Juan Gonzalez de Mendoza

Juan González de Mendoza (born with Tolède about 1540, † with Popayán in 1617) is a Spanish Prêtre, author of the first description of China since the Livre of the Wonders of Marco Polo.

It engaged initially in the army but resigned at the end of one year to enter the order of the Augustins. In 1580 the king d' Espagne Philippe II sent it as missionary in China, where three years during, it compiled all kinds of information on the policy, the trade and the habits of the country. Its work entitled “ History of the memorable facts, of the rites and habits of the large kingdom of China ” ( Historia of notable mow cosas más, ritos costumbres LED gran reyno of Clouded there), published in 1586, is a collection of its own observations. Thereafter, it spent two years in Nouvelle Spain before turning over in Spain. Last the years of its life, he exerted the load of Archevêque Îles Lipari, Chiapas and of Popayán, where he died 1617.

Work

The English edition of the book of Juan Gonzalez de Mendoza was reprinted by the Hakluyt Society at the XIXe century under the title:

Robert Parke (transl.); G.T. Staunton (ED.) (1853-1854). “ The History off the Great and Mighty Kingdom off Clouded and the Situation Thereof: Compiled by J. Gonzalez de Mendoza, and Now Reprinted from the Early Translation off R. Parke ” (Hakluyt Society; 1st Series, n° 14). London: Hakluyt Society.

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