Prince ascended the Throne in the fifty-sixth Year of the Cycle, and in the second Year of his Reign ; he was stifled or choak’d by Lieou you, who ascended the Throne, and took the Name of Kao tsou vou ti : Thus was the Dynasty of Tsin extinguish’d to make room for that of Song.

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