those we vse in Europe and that by them wee may write wordes and discourses and that they only differ from our letters and writings in the diversitie of caracters as the Greekes differ from the Latines and the Hebrews from the Chaldees But it is not so for they have no Alphabet neither write they any letters but all their writing is nothing else but painting and ciphering and their letters signifie no partes of distinctions as ours do but are figures and representations of things as of the Sunne of fire of a man of the sea and of other things The which appears plainely for that their writings and Chapas are vnderstood of them all although the languages the Chinois speake are many and very different in like sort as our numbers of ciphers are equally vnderstooode in the Spanish French and Arabian tongues for this figure 8. wheresoever it be signifies eight althogh the French call this number of one sort and the Spaniards of another So as things being of themselves innumerable the letters likewise or figures which the Chinois vse to signifie them by are in a maner infinite so as he that shall reade or write at China as the Mandarins doe must know and keepe in memory at the least fourescore and five thousand characters or letters and those which are perfect herein know above sixscore thousand Astrange and prodigious thing yea incredible if it were not testified by men worthy of credite as the fathers of our company who are there continually learning their language and writing wherein they have studied day and night above tenne yeares with a continuall labour for the charitie of Christ and the desire of salvation of soules prevailed in them above all this labour and difficultie For this reason learned men are so much esteemed in China for the difficultie there is to conceive them those only have the offices of Mandarins Governours Iudges and Captaines For this cause the fathers take great pains to instruct their children to reade and write There are many of these schooles where the children are taught where the masters teach them by day and the fathers at home by night so as they hurt their eyes much and they whippe them often with reedes although not so severely as they doe offenders They call it the Mandarin tongue which requires a mans age to be conceived And you must vnderstand that although the tongue which the Mandarins speake bee peculiar and different from the Vulgar which are many and that they studie it as they doe Latine Greeke heere and that the learned only throghout all China do vnderstand it so it is notwithstanding that all that is written in it is vnderstood in all tongues and although all the Provinces doe not vnderstand one another by speaking yet by writing they doe for there is but one sort of figures and characters for them all which signifie one thing but not the same word and prolation seeing as I have said they are onely to denote the things and not the worde as we may easily vnderstand by the examples of numbers in ciphering And they of Iappon the Chinois do reade and vnderstand well the writings one of another although they be divers Nations and different in tongue and language If they speake what they reade or write they should not bee vnderstood Such are the letters and bookes the Chinois vse being so famous in the world To make their impressions they grave a boord or plank with the figures they will print then do they stampe as many leaves of paper as they list of the same sort as they have made their pictures the which are graven in copper or wood But a man of iudgement may aske how they could signifie their conceptions by figures which approached neere or resemble the thing they would represent As to say the Sunne heats or that he hath beheld the Sunne or the day is of the Sunne Finally how it were possible to denote by the same figures the case the coniunction and the articles which are in many tongues and writings I answer therevnto that they distinguish and signifie this varietie by certaine points strikes and dispositions of the figure But it is difficult to vnderstand how they can write proper names in their tongue especially of strangers being things they have never seene and notable to invent figures proper vnto them I have made triall thereof being in Mexico with the Chinois willing them to write this proposition in their language Ioseph Acosta is come from Peru and such like wherevpon the Chinois was long pensive but in the end hee did write it the which other Chinois did after reade although they did vary a little in the pronountiation of the proper name For they vse this devise to write a proper name they seeke out something in their tongue that hath resemblance to that name and set downe the figure of this thing And as it is difficult among so many proper names to finde things to resemble them in the prolation so is it very difficult and troublesome to write such names Vpon this purpose father Allonso SancheZ told vs that when he was in China being led into divers Tribunall seates from Manderin to Manderin they were long in putting his name in writing in their Chapas yet in the end they did write it after their maner and so ridiculously that they scarce came neere to the name and this is the fashion of letters and writings which the Chinois vsed That of the Iapponois approched very neere although they affirme that the Noblemen of Iappon that came into Europe did write all things very easily in their language were they of our proper names yea I have had some of their writings shewed me whereby it seemes they should have some kinde of letters although the greatest part of their writings be by the characters and figures as hath bin saide of the Chinois Of the Schooles and Vniversities of China CHAP. 6. THe fathers of our company say that they have not seene in China any great schooles or vniversities of Philosophie and other naturall sciences beleeving there is not any but that all their studie is in the Mandarin tongue which is very ample and hard as I have said and what they studie bee things written in their owne tongue which be histories of sects and opinions of civill lawes of morall proverbes of fables and many other such compositions that depend thereon Of divine sciences they have no knowledge neither of naturall things but some small remainders of straied propositions without art or methode according to everie mans witte and studie As for the Mathematikes they have experience of the celestiall motions and of the starres And for Phisicke they have knowledge of herbs by means wherof they cure many diseases vse it much They write with pensils have many books writen with the hand and others printed but in a bad order They are great plaiers of come dies the which they perform with great preparation of theaters apparel bels drums and voices Some fathers report to have seene comedies
buy withall but did change and trucke one thing for another as Homer and Plinie report of the Ancients They had some other things of greater esteeme which went currant amongst them for price and in steede of coine and vnto this day this custome continues amongst the Indians as in the Provinces of Mexico in steede of money they vse Cacao which is a small fruite and therewith buy what they will In Peru they vse Cocae to the same end the which is a leafe the Indians esteeme much as in Paraguay they have stampes of yron for coine and cotten woven in S. Croix of the Sierre Finally the maner of the Indians trafficke and their buying and selling was to exchange and give things for things and although there were great martes and famous faires yet had they no neede of mony nor of brokers for that every one had learned what he was to give in exchange for every kinde of marchandise Since the Spaniards entred the Indians have vsed gold and silver to buy withall and in the beginning there was no coine but silver by weight was theirprice and mony as they report of the ancient Romans Since for a greater benefite they have forged coine in Mexico and Peru yet vnto this day they have not in the West Indies coined any mony of copper or other mettall but onely of silver and golde for the richnes of that Countrie hath not admitted nor received such money as they call bullion nor other kindes of alloy which they vse in Italie and in other Provinces of Europe Although in some Ilands of the Indies as S. Dominique Port Ricco they vse coine of leather which is square the which are currant onely in those Ilands having little silver or gold I say little although there be much for that no man digges it and refines it But for that the riches of the Indies and their maner to labour in the mines consistes of golde silver and quickeâ—silver I will speake some thing of these three mettalls leaving the rest for this time Of golde which they digge and refine at the Indies CHAP. 4. GOld amongst other mettals hath bin alwayes held the most excellent and with reason beeing the most durable and incorruptible of all others for sire which consumes and diminisheth the rest amends it and brings it to perfection Golde which hath often passed through the fire keepes his colour and is most fine and pure which properly is called as Plinie saith Obriso wherof the Scripture makes so often mention vse which consumeth all other mettalles as the same Plinie saith dooth not any thing waste golde nor yet hurte it neither is it eaten nor groweth olde And although his substance and body be firme and solide yet dooth it yeelde and bow woonderfully the Beaters and Drawers of golde knowe well the force it hath to bee drawen out without breaking All which things well considered with other excellent properties will give men of iudgement to vnderstand wherefore the holie Scripture dooth compare Charitie to golde To conclude there is little neede to relate the excellencies thereof to make it more desirable For the greatest excellencie it hath is to be knowne as it is amongst men for the supreame power and greatnesse of the worlde Comming therefore to our subiect at the Indies there is great abundance of this mettall and it is wel knowne by approoved histories that the Inguas of Peru did not content themselves with great and small vessels of gold as pots cups goblets and flagons yea with kowles or great vessells but they had chaires also and litters of massie golde and in their Temples they had set vppe maine Images of pure golde whereof they finde some yet at Mexico but not such store as when the first Conquerours came into the one and the other kingdome who found great treasure and without doubt there was much more hidden in th earth by the Indians It would seeme ridiculous to reporte that they have made their horse shooes of silver for want of yron and that they have payd three hundred crownes for a bottle of wine and other strange things and yet in trueth this hath come to passe yea and greater matters They drawe golde in those partes after three sorts or at the least I have seene all three vsed For eyther they find gold in graines in powlder or in stone They do call golde in graines small morsels of gold which they find whole without mixture of any other mettall which hath no neede of melting or refining in the fire and they call them pippins for that commonly they are like to pippins or seeds of melons or pompions and that wherof Iob speakes when he saies Leve illius aurum though sometimes there be greater and such as I have seene weighed many poundes It is the excellencie of this mettall alone as Plinie affirmes to be found thus pure and perfect which is not seene in any other mettalles which are alwayes earthly and have a scumme and neede purging by the fire I have likewise seene silver naturall like to Yea there is an other kinde which the Indians call Papas and sometimes they find peeces very fiue and pure like to small round rootes the which is rare in that mettall but vsuall in gold They finde little of this golde in pippin in respect of the other kindes Golde in stone is a veine of gold that groweth or ingendereth within the stone or flint as I have seene in the mines of Curuma within the government of Salines very great stones pierced and intermixed with gold others that were halfe gold and halfe stone The golde which groweth in this manner is found in pittes or mines which have their veines like to the silver mines but it is very hard to drawe it foorth Agatarchides writes in his first booke of the Erithrean or red sea as Phocion reportes in his Bibliotheca of the manner and fashion to refine golde drawne out of stones the which the antient Kings of Egypt were wont to vse it is a strange thing to see how that which is written resembles properly to the manner they vse at this day in refining these mettalls of golde and silver The greatest quantitie of golde which is drawne at the Indies is that in powlder the which is found in streames and places wher much water hath passed because the slouds at the Indies abound in this kinde of golde As the Ancients for this occasion did celebrate the river of Tagus in Spaine Paâ—olus in Asia and Ganges in the East Indies and callâ—d theâ— Râ—menta auri the which we others call golâ—e in pâ—wlâ—er and of this sort is the greatest quantitie of golde they have at this day At this present in tâ—e â—lands of Barlovent Hispaniola Cuba and Port Ricco there hath beene and is great quantity in the rivers but they bring little from thence into Spaine for want of the naturall inhabitants of the country the difficultie to
therewith and with some other discontents discovered this secret vnto his maister called Villaroel a Spaniard who then remained at Porco This Villaroel desirous to vnderstand the trueth went to Potozi finding the riches his Yanacona or servant had discovered vnto him caused the Indian Guanca to be inrolled vndertaking with him the saide veine which was called Centeno they call it vndertaking that is as much as to note and marke the mine and so much ground in circuite for him which the Lawe graunts vnto those that discover any mine or vnto those that digge them by meanes whereof having discovered them to the Iustice they remayned Lords of the mine to dig and drawe foorth the silver as being their owne paying only their duties vnto the King which is a fift parte So as the first discovery and inregistring of the mines of Potozi was the 21. of April in the yeare of our Lord one thousand five hundred fortie five in the territorie of Porco by the saide Villaroel a Spaniard and Guanâ—a an Indian Presently after they discovered another veine which they called the veine of Tinne the which is very rich although it be rough and very painfull to worke in the mettall being as hard as slint Since the thirtie day of August in the same yeere of a thousand five hundred forty and five the veine called Mendieta was inrolled and these are the foure principall veines of Potozi They say of the rich veine the first that was discovred that the metall lay above the ground the height of a launce like vnto rockes raising the superficies of the earth like vnto a crest of three hundred foote long and thirteene foote broade and that this remained bare vncovered by the deluge This veine having resisted the violence and force of the water as the hardest part The mettall was so rich as it was halfe silver and this veine continued in his bounty fiftie or three score stades which is the height of a man and then it failed In this maner the mines of Potozi were discovered by the Divine Providence who for the felicitie of Spaine would have the greatest treasure that ever was in this world discovered at such time whenas the Emperour Charles the fift of famous memorie held the Empire the kingdomes of Spaine and the Seigniorie of the Indies Presently after that the discoverie of Potozi was knowne in Peru many Spaniardes and the most parte of the Bourgeois of the silver Cittie which is eighteene leagues from Potozi came thither to take mines yea there came many Indians from divers provinces especially tha GuayZadores of Porco so as within a short space it was the best peopled habitation of all the kingdome Of the treasure which is daily drawne from the rocke or mountaine of Potozi CHAP. 7. I Have often doubted if in antient Histories there were found any so rich mines as those we have seen in our time in Peru. If there were ever rich mines in the worlde and famous for this effect they have bin those of Spaine which they of Cartbage did inioy and since the Romans the which as I have saide are not onely famous and esteemed in prophane bookes but also in the holy Scriptures Hee that maketh most particular mention of these mines at the least that I have seene is Plinie who writeth thus in his naturall Historie They finde silver almost in all provinces but that of Spaine is the best which growes and ingenders in a barren soile vppon mountaines and rockes It is a certaine and infallible thing that in places where they have once discovered any of these veines there are others not farre off which is likewise found in all other mettalls and for this the Greekes in my opinion called them mettalls It is strange that the pits or holes of these mines of Spaine the which they beganne to digge in Hannibals time are at this day and hold the names of their discoverers Amongst these mines that which Bebello discovered which holdes his name vnto this day was very famous and they say it yeelded so great riches to Hanniball that evâ—rie day they gathered three hundred pounds weight of silver and vnto this day they have alwaies continued labouring in this mine so as it is now digd 15. hundred pases deep into the mountaine Out of which pits notwithstanding the deapth the Gascoinâ—s that labour in them drawe out the water that they may worke with more ease whilest their candelles and lights last and that in such aboundaunce as it seemes to be a river Hitherto are the woordes of Pliny the which I would set downe word by word the better to content such as know what mines be seeing that what is tried at this day was then in vse And truely the riches of this mine of Hannibal vpon the Pirrenean hilles was great and famous which the Romans possessed having continued the worke even vnto Plinies time which was about three hundred yeeres The deapth of this mine was fifteene hundred pases which is a mile and a halfe and it was so rich in the beginning that it was woorth daily to the maister thereof three hundred poundes at twelve ounces to the pound But although this were a great treasure it did not approach neere to that which in our time hath bin found in Potozi for as it appeareth by the Registers of the house of contraction of that Province and as many antient men worthy of credite doe testifie whenas the licentiate Pollo governed that Province the which was many yeeres after the discovery of this mountaine they did every saterday enter a hundred and fifty and twoo hundred thousand peeces whereof the Kings fift amounted to thirty and forty thousand peeces and for every yeere a million and a halfe or little lesse So as according to that computation they didde drawe every day from this mine thirtie thousand peeces whereof there came to the King for his fift sixe thousand peeces a day There is yet another thing to be spoken of to shew the riches of Potozi that the account which hath been made was only of silver that was marked and customed And it is wel knowne in Peru that they have long vsed silver in these Realmes which they call currant which was neither marked nor customed And they holde it for certain which know these mines that in these daies the greatest parte of silver drawne at Potozi was not customed and this had course amongest the Indians and much amongst the Spaniardes as I have seene continued to mytime so as it may appeare the third part of the riches of Potozi yea the one halfe came not to light neither was it customed There is yet a more notable consideration in that which Plinie saieth they hadde digged a fifteene hundred pases in this mine of Bebellâ— and that continually they found water which is the greatest hinderaunce they have to drawe foorth theyr mettall But in this of Potozi although they have digged two hundred stades or heights of
Spaine and Italie we have seene admirable effects of this stone against the Tâ—verdette which is a kinde of plague but not so muchâ—s in Peru. They do apply it beaten and put into some liquor which may make it fit for the cure of melancholy the falling sickenes pestilent feavers many other diseases Some take it in wine others in vineger with water Dezahac of League de beufe borrage and other sortes as the Phisitians and Apoticaries can tell The Bezaar stone hath no proper savour as Rasis the Arabian doth testifie Wee have seene notable trialls and there is no doubt but the Author of this vniversall world hath given great vertues to this stone The Bezaar stones which comes from the East Indies have the first place of account they are of an olive colour the second are those of Peru and the third those of New Spaine Since that these stones were in request they say the Indians have made artificiall ones and many when they see these stones greater then the ordinarie they take them to be false and counterfait triall and experience is the best mistres to know them One thing is worthy admiration that they grow and are fashioned vpon very strange things as vpon the tagge of a point vpon a pinne or a peece of wood which they finde in the centre of this stone and yet do they not hold it false for that the beast might swallow it and the stone thicken vpon it and growes one vpon another and so it increaseth I did see in Peru two stones fashioned vpon Pignons of Castille which made vs to wonder much for that in all Peru we had not seene any pines or Pignons of Castille if they were not brought from Spaine which seemes to me very extraordinary This little may suffice touching the Bezaars stone They bring other phisicall stones from the Indies as the stone of Hyiada or of Rate the bloud stone the stones of milke and of the sea Those which they call Cornerinaâ— for the heart whereof there is no neede to speake having nothing common with the subiect of beastes whereof we have intreated which gives vs to vnderstand how the great Master and Author of all hath imparted his benefites and wonderfull secrets to all partes of the world for the which he is to be glorified for ever * ⎠* A Prologue to the Bookes following HAving intreated of the Natural Historie of the Indies I wil hereafter discourse of the Morall History that is to say of the deeds and customes of the Indies For after the heaven the temperature the scituation the qualities of the new world after the elements mixtures I mean mettals plants beasts whereof we have spoken in the former Bookes as occasion did serve both Order Reason doth invite vs to continue and vndertake the discourse of those men which inhabite the new world And therefore I pretend in the following bookes to speake what I thinke worthie of this subiect And for that the intention of this Historie is not onely to give knowledge of what hath passed at the Indies but also to continue this knowledge to the fruite we may gather by it which is to helpe this people for their soules health and to glorifie the Creator and Redeemer who hath drawne them from the obscure darkenes of their infidelitie and imparted vnto them the admirable light of his Gospel And therefore I will first speake in these bookes following what concernes their religion or superstition their customes their idolatries and their sacrifices and after what concernes their policie and government their lawes customes and their deedes And for that the memorie is preserved amongst the Mexicaine Nation of their beginnings successions warres and other things worthie the relation besides that which shall be handled in the sixt booke I will make a peculiar Discourse in the seventh shâ—wing the disposition and forewarnings this Nation had of the new Kingdome of Christ our Lord which should be extâ—nded in these Countries and should conquer them to himself as he hath doâ—e in all the rest of the world The which in truth is a thing worthie of great consideration to see how the divine providence hath appointeâ— that the light of his word should finde a passage in the furthest boundes of the world It is not my proiect at this time to write what the Spanâ—ardes have done in those partes for there are bookes enow written vpon this subiect nor yet how the Lordes servants have laboured and profited for that requires a new labour I will onely content my selfe to plant this Historie and relation at the doores of the Gospel seeing it is alreadie entered and to make knowne the Naturall and Morall things of the Indies to the end that Christianitie may be planted and augmented as it is expounded at large in the bookes we have written De procuranda Indiorum salute And if any one wonder at some fashions customes of the Indies wil scorne them as fooles or abhorre them as divelish and inhumane people let him remember that the same things yea worse have beene seene amongst the Greekes and Romans who have commanded the whole world as we may easily vnderstand not onely of our Authors as Eusebius of Cesarea Clement Alexandrine and others but also of their owne as Plinie Denis Halicarnassis and Plutarke for the Prince of darkenes being the head of all Infidelitie it is no new thing to finde among Infidells cruelties filthines and follies fit for such a Master And although the ancient Gentiles have farre surpassed these of the new world in valour and naturall knowledge yet may wee observe many things in them worthie the remembrance But to conclude they shew to be barbarous people who being deprived of the supernaturall light want likewise philosophie and naturall knowledge THE FIFT BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies That the Pride and Malice of the Divell hath beene the cause of Idolatrie CHAP. 1. THE Pride and Presumption of the Divell is so great obstinate that alwaies hee seekes and strives to be honoured as God and doth arrogate to himselfe all hee can whatsoever doth appertaine to the most high God hee ceaseth not to abuse the blinde Nations of the world vpon whom the cleere light of the holy Gospel hath not yet shone Wee reade in Iob of this prowd tyrant who settes his eyes aloft and amongst all the sonnes of pride he is the King The holy Scripture instructes vs plainely of his vile intentions and his overweening treason whereby he hath pretended to make his Throne equall vnto Gods saying in Esay Thou diddest say within thy selfe I will mount vp to heaven and set my chaire vpon all the starres of heaven and I will sit vpon the toppe of the Firmament and in the sides of the North I will ascend above the height of the cloudes and will be like to the most High And in Ezechiel Thy heart was lifted vp and thou
THE NATVRALL and Morall Historie of the East and West Indies Intreating of the remarkeable things of Heaven of the Elements Mettalls Plants and Beasts which are proper to that Country Together with the Manners Ceremonies Lawes Governements and Warres of the Indians Written in Spanish by Ioseph Acosta and translated into English by E. G 〈…〉 LONDON Printed by Val Sims for Edward Blount and William Aspley 1604. To the right Honorable Sir Robert Cicill Knight Baron of Essingden Vicount Cranborne principall Secretary to his Maiestie master of the Court of Wardes and Liveries and one of his Highnesse most honourable Privie Counsell RIght Honorable If it appeare presumption in me to shew my love my dutie betraies me to it The advantage I have gleaned from idle houres in exchanging this Indian History from Spanish to English is commended to your Honors Patronage whose first father Ioseph Acosta hath with great observation made worthie the over-looking A greater motive then that you are your selfe needed not to excite me to this dedication I beseech you my good Lord take it into shelter and receive that which is not for that which I would it were Let my insufficiencie be measured by my good will So shall my poore abilities thrive vnder your incouragement and happily leade me on to some stronger vndertaking wherein I shall bee bound to thanke you for mine owne paines and for ever remaine Your Lordships most devoted E. G. The Authors advertisement to the Reader MANY have written sundry bookes and discourses of the New World at the West Indies wherein they describe new and strange things discovered in those partes with the actes and adventures of the Spaniards which have conquered and peopled those Countries But hitherto I have not seene any other Author which treates of the causes and reasons of these novelties and wonders of nature or that hath made any search thereof Neither have I read any booke which maketh mention of the histories of the antient Indians and naturall inhabitants of the New World In truth these two things are difficult The first being the works of Nature contrarie to the antient and received Philosophy as to shew that the region which they call the burning Zone is very moist and in many places very temperate and that it raines there whenas the Sunne is neerest with such like things For such as have written of the West Indies have not made profession of so deepe Philosophie yea the greatest part of those Writers have had no knowledge thereof The second thing it treats of is of the proper historie of the Indians the which required much conference and travaile among the Indians themselves the which most of them that have treated of the Indies could not doe either not vnderstanding the language or not curious in the search of their Antiquities so as they have beene contented to handle those things which have beene most common and superficiall Desiring therefore to have some more particular knowledge thereof I have beene carefull to learne from men of greatest experience and best seene in these matters and to gather from their discourses and relations what I have thought sit to give knowledge of the deedes and custome of these people And for that which concernes the nature of those Countries and their properties I have learned it by the experience of many friends and by my dilligence to search discover and conferre with men of iudgement and knowledge In my opinion there are many advertisements which may serve and benefit better wits for the searching out of the truth or to proceede farther in finding that pleasing which is conteined heerein So as although this new World be not new but old in respect of the much which hath beene written thereof yet this historie may in some sort be hâ—ld for new for it is partly historicall and partly philosophicall as well for that they are the workes of nature as of free-will which are the deedes and customes of men the which hath caused mee to name it the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies Containing these two things In the first two bookes mention is made of that which concernes the heavens temperature and habitation of the world which books I had first written in Latine now I have translated them into Spanish vsing more the liberty of an author then the strict bonds of a translator to apply my self the better to those for whom it is written in the vulgar tong In the two following books is treated of that which concernes the Elements and naturall mixtures as Mettalls Plants Beasts and what else is remarkable at the Indies The rest of the bookes relate what I could certainely discover and what I thought worthie memory of the Indians themselves their Ceremonies Customs Governments Wars Adventures In the same Historie shall be spoken as I could learne and comprehend of the figures of the antient Indians seeing they had no writing nor characters as we have which is no small industry to have preserved their Antiquities without the vse of letters To conclude the scope of this worke is that having knowledge of the workes of nature which the wise Author of all nature made we may praise and glorifie the high God who is wonderfull in all things and all places And having knowledge of the Indians customes we may helpe them more easily to follow and persever in the high vocation of the Gospel to the knowledge whereof the Lord would draw this blinde nation in these latter daies Besides al these things every one may sucke out some profit for himselfe for that the wise do alwaies draw forth some good out of the smalest subiect as we finde deepe Philosophie in the least and basest creatures I must onely advertise the Reader that the two first bookes of this historie or discourse were written in Peru and the other five since in Europe dutie binding me to returne into these partes so as some speake of matters of the Indies as of things present and others as being absent And therefore I have thought it good to advertise the Reader heereof that this diversitie of speach may not be troublesome vnto him Farewell A Table of the most remarkable things contained in this Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies A. Abundance of waters vnder the burning zone folio 93 Absurditie of Platoes Atlantike Iland 73 Abuse of the Spaniards at Peru taking winter for summer 89 Acamapach first king of Mexico 482 Accord betwixt the king of Mexico his subiects before they attempted a warre 532 Adlaguagi a kind of mummery of women 367 Acts of Ferdinand Cortez 574 Adimant makes a path in the Sea 57 The Adamant impartes a vertue to yron to looke alwayes towards the north 58 Vse of the Adamant to saile by not antient 59 Adoration of the dead begunne and augmented 340 Adultery punished with death 469 Agilitie of monkies 315 Aire how necessary for the life of man 114 The Aire stirred with the motion of the heauens
circular motion of the Heaven is contrarie and repugnant to the holy Scriptures But whatsoever the Ancients say or holde touching this point it must not trouble vs for that it is wel knowne and verified that they have not beene so studious in the knowledge and demonstrations of Philosophie beeing busied in other studies of farre greater importance But that which is more to be admired is that S. Augustine himselfe so well seene in all naturall Sciences yea very learned in Astrologie and Physicke remaynes yet still in doubt not able to resolve whether the Heaven did compasse in the earth on all parts What care I saith he if we suppose the Heaven doth inviron the earth on all parts like vnto a bowle beeing in the middest of the world as a bottome is compassed with threed or that we say it is not so and that the Heaven covereth the earth of one part onely as a great Basin that hangs over it In the same place he seemeth to shew nay hee speaketh plainely that there is no certaine demonstration to proove the figure of the world to be round but onely by simple coniectures In which places cited and others they hold the circular motion of the Heaven very doubtfull But wee ought not to take it offencively nor esteeme lesse of the Doctors of the holy Church if in some points of Philosophie and naturall knowledge they have varied in opinion from that which is helde for good philosophie seeing all their studie hath been to know preach and serve the Creator of all things wherein they have bin excellent and having well imployed their studies in causes of greater waight it is a small matter in them not to have knowen all particularities concerning the creatures But those vaine Philosophers of our age are much more to bee blamed who having attayned to the knowledge of the being and order of the creatures and of the course and motion of the Heavens have not yet learned wretched as they are to knowe the Creator of all things but busying themselves wholly in his workes have not yet mounted by their imaginations to the knowledge of the Soveraigne Author thereof as the holy Scripture teacheth vs or if they have knowne him they have not served and glorified him as they ought blinded with their imaginations whereof the Apostle doth accuse and blame them That the Heaven is round on all parts mooving in his course of it selfe CHAP. 2. BVt comming to our subiect there is no doubt but the opinion which Aristotle and the other Peripateticks held with the Stoicks that the figure of Heaven was round and did moove circularly in his course is so perfectly true as we which doe now live in Peru see it visibly Wherin experience should be of more force then all Philosophicall demonstrations being sufficient to proove that the Heaven is round and comprehends and contaynes the earth within it of al parts And to cleere any doubt that might grow it sufficeth that I have seene in this our Hemisphere that part of Heaven which turnes about this earth the which was vnknowne to the Ancients and have observed the two Poles whereon the Heavens turne as vpon their Axeltrees I say the Articke or North Pole which those of Europe beholde and the other Antarticke or Southerne Pole whereof saint Augustine is in doubt the which we change and take for the North here at Peru having passed the Equinoctiall line Finally it sufficeth that I have sayled neere 70. degrees from North to South that is forty of the one side of the line and 23. on the other omitting at this present the testimony of others which have sayled much farther then my selfe in a greater height comming neere 70. degrees towards the South Who will not confesse but the ship called the Victoriâ— worthie doubtlesse of eternall memorie hath wonne the honor and praise to have best discovered and compassed the round earth yea that great Chaos and infidite Vast which the ancient Philosophers affirmed to bee vnder the earth having compassed about the worlde and circled the vastnesse of the great Oceans Who is hee then that will not confesse by this Navigation but the whole earth although it were bigger then it is described is subiect to the feet of man sâ—eing he may measure it Thus without doubt the Heaven is of a round and perfect figure and the earth likewise imbracing and ioyning with the water makes one globe or round bowle framed of these two elements having their bounds limits within their own roundnes greatnes The which may be sufficiently proved by reasons of Philosophie and Astrologie leaving al subtil definitions commonly obiected That to the most perfect body which is the Heaven we must give the most perfect figure which without doubt is round whose circular motion could not be firme nor equall in it selfe if it had any corner or nooke of any side or if it were crooked as of necessitie it must be if the Sun Moone stars made not their course about the whole world But leaving all these reasons it seemes that the Moone is sufficient in this case as a faithfull witnesse of the Heaven it selfe seeing that her Eclypse happens but when as the roundnesse of the earth opposeth it selfe diametrally betwixt her and the Sunne and by that meanes keepes the Sunne-beames from shining on her The which could not chance if the earth were not in the midst of the world compassed in and invironed by the whole Heaven Some haue doubted whether the light of the Moone were borrowed from the brightnes of the Sunne but it is needlesse seeing there can bee found no other cause of the Eclipses full and quarters of the Moone but the communication of the beames which proceed from the Sunne In like sort if wee will carefully examine this matter we shall finde that the darkenesse of the night proceedes from no other cause but from the shadow which the earth makes not suffering the light of the sunne to passe to the other parte of the heaven where his beames shine not If then it be so that the sunne passeth no farther neyther doth cast his beames on the other part of the earth but onely turnes about and returnes to his setting making a ridge vpon the earth by his turning the which he must of force confesse that shall denie the roundnes of the heaven seeing according to their saying the heaven as a basen doth onely couer the face of the earth it should then plainly follow that wee could not obserue the difference betwixt the daies and nights the which in some regions be short and long according to the seasons and in some are alwaies equall the which S. Augustine noteth in his bookes De Genes ad litter am That we may easily comprehend the oppositions conversions elevations descents and all other aspects and dispositions of Planets and starres when we shall vnderstand they move and yet notwithstanding the heaven remaines firme and
immoveable The which seemeth to me easie to comprehend and will be to all others if it may be lawfull to imagine that which my fancy doth conceive for if we suppose that every star and planet be a body of it selfe that it be led guided by an Angell as Habacuc was carried into Babilon who I pray you is so blind but seeth that all the diverse aspects which we see appeare in planets starres may proceede from the diuersity of motion which he that guides them doth voluntarily giue them We cannot then with any reason affirme but that this space region by which they faine that stars do continually march and rowle is elementarie and corruptible seeing it divides it selfe when they passe the which vndoubtedly do not passe by any void place If then the region wherein the starres and planets move be corruptible the stars and planets of their owne motion should be by reason likewise corruptible and so by consequence they must alter change and be finally extinct for naturally that which is conteined is no more durable then that which conteineth And to say that the Celestiall bodies be corruptible it agreeth not with the psalme That God made them for euer And it is lesse conformable to the order preservation of this vniversall world I say moreover to confirme this truth that the heauens move and in them the starres march in turning the which we cannot easily discerne with our eyes seeing we see that not onely thestarres do moue but also the regions whâ—le parts of heaven I speake not onely of the shining and most râ—splendent parts as of that which we call Via lactea and the vulgar S. Iaques way but also of the darker and obscurer parts in heaven For there we see really as it were spots and darkenes which are most apparent the which I remember not to haue seene at any time in Europe but at Peru and in this other Hemisphere I haue often seene them very apparant These spots are in colour and forme like vnto the Eclips of the Moone and are like vnto it in blacknes and darkenes they march fixed to the same starres alwaies of one forme and bignes as we haue noted by infallible observation It may be this will seeme strange to some they will demand whence these spots in heaven should grow To the which I cannot answere otherwise at this time but as the Philosophers do affirme that this Via lactea or milken way is compounded of the thickest parts of the heaven and for this cause it receiues the greater light and contrariwise there are other parts very thinne and transparent the which receiuing lesse light seeme more blacke obscure Whether this be the true reason or no I dare not certenly affirme Yet is it true that according to the figure these spots have in heaven they moue with the same proportion with their starres without any separation the which is a true certaine and often noted experience It followeth then by all that we haue said that the heaven containeth in it all the parts of the earth circling continually about it without any more doubt How the holy Scripture teacheth vs that the earth is in middest of the world CHAP. 3. ALthough it seemes to Procopius Gaza and to some others of his opinion that it is repugnant to the holy Scripture to place the earth in the middest of the world and to say that the heaven is round yet in truth this doctrine is not repugnant but conformable to that which it doth teach vs. For laying aside the tearmes which the Scripture it selfe doth vse in many places The roundnesse of the earth And that which it sayeth in an other place that whatsoever is corporeall is vnvironed and compassed in by the heavens and conteyned within the roundnes thereof at the least thy cannot deny but that place of Ecclesiastes is very plaine where it is said The Sunneriseth and sets and returnes to the same place and so begins to rise againe he takes his course by the South turning towards the North this spirit marchâ—th compassing about all thinges and then returnes to the same place In this place the paraphrase and exposition of Gregorie Neocesarien or Nazianzene sayeth The Sunne hauing runne about the whole earth returnes as it were turning to the same point That which Solomon saveth being interpreted by Gregorie could not be trve if any part of the earth were not invironed with the heaven And so S. Ierome doth vnderstand it writing vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians in this sort The most common opinion affirmes agreeing with Ecclesiastes That the heaven is round mooving circularly like vnto a bowle And it is most certaine that no round figure conteyneth in it eyther longitude latitude heigth or depth for that all parts are equall Whereby it appeares according to S. Ierome That those which hold the heaven to be round are not repugnant to the holy Scripture but conformable to the same And although that S. Basile especially and S. Ambrose who doth vsually imitate him in his bookes called Hexameron seeme somewhat doubtfull of this point yet in the end they grant that the world is round It is true that S. Ambrose doth not yeelde to this quintessence which Aristotle attributes to the heavens without doubt it is a goodly thing to see with what a grace and excellent stile the holy Scripture treates of the scituation and firmenes of the earth to breed in vs a wonderfull admiration and no lesse content to behold the vnspeakable power and wisedome of the Creator For that in one place God himselfe saies that it was hee which planted the pillers which support the earth giving vs to vnderstand as S. Ambrose doth well expound it that the vnmeasurable weight of the whole earth is held vp by the hands of the divine power The holy Scripture doth commonly so call them and vseth this phrase naming them the pillers of heaven and earth not those of Atlas as the Poets faine but of the eternall word of God who by his vertue supports both heaven and earth Moreover the holy Scripture in an other place teacheth that the earth or a great part thereof is ioyned to and compassed in by the Element of water speaking generally that God placed the earth vpon the waters And in another place that hee framed the roundnes of the earth vpon the Sea And although S. Augustine doth not conclude vpon this text as a matter of faith that the earth and the water make one globe in the midst of the world pretending by this meanes to give another exposition to the words of the Psalme yet notwithstanding it is most certaine that by the words of the psalme we are given to vnderstand that we haue no other reason to imagine any other ciment or vniting to the earth then the Element of water the which although it be pliant and moveable yet doth it support
Tropicks as Aristotle and Plinie have maintained and before them the Philosopher Parmenides the contrarie whereof is before sufficiently prooved both for the one and the other But many through curiositie may demaund if the Ancients had no knowledge of this trueth which to vs is now so apparent seeing that in trueth it seemeth very strange that this newe worlde which is so spacious as we doe visibly see it should be hidden from the Ancients by so many ages But some at this day seeking to obscure the felicitie of this age and the glory of our Nation strive to proove that the new found world was knowne to the Ancients And in trueth wee cannot deny but there was some apparency S. Ierome writing vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians sayth We seeke with reason what the Apostle meaneth in these wordes where he saith you have walked for a season according to the course of this world whether he would have vs to vnderstand that there is an other world which neither is nor depends of this world but other worldes whereof Clement writes in his Epistle the Ocean and the worldes which are beyond the Ocean These are the wordes of S. Ierome but in trueth I cannot finde this Epistle of S. Clement cited by S. Ierome yet I beleeve vndoubtedly that S. Clement hath written it seeing S. Ierome maketh mention thereof And with reason saint Clement saith that beyond the Ocean there is an other worlde yea many worldes as in trueth there is seeing there is so great distance from one newe worlde to an other new world I meane from Peru and the West Indies to China and the East Indies Moreover Plinie who hath beene so curious a searcher out of strange things reportes in his naturall Historie that Hannon a Captaine of the Carthaginians sayled through the Ocean from the Straight of Gibraltar coasting alongst the land even vnto the confines of Arabia and that hee left this his Navigation in writing If it bee as Plinie writes it followes that Hannon sayled as farre as the Portugals do at this day passing twice vnder the Equinoctiall which is a fearefull thing And the same Plinie reports of Cornelius Nepos a very grave Authour who saith that the same course hath beene sayled by an other man called Eudaxius but by contrary wayes for this Eudaxius following the King of Latyres passed by the redde sea into the Ocean and turning backe came to the Straight of Gibraltar the which Cornelius Nepos affirmes to have happened in his time And also other grave Authors do write that a ship of Carthage driven by force of winde into the Ocean came to a Land which vntill then was vnknowne and returning to Carthage kindled a great desire in the Citizens to discover and people this land the which the Senate perceyving did forbid this navigation by a rigorous decree fearing that with the desire of new lands they should leave to love their owne Countrie By all this wee may gather that the Ancients had some knowledge of the new world yet shall you hardly finde in the bookes of ancient Writers any thing written of our America and all the West Indies but of the East Indies I say there is sufficient testimonie not only of that on the other side but also of that on this side which then was farthest off going thither by a contrary way to that at this day Is it not easie to find Molaco in ancient bookes which they called the golden Chersonese the Cape of Comori which was called the Promontorie of Coci that great famous Iland of Sumatra so well knowne by the ancient name of Taprobana What shall wee say of the two Ethiopiaes the Brachmanes and that great Land of the Chinaes Who doubtes but there was often mention made thereof in ancient bookes But of the West Indies we find not in Plinie that in this navigation they passed the Ilands of the Canaries which he calleth Fortunate the principall whereof is sayd to be called Canarie for the multitude of dogs which are in it But there is scarce any mention in ancient books of the voyages which are made at this day beyond the Canaries by the Gulph which with reason they call great Yet many hold opinion that Seneca the Tragedian did prophecie of the West Indies in his Tragedie of Medea which translated saith thus An age shall come ere ages ende Blessedly strange and strangely blest When our Sea farre and neere or'prest His shoare shall farther yet extend Descryed then shall a large Land be By this profound Seas navigation An other World an other Nation All men shall then discovered see Thule accounted heretofore The worldes extreme the Northerne bound Shall be when Southwest parts be found A neerer Isle a neighbour shoare This Seneca reports in these verses we cannot wel deny but vnderstanding it litterally it is very true for if we reckon the many yeeres he speakes of beginning from the time of the Tragedian it is above a thousand and foure hundred yeeres past and if it were from the time of Medea it is above two thousand yeeres the which we see plainely now accomplished seeing the passage of the Ocean so long time hidden hath beene found out and that they have discovered a great land and a new world inhabited more spatious then all the Continent of Europe and Asia But therein may a question with reason be made whether Seneca spake this by divination or poetically and by chance And to speake my opinion I beleeve hee did divine after the manner of wise men and well advised for that in his time they vndertooke newe voyages and navigations by sea hee knew well like a Philosopher that there was an other land contrary and opposite vnto vs which they call Antichthon And by this ground he might conceyve that the industrie and courage of man might in the ende passe the Ocean and discover new lands and another world for that in Senecaes time they had knowledge of the Voyage which Plinie speaketh of whereby they passed the great Ocean The which seemes to bee the motive of Senecaes prophecie as he giveth vs to vnderstand by these former verses after the which having described the carefull life of the Ancients free from malice he followeth thus Now is it not as earst it was For whether the Ocean will or nill He traverst is by hardy will Which pastime makes time so to passe And a little after he saith thus Now every boat dares swimme and sport On surging Seas fearing no wracke Passengers seeking what they lacke So long a voyage thinke but short Nothing is nowe more to discover No place is now left to surprise Townes now that for defence devise With new fortifications cover All in the world turn'd round about No thing in place as t' was enured Nothing vnseene nothing assured This Circle vniverse throughout The Indian whom at home heate fries Drinkes of Araxis waters cold The Persian rich in
gems and gold Wash in the Rhine and Elbe likewise Seneca did coniecture this by the great courage of men as that which shall happen last saying It shall fall out in the latter age c. as hath bin before mentioned Of the opinion which Plato held of the West Indies CHAP. 12. IF any one hath treated more particularly of the west Indies the honor belongs to Plato who in his time faith thus In those dayes they could not sayle this Gulph meaning the Atlantike Sea which is the Ocean which meetes at the Straight of Gibraltar for that the passage was stopt at the mouth of the pillars of Hercules which is the same Straight of Gibraltar and this Iland was in those dayes ioyned to the foresaid mouth and was of that bignesse as it exceeded all Asia and Affricke together and then was there a passage to goe from these Ilands to others and from those others Ilandes they went to the firme Land the which was neere invironed with the very Sea This is reported by Critias in Plato And such as beleeve that this narration of Plato is a true Historie delivered in these termes say that this great Atlanticke Iland the which did exceed both Affricke and Asia in greatnesse did then comprehend the greatest part of the Ocean called Atlantike which the Spaniards nowe sayle in and that those other Ilands which he sayde were neere vnto this great one are those which wee now call the Ilands of Barlovante that is Cuba Hispaniola S. Iohn de Port ricco Iamaica and other Ilands of that Countrie and that the maine Land whereof hee maketh mention is the same wee now call firme Land that is Peru and America and that Sea which he sayth is adioyning to the firme Land is the South sea the which he calleth the very Sea for that in comparison of her greatnesse all other Seas both Mediterranean yea and the Atlantike Sea are small in regard thereof Hereby in trueth they give a cunning and wittie interpretation to these words of Plato But whether this interpretation should be held for true or not I am resolved to declare in an other place That some have held opinion that in places of holy Scripture whereas they speake of Ophir is to be vnderstood of our Peru. CHAP. 13. SOme hold opinion that mention is made of the West Indies in the holy scripture taking the region of Peru for that Ophir which so famous Robert Steevens or to say more truely Francis Vatable a man well seene in the Hebrew tong as I have heard our master report who was his disciple saith in his annotations vpon the 9. chapter of the 3. booke of Kingsâ— that the Iland of Hispaniola which Christopher Colombus found out was that of Ophir from whence Solomon caused to bee brought foure hundred and twentie or foure hundred and 50. talents of most fine and pure golde for that the golde of Cibao which our men bring from Hispaniola is of the same fashion and qualitie And there are many others which affirme that our Peru is Ophir deriving one name from another who beleeve that when as the booke of Paralipomenon was written they called it Peru grounding it vpon that which the holy scripture saith that they brought from Ophir pure gold precious stones and wood which was rare and goodly which things abound in Peru as they say But in my opinion it is farre from the truth that Peru should be Ophir so famous in the Bible For although in this Peru there be good store of gold yet is there not such aboundance as it may be equalled with the fame of the riches that was in auncient time at the East Indies I finde not that in Peru there are such precious stones or such exquisite woods as the like have not bend seene at Ierusalem For although there be exquisite Emeralds and some hard trees of Aromaticall wood yet do I not finde any thing ofso great commendation as the scripture giueth vnto Ophir Moreover it seemes not likely that Solomon would leave the East Indies most rich and plentifull to send his fleetes to this farther land whether if they had come so often as it is written we had surely found more signes and testimonies thereof Moreover the Etimologie of the name of Ophir and the change or reduction thereof to Peru seemes to me of small consideration being most certaine that the name of Peru is not very auncient nor common to all that countrie It hath beene vsuall in the discoverie of the new world to give names to lands and portes of the sea according to the occasions presented at their ariuall and I beleeve that the name of Peru hath bene so found out and put in practise for we find heere that the name hath bene given to all the countrie of Peru by reason of a river so called by the inhbitants of the countrie where the Spaniards arived vpon their first discoverie Whereby we maintaine that the Indians themselves bee ignorant and do not vse this name and appellation to signifie their land It seemeth moreover the same Authors will say that Sepher spoken of in the scripture is that which we now call Andes which are most high mountaines in Peru. But this resemblance of names and appellations is no sufficient proofe If that were of force we might as well say that Iectan is Iecsan mentioned in the holy scripture Neither may we say that the names of Titus and Paul which the Kings Inguas of Peru do vse come from the Romans or Christians seeing it is too weake an argument to draw a conclusion of great matters We see plainely that it is contrarie to the intention of the holy scriptures which some have written that Tharsis and Ophir were one and the same Province conferring the 22 chapter of the 4. booke of the Kings with the 20. chapter of the second booke of Paralipomenon for that in the booke of the Kings it is said that Iosaphat prepared a fleete of shippes in Asiongaber to fetch golde at Ophir and in Paralipomenon it is written that the same fleete was furnished to go vnto Tharsis Whereby it may be supposed that in these fore-said bookes where the scripture speakes of Tharsis and Ophir that it meanes one thing Some one may demaund what region or Province that Ophir was whether Solomons fleete went with the Mariners of Hyram King of Tyre and Sidon to fetch hold And whether King Iosaphats fleete pretending to go did suffer shipwracke and perish in Asiongaber as the holy scripture doth testifie In this I do willingly agree with the opinion of Ioseph in his books of Antiquities where he saith that it is a Province of the East Indies the which was found by that Ophir the sonne of Iectan wherâ—of mention is made in the 10. of Genessis and that Province did abound with most fine gold Thereof it comes they did so much extol the gold of Ophir or of Ophas or as some wil
lovers of silver these make no care of it the Iewes if they were not circumcised held not themselves for Iewes and contrariwise the Indians are not at all neyther did they ever vse any ceremonie neere it as many in the East have done But what reason of coniecture is there in this seeing the Iewes are so careful to preserve their language and Antiquities so as in all parts of the world they differ and are known from others and yet at the Indies alone they have forgotten their Linage their Law their Ceremonies their Messias and finally their whole Iudaisme And whereas they say the Indians are feareful cowards superstitious and subtill in lying for the first it is not common to all there are some nations among the Barbarians free from these vices there are some valiant and hardy there are some blunt and dull of vnderstanding As for ceremonies and superstitions the Heathen have alwayes vsed them much the manner of habites described which they vse being the plainest and most simple in the world without Arte the which hath been common not onely to the Hebrewes but to all other Nations seeing that the very History of Esdras if wee shall beleeve the Scriptures that bee Apocrypha make more against them then for their purpose for hee saith in that place that the ten tribes went from the multitude of the Heathen to keepe their faith and ceremonies and we see the Indians given to all the Idolatries in the world And those which holde this opinion see well if the entries of the River Euphrates stretch to the Indies and whether it be necessary for the Indies to repasse that way as it is written Besides I know not how you can name them peaceable seeing they be alwaies in warre amongst themselves To conclude I cannot see how that Euphrates in Esdras Apocrypha should be a more convenient passage to goe to the new world then the inchanted fabulous Atlantike Iland of Plato The reason why we can find no beginning of the Indians CHAP. 24. IT is easier to refute and contradict the false opinions conceyved of the Originall of the Indians then to set downe a true and certaine resolution for that there is no writing among the Indians nor any certaine remembrances of their founders neyther is there any mention made of this new world in their bookes that have knowledge of letters our Ancients held that in those parts there were neyther men land nor heaven So as hee should seeme rash and presumptuous that should thinke to discover the first beginning of the Indians But we may iudge a farre off by the former discourse that these Indians came by little and little to this newe world and that by the helpe and meanes of the neerenesse of lands or by some navigation the which seemes to mee the meanes whereby they came and not that they prepared any armie to goe thither of purpose neyther that they have been caried thither by any ship-wracke or tempest although some of these things may chance in some part of the Indies for these Regions beeing so great as they containe Nations without number we may beleeve that some came to inhabite after one sort and some after an other But in the ende I resolve vpon this point that the true and principall cause to people the Indies was that the lands and limits thereof are ioyned and continued in some extremities of the world or at the least were very neere And I beleeve it is not many thousand yeeres past since men first inhabited this new world and West Indies and that the first men that entred were rather savage men and hunters then bredde vp in civill and well governed Common-weales and that they came to this new world having lost their owne land or being in too great numbers they were forced of necessitie to seeke some other habitations the which having found they beganne by little and little to plant having no other law but some instinct of nature and that very darke and some customes remayning of their first Countries And although they came from Countries well governed yet is it not incredible to thinke that they had forgotten all through the tract of time and want of vse seeing that in Spaine and Italie we find companies of men which have nothing but the shape and countenance onely whereby we may coniecture in what sort this new world grew so barbarous and vncivill What the Indians report of their beginning CHAP. 25. IT is no matter of any great importance to know what the Indians themselves report of their beginning being more like vnto dreames then to true Hiries â—hey make great mention of a deluge happened in their Countrie but we cannot well iudge if this deluge were vniversall whereof the scripture makes mention or some particular inundation of those regions where they are Some expert men say that in those Countries are many notable signes of some great inundation and I am of their opinion which thinke that these markes and shewes of a deluge was not that of Noe but some other particular as that which Plato speakes of or Deucalions floud which the Poets sing of whatsoever it be the Indians say that al men were drowned in this deluge and they report that out of the great Lake Titicaca came one Viracocha which staied in Tiaguanaco where at this day there is to bee seene the ruines of ancient and very strange buildings and from thence came to Cusco and so began mankinde to multiply They shew in the same Iland a small Lake where they faine that the sunne hid himselfe and so was preserved and for this reason they make great sacrifices vnto him in that place both of sheepe and men Others report that sixe or I know not what number of men came out of a certaine cave by a window by whome men first began to multiplie and for this reason they call them Pacaritampo And therefore they are of opinion that the Tambos is the most ancient race of men They say also that Mango Capa whom they acknowledge for the founder and chiefe of their Inguas was issued of that race and that from him sprang two families or linages the one of Havan Cusco the other of Vrni Cusco They say moreover that when the Kings Inguas attempted warre and conquered sundrie Provinces they gave a colour and made a pretext of their enterprise saying that all the world ought to acknowledge them for that all the world was renued by their race and Countrie and also that the true religion had been reveiled to them from heaven But what availeth it to speake more seeing that all is full of lies and vanitie and farre from reason Some learned men write that all which the Indians make mention of is not above 400. yeeres old and whatsoever they speake of former ages is but a confusion full of obscuritie wherein we find no truth The which may not seeme strange they having no vse of bookes or writing in
and pleasant It is certaine that we do not participate of any of the Elements nor have not the vse of any so often in our bodies as of the aire It is that which invironeth our bodies on all parts which enters into our bowells and at everie instant visits the heart and there ingraves her properties If the aire be any thing corrupted it causeth death if it be pure and healthfull it augmenteth the strength finally we may say that the aire alone is the life of man so as although we have goods and riches if the aire be troublesome and vnholsome wee cannot live quietly nor with content But if the aire be healthfull pleasant and sweete although we have no other wealth yet doth it yeelde content Considering with my selfe the pleasing temperature of many Countries at the Indies where they know not what winter is which by his cold doth freese them nor summer which doth trouble them with heat but that with a Matte they preserve themselves from the iniuries of all weather and where they scarce have any neede to change their garments throughout the yeere I say that often considering of this I find that if men at this day would vanquish their passions and free themselves from the snares of covetousnesse leaving many fruitelesse and pernicious disseines without doubt they might live at the Indies very pleasant and happily for that which other Poets sing of the Elisean fields and of the famous Tempe or that which Plato reports or faines of his Atlantike Iland men should finde in these lands if with a generous spirit they would choose rather to command their silver and their desires then to remaine slaves as they are That which wee have hitherto discoursed shal suffice touching the qualities of the Equinoctiall of colde heat drought raine and the causes of temperature The particular discourse of windes waters landes mettalls plants and beasts whereof there is great aboundance at the Indies shall remaine for the other bookes for the difficultie of that which is handled in this though briefly will happily seeme too tedious An advertisement to the Reader THE Reader must vnderstand that I wrote the two first bookes in Latine when I was at Peru and therefore they speake of matters of the Indies as of things present Being since returned into Spaine I thought good to translate them into our vulgar tongue and not to change my former maner of speeach But in the five following bookes for that I made them in Europe I have beene forced to change my stile and therein to treate of matters of the Indies as of Countries and things absent And for that this diversitie of speech might with reason offend the Reader I have thought good to advertise him thereof THE THIRD BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies That the naturall Historie of the Indies is pleasant and agreeable CHAP. 1. EVerie naturall Historie is of it selfe pleasing very profitable to such as will raise vp their discourse and contemplation on high in that it doth move them to glorify the Author of all nature as we sea the wise holy men do specially David in many Psalmes And Iob likewise treating of the secrets of the Creator whereas the same Lord answereth Iob so amplie He that takes delight to vnderstand the wondrous works of Nature shal taste the true pleasure content of Histories the more whenas he shal know they are not the simple workes of men but of the Creator himself that he shall comprehend the naturall causes of these workes then shall he truly occupie himselfe in the studie of Philosophie But he that shall raise his consideration higher beholding the gret first architect of all these marvells he shal know his wisedom and infinite greatnes and we may say shall be divinely imployed And so the discourse of naturall things may serve for many good considerations although the feeblenes and weakenes of many appetites are commonly accustomed to stay at things lesse profitable which is the desire to know new things called curiositie The Discourse and Historie of naturall things at the Indies besides the common content it gives hath yet another benefite which is to treate of things a farre off the greatest part whereof were vnknowne to the most excellent Authors of that profession which have bin among the Ancients And if wee should write these naturall things of the Indies so amply as they require being so strange I doubt not but we might compile workse no lesse then those of Plinie Theophrastes and Aristotle But I hold not my selfe sufficient and although I were yet is not my intent but to note some naturall things which I haue seene and knowne being at the Indies or have received from men worthy of credit the which seeme rare to me and scarce knowne in Europe By reason whereof I will passe over many of them briefly ether bicause they are writen of by others or else require a longer discourse then I can now give Of the windes their differences properties and causes in generall CHAP. 2. HAving discoursed in the two former Books of that which concernes the heavens and the habitation of the Indies in generall it behooves â—s now to treate of the three elements aire water and land and their compounds which be mettalls plants and beasts for as for the fire I see no speciall matter at the Indies which is not in other regions vnlesse some will say that the manner to strike fire in rubbing two stones one against another as some Indians vse or to boyle any thing in gourdes casting a burning stone into it and other such like things are remarkeable whereof I have written what might be spoken But of those which are in the Vulcans and mouths of fire at the Indies worthy doubtlesse to be observed I will speake in their order treating of the diversitie of grounds whereas they finde these fires or Vulcans Therefore to beginne with the winds I say that with good reason Salomon in the great iudgement which God had given him esteemes much the knowledge of the windes and their properties being very admirable for that some are moyst others drie some vnwholesome others found some hote others colde some calme and pleasant others rough and tempestuous some barren and others fertile with infinite other differences There are some windes which blow in certaine regions and are as it were Lordes thereof not addmitting any entry or communication of their contraries In some partes they blow in that sorte as sometimes they are Conquerours sometimes conquered often there are divers and contrary winds which doe runne together at one instant dividing the way betwixt them sometimes one blowing above of one sort and another below of an other sorte sometimes they incounter violently one with another which puts them at sea in great danger there are some windes which helpe to the generation of creatures and others that hinder and are opposite There is a certaine wind of such
barres of silver and much mâ—re which is above three hundred thousand ducats without any other guard o rescort than some Indians which serve onely to guide these sheepe and to lade and vnlade them or at the most some few Spaniardes and they sleepe all night in the middest of the fieldes without other guarde and yet in so long a way and so weake a guarde they never finde want or losse of anie thing in so great a treasure of silver so safe is the way in Peru. The burthen which one of these sheepe dooth commonly carry is of foure or sixe arrobes when their voyage is long they goe not above two three or foure leagues at the most on a day Those that guide those troupes have their ordinary lodgings where they are assured to have water and pasture and there they vnlade and set vppe their tents making fire and dressing their meates which is not painefull although it be a â—leugmatike and slowe manner of travell When there is but one dayes iourney one of these sheepe will beare eight arobes in weight or more and beares this burthen eight or tenne leagues in a day as the poore souldiers were wont to doe when they marched through Peru. This kinde of cattell delights most in a cold aire and for this cause they live vpon the Sierre and die in the Lanos by reason of the heate Sometimes these sheepe are all covered with ice and frost and yet they continue sound and well The bare sheepe are pleasant to behold for they will stay vpon the way raising vppe their neckes and will looke vpon any one very wistly and so they remaine a long time without mooving or any shew of feare which giveth occasion of laughter seeing them thus to stand And yet sometimes they do growe amazed sodainely and runne away with their burthens even to the highest rockes so as not being able to come vnto them they are constraind to kil them with an harquebuze lest they should loose their barres of silver which they sometimes carry The Pacos will grow reasty vnder their burdens lying downe and will endure to be cutte in a thousand peeces before they wil rise when this humor takes them whereof the proverb growes in Peru to say that one is reastie to signifie he is obstinate for that when any of these beasts is moodie it is with excesse the remedy they have is to stay and sit downe by the Paco making much on him vntill the fit be past and that he rise and sometimes they are forced to stay two or three houres They have a disease like to scabbes which they call Carache whereof they commonly die The Antients had a remedy to bury them quicke that had the Carache lest they shoulde infect the rest being a very contagious disease and goes from one to another An Indian that hath one or two of these sheepe is not reputed poore for one of them is woorth sixe or seaven peeces of assay and more according to the time and places Of the BeZaars stone CHAP. 42. THe Bezaars stone is found in all these beasts before mentioned which are proper to Peru whereof some Authors of our time have written whole bookes which they may reade that desire to have a more particular knowledge For the present subiect it shall be sufficient to say that this stone which they call Bezaar is found in the stomacke and belly of this beast somtimes one alone sometimes two three and foure They are very different in forme greatnesse and colour for that some are small like filberds lesse others like walnuts some like pigeons egges and others as bigge as a hens egge and I have seene some as bigge as an orange in forme some are round others in fashion like to lentils and many other formes For their colour som are black some white some grey darke greene and others as if they had beene guilded It is no certaine rule to iudge the best and most fine by the colour or forme All these stones are made and fashioned of divers films and skins one vpon another In the province of Xaura and other provinces of Peru they find these stones in divers kinds of beasts both wild and tame as in the Guanacos Pacos Vicugnes and Tarugues some adde an other kind which they say are wilde goates which the Indians call Cypris These other kindes of beastes are very well knowen in Peru whereof wee have already discoursed The Guanacos or country sheepe or Pacos have commonly the lesser stones and blacke neither are they so much approoved for the vse of Physicke They draw the greatest Bezaar stones from the Vicugnes and they are grey or white or of a darke greene which are helde for the better They esteem those of the Tarugues for the most excellent whereof there are some reasonable bigge they are commonly white inclining to grey and they have the filmes commonly bigger and thicker than the rest They finde the Bezaar stone equally both in male and female All beasts that ingender it chaw the cuid and commonly feede vpon the snow and rockes The Indians reporte teach by tradition from their fathers and Antients that in the province of Xaura and in other provinces of Peru there are many herbs and venomous beasts which poison the water and the pastures where they eate and drinke and where they breathe amiddest which venomous hearbs there is one very well knowne of the Vicugne by a naturall instinct and of other beasts that ingender the Bezaar stone which eate this hearb and by meanes thereof they preserve themselves from the poisoned waters and pastures and they say that of this hearb the stone is compounded in the stomacke whence it drawes all the vertue against poyson and other woonderfull effects This is the opinion tradition of the Indians discovered by men of great experience in the kingdome of Peru which agrees with reason and with that which Plinie reports of the mountaine goates which are nourished and fed vpon poison without suffering any harme The Indians being demaunded why the sheepe kine goates and calves such as are in Castille have not the Bezaar stone seeing that they feede on the same rockes their answer is That they beleeve not that those beasts of Castille eate of that hearb or that they have found the Bezaar stone in stags and fallow diere This seemes to agree with our knowlege for that in new Spaine they find the Bezaar stone although there be no Vicugnes Pacos Tarugues nor Guanacos but only stags in some of which they finde these stones The principall vertue of the BeZaar stone is against poison and venomous diseases although there bee heerein divers opinions some hold it for a mockerie others for a miracle Howsoever it be it is most certaine that it is of a great operation when it is applied in time convenient in a maner as hearbes and to persons capable and disposed for there is no medicine that doth alwaies cure infallibly In
in Peru a confession of sinnes brought by an Indian written in the same forte with pictures and characters painting every one of the tenne Commandementes after a certaine manner where there were certaine markes like ciphers which were the sinnes hee had committed against the Commaundements I nothing doubt but if any of the most sufficient Spaniards were imployed to make memorialles of the like things by their images and markes they would not attaine vnto it in a whole yeare no not in tenne Of Registers and the manner of reckoning which the Indians of Peru vsed CHAP. 8. BEfore the Spaniardes came to the Indies they of Peru had no kinde of writing either letters characters ciphers or figures like to those of China and Mexico yet preserved they the memory of their Antiquities and maintaine an order in all their affairs of peace warre and pollicie for that they were carefull observers of traditions from one to another and the yoong ones learned and carefully kept as a holy thing what their superiors had tolde them and taught it with the like care to their posteritie Besides this diligence they supplied the want of letters and writings partely by painting as those of Mexico although they of Peru were very grose and blockish and partely and most commonly by Quippos These Quippos are memorialls or registers made of bowes in the which there are diverse knottes and colours which do signifie diverse things and it is strange to see what they have expressed and represented by this meanes for their Quippos serve them insteede of Bookes of histories of lawes ceremonies and accounts of their affaires There were officers appointed to keepe these Quippos the which at this day they call Quipocamayos the which were bound to give an account of every thing as Notaries and Registers doe heere Therefore they fully beleeved them in all things for according to the varietie of businesse as warres pollicie tributes ceremonies and landes there were sundry Quippos or braunches in every one of the which there were so many knottes little and great and strings tied vnto them some red some greene some blew some white and finally such diversitie that even as wee derive an infinite number of woordes from the foure and twenty letters applying them in diverse sortes so doe they drawe innumerable woordes from their knottes and diversitie of colours Which thing they doe in such a manner that if at this day in Peru any Commissary come at the end of two or three yeares to take information vppon the life of any officer the Indians come with their small reckonings verified saying that in such a village they have given him so many egges which hee hath not payed for in such a house a henne in an other two burdens of grasse for his horse and that he hath paied but so much mony and remaineth debtor so much The proofe being presently made with these numbers of knottes and handfulls of cords it remaines for a certaine testimony and register I did see a handfull of these strings wherein an Indian woman carried written a generall confession of all her life and thereby confessed herselfe as well as I could have done it in written paper I asked her what those strings meant that differed from the rest she aunswered mee they were certaine circumstaunces which the sin required to be fully confessed Beside these Quippos of thred they have an other as it were a kinde of writing with small stones by meanes whereof they learne punctually the words they desire to know by heart It is a pleasant thing to see the olde and the impotent with a wheele made of small stones learne the Pater noster with another the Ave Maria with another the Creede and to remember what stone signifies Which was conceived by the holy-ghost and which Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate It is a pleasant thing to see them correct themselves when they doe erre for all their correction consisteth onely in beholding of their small stones One of these wheeles were sufficient to make mee forget all that I do knowe by heart There are a great number of these wheeles in the Church-yardes for this purpose But it seemes a kinde of witchcraft to see an other kinde of Quippos which they make of graines of Mays for to cast vp a hard account wherein a good Arithmetitian would be troubled with his penne to make a division to see how much every one must contribute they do drawe so many graines from one side and adde so many to another with a thousand other inventions These Indians wil take their graines and place five of one side three of another and eight of another and wil change one graine of one side and three of another So as they finish a certaine account without erring in any poynt and they sooner submitte themselves to reason by these Quippos what every one ought to pay then we can do with the penne Hereby we may iudge if they have any vnderstanding or be brutish for my parte I think they passe vs in those things wherevnto they do apply themselves Of the order the Indians holde in their writings CHAP. 9. IT shal be good to adde heerevnto what we have observed touching the Indians writings for their maner was not to write with a continued line but from the toppe to the bottome or in circle-wise The Latines and Greeks do write from the left hand vnto the right which is the vulgar and common manner we do vse The Hebrewes contrariwise beganne at the right to the left and therefore their bookes beganne where ours did end The Chinois write neither like the Greeks nor like the Hebrews but from the toppe to the bottome for as they be no letters but whole wordes and that every figure and character signifieth a thing they have no neede to assemble the parts one with an other and therefore they may well write from the toppe to the bottome Those of Mexico for the same cause did not write in line from one side to another but contrarie to the Chinois beginning below they mounted vpward They vsed this maner of writing in the account of their daies and other things which they observed Yet when they did write in their wheels or signes they beganne from the middest where the Sunne was figured and so mounted by their yeeres vnto the round and circumference of the wheele To conclude wee finde foure different kindes of writings some writte from the right to the left others from the left to the right some from the toppe to the bottome and others from the foote to the toppe wherein wee may discover the diversity of mans iudgement How the Indians dispatched their Messengers CHAP. 10. TO finish the maner they had of writing some may with reason doubt how the Kings of Mexico and Peru had intelligence from all those realmes that were so great or by what meanes they could dispatch their affaires in Court seeing they had no vse of any letters nor to write pacquets wherein
neere to the instruments wherein the Auntients and Noblemen did sing and daunce with a softe and slowe motion and the other was of the rest of the people round about them but a good distance from the first wherein they daunced two and two more lightly making diverse kindes of pases with certaine leapes to the measure All which together made a very great circle They attired themselves for these dances with their most pretious apparrell and iewelles every one according to his abilitie holding it for a very honorable thing for this cause they learned these daunces from their infancie And although the greatest parte of them were doone in honor of their Idolles yet was it not so instituted as hath bin said but only as a recreation and pastime for the people Therefore it is not convenient to take them quite from the Indians but they must take good heed they mingle not their superstitions amongest them I have seene this Mittotte in the court of the Church of Topetzotlan a village seaven leagues from Mexico and in my opinion it was a good thing to busie the Indians vpon festivall dayes seeing they have neede of some recreation and because it is publike and without the preiudice of any other there is lesse inconvenience than in others which may be done privately by themselves if they tooke away these We must therfore conclude folowing the counsel of pope Gregory that it was very convenient to leave vnto the Indians that which they have had vsually of custom so as they be not mingled nor corrupt with their antient errors that their feasts and pastimes may be to the honor of God and of the Saints whose feasts they celebrate This may suffice in generall of the maners and politike customes of the Mexicaines And as for their beginning increase and Empire for that it is an ample matter and will be pleasant to vnderstand from the beginning we will intreate thereof in the Booke following THE SEVENTH BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies That it is profitable to vnderstand the actes and geasts of the Indians especially of the Mexicaines CHAP. 1. EVery History wel written is profitable to the reader For as the Wise man saith That which hath bin is and that which shall be is that which hath beene Humane things have much resemblance in themselves and some growe wiâ—e by that which happneth to others There is no Nation how barbarous soever that have not something in them good and woorthy of commendation nor Commonweale so well ordered that hath not something blame-worthy and to be â—â—nâ—rollâ—d If therefore there were no other fruite in the Historic and Narration of the deedes and gests of the Indians but this common vtilitie to be a Relation or Historiâ— of things the which in the effect of truth have happened it deserveth to be received as a profitable thing neither ought it to be reiected for that it concernes the Indians As we see that those Authors that treate of naturall things write not onely of generous beasts notable and rare plants and of pretious stones but also of wilde beasts common hearbs and base and vulgar stones for that there is alwayes in them some properties worthy observation If therefore there were nothing else in this Discourse but that it is a Historie and no fables nor fictions it were no unwoorthy subiect to be written or read There is yet an other more particular reason which is that wee ought heerein to esteeme that which is woorthy of memorie both for that it is a Nation little esteemed and also a subiect different from that of our Europe as these Nations be wherein wee should take most pleasure and content to vnderstand the ground of their beginning their maner of life with their happy and vnhappy adventures And this subiect is not onely pleasant and agreeable but also profitable especially to such as have the charge to rule and governe them for the knowledge of their acts invites vs to give credite and dooth partely teach howe they ought to be intreated yea it takes away much of that common and foolish contempt wherein they of Europe holde them supposing that those Nations have no feeling of reason For in trueth wee can not cleere this errour better than by the true report of the actes and deedes of this people I will therefore as briefely as I can intreate of the beginning proceedings and notable deedes of the Mexicaines whereby wee may know the time and the disposition that the high God woulde choose to send vnto these Nations the light of the Gospel of Iesus Christ his only sonne our Lord whome I beseech to second our small labour that it may be to the glory of his Divine greatnes and some profite to these people to whome hee hath imparted the lawe of his holy gospel Of the antient Inhabitants of New Spaine and how the Navatlacas came thither CHAP. 2. THe antient and first Inhabitants of those provinces which wee call New Spaine were men very barbarous and savage which lived onely by hunting for this reason they were called Chichimecas They did neither sowe nor till the ground neither lived they together for all their exercise was to hunt wherein they were very expert They lived in the roughest partes of the mountaines beastlike without any pollicie and they went all naked They hunted wilde beasts hares connies weezles mowles wilde cattes and birdes yea vncleane beasts as snakes lizards locusts and wormes whereon they fed with some hearbs and rootes They slept in the mountaines in caves and in bushes and the wives likewise went a hunting with their husbandes leaving their yoong children in a little panier of reeds tied to the boughs of a tree which desired not to suck â—ntill they were returned from hunting They had no superiors nor did acknowledge or worship any gods neyther hadde any manner of ceremonies or religion There is yet to this day in New Spaine of this kinde of people which live by their bowes and arrowes the which are very hurtfull for that they gather together in troupes to doe mischiefe and to robbe neither can the Spaniards by force or cunning reduce them to any policie or obedience for having no townes nor places of residence to sight with them were properly to hunt after savage beasts which scatter and hide themselves in the most rough and covered places of the mountaines Such is their maner of living eveâ— to this day in many Provinces of the Indies In the Bookes De procuranda Indiorum salute they discourse chiefly of this sort of Indians where it is saide that they are to be constrained and subiected by some honest force and that it is necessary first to teach them that they are men and then to be Christians Some will say that those in New Spaine which they call Ottomies were of this sort being commonly poore Indians inhabiting a rough and barren land and yet they are in good numbers and live
or dish above once all must be new giving to his attendants that which had once served him so as commonly they were rich and sumptuous He was very carefull to have his lawes observed And when he returned victor from any waâ—â—e he fained sometimes to go and take his pleasure then would he disguise himselfe to see if his people supposing if he weare absent would omitte any thing of the feast or reception If there were any excesse or defect he then did punish it rigorously And also to discerne how his ministers did execute their offices he often disguised himselfe offering guistes and presents to the iudges provoking them to do in iustice If they offended they were presently punished with death without remission or respect were they Noblemen or his kinsmen yea his owne bretheren He was little conversant with his people and seldome seene retyring himselfe most commonly to care for the government of his realme Besides that hee was a great iusticier and very noble hee was very valiant and happy by meanes whereof hee obtained great victories and came to this greatnes as is written in the Spanish histories whereon it seemes needelesse to write more I will onely have a care heereafter to write what the bookes and histories of the Indies make mention of the which the Spanish writers have not observed having not sufficiently vnderstood the secrets of this country the which are things very worthy to be knowne as we shall see heereafter Of the presages and strange prodigies which happened in Mexico before the fall of their Empire CHAP. 23. ALthough the holy Scripture forbids vs to give credite to signes and vaine prognostications and that S. Ierome doth admonish vs not to feare tokens from heaven as the Gentiles do Yet the same Scripture teacheth vs that monstrous and prodigious signes are not altogether to bee contemned and that often they are fore-runners of some generall changes and chasticements which God will take as Eusebius notes well of Cesarea For that the same Lord of heaven and earth sendes such prodiges and new things in heaven in the elements in beasts and in his other creatures that this might partly serve as an advertisement to men and to be the beginning of the paine and chastisement by the feare and amazement they bring It is written in the second booke of Macabees that before that great change and persecution of the people of Israel which was caused by the tyranny of Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes whome the holy Scriptures call the roote of sinne there were seene for forty dayes together thorowout all Ierusalem great squadrons of horsemen in the ayre who with their armour guilt their lances and targets and vppon furious horses with their swordes drawne did strike skirmish and incounter one against the other and they say that the Inhabitants of Ierusalem seeing this they prayed to our Lord to appease his wrath and that these prodegies might turne to good It is likewise written in the booke of Wisedome That when God would drawe his people out of Egypt and punish the Egyptians some terrible fearefull visions appeared vnto them as fires seene out of time in horrible formes Ioseph in his booke of the Iewishwarres sheweth many and great wonders going before the destruction of Ierusalem and the last captivitie of his wicked people whome God iustly abhorred and Eusebius of Cesarea with others alleadge the same texts authorizing prognostications The Histories are full of like observations in great changes of states and common-weales as Paulus Orosius witnesseth of many and without doubt this observation is not vaine nor vnprofitable for although it be vanitie yea superstition defended by the lawe of our God lightly to beleeve these signes and tokens yet in matters of great moment as in the changes of nations kingdoms and notable laws It is no vaine thing but rather certaine and assured to beleeve that the wisedome of the most High dooth dispose and suffer these things fo retelling what shoulde happen to serve as I have saide for an advertisement to some and a chasticement to others and as a witnes to all that the king of heaven hath a care of man who as he hath appointed great and fearefull tokens of that great change of the world which shall bee the day of iudgement so doth it please him to send wonderful signes to demonstrate lesser changes in divers partes of the world the which are remarkeable whereof he disposeth according to his eternall wisedome Wee must also vnderstand that although the divell be the father of lies yet the King of Glorie makes him often to confesse the trueth against his will which hee hath often declared for very feare as hee did in the desart by the mouth of the possessed crying that Iesus was the Saviour come to destroy him as he did by the Pythonisse who saide that Paul preached the true God as when he appeared and troubled Pilates wife whom he made to mediate for Iesus a iust man And as many other histories besides the holy Scripture gave diverse testimonies of idols in approbation of christian religion wherof Lactantius Prosperus and others make mention Let them reade Eusebius in his bookes of the preparation of the Gospel and those of his demonstrations where he doth amply treate of this matter I have purposely spoken this that no man should contemne what is written in the Histories and Annales of the Indies touching Presages and strange signes of the approching end and ruine of their kingdome and of the Divelles tyranny whom they worshipped altogether Which in my opinion is worthy of credite and beliefe both for that it chanced late and the memory is yet fresh as also for that it is likely that the Divell lamented at so great a change and that God by the same meanes beganne to chastice their cruell and abhominable idolatries I will therefore set them downe heere as true things It chanced that Moteçuma having raigned many yeers in great prosperity and so pufft vp in his conceit as hee caused himselfe to be served and feared yea to be worshipped as a god that the Almighty Lord beganne to chastice him and also to admonish him suffering even the very Divelles whome he worshipped to tell him these heavy tidings of the ruine of his kingdome and to torment him by visions which had never bin seen wherewith hee remained so melancholy and troubled as hee was voyde of iudgement The idoll of those of Cholola which they called Quetzacoalt declared that a strange people came to possesse his kingdomes The king of Tescuco who was a great Magitian and had conference with the Divell came one day at an extraordinarie house to visite Moteçuma assuring him that his gods had tolde him that there were great losses preparing for him and for his whole realme many witches and sorcerers went and declared as much amongst which there was one did very particularly foretell him what should happen and as
of the two fifty years which finished the wheele They vsed a pleasant ceremony which was the last night they didde breake all their vesselles and stuffe and put out their fire and all the lights saying that the worlde should end at the finishing of one of these wheeles and it might be at that time for said they seeing the worlde must then end what neede is there to provide meate to eate and therfore they had no further neede of vessel nor fire Vpon this conceit they passed the night in great feare saying it might happen there would be no more day and they watched very carefully for the day but when they saw the day beginne to breake they presently beat manie drummes and sounded cornets flutes and other instruments of ioy and gladnesse saying that God did yet prolong the time with another age which were fiftie two yeares And then beganne an other wheele The first day and beginning of this age they took new fire and bought new vesselles to dresse their meate and all went to the high Priest for this new fire having first made a solemne sacrifice and given thanks for the comming of the day and prolongation of an other age This was their manner of accounting their yeares moneths weekes and ages How the Kings Inguas accounted the yeares and moneths CHAP. 3. ALthough this supputation of times practised amongest the Mexicaines bee ingenious enough and certaine for men that had no learning yet in my opinion they wanted discourse and consideration having not grounded their computation according vnto the course of the moone nor distributed their months accordingly wherein those of Peru have far surpassed them for they divided their yeare into as many dayes perfectly accomplished as we do heere and into twelve moneths or moones in the which they imployed and consumed the eleven daies that remaind of the moone as Polo writes To make the computation of their yeare sure and certaine they vsed this industry vppon the mountaines which are about the citty of Cusco where the Kings Inguas held their court beeing the greatest sanctuary of those realmes and as we should say an other Rome there were twelve pillars set in order and in such distaunce the one from the other as every month one of these pillers did note the rising and setting of the sunne They called them Suceanga by meanes whereof they taught and shewed the feasts and the seasons fitte to sowe and reape and to do other things They did certaine sacrifices to these pillars of the sunne Every month had his proper name and pecular feasts They beganne the yeare by Ianuary as wee doe But since a king Ingua called Pachacuto which signifies a reformer of the Temple beganne their yeare by December by reason as I coniecture that then the Sunne returneth from the last poynt of Capricorne which is the tropike neerest vnto them I know not whether the one or the other have observed any Bisexte although some holde the contrary The weekes which the Mexicaines did reckon were not properly weekes being not of seaven dayes the Inguas likewise made no mention thereof which is no wonder seeing the account of the weeke is not grounded vpon the course of the sunne as that of the yeare nor of the moone as that of the month but among the Hebrewes iâ— is grounded vpon the creation of the world as Moyses reporteth and amongest the Greekes and Latins vpon the number of the seven planets of whose names the dayes of the weeke have taken their denomination yet was it much for those Indians being men without bookes and learning to have a yeare seasons and feasts so well appoynted as I have sayd That no nation of the Indies hath beene found to have had the vse of letters CHAP 4. LEtters were invented to signifie properly the words we do pronounce even as woordes according to the Philosopher are the signes and demonstrations of mans thoughtes and conceptions And both the one and the other I say the letters and words were ordained to make things knowne The voyce for such as are present and letters for the absent and such as are to come Signes and markes which are not properly to signifie wordes but things cannot be called neyther in trueth are they letters although they be written for wee can not say that the Picture of the sunne be a writing of the sunne but onely a picture the like may be saide of other signes and characters which have no resemblance to the thing but serve onely for memorie for he that invented them did not ordaine them to signifie wordes but onely to note the thing neyther do they call those characters letters or writings as indeede they are not but rather ciphers or remembraunces as those be which the Spherists or Astronomers do vse to signifie divers signes or planets of Mars Venus Iupiter c. Such characters are ciphers and no letters for what name soever Mars may have in Italian French or Spanish this character doth alwaies signifie it the which is not found in letters for although they siguify the thing yet is it by meanes of words So as they which know not the tongue vnderstand them not as for example the Greekes nor the Hebrews cannot conceive what this word Sol doth signifie although they see it written for that they vnderstand not the Latine word so as writing and letters are onely practiced by them which signifie words therewith For if they signifie things mediately they are no more letters nor writings but ciphers and pictures whereby we may observe two notable things The one that the memory of histories and antiquities may bee preserved by one of these three meanes either by letters and writings as hath beene vsed amongst the Latines Greekes Hebrews and many other Nations or by painting as hath beene vsed almost throughout all the world for it is said in the second Nicene Counsell Painting is a booke for fooles which cannot reade or by ciphers and characters as the cipher signifies the number of a hundred a thousand and others without noting the word of a hundred or a thousand The other thing we may observe thereby is that which is propounded in this chapter which is that no Nation of the Indies discovered in our time hath had the vse of letters and writings but of the other two sortes images and figures The which I observe not onely of the Indies of Peru and new Spaine but also of Iappon and China And although this may seeme false to some seeing it is testified by the discourses that have beene written that there are so great Libraries and Vniversities in China and Iappon and that mention is made of their Chapas letters and expeditions yet that which I say is true as you may vnderstand by the discourse following Of the fashion of Letters and Bookes the Chinois vsed CHAP. 5. THere are many which thinke and it is the most common opinion that the writings which the Chinois vsed are letters as