safe This Lake containes almost foure score leagues thirtie five in length and fifteene in bredth at the largest place There are many Ilands which in olde time were inhabited and tilled but now lie waste It brings forth a great aboundance of reedes which the Indians call Totora which serves them to a thousand vses for it is meate for swine for horses and for men they make houses therewith fire and barkes To conclude the Vros in this their Totora finde all they have neede of These Vros be such dull and brutish people as they esteeme not themselves men It is reported of them that being demanded of what nation they were They answered they were not men but Vros as it were some kinde of beastes There are whole villages of these Vros inhabiting in the Lake in their boates of Totora the which are tied together and fastened to some rocke and often times the whole village changeth from place to place So as hee that would seeke them now whereas they were yesterday shall finde no shew nor remainder of them or of their village The current or issue of this Lake having runne above fiftie leagues makes another Lake but lesse then the first which they call Paria and containes in it some small Ilands but they finde no issue thereof Some imagine it runnes vnder the ground that it falles into the South sea giving out that there is a branch of a river which they see rise and enter into the sea neere the banke having no knowledge of the Spring But contrariwise I beleeve that the waters of this Lake dissolve and are dispearsed within the Lake it selfe through the heate of the Sunne This discourse seemes sufficient to prove that the Ancients had no reason to holde that the middle region was inhabitable for the defect of waters seeing there is such store both from heaven and on the earth Shewing the reason why the Sunne without the Tropicks causeth greatest quantitie of waters when it is farthest off and contrariwise within them it breedeth most when it is neerest CHAP. 7. COnsidering with my selfe often times what should cause the Equinoctial to be so moist as I have said to refute the opinion of the Ancients I finde no other reason but the great force of the sunne in those partes whereby it drawes vnto it a great aboundance of vapors from out of the Ocean which in those parts is very great and spatious and having drawne vnto it this great aboundance of vapours doth suddenly dissolve them into raine and it is approoved by many tryed experiences that the raine and great stormes from heaven proceed from the violent heat of the Sunne first as we have said before it raines in those countries whenas the Sunne casts his beames directly vpon the earth at which time he hath most force but when the Sun retyres the heat is moderate and then there falls no raine whereby we may conclude that the force and heat of the Sunne is the cause of raine in those Countries Moreover we observe both in Peru New Spaine and in all the burning Zone that the raine doth vsually fall in after-noone when as the sunne-beames are in their greatest force being strange to see it raine in the morning And therefore travellers fore-seeing it begin their iourneyes earely that they may end and rest before noone for they hold that commonly it raines after noone Such as have frequented and travelled those Countriâ—s can sufficiently speake thereof And there are that having made some abode there say that the greatest aboundance of raine is when the Moone is at the full but to say the trueth I could never make sufficient proofe thereof although I have observed it Moreover the dayes the yeere and the moneths shew the trueth hereof that the violent heate of the sunne causeth the raine in the burning Zone experience teacheth vs the like in artificiall thinges as in a Limbecke wherein they draw waters from hearbs flowers for the vehemencie of the fire forceth and driveth vp an aboundance of vapours which being pressed and finding no issue are converted into liquor and water The like wee see in gold and silver which wee refine with quicke-silver the fire being small and slow wee draw out almost nothing of the quicke-silver but if it bee quicke and violent it doth greatly evaporate the quick-silver which incountring the head above doth presently turne into liquor and begins to drop downe Even so the violent heate of the sunne produceth these two effects when it finds matter disposed that is to draw vp the vapours on high and to dissolve them presently and turne them into raine when there is any obstacle to consume them And although these things seeme contrary that one sunne within the burning Zone being neere should cause raine and without the Zone afarre off should breed the like effect so it is that all well considered there is no contrarietie A thousand effects in naturall causes proceede of contrarie things by divers meanes we drie linnen by the fire and in the aire and yet the one heats and the other cooles pastures are dried and hardened by the sunne and with the frost moderate exercise provokes sleepe being too violent it hindereth if you lay no wood on the fire it dieth if you lay on toâ— much it likewise quencheth for the onely proportion entertaines and makes it to continue To well discerne a thing it must not be too neere the eie nor too farre off but in a reasonable distance proportionable being too farre off from any thing we loose the sight and too neere likewise we cannot see it If the sunne beames be weake they draw vp no fogge from the rivers if they be violent having drawne vp the vapours they presently dissolve and consume them but if the heat be moderate it drawes vp and preserves it for this reason the vapours rise not commonly in the night nor at noone but in morning whenas the sunne begins to enter into his force There are a thousand examples of naturall causes vpon this subiect which we see do often grow from contrarie things whereby we must not wonder if the sunne being neere engenders raine and being farre off works the like effect but being of a moderate and proportionable distance causeth none at all Yet there remaines one doubt why the neerenes of the sunne causeth the raine vnder the burning Zone and without when it is farthest off In my opinion the reason is that in Winter without the Tropicks the sunne hath not force sufficient to consume the vapours which rise from the land and sea for these vapours grow in great aboundance in the cold region of the aire where they are congealed and thickened by the extremitie of the cold and after being pressed they dissolve and turne into water Therefore in Winter when the sunne is farthest off the daies short and the nights long his heat hath small force but when the sunne approacheth which is in the summer time his force is
such as it drawes vp the vapors and suddenly consumes and disperseth them for the heat and the length of the daies grow through the neerenes of the sunne But within the Tropickes vnder the burning Zone the far distance of the sunne workes the same effects that the neerenes doth without the Tropiks by reason whereof it raines no more vnder the burning Zone when the sunne is farre off then without the Tropicks when it is neerest for that in this approaching and retyâ—ing the sunne remaines alwaies in one distance whence proceedes this effect of cleerenes But when the sunne is in the period of his force in the burning zone and that he cast his beames directly vpon the inhabitants heads there is neither cleerenes nor drienes as it seems there should be but rather great and strange showers for that by this violent heat he drawes vp suddenly a great aboundance of vapours from the Earth and Ocean which are so thicke as the winde not able easily to disperse them they melt into water which breedeth the cold raine in so great aboundance for the excessive heat may soone draw vp many vapours the which are not so soone dissolved and being gathered together through their great aboundance they melt and dissolve into water The which we may easily discerne by this familiar example rost a peece of porke mutton or veale if the fire be violent and the meate neere we see the fatte melts suddenly and droppes away the reason is that the violent heat drawes forth the humour and fatte from the meate and being in great aboundance cannot dissolve it and so it distills more away But when the fire is moderate and the meat in an equall distance we see that it rostes hansomely and the fatte drops not too suddenly for that the moderate heat drawes out the moistnes which it consumes suddenly And therefore Cookes make a moderate fire and lay not their meate too neere nor too farre off lest it melt away The like may be seene in another experience in candles of tallow or waxe if the wike bee great it melts the tallow or the waxe for that the heat cannot consume the moistnes which riseth but if the flame be proporcionable the waxe melts nor droppes not for that the flame doth waste it by little and little as it riseth The which seemeth to me the true reason why vnder the Equinoctiall and burning Zone the violence of the heat doth cause raine the which in other Regions growes through want thereof How wee should vnderstand that which hath been formerly spoken of the burning Zone CHAP. 8. IF in naturall and phisicall things we must not seeke out infallible and mathematicall rules but that which is ordinarie and tried by experience which is the most perfect rule wee must then beleeve what wee have said that there is more humiditie vnder the burning Zone then in other Regions and that it raines lesse there when the sunne is neerest must be taken and vnderstood after one sort as in truth it is the most common and ordinarie But this is not to hinder the exceptions which nature hath given to this rule making some Regions of the burning Zone extreamely drie The which is reported of Ethiopia and wee have seene it in a great part of Peru where all that land or coast which they call Plaines wants raine yea land waters except some vallies where rivers fall from the mountaines the rest is a sandie and barren soile where you shall hardly finde any springs but some deepe welles But with the helpe of God wee will shew the reason why it raineth not in these Plaines the which many demand for now I onely pretend to shew that there are many exceptions to naturall rules whereby it may happen that in some part of the burning Zone it raines not when the sunne is neerest but being farthest off although vnto this daie I have neither seene nor heard of it but if it be so wee must attribute it to the particular qualitie of the earth and also if sometimes the contrarie doth chance we must have regard that in naturall things there happens many contrarieties and leâ—s whereby they change and dissolve one another For example it may be the sunne will cause raine and that the winds will hinder it or else cause more aboundance then hath been vsuall The windes have their properties and divers beginnings by the which they worke divers effects the which are most commonly contrarie to that which the order season requires Seeing then in all places we see great varieties in the yeere which proceedes from the divers motions and aspectes of Planets it is not out of purpose to say that in the burning Zone wee may see and observe some things contrarie to that we have tried But to conclude that which we have spoken is a certaine and vndoubted truth which is that the great draught which the Ancients held to be in the middle region which they call the burning Zone is nothing at all but contrariwise there is great humiditie and then it raines most when the sunne is neerest That the Burning Zone is not violently hotte but moderate CHAP. 9. HItherto wee haue treated of the humiditie of the Burning Zone now it shall be fit to discourse of the other two qualities Hotte and Colde We have shewed in the beginning of this Discourse how the Ancients held that the burning Zone was hotte and exceeding drie the which is not so for it is hote and moist and in the greatest part the heat is not excessive but rather moderate which some would hold incredible if we had not tried it When I passed to the Indies I will tell what chaunced vnto mee having read what Poets and Philosophers write of the bâ—â—ning Zone I perswaded my selfe that comming to the Equinoctiall I should not indure the violent heate but it fell out otherwise for when I passed which was when the sun was there for Zenith being entered into Aries in the moneth of March I felt so great cold as I was forced to go into the sunne to warme me what could I else do then but laugh at Aristotles Meteors and his Philosophie seeing that in that place and at that season whenas all should be scorched with heat according to his rules I and all my companions were a colde In truth there is no region in the world more pleasant and temperate then vnder the Equinoctiall although it be not in all parts of an equall temperature but have great diversities The burning Zone in some parts is very temperate as in Quitto and on the plaines of Peru in some partes verie colde as at Potozi and in some very hote as in Ethiopia Bresill and the Molucques This diversitie being knowne and certaine vnto vs we must of force seeke out another cause of cold and heat then the sunne beames seeing that in one season of theyeere and in places of one height and distance from the Pole and Equinoctiall we finde so great diversitie
the motion of the first motor which is the cause of day and night even so the difference which we see betwixt Winter and Summer proceeds from the neerenesse and distance of the Sunne according to the motion of the said Sunne which is the proper cause To speake trueth then it is Summer whenas the Sunne is neerest and Winter when it is farthest off Both heate and coldnesse and every other temperature growes of necessitie by the neerenesse and distance of the sunne but to raine or not to raine which is humiditie and drought doe not necessarily follow It is therefore easie to iudge besides this vulgar opinion that at Peru the Winter is cleere and without raine and the Summer full of showres and not otherwise as many beleeve that the winter is hotte and the summer cold They fall into the like error vpon the difference they make betwixt the Plaines and the Mountaines of Peru saying that when it is summer vpon the mountaine it is winter in the vallie which is in April Maie Iune Iuly and August for then the aire is very cleere vpon the mountaine without any raine or mistes and at the same season we commonly see fogges in the plaine which they call Guarva which is as it were a very sweet dew wherewith the sunne is covered But winter and summer as it is said are caused by the neerenesse and distance of the sunne Seeing then that throughout all Perâ— both vpon the Mountaines and on the Plaines the sunne approcheth and retyreth in one sort there is no reason to say that when it is summer in one part that it is winter in an other yet is it no mâ—tter of any importance to contend vpon the signification of words Let them terme them as they please and call that summer when it raines not although the heat be greater But that whereunto we must have greatest regard is the trueth of the subiect which is that drought and want of raine is not alwaies greatest when the sunne approcheth neerest as we see in the burning Zone That the burning Zone abounds with waters and pastures against the opinion of Aristotle who holds the contrarie CHAP. 6. BY the former Discourse wee may easily conceive that the burning Zone is not drie but abounding with waters the which is so true as it exceeds all the Regions of the world for store of waters except in some parts where there are sands and desart Countries as wee finde likewise in some other parts of the world As for water from Heaven wee have alreadie shewen that there is great aboundance of raine snow and haile which especially abound in the kingdome of Peru. But as for land-waters as rivers fountaines brookes springs floods and lakes I have not spoken thereof till now yet being an ordinarie thing that the waters below have a correspondencie with them above wee must not imagine that there can bee any want and in trueth there is so great store of springs and fountaines as you shall not finde in any Region or Countrie of the world so many lakes marishes and such store of rivers for the greatest part of America is almost inhabitable through too great aboundance of waters for that the rivers swelled with the great Raines in Summer doe often overflow their banckes with such furie as they breake all they incounter and in many places they cannot passe by reason of the mudde and myre of marishes and vallies for this cause those that live neere to Paraguen whereof wee have made mention foreseeing the rising of the River before it comes put themselves and their goods into Canoes and so preserve themselves and their goods fâ—oating vp and downe almost for the space of three moneths and when the River is returned within her boundes then they goe to their houses still wette and dropping with the â—â—ood And this River is so great as Nile Ganges Euphrates all together cannot equall it But what shall we say of the great river of Magdalaine which falles into the sea betwixt S. Martha and Carthagene and with reason is called the great river Sailing in those parts I was amazed to see her streame which was very cleere runne ten leagues into the sea being in breadth above two leagues not mingling noâ— vanquished with the violent waves of the Ocean But if we shall speake more of rivers that great floud called by some the river of Amazons by others Marannon and by some the river of Orellana which our Spaniards sailed in their discoveries ought to blemish all the rest and in truth I am in doubt whither I may tearme it a river or a sea It flowes from the mountaines of Peru from whence it receiâ—es a great aboundance of water both of raine and of rivers which it gathereth into it then passing by the great plaines of Pautiti Dorado and the Amazons in the end it falles into the Ocean almost right against the â—land of Marguerite and Trinidado It hath so large broad a channel specially in the last third part of her length as it contains in it many great â—lands And that which seemes incredible when you saile through the midst of it you shall see nothing but aire and water They say moreover that from the midst you cannot see nor discover with the eye many great and high mountaines which are vpon the bankes by reason of her great bredth We have learned from credible persons the great and wonderfull bredth of this river which in my opinion deserves well the name of Empresse and Queene of all flouds which was by the report of a brother of our company who being then yong sailed it in the company of Peter d'Orsua with whom hee was present at all the adventures of this strange entrie and discoverie and at the seditious and pernitious acts of that wicked Diego d' Aguirra from the which God delivered him to place him in our company Such are the rivers in that region which they call the burning Zone and the drie parcht vp countrie in the which Aristotle and the Ancients affirmed there were neither waters nor pastures But seeing I have made mention of the river of Marannon to shew the abundance of the waters that are in the burning zone it shall not be from the purpose to speake somewhat of that great Lake which they call Titicaca which is in the midst of the Province of Collao There are above ten great rivers which loose themselves entring into that Lake and yet hath it no issue but one small current of water although some hold it to be very deepe and of such a fashion as it is impossible to build a bridge over it for the depth of the water neither can they passe it by boate for the violence of the current They passe it by an artificiall and notable practice peculiar to the Indians with a bridge of straw laied vpon the water the which being of so light a substance sinkes not and yet this passage is very easie and
go commonly to recreate themselves at the Narells or monasteries of these Monkes and returne in a manner alwayes drunke These monasteries commonly are without the townes and have temples within their close yet in China they are not greatly curious of idolles or of temples for the Mandarins little esteeme idolls and do hold it for a vaine thing and worthy to be laughed at yea they beleeve there is no other life nor Paradice but to be in the office of the Mandarins nor any other hel than the prisons they have for offendours As for the common sorte they say it is necessary to entertayne them with idolatry as the Philosopher himselfe reacheth his Governors and in the Scripture it was an excuse which Aaron gave for the idol of the Calfe that he caused to be made yet the Chinois vsed to tarry in the poupe of their shippes in little chapels a virgin imbosst set in a chaire with two Chinois before her kneeling in maner of Angels having a light burning there both day and night And when they are to sette saile they do many sacrifices and ceremonies with a great noyse of drummes and bells casting papers burnt at the poupe Comming to our religious men I doe not knowe that in Peru there is any proper houses for men but for the Priests and Sorcerers whereof there is an infinite number But it seemeth that in Mexico the divel hath set a due observation for within the circuit of the great temple there were two monasteries as before hath bin sayd one of Virgins whereof I have spoken the other of yoong men secluded of eighteene or twenty yeares of age which they called religious They weare shaved crownes as the Friars in these partes their haire alittle longer which fell to the middest of their care except the hinder part of the head which they let growe the breadth of foure fingers downe to their shoulders and which they tyed vppe in tresses These yoong men that served in the temple of Vitzliputzli lived poorely and chastely and did the office of Levites ministering to the priests and chiefe of the temple their incense lights garments they swept and made cleane the holy places bringing wood for a continual fire to the harth of their god which was like a lampe that still burnt before the Altar of their idoll Besides these yong men there were other little boyes as novices that served for manuall vses as to deck the temple with boughs roses and reeds give the Priests water to wash with give them their rasors to sacrifice and goe with such as begged almes to carry it All these had their superiors who had the governement over them they lived so honestly as when they came in publike where there were any women they carried their heads very lowe with their eyes to the ground not daring to beholde them they had linnen garments and it was lawfull for them to goe into the Citty foure or sixe together to aske almes in all quarters and when they gave them none it was lawful to go into the corne fields and gather the cares of corne or clusters of Mays which they most needed the Maister not daring to speake nor hinder them They had this liberty because they lived poorely and had no other revenues but almes There might not be above fifty live in penance rising at midnight to sound the cornets and trumpets to awake the people Every one watched the idoll in his turne left the fire before the Altare should die they gave the censor with the which the Priest at midnight incensed the idoll and also in the morning at noone and at night They were very subiect and obedient to their superiors and passed not any one poynt that was commaunded them And at midnight after the priesthad ended his censing they retired themselves into a secret place apart sacrificing drawing blood from the calfes of their legges with sharpe bodkins with this blood they rubbed their temples vnder their cares and this sacrifice finished they presently washt themselves in a little poole appoynted to that end These yong men did not annoint their heads and bodies with any Petum as the Priestes did their garments were of a course white linnen cloth they do make there These exercises and strictnesse of penance continued a whole yeare during which time they lived with great austeritie and solitarinesse In truth it is very strange to see that this false opinion of religion hath so great force among these yoong men and maidens of Mexico that they will serve the Divell with so great rigor and austerity which many of vs doe not in the service of the most high God the which is a great shame and confusion for those amongst vs that glory to have doone a small penaunce although this exercise of the Mexicaines was not continuall but for a yeare onely which made it the more tollerable Of Penance and the Strictnes the Indians have vsed at the Divells perswasion CHAP. 17. SEeing we are come to this point it shall bee good both to discover the cursed pride of Sathan and to confound it and somewhat to quicken our coldnes and slâ—th in the service of the great GOD to speake some thing of the rigor and strange penance this miserable people vsed at the Divells perswasion like to the false Prophets of Baal who did beate and wound themâ—elves with lancets drawing forth bloud or like those that sacrificed their sonnes and daughters vnto loathsome Belphegor passing them through the fire as holy Writ testifieth for Sathan hath alwayes desired to be served to the great hurte and spoyle of man It hath beene said that the priests and religious of Mexico rose at midnight and having cast incense before the idoll they retired themselves into a large place where there were many lights and sitting downe every one tooke a poynt of Manguay which is like vnto an awle or sharpe bodkin with the which or with some other kindes of launcets or rasors they pierced the calfes of their legges neare to the bone drawing foorth much blood with the which they annoynted their temples dipt these bodkins or lancets in the rest of the blood then set they them vpon the battlements of the Court stickt in gloabes or bowles of strawe that all might see and know the penance they did for the people they do wash off the blood in a lake appoynted for that purpose which they call Ezapangue which is to say water of blood There were in the Temple a great number of bodkins or lancets for that they might not vse one twice Moreover these Priests and Religious men vsed great fastings of five or ten daies together before any of their great feastes and they were vnto them as our foure ember weekes they were so strict in continence that some of them not to fall into any sensualitie slit their members in the midst and did a thousand thinges to make themselves vnable lest they should offend
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
and inviron this great masse of the earth the which was wrought by the wisedome of that great Architect They say the earth is built vpon the waters and vpon the sea but contrariwise the earth is rather vnder the waters for according to common iudgement and imagination that which is on the other part of the earth which we inhabite seemes to be vnder the earth and so by the same reason the waters and sea which doe compasse in the earth on the other part should be vnderneath and the earth aboue yet the very truth is that what is properly beneath that is alwaies in the midst of the vniversall but the holy scripture frames it selfe to our manner of conceiving and speaking Some may demaund seeing the earth is set vpon the waters as the scripture sayeth whereon the waters are placed or what support have they And if the earth and the water make one round globe how can all this monstrous masse be sustayned To this the holy scripture answereth them in another place giving vs greatest cause to admire the power of the Creator and saith in these wordes The earth extends towards the North vpon the Vast and stayes hanging vpon nothing The which in trueth is very well spoken for that really it seemes this heape of earth and water is set vpon nothing when we describe it in the middest of the ayre as in trueth it is But this wonder which men so much admire God himselfe hath not layd open demanding of the same Iob in these termes Tell mee if thou canst who hath layd the lyne or cast the lead for the building of the world and with what morter the foundations have beene layed and ioyned Finally to make vs vnderstand the fashion and modell of this admirable frame of the world the Prophet Dauid accustomed to sing and praise his divine works saies very well in a Psalme made of this subiect in these wordes Thou which hast built the earth vpon firmenes it selfe that it cannot stagger nor move for ever and ever Meaning to shew the cause why the earth set in the midst of the ayre falleth not nor staggereth from place to place for that by nature it hath sure foundations layed by the most wise Creator to the end it might sustaine it selfe without any other support Mans imagination is therefore deceived in this place seeking other foundations of the earth and for want thereof doth measure divine things according to humaine reason So that we neede not to feare how gâ—eat or heavy soever this masse of earth then hanging in the aire seemeth to be that it can fal or turne topsy turâ—y being assured vpon this point for that the same Psalmist saieth that it shall neuer be overthrowne Truly Dauid with reason after he had beheld and sung the wonderfull workes of the Lord doth not cease to praise him in the same saying O how great wonderfull are the workes of the Lord. It appeares that all spring from his knowledge And in truth if I shall freely speake my opinion touching this point often in my trauell passing the great gulfes of the Ocean and marching by other regions of so strange lands staying to behold and consider the greatnes of these workes of the Lord I felt a wonderfull consolation of the soveraigne wisedome and greatnes of the Creator who shines in his works in comparison whereof all the Pallaces Castells and princely buildings together with all the inventions of man seeme nothing yea are base and contemptible in respect thereof O how often hath come into my minde and mouth that place of the Psalme which sayeth thus Great comfort hast thou given me O Lord by thy workes I will not cease to reioyce in the contemplation of the workes of thy hands Really and in truth the workes of God haue I know not what secret hidden grace and vertve the which although they be often beheld yet do they still cause a new taste and content whereas contrariwise the workes of man although they be built with exquisite art yet often seene they are no more esteemed but breede a distaste be they most pleasant Gardins Pallaces or stately Temples be they Piramides of proud buildings Pictures carved images or stones of rare worke and invention or whatsoever else adorned with all the beauties possible Yet is it most certen that viewing them twice or thrice with attention the eye presently turnes away being glutted with the sight thereof But if you beholde the sea with attention or some steepe mountaine growing from a plaine to a strange heigth or the fieldes clad in their naturall verdure with pleasant flowres or the raging course of some river beating continually against the rocks finally what worke of nature soever although it be often viewed yet doth it still breede a new content and never gluttes the sight the which is like vnto a stately bancket of the divine wisedom which doth alwaies cause a new consideration without any lothing Containing an answere to that which is obiected out of the holy Scripture against the roundnes of the earth CHAP. 4. REturning then to the figure of heaven I know not out of what authoritie of the holy scripture they can prove that it is not round nor his motion circular neither do I see whereas S. Paul calles the heaven a Tabernacle or a Tent which God made not man how can it be applied to this purpose for although he telleth vs that it was made by God yet must we not therefore coniecture that the heaven covereth the earth like to a roofe on the one part only neither that the heaven was framed without motion as it seemes some would inferre The Apostle in this place treated of the conformity of the auncient Tabernacle of the lawe saying therevpon that the Tabernacle of the new law of grace is heaven into the which the great Priest Iesus Christ entred once by his bloud and thereby is vnderstood that there is as great preheminence of the new aboue the old as there is difference betwixt the author of the new which is God and of the olde which was man although it be most certen that the olde was built by the wisedome of God who instructed his workeman BeZeleell Neither must we imagine that these comparisons parables and allegories doe in all thinges agree with that wherevnto they are applyed as the happy Crysostome hath learnedly spoken vpon this point The other authoritie which S. Augustine saies is alleaged of some to shew that the heaven is not round is this The heavens stretch forth like vnto a skin Whereby he concludes that it is not round but flat on the vpper part wherevnto the same Doctor doth answere verie well and familiarly giuing vs to vnderstand that that place of the Psalme is not properly to be vnderstood of the figure of heaven but onely to shew with what facilitie God built so great a heaven being no more painefull for him to
build so huge a couer as the heaven is then to vnfould a double skin Or else the Psalmist pretending to shew vs the great maiesty of God to whome the heaven with his greatnes and beautie doth serve in like manner as our tents and pavilions in the field The which was well expressed by a Poet calling it The Tent of the cleere heaven In like sort the place of Isaii which sayeth Heaven serves mee as a chaire and the earth for a foote-stoole But if wee follow the error of the Antromorphites which did atribute corporall members vnto God according to his divinitie we should haue occasion vppon this last text to examine how it were possible the earth should be a foote-stoole to Gods feete and how the same God could hold his feete of the one part and the other and many heads round about seeing that hee is in all partes of the world which were a vaine and ridiculous thing Wee must therefore conclude that in the holy scriptures we ought not to follow the letter which killes but the spirit which quickneth as saith S. Paul Of the fashion and forme of Heaven at the new-found world CHAP. 5. MAny in Europe demaund of what forme and fashion Heaven is in the Southerne parts for that there is no certaintie found in ancient bookes who although they graunt there is a Heaven on this other part of the world yet come they not to any knowledge of the forme thereof although in trueth they make mention of a goodly great Starre seene in those partes which they call Canopus Those which of late dayes have sayled into these parts have accustomed to write strange things of this heaven that it is very bright having many goodly starres and in effect thinges which come farre are commonly described with encrease But it seemes contrary vnto me holding it for certaine that in our Region of the North there is a greater nomber and bigger Starres finding no starres in these partes which exceed the Fisher or the Chariot in bignesse It is true that the Crosse in these partes is very fayre and pleasing to behold wee call the Crosse foure notable and apparant starres which make the forme of a crosse set equally and with proportion The ignorant suppose this Crosse to be the southerne Pole for that they see the Navigators take their heigth thereby as we are accustomed to doe by the North starre But they are deceyved and the reason why Saylers doe it in this â—orte is for that in the South parts there is no fixed starre that markes the Pole as the North starre doth to our Pole And therefore they take their heigth by the starre at the foot of the Crosse distant from the true and fixed Pole Antarticke thirtie degrees as the North starre is distant from the Pole Articke three degrees or little more And so it is more difficult to take the heigth in those parts for that the sayd starre at the foote of the Crosse must bee right the which chanceth but in one houre of the night which is in divers seasons of the yeere in divers houres and often times it appeareth not in the whole night so as it is very difficult to take the heigth And therefore the most expert Pilots regard not the Crosse taking the heigth of the Sunne by the Astrolabe by which they know in what height they are wherein commonly the Portugals are more expert as a Nation that hath more discourse in the Arte of Navigation then any other There are also other starres in these southerne parts which in some sort resemble those of the North. That which they call the Milken way is larger and more resplendent in the south parts appearing therein those admirable blacke spots whereof wee have made mention As for other particularities let others speake of them with greater curiositle and let this which wee have sayde suffice for this time That there is Land and Seavader the two Poles CHAP. 6. IIt is no smal labour to have vnfolded this doubt with this knowledge and resolution that there is a Heaven in these parts of the Indies which doth cover them as in Europe Asia and Aâ—â—riâ—ke And this point serveth often against many Spaniards who beeing here sigh for Spaine having no discourse but of their countrie They wonder yea they grow discontented with vs imagining that we have forgotten make small accompt of our native soyle To whom we answere that the desire to returne into Spaine doth nothing trouble vs being as neere vnto Heaven at Peru as in Spaine as saint Ierome saith well writing vnto Paulinus That the gates of Heaven are as neere vnto Brittanie as to Ierusalem But although the Heaven doth compasse in the world of all paâ—ts yet must we not imagine that there is land necessarily on all parts of the world For being so that the two elements of earth and water make one globe or bowle according to the opinion of the most renowmed ancient Authors as Plutarch testifieth and as it is prooved by most certaine demonstrations wee may coniecture that the sea doth occupie all this part which is vnder the Antartike or southerne Pole so as there should not remaine any place in these partes for the earth the which saint Augustine doth very learnedly hold against them that maintaine the Antipodes saying that although it bee prooved and wee beleeve that the worlde is round like to a bowle wee may not therefore inferre that in this other part of the worlde the earth is vncovered and without water Without doubt saint Augustine speakes well vpon this point and as the contrary is not prooved so doth it not follow that there is any land discovered at the Antarticke Pole The which experience hath now plainely taught vs for although the greatest part of the worlde vnder the Pole Antarticke be sea yet is it not altogether but there is likewise land so as in all parts of the world the earth and water imbrace one another which truely is a thing to make vs admire and glorifie the Arte of the soveraigne Creator We know then by the holy Scripture that in the beginning of the worlde the waters were gathered together in one place so as the earth remayned vncovered Moreover the same holy Writte doth teach vs that these gatherings together of the water were called Sea and as there be many so of necessitie there must be many Seas And this diversitie of seas is not onely in the Mediterranean Sea whereas one is called Euxiâ—e another the Caspian an other the Erethean or redde Sea an other the Persian an other of Italie and so many others But also in the great Ocean which the holy Scripture doth vsually call a gulph although really and in trueth it be but a Sea yet in many and divers manners as in respect of Peru and all America the one is called the North Sea the other the South and at the East Indies the one is called
the Indian sea the other that of China And I have observed as well by my owne navigation as by the relation of others that the Sea is never divided from the Lande above a thousand Leagues And although the great Ocean stretcheth farre yet doth it never passe this measure I will not for all this affirme that wee sayle not above a thousand leagues in the Ocean which were repugnant to trueth being well knowne that the shippes of Portugal have sailed foure times as much and more and that the whole world may bee compassed about by sea as wee have seene in these dayes without any further doubt But I say and affirme that of that which is at this day discovered there is no land distant from an other firme land by direct line or from some Islands neere vnto it above a thousand leagues and so betwixt two firme lands there is no greater distance of sea accompting from the neerest parts of both the lands for from the end of Europe or Affricke and their coastes to the Canaries the Isles of Acores Cape Verd and others in the like degree are not above three hundred leagues or five hundred from the Mayne land From the saide Ilands running along to the West Indies there are scant nine hundred leagues to the Ilands of saint Dominick the Virgins the Happy Ilandes and the rest and the same Ilands runne along in order to the Ilandes of Barlovent which are Cuba Hispanâ—ola and Boriquen from the same Ilands vnto the Mayne land are scarce two or three hundred leagues in the neerest part farre lesse The firme land runnes an infinite space from Terraâ—Florida to the land of Patagons and on the other side of the South from the Straight of Maggellan to the Cape of Mendoce there runnes a long Continent but not very large for the largest is the Travers of Peru which is distant from Brasil about a thousand leagues In this South Sea although they have not yet discovered the ende towards the West yet of late they have found out the Ilands which they call Salomon the which are many and great distant from Peru about eyght hundred leagues And for that wee finde by observation that whereas there bee many and great Ilandes so there is some firme Land not farre off I my selfe with many others doe beleeve that there is some firme land neere vnto the Ilands of Salomon the which doth answere vnto our America on the West part and possibly might runne by the heigth of the South to the Straightes of Maggellan Some hold that Nova Guinea is firme Land and some learned men describe it neere to the Ilands of Salomon so as it is likely a good parte of the world is not yet discovered seeing at this day our men sayle in the South Sea vnto China and the Philippines and wee say that to go from Peru to those parts they passe a greater Sea then in going from Spaine to Peru. Moreover wee know that by that famous Straight of Maggellan these two Seas doe ioyne and continue one with an other I say the South sea with that of the North by that part of the Antarticke Pole which is in fiftie one degrees of altitude But it is a great question wherein many have busied themselvesâ— whether these two Seas ioyne together in the North part but I have not heard that any vnto this day could attayne vnto this point but by certaine likelihoods and coniectures some affirme there is an other Straight vnder the North opposite to that of Maggellan But it sufficeth for our subiect to knowe that there is a firme Land on this Southerne part as bigge as all Europe Asiae and Affricke that vnder both the Poles we finde both land and sea one imbracing an other Whereof the Ancients might stand in doubt and contradict it for want of experience To confute the opinion of Lactantius who holdes there be no Antipodes CHAP. 7. SEeing it is manifest that there is firme land vpon the South part or Pole Antartike wee must now see if it be inhabited the which hath bene a matter very disputable in former times Lactantius Firmian and S. Augustine mocke at such as hold there be any Antipodes which is as much to say as men marching with their feete opposite to ours But although these two authors agree in theis ieasts yet doe they differ much in their reasons and opinions as they were of very divers spirits and iudgements Lactantius followes the vulgar seeming ridiculous vnto him that the heaven should be round and that the earth should bee compassed in the midst thereof like vnto a ball whereof he writes in these tearmes What reason is there for some to affirme that there are Antipodes whose steppes are opposite to ours Is it possible that any should bee so grosse and simple as to beleeve there were a people or nation marching with their feâ—te vpwardes and their heades downwardes and that thinges which are placed heere of one sort are in that other part hanging topsie turvie that trees and corne growe downwardes and that raine snow haile fall from the earth vpward Then after some other discourse the same Lactantius vseth these words The imagination and conceit which some haue had supposing the heaven to be round hath bene the cause to invent these Antipodes hanging in the aire So as I knowe not what to say of such Philosophers whoe having once erred continue still obstinately in their opinions defending one another But whatsoever he saieth wee that live now at Peru and inhabite that part of the world which is oposite to Asia and their Antipodes as the Cosmographers do teach vs finde not our selves to bee hanging in the aire our heades downward and our feete on high Truly it is strange to consider that the spirit and vnderstanding of man cannot attaine vnto the trueth without the vse of imagination and on the other part it were impossible but he should erre and be deceived if hee should wholy forbeare it We cannot comprehend the heaven to be round as it is and the earth to bee in the middest of it without imagination But if this imagination were not controuled and reformed by reason in the end we should bee deceiued whereby we may certainely conclude that in our soules there is a certaine light of heaven whereby wee see and iudge of the interior formes which present themselves vnto vs and by the same we alow of or reiect that which imagination doth offer vnto vs. Hereby we see that the rationall soule is above all corporall powers and as the force and etenall vigour of truth doth rule in the most eminent part of man yea we plainely see that this pure light is participant and proceedes from that first great light that whoso knoweth not this or doubteth thereof we may well say that he is igmorant or doubtes whether he be a man or no. So if we shall demaund of our imagination what it thinkes of the roundnes of
heaven without doubt she will answere vs as Lactantius doth That if the heaven were round the Sun starres should fall when as they move and change their places rising towards the South Even so if the earth did hang in the ayre those which inhabite the other part should go with their feete vpwards and their heades downward and the raine which falles from above should mount vpward with many other ridiculous deformities But if we consult with the force of reason she will make small accoumpt of all these vaine imaginations nor suffer vs to beleeve them no more than a foolish dreame But Reason will answer with this her integritie and gravitie that it were a very grosse error to imagine the whole world to be like vnto a house placing the earth for the foundation and the heaven for the covering Moreover she will say that as in all creatures the head is the highest part and most elevated although all creatures have not heades placed in one and the same sctuation some being in the highest part as man some athwart as sheepe others in the middest as spiders even so the heaven in what part soeuer it be remaines above and the earth likewise in what part soever remaines vnderneath Our imagination therefore is grounded vpon time and place the which she cannot comprehend nor conceive in generall but in particular It followeth that when wee shall raise it to the consideration of things which exceede the time and place which are knowne vnto her then presently she shrinkes and cannot subsist if reason doth not support her In like sort we see vpon the discourse of the creation of the worlde our imagination straies to seeeke out a time before the creation thereof and to build the world she discribes a place but shee comes not to consider that the worlde might bee made after another fashion Notwithstanding reason doth teach vs that there was no time before there was a motion whereof time is the measure neyther was there any place before the vniversall which comprehendes within it all place Wherein the excellent Philosopher Aristotle doth plainely satisfie and in few wordes that argument made against the place of the earth helping himselfe with our vse of imagination when hee saâ—eth and with trueth That in the world the same place of the earth is in the midst and beneath and the more a thing is in the middest the more it is vnderneath The which answer being produced by Lactantius Firmian yet hee doth passe it over without confutation by reason saying that he cannot stay thereon and omitte the handling of other matters The reason why S. Augustine denied the Antipodes CHAP. 8. THe reason which moved S. Augustine to deny the Antipodes was other then that formerly alleadged being of a higher iudgement for the reson before mentioned that the Antipodes should go vpwards is confuted by the same Doctor in his booke of sermons in these words The ancients hold that the earth of all parts is beneath and the heaven above by reason whereof the Antipodes which they say go opposite vnto vs have like vnto vs the heaven above their heads Seeing then S. Augustine hath confessed this to bee conformable to good Philosophie what reason shall we say did move so learned and excellent a man to follow the contrary opinion Doubtlesse he drew the motive and cause from the bowels of divinitie whereby the holie Writ doth teach vs that all mankinde doth come from the first man Adam and to say that men could passe to that new world crossing the great Ocean were vncredible and a meere lye And in truth if the successe an experience of what we have seene in these ages had not satisfied vs in this point we had yet held this reason to bee good And although we know this reason neither to be pertinent nor true yet will we make answere therevnto shewing in what sort and by what meanes the first linage of men might passe thither and howe and by what meanes they came to people and inhabite the Indies And for that wee meane heereafter to intreat briefly of this subiect it shall be fit now to vnderstand what the holy Doctor Augustine disputes vppon this matter in his bookes of the cittie of God It is no point that we ought to beleeve as some affirme that there are Antipodes that is to say men which inhabite that other part of the earth in whose region the Sunne riseth when it sets with vs and that their steppes be opposite and contrarie to ours seeing they affirme not this by any certaine revelation which they have but onely by a Philosophicall discourse they make whereby they conclude that the earth being in the middest of the world invironed of all parts and covered equallie with the heaven of necestitie that must be in the lowest place which is in the midst of the world Afterwardes hee continues in these words The holie Scripture doth not erre neither is deceived in anie sort the truth whereof is well approved in that which it propoundeth of things which are passed for as much as that which hath benefore-told hath succeded in every point as we see And it is a thing voide of all sense to say that men could passe from this continent to the new found world cut through the Vast Ocean seeing it were impossible for men to passe into those parts any other way being most certain that almen desceÌ„d from the first man Wherein we see that all the difficultie S. Augustine hath found was nothing else but the incomparable greatnes of this vast Ocean Gregorie Nazianzene was of the same opinion assuring as a matter without any doubt that it was not possible to saile beyond the Straights of Gibraltar and vpon this subiect he writes in an Epistle of his I agree well with the saying of Pindarus That past Cadiz that Sea is not nauigable And hee himselfe in the funerall Sermon he made for saint Basil saith It was not tollerable for anie one sailing on the Sea to passe the Straight of Gibraltar And it is true that this place of Pindarus where he saith That it is not lawfull neyther for wise men nor fooles to know what is beyond the Straight of Gibraltar hath beene taken for a Proverbe Thus we see by the beginning of this Proverbe how the Ancients were obstinately setled in this opinion as also by the bookes of Poets Historiographers and ancient Cosmographers that the end and bounds of the earth were set at Cadiz in Spaine where they plant the pillars of Hercules there they set the limits of the Romane Empire and there they describe the boundes of the world And not onely prophane writers speake in this sort but also the holy Scripture to apply it selfe to our phrase saith That the edict of Augustus Caesaâ— was published to the end that all the world should be taxed and of Alexander the great that he stretched forth his Empire even to the end and
vttermost bounds of the earth And in another place they say that the Gospell did flourish and increase through the vniversall world For the holy Scripture by an vsuall phrase calleth all the worlde that which is the greatest part thereof and was at that time discovered and knowne And the Ancients were ignorant that the East Indian Sea and that of the West were navigable wherin they have generally agreed By reason whereof Plinie writes as a certaine trueth that the seas which are betwixt two lands takes from vs a iust moitie of the habitable earth For saith he we cannot passe thither neyther they come hither Finally Tullie Macrobius Pomponius Mela and the ancient Writers hold the same opinion Of Aristotles opinion touching the new Worlde and what abused him to make him deny it CHAP. 9. BEsides all the former reasons there was yet an other which mooved the Ancients to beleeve it to be impossible for men to passe to this new world the which they held for that besides the vastnesse of the great Ocean the heate of that Region which they call the burning Zone was so excessive as it would not suffer any man how venturous or laborious so-ever to passe by sea or land from one Pole to an other For although these Philosophers have themselves affirmed that the earth was round as in effect it is and that vnder the 2. Poles there was habitable land yet could they not conceyve that the Region containing all that lyeth betwixt the two Tropickes which is the greatest of the five Zones or Regions by the which the Cosmographers and Astrologers divide the Worlde might be inhabited by man The reason they give to maintaine this Zone to be inhabitable was for the heat of the Sunne which makes his course directly over this Region and approcheth so neere as it is set on fire and so by consequence causeth a want of waters and pastures Aristotle was of this opinion who although he were a great Philosopher yet was hee deceyved in this poynt for the cleering whereof it shall be good to observe his reasons and to note wherein he hath discoursed well and wherein he hath erred This Philosopher makes a question of the Meridionall or Southerne winde whether wee should beleeve it takes his beginning from the South or from the other Pole contrary to the North and writes in these termes Reason teacheth vs that the latitude and largenesse of the habitable earth hath her boundes and limits and yet all this habitable earth cannot bee vnited and ioyned one to the other by reason the middle Region is so intemperate For it is certaine that in her longitude which is from East to West there is no immoderate cold nor heate but in her latitude and heigth which is from the Pole to the Equinoctiall Line So as we may well passe the whole earth in her longitude if the greatnesse of the Sea which ioynes lands together were no hinderance Hitherto there is no contradicting of Aristotle who hath great reason to affirme that the earth in her longitude which is from East to West runnes more equally is more proper for the life and habitation of man then in her latitude from North to South The which is true not onely for this foresaid reason of Aristotle that there is alwayes one temperature of the Heavens from East to West being equally distant both from the Northerne colde and the Southerne heate But also for an other reason for that travelling alwayes in longitude we see the dayes and nights succed one another by course the which falleth not out going in her latitude for of necessitie wee must come to that Region vnder the Pole whereas there is continuall night for sixe Moneths a very inconvenient thing for the life of man The Philosopher passeth on further râ—prooving the Geographers which described the earth in his time and saith thus Wee may discerne the trueth of that which I have sayd by the passages which may be made by land and the navigations by sea for there is a great difference betwixt the longitude and the latitude for the distance from the pillars of Hercules at the Straight of Gibraltar vnto the East Indies exceeds the proportion of above five to three the passage which is from Ethiopia to the lake of Meotis in the farthest confines of Scythia the which is confirmed by the account of iourneyes by land by sayling as we do now know by experience we have also knowledge of the habitable earth even vnto those partes which are inhabitable And truely in this point wee must pardon Aristotle seeing that in his time they had not discovered beyond the first Ethiopia called the exterior ioyning to Arabia and Affricke the other Ethiopia being wholy vnknowne in his age Yea all that great Land which we now call the Land of Prete Ian neyther had they any knowledge of the rest that lyes vnder the Equinoctiall and runnes beyond the Tropicke of Capricorne vnto the Cape of good Hope so famous and well knowne by the navigation of Portugals so as if wee measure the Land from this Cape vnto Scythia and Tartaria there is no doubt but this distance and latitude will proove as great as the longitude which is from Gibraltar vnto the East Indies It is certaine the Ancients had no knowledge of the springs of Nilus nor of the ende of Ethiopia and therefore Lucan reprooves the curiositie of Iulius Caesar searching out the springs of Nilus in these verses O Romaine what availes thee so much travell In search of Niles first source thy selfe to gravell And the same Poet speaking to Nile sayth Since thy first source is yet so vnrevealed Nile what thou art is from the world concealed But by the holy scripture we may conceive that this land is habitable for if it were not the Prophet Sophonias would not say speaking of these nations called to the Gospell The children of my dispersed so he calleth the Apostles shall bring me presents from beyond the bancks of Ethiopia Yet as I have said there is reason to pardon the Philosopher who beleeved the writers and Cosmographers of his time Let vs continue and examine what followes of the same Aristotle One part of the world saith he which lieth towards the North beyond the temperate zone is inhabitable for the exceeding cold the other part vpon the South is likewise inhabitable beyond the Tropicke for the extreame heate But the partes of the world lying beyond India on the one side and the pillers of Hercules on the other without doubt cannot bee ioyned and continued one with the other so as all the habitable earth is not conteined in one continent by reason of the sea which divides it In this last point he speakes truth then hee continues touching the other partes of the world saying It is necessarie the earth should have the same proportion with the Pole Antarticke as this our part which is habitable hath with the North and there
is no doubt but in that other world all things should be ordred as in ours especially in the growing and order of the winds And having alleaged other reasons to no purpose he concludes saying We must confesse of necessitie that the Southerne wind is that which blowes and comes from the burning zone the which being so neere the sunne wantes water and pastures This is Aristotles opinion and in truth mans coniecture can hardly passe any farther So as I do often consider with a Christian contemplation how weake the Philosophie of the wise of this world hath beene in the search of divine things seeing in humaine things wherein they seeme so well read they often erre Aristotle holds that the habitable earth of the Pole Antartike in longitude from East to West is very great and in latitude from the Pole Antartike to the Equiâ—â—cticall is very sâ—â—all â—â— the which is so contrary to the truth that in a maner all the habitation on this side the Pole Antartike is in latitude I meane from the Pole to the line and in longitude from East to West it is so small as the latitude exceedes in three partes or more In his other opinion he affirmeâ— that the middle region is inhabitable being vnder the burning zone burnt vp by the excessive heate caused by the neâ—renes of the sunne and by this reason hath neither waters nor pastures The which is in like soâ—t contrary for the greatest part of this new world is scituated betwixt the two Tropickes vnder the burning zone and yet is it found very well peopled and inhabited by men and other sortes of creaâ—ures being a region of all the world the most fruitfull of waters and pastures and very temperate in the greatest paâ—t which the will of God hath so appointed to shew that even in naturall things he hath confounded the wisedome of this world To conclude wee must beleeve that the burning zone is well inhabited although the auncients have held it impossible But the other zone or region which lyeth betwixt the burning zone and that of the Pole Antartike although it bee in a climate more commodious for the life of man yet is it smally peopled and inhabited seeing wee know no other dwelling in it but the Kingdome of Chile and a small portion ioyning to the Cape of good Hope The rest is possessed by the Ocean Although many be of opinion the which I likewise hold that there is much more land not yet discovered the which should be firme land opposite to the Kingdome of Chile which runnes beyond the circkle or Tropicke of capricorne And if there be any without doubt it is a land of an excellent temper being in the midst of two extreames and scituate in the same climate with the best regions in Europe And in this regarde Aristotles coniecture was good But speaking of what is discovered at this day in this zone it is little in regard of the large countries inhabited vnder the burning zone That Plinie and the auncients held the same opinion with Aristotle CHAP. 10. THis opinion of Aristotles hath bene held by Plinie who saith thus The temperature of the middle region of the world where the sunne continually runnes his course is scorched and burnt vp as with a neere fire Ioyning to the same region there are two others of eyther side which lying betwixt the heat of this burning zone the cruell cold of the other two extreams are very temperate and can have no communication one with another by reason of the excessive heate of the heaven which hath bene the opinion of the Ancients generally discribed by the Poet in these verses Heavens circuit is of fiue zones one whereof Which still the sunne burnes makes the earth below With flames intempestiue red hotte to glow And the same Poet in another place Heare this if any harbour in that seate Whose quarter vnder that large zone is set Amidst foure others by the sunne enlightned And another Poet speakes more plainely As many regions are there on the ground As are in heaven wherein fiue parts are found Whereof the midst through heate raisd from the rayes Of scorching sunne inhabitable staies The Auncients have grounded their generall opinion vpon one reason which seemed to them certaine and not to be confuted for finding that the more a region drew neere vnto the South the hotter it was the proofe whereof was so infallible in those regions as by the same reason in Italie Apulia is hotter then Tuscane and in Spaine Andelozia then Biscaie A thing so apparent that although there bee but eight degrees difference or lesse betwixt the one and the other yet do wee finde the one extreame hotte and the other very colde whereby they did inferre that the region so neere the South having the sunne so directly for zenith must of necessity bee continually scorched with heate They did likewise see that the divers seasons of the yeere as the Spring Summer Autumne Winter were caused by the neerenes and distance of the sunne finding also that although they were farre from the Tropicke by which the sunne doth passe in summer yet when it approched neere vnto them at the same season they felt great heate Whereby they did coniecture that if they had had the sunne so neere vnto them as to go directly over their heads the heate would have bene so insupportable as it would burne and consume men with the vehemency thereof The same reason moved the Auncients to thinke that the middle region was not habitable and therefore they called it the burning zone And in truth if visible experience did not vnfold this doubt we should yet confesse that this reason were very peremptorie and Mathematicall whereby we may see how weake our vnderstanding is to comprehend these naturall things But wee may say it is fallen out to the great good and happines of our age to have the knowledge of these two great wonders that is to know how easily we may saile through the great Ocean and that vnder the burning zone men inioy a very temperate heaven the which the Auncients could never beleeve Of the last of these two wonders touching the qualitie and habitation of the burning zone by the grace of God we will discourse amply thereof in the next book I thinke it therefore fit in this booke to treat of the maner of sailing through the Ocean for that it imports vs much for the subiect of this worke But before wee come to this point it shall be good to shew what the Auncients thought of these new men whome we call Indians That in ancient Bookes we finde some knowledge of this newe world CHAP. 11. LEt vs returne to that which hath beene formerly spoken Wee must necessarily conclude that the Ancients did beleeve that eyther there were no men beyond the Tropicke of Cancer as S. Augustine and Lactantius doe affirme or if there were any at the least they did not inhabite betwixt the two
Indies have discovered and peopled after the same sort as wee do at this day that is by the Arte of Navigation and aide of Pilots the which guide themselves by the heigth and knowledge of the heavens and by their industrie in handling and changing of their sailes according to the season Why might not this well be Must we beleeve that we alone and in this our age have onely the Arte and knowledge to saile through the Ocean Wee see even now that they cut through the Ocean to discover new lands as not long since Alvaro Mendana and his companions did who parting from the Port of Lima came alongâ—t the West to discover the land which lieth Eastward from Perâ— and at the end of three moneths they discovered the Ilands which they call the Ilands of Salomon which are many and very great and by all likelehood they lie adioyning to new Guinnie or else are very neere to some other firme land And even now by commandement from the King and his Counsell they are resolved to prepare a new fleete for these Ilands Seeing it is thus why may we not suppose that the Ancients had the courage and resolution to travell by sea with the same intent to discover the land which they call Anticthoâ— opposite to theirs and that according to the discourse of their Philosophie it should be with an intent not to rest vntill they came in view of the landes they sought Surely there is no repugnancie or contrarietie in that which wee see happen at this day and that of former ages seeing that the holy scripture doth witâ—es that Solomon tooke Masters and Pilots from Tyre and Sidon men very expert in Navigation who by their industry performed this voiage in three yeeres To what end thinke you doth it note the Arte of Mariners and their knowledge with their long voiage of three yeeres but to give vs to vnderstand that Solomons sleete sailed through the great Ocean Many are of this opinion which thinke that S. Augustine had small reason to wonder at the greatnes of the Ocean who might well coniecture that it was not so difficult to saile through considering what hath been spoken of Solomons Navigation But to say the truth I am of a contrary opinion neither can I perswade my selfe that the first Indians came to this new world of purpose by a determined voiage neither will I yeeld that the Ancients had knowledgein the Art of Navigation whereby men at this day passe the Ocean from one part to another where they please the which they performe with an incredible swiftnes and resolution neither do I finde in all Antiquities any markes or testimonies of so notable a thing and of so great importance Besides I finde not that in ancient bookes there is any mention made of the vse of the Adamant or Loadstone nor of the Compasse to saile by yea I beleeve they had no knowledge thereof And if we take away the knowledge of the compasse to saile by we shall easily iudge how impossible it was for them to passe the great Ocean Such as haue any knowledge of the sea vnderstand me well for that it is as easie to beleeve that a Mariner in full sea can direct his course where hee please without a compasse as for a blinde man to shew with his finger any thing be it neere or farre off And it is strange that the Ancients have bene so long ignorant of this excellent propertie of the Adamant stone for Plinie who was so curious in naturall causes writing of this Adamant stone speakes nothing of that vertue and propertie it hath alwaies to turne the iron which it toucheth towards the North the which is the most admirable vertue it hath Aristotle Theophrastes Dioscorides Lucretius nor any other Writers or naturall Philosophers that I have seene make any mention thereof although they treate of the Adamant stone Saint Augustine writing many and sundry properties and excellencies of the Adamant stone in his bookes of the Citie of God speakes nothing thereof And without doubt all the excellencies spoken of this stone are nothing in respect of this strange propertie looking alwaies towards the North which is a great wonder of nature There is yet another argument for Plinic treating of the first inventers of Navigation and naming all the instruments yet he speakes nothing of the compasse to saâ—e by nor of the Adamant stone I say onely that the art to know the starres was invented by the Phaeniciens And there is no doubt but whatsoever the Ancients knew of the Art of Navigation was onely in regard of the starres and observing the Shoares Capes and differences of landes And if they had once lost the sight of land they knew not which way to direct their course but by the Stars Sunne and Moone and that sailing as it doth often in a darke and cloudie season they did governe themselves by the qualitie of the winds and by coniecture of the waies which they had passed Finally they went as they were guided by their owne motions As at the Indies the Indians saile a long way by sea guided only by their owne industrie naturall instinct And it serues greatly to purpose that which Plinie writes of the Ilanders of Taprobana which at this day we call Sumatra speaking in this sort when as he treates of the art and industrie they vse in sailing Those of Taprobana see not the North to saile by which defect they supply with certaine small birdes they carrie with them the which they often let flie and as those birdes by a naturall instinct flie alwaies towards the land so the Mariners direct their course after them Who doubtes then if they had had any knowledge of the compasse they would not have vsed these little birdes for their guides to discover the Land To conclude this sufficeth to shew that the Ancients had no knowledge of the secrets of the Loadstone seeing that for so notable a thing there is no proper word in Latine Greeke or Hebrew for a thing of such importance could not have wanted a name in these tongues if they had knowne it Wherevpon the Pilots at this day to direct him his course that holds the helme sit aloft in the poope of the Shippe the better to obserue the compasse where as in olde time they sat in the prow of the Shippe to marke the differences of lands and seas from which place they commaunded the Helme as they vse at this day at the entrie or going out of any Port or haven and therefore the Greekes called Pilots Proritaes for that they remained still in the prow Of the properties and admirable vertue of the Adamant stone for Navigation whereof the Ancients had no knowledge CHAP. 17. BY that which hath been formerly spoken it appeares that the Navigation to the Indies is as certaine and as short as wee are assured of the Adamant stone And at this day we see many that
have sailed from Lisbone to Goa from Siville to Mexico and through all the South sea even vnto China and to the straight of Maggellan and that as certainely as easily as the Husbandman goeth from his Farme vnto the Citie We have also seene men that have made fifteene yea eighteene voiages to the Indies and we have heard speake of some Ancients which have made above twentie vioges passing and repassing the great Ocean in the which they have not seene any signes of such as have traveled nor met with any passengers to demand the way of them For as the Wife man saith a ship cutteth the waves of the water leaving no way where it passeth nor any path in the flouds But by the vertue and propertie of the Adam ant stone it makes as it were a beaten path in this Ocean The high Creator of all things having imparted this vertue vnto it that by the touch of iron it hath alwaies his motion and aspect towards the North in what part of the world soever you be Some search what should be the cause of this wonderfull propertie and imagine I know not what simpathie But for my part I take more pleasure and content in the considerations of these wonders to praise the power and greatnes of the Almightie and reioyce in the contemplation of his admirable workes and to say with Solomon speaking vpon this subiect O father whose providence governes and maintaines a peece of wood giving it an assured way vpon the sea and in the midst of the swelling waves to shew that in the like sort thou canst save and deliver man from all perill and shipwracke yea although he were in the midst of the sea without shippe But for that thy works are full of wisedome men hazard their lives in a small peece of wood and passe through the sea in a shippe and are saved And vpon the same subiect the Psalmist saieth They which go to the sea in shippes and trafficke by the great waters have seene the workes of the Lord and his wonders in the depth of the sea And in truth it is not one of the least wonders of God that the force of so small a stone should command the sea and force the infinite depth thereof to obey him and follow his commandement But for that it is an vsuall thing and seemes easie men do not admire it nor take any great regard thereof and for that his bountie is such the ignorant make lesse account thereof Notwithstanding such as will duly consider it are led by reason to blesse the wisedome of God and to give him thankes for so great a benefite Being then decreed in heaven that these nations of the Indies which have lyen so long hidden should bee knowne and discovered and that this rowt should be frequented to the end so many soules should come to the knowledge of Iesus Christ and winne eternall life There was an assured guide provided for such as travell that way that is the Compasse to saile by and the vertue of the Adamant stone Wee doe not certainely know at what time this Art of sailing was brought to light But for my part I hold for certaine that it is not veriâ— ancient for besides the reasons alleadged in the former chapter I have not read in any ancient Author treating of dialles any mention made of the Adamant And yet vndoubtedly the principall and most necessarie instument for sunne dialls which we vse at this day is the needle of iron touched with the Adamant stone Some approved Authors write in the Historie of the East Indies that the first which began to discover this secret vpon the sea was Vascor de Gama who in the height of Mosambique met with certaine Mariners Moores which vsed this compasse or needle to saile by and by the meanes thereof he sailed through those seas yet they write not from whom they learned this Art And some amongst them are of our opinion that the Ancients were ignorant of this secret Moreover I will shew a greater wonder of the needle to saile by which we might hold incredible if we had not proofe thereof by vndoubted experience The iron touched or rubbed with that part of the Adamant stone which is towards the South hath this vertue to turne alwaies and in all places to the contrarie which is the North. Yet doth it not in all places directly regard it but hath certaine points and climats where it directly regardes the North and their staies but changing this climate it inclines a little either to the East or to the West the farther it goes from this climat which the Mariners cal North-east or North-west which is to say coasting or inclining to the East or to the West And it is a thing of such consequence to vnderstand this declining or coasting of the needle that if they observe it not advisedly although it bee small they shall stray wonderfully in their course and arrive in another place then where they pretended to go Once a very expert Pilot of Portugal told mee that there were foure poyntes in all the world whereas the needle looked directly towards the North the which hee named but I do not well remember them One is in the height of the Iland of Corvo at the Terceres or Acores which is very well knowne to all men but passing to a greater altitude it declines to the West and contrariwise drawing to a lesse altitude towardes the Equinoctiall it leanes to the East The masters of this Arte can well tell how farre and how much For my part I would gladly know of such as presume to knowe all thinges what should bee the cause of this effect and for what reason a little yron touched with the Adamant stone receyves such vertue as to looke alwayes towards the North and with such dexteritie that it vnderstandeth the sundry Clymates and scituations of the world and which way it should turne and incline as well as any Philosopher or Cosinographer whatsoever And seeing wee cannot well discover the causes and reasons of these thinges which wee see dayly without doubt they were very hard to beleeve if they were not apparent Herein we discover our follie vanitie to make our selves iudges ' to subiect divine high things to our reason discourse It is therefore better as S. Gregorie the divine sayth â—o subiect reason vnto faith for that in her owne mansion she hath no governement But this shall suffice Let vs returne to our purpose and conclude that the vse of the needle to sayle by was vnknowne to the Ancients whereby we may resolve that it was impossible to make a determined voyage parting from the other world to come to this by the Ocean Wherein an answere is made to them that say that in times passed they have sayled through the Ocean as at this day CHAP. 18. THat which is alleaged to the contrary of that which hath beene spoken that Salomons Fleet
a quality as when it blowes in some country it causeth it to raine fleas and in so great aboundaunce as they trouble and darken the aire and cover all the sea shoare and in other places it raines frogges These diversities and others which are sufficiently knowne are commonly attributed to the place by the which these windes passe For they say that from these places they take their qualities to be colde hote drie or moyst sickly or sound and so of the rest the which is partly true and cannot be denied for that in a small distance you shall see in one winde many diversities For example the Solanus or Easterne winde is commonly hote and troublesome in Spaine and in Murria it is the coolest and healthfullest that is for that it passeth by the Orchards and that large champaine which wee see very fresh In Carthagene which is not farre from thence the same winde is troublesome and vnholesome The meridionall which they of the Ocean call South and those of the Mediterranean sea Mezo giorno commonly is raynie and boisterous and in the same Citie wherof I speake it is wholesome and pleasant Plinie reports that in Affricke it raines with a Northerne winde and that the Southerne winde is cleere Hee then that shall well consider what I have spoken of these windes hee may conceive that in a small distance of land or sea one winde hath many and diverse qualities yea sometimes quite contrary whereby we may inferre that he draweth his property from the place where it passeth the which is in such sort true although we may not say in 〈◊〉 as it is the onely and principall cause of the diversitie of the windes It is a thing we easely finde that in a river containing fiftie leagues in circuite I putte it thus for an example that the winde which blowes of the one parte is hote and moist and that which blowes on the other is colde and drie Notwithstanding this diversitie is not found in places by which it passeth the which makesmee rather â—o say that the windes bring these qualities with them whereby they give vnto them the names of these qualities For example we attribute to the Northerne winde otherwise called Cicrco the property to be colde and drie and to dissolve mists to the Southerne winde his contrary called Levâ—sâ—he wee attribute the contrary qualitie which is moist and hote and ingenders mists This being generall and common we must seeke out another vniversall cause to give a reason of these effects It is not enough to say that the places by which they passe give them these qualities seeing that passing by the same places we see contrary effects So as we must of force confesse that the region of the heaven where they blowe gives them these qualities as the Septentrionall is colde because it commes from the North which is the region farthest from the Sunne The Southerne which blows from the Midday or South is hote and for that the heate drawes the vapours it is also moist and raynie and contrariwise the north is drie and subtile for that it suffereth no vapours to congeale And in this maner wee may discourse of other windes giving them the qualities of the region where they blowe But looking more precisely into it this reason can not satisfie me I will therefore demaund What doth the region of the aire by which they passe if iâ— doth 〈◊〉 them their qualities I speake it for that in German in the Southerne winde is hote and moist and in Affrike the Northerne is cold and drie Notwithstanding it is most certaine that in what region soever of Germanie the Southerne winde is ingendred it must needes be more cold then any part of Affrike where the Northerne is ingendred And if it be so why is the Northerne winde more cold in Affrike then the Southerne in Germany seeing it proceeds from a hotter region Some may answer me that the reason is for that it blowes from the North which is colde but this is neither sufficient nor true for if it were so whenas the Northerne winde blowes in Affrike it should also runne and continue his motion in al the Region even vnto the North the which is not so For at one instant there blowe Northerne windes very colde in countries that are in fewer degrees and Southerne winds which are very hotte in countries lying in more degrees the which is most certaine vsuall and well knowne Whereby in my opinion wee may inferre that it is no pertinent reason to say that the places by which the winds do passe give them their qualities or that they be diversified for that they blowe from divers regions of the ayre although the one and the other have some reason as I have said But it is needefull to seeke further to knowe the true and originall cause of these so strange differences which we see in the windes I cannot conceive any other but that the same efficient cause which bringeth foorth and maketh the winds to grow dooth withall give them this originall qualitie for in trueth the matter whereon the windes are made which is no other thing according to Aristotle but the exhalation of the interior Elements may well cause in effect a great parte of this diversitie being more grosse more subtile more drie and more moist But yet this is no pertinent reason seeing that we see in one region where the vapours and exhalations are of one sorte and qualitie that there rise windes and effectes quite contrary We must therefore referre the cause to the higher and celestiall efficient which must be the Sunne and to the motion and influence of the heavens the which by their contrary motions give and cause divers influences But the beginnings of these motions and influences are so obscure and hidden from men and on the other part so mighty and of so great force as the holie Prophet David in his propheticall Spirite and the Prophet Ieremie admiring the greatnes of the Lorde speake thus Qui profert ventos dâ— thesauris suis. He that drawes the windes out of his treasures In trueth these principles and beginnings are rich and hidden treasures for the Author of all things holdes them in his hand and in his power and when it pleaseth him sendeth them foorth for the good or chastisement of men and sends foorth such windes as hee pleaseth not as that Eolus whome the Poets doe foolishly faine to have charge of the winds keeping them in a cave like vnto wild beasts We see not the beginning of these windes neyther do we know how long they shal continue or whither they shall goe But we see and know well the diverse effects and operations they have even as the supreme trueth the Author of all things hath taught vs saying Spiritus vbi vult spirat vocemeius audis nescis vnde venit aut qâ—â— vadit The spirit or winde blowes where it pleaseth and although thou feelest the breath yet doost
hath been said in the first booke neither is it knowne if there be any habitations in the other two Zones of the Poles and whether the land continues and stretcheth to that which is towards the Antartike or South Pole Neither do we know the land that lies beyond the straight of Magellan for that the greatest height yet discovered is in fiftie â—ix degrees as hath beene formerly saide and toward the Artike or Northerne Pole it is not knowne how farre the land extendes which runnes beyond the Cape of Mendocin and the Caliphornes nor the bounds and end of Florida neither yet how farre it extendes to the West Of late they have discovered a new land which they call New Mexico where they say is much people that speake the Mexicaine tongue The Philippines and the following Ilands as some report that know it by experience ranne above nine hundred leagues But to intreate of China Cochinchina Syam and other regions which are of the East Indies were contrary to my purpose which is onely to discourse of the West nay they are ignorant of the greatest part of America which lies betwixt Peru and Bresill although the bounds be knowne of all sides wherein there is diversitie of opinions some say it is a drowned land full of Lakes and waterie places Others affirme there are great and florishing kingdomes imagining there be the Paytiti the Dorado and the Caesars where they say are wonderfull things I have heard one of our company say a man worthy of credite that hee had seene great dwellings there and the waies as much beaten as those betwixt Salamanca and Villadillit the which he did see whenas Peter d'Orsua and after those that succeeded him made their entrie and discoverie by the great river of Amazons who beleeving that the Dorado which they sought was farther off cared not to inhabitâ— there and after went both without the Dorado which they could not finde and this great Province which they left To speake the truth the habitations of America are to this day vnknowne except the extreamities which are Peru Bresill and that part where the land beginnes to straighten which is the river of Silver then Tucuman which makes the round to Chille and Charcâ— Of late we have vnderstood by letters from some of ours which go to S. Croix in the Sierre that they go discovering of great Provinces and dwellings betwixt Bresill and Peru. Time will reveile them for as at this day the care and courage of men is great to compasse the world from one part to another so wee may beleeve that as they have discovered that which is now knowne they may likewise lay open that which reâ—â—nes to the end the Gospell may be preached to the whole world seeing the two Crownes of Portugall and Caâ—â—ille have met by the East and West ioyning their discoveries together which in truth is a matter to be observed that the one is come to China and Iappan by the East and the other to the Philippines which are neighbours and almost ioyning vnto China by the West for from the Ilands of Lusson which is the chiefe of the Philippines in the which is the Citie of Mamillâ— vnto Macan which is in the I le of Cauton are but foure score or a hundred leagues and yet we finde it strange that notwithstanding thâ—â— small distance from the one to the other yet according to their accoumpt there is a daies difference betwixt them so as it is Sunday at Macan whenas it is but Saterday at Mamille and so of the rest Those of Macan and of China have one day advanced before the Philippines It happened to father Aloâ—â—â— Sanches of whom mention is made before that parting from the Philippines he arrived at Macan the second day of Maie according to their computation and going to say the Masse of S. Athanasius he found they did celebrate the feast of the invention of the holy Crosse for that they did then reckon the third of Maie The like happened vnto him in another voyage beyond it Some have found this alteration and diversitie strange supposing that the fault proceedes from the one or the other the which is not so but it is a true and well observed computation for according to the difference of waies where they have beene we must necessarily say that when they meete there must bee difference of a day the reason is for that sailing from West to East they alwaies gaine of the day finding the sunne rising sooner and contrariwise those that saile from East to West do alwaies loose of the day for that the Sunne riseth later vnto them and as they approach neerer the East or the West they have the day longer or shorter In Peru which is westward in respect of Spaine they are above sixe houres behinde so as when it is noone in Spaine it is morning at Peru and when it is morning heere it is mid-night there I have made certaine proofe thereof by the computation of Eclipses of the Sunne and Moone Now that the Portugalls have made their navigations from West to East and the Castillans from East to West when they came to ioyne and meete at the Philippines and Macan the one have gained twelve houres and the other hath lost as much so as at one instant and in one time they finde the difference of twentie houres which is a whole day so as necessarily the one are at the third of Maie whenas the others accoumpt but the second and whenas the one doth fast for Easter eve the others eate flesh for the day of the resurrection And if we will imagine that they passe farther turning once againe about the world vsing the same computation when they should returne to ioyne together they should finde by the same accoumpt two daies difference for as I have saide those that go to the Sunne rising accoumpt the day sooner for that the Sunne riseth to them sooner and those that go to the setting accoumpt the day later for that it goes from them later finally the diversitie of the noone tide causeth the divers reckoning of the day And now for as much as those that doe saile from East to West change their noone tide without perceiving it and yet still follow the same computation they did when they parted of necessitie having made the compasse of the worlde they must finde the want of a whole day in their computation Of the Volcans or Vents of fire CHAP. 24. ALthough we finde vents of fire in other places as mount Aetna and Wesuvio which now they call mount Sâ—ma yet is that notable which is found at the Indies Ordinarily these Volcans be rockes or pikes of most high mountaines which raise themselves above the toppes of all other mountaines vpon their toppes they have a plaine and in the midst thereof a pitte or great mouth which discends even vnto the foote thereof a thing verie terrible to beholde Out of these mouthes there issues smoake and sometimes
Indies as at Peru new Spaine in the new kingdome of Granado in Gautimalla in Chille and vpon the maine land I do not finde that in old time in the Ilands of Barlovente as Cuba S. Dominique Iamaique and S. Iâ—an that they vsed Mays at this day they vse much Yuca and Cacavi whereof we will presently intreate I do not thinke that this Mays is any thing inferiour to our wheat in strength nor substance but it is more hote and grosse and engenders more bloud wherevpon they that have not bin accustomed therevnto if they eat too much they swell and become scabbed It growes vpon canes or reedes every one beares one or two grapes or branches to the which the graine is fastened and although the graine be bigge yet finde they great store thereof so as in some clusters I have told seven hundred graines They must plant it with the hand one by one and not very thicke it desires a hote and moist ground and growes in great aboundance in many places of the Indies It is not strange in those countries to gather 300. Fanegues or measures for one sowen There is difference of Mays as there is of wheat one is great and very nourishing another small and drie which they call Moroche the greene leaves and canes of Mays is a good foode for their mules and horâ—es and it serves them for straw when it is dried the graine is of more nourishment for horses then barly and therefore in those countries they vse to water their horses before they eate for if they should drinke after they would swell as when they eate wheat Mays is the Indians bread the which they commonly eate boiled in the graine hote and they call it Mote as the Chinois and Iopponois eate their Rice sodden with the hote water sometimes they eate it baked There is some Mays round and bigge as that of Lucanas which the Spaniards eate rosted as a delicate meat and hath a better taste then Buarbenses or rosted peason There is another kinde of eating it more pleasant which is to grinde the Mays and to make small cakes of the flower â—he which they put in the fire and then bring them hote to the table In some places they call them Arepaâ— They make also round bowles of this paste and so trimme them that they continue long eating it as a dainty dish They have invented at the Indies for friandise and pleasure a certaine kinde of paste they doe make of this flowe mixt with sugar which they call biscuits and mellinders This Mays serves the Indians not only for bread but also for wine for they do make their drinke thereof wherewith they are sooner drunke than with wine of grapes They make this wine of Mays in diverse sortes and maners calling it in Peru Acua and by the most common name of the Indies Chicha And the strongest is made like vnto beere steeping the graine vntill it breake After they boyle it in such sort that it growes so strong as alittle overthrowes a man In Peru they call this Sora it is defended by the Law for the great inconveniences that grow thereby making men drunke But this Lawe is ill observed for that they vse it still yea they spend whole dayes and nights in drinking carowse Pliny reporteth that this maner of beverage of graine stieped and after sodden wherewith they were drunke was in old time vsed in Spaine France and other Provinces as at this day in Flanders they vse ale made of mault There is another maner of making this Acua or Chicha which is to champe the mays and make a leven thereof and then boile it yea the Indians holde opinion that to make good leven it must bee champed by old withered women which makes a man sicke to heare and yet they doe drinke it The cleanliest manner the most wholesome and that which least harmeth is to roast the Mays which the most civil Indians doe vse and some Spaniardes yea for physicke For in effect they finde it a very wholesome drinke for the reines so as you shall hardly finde any one at the Indies complaine of paine in the backe for that they do drinke of this Chicha The Spanyards and Indians eate this Mays boyled and roasted for daintinesse when it is tender in the grape like milke they putte it into the pot and make sawces that are good to eate The buds of Mays are very fatte and serve insteede of butter and oyle so as this Mays at the Indies serves both for men and beasts for bread wine and oile For this reason the Viceroy Don Francisco de Toledo saide that Peru hadde two things rich and of great norishment which were Mays and the cattell of the countrey In truth he had reason for these two things did serve them as a thousand I will aske sooner than I can answer it whence Mays was first carried to the Indies and why they do call this profitable graine in Italie Turkie graine for in trueth I doe not finde that the Antients make any mention of this graine though that mil that Plinie writes to come from the Indies into Italie tenne yeares before he didde write it hath some resemblance vnto Mays for that it is a graine as he saies that growes in reede and covers it selfe with the leafe and hath the toppe like haires being very fertile all which things agree not with mill To conclude God hath imparted to ev'ry region what is needefull To this continent he hath given wheate which is the chiefe nourishment of man and to the Indians he hath given Mays which hath the second place to wheate for the nourishment of men and beasts Of Yucas Caçavi Papas Chunes and Ris. CHAP. 17. IN some partes of the Indies they vse a kinde of bread they call Cacavi which is made of a certaine roote they call Yuca This Yuca is a great and grosse roote which they cutte in small morsells they grate or scrape it and then put it in a presse to straine making a thinne and broade cake thereof almost ' like vnto a Moores target or buckler then doe they drie it and this is the breade they eate It hath no taste but is healthfull and of good nourishment For this reason we said being at S. Dominike that it was the proper foode for great eaters for that they might eate much without any feare of surffetting They must of necessitie water this Cacavi before they eate it it is sharpe and easely watered with water or broath wherein it is very good for that it swells much and so they make Capirotades but it is hardly stieped in milke in honny of canes or in wine for that these liquors cannot pierce it as it doth bread made of wheate Of this Cacavi there is one kind more delicate than any other which is that they make of the slower called Xauxau which they do much esteeme in those partes For my parte I esteeme more a morsell of bread how hard
of a burning color which they call Caribe the which is extreamely sharpe and biting there is an other sort not so sharpe but is so sweete as they may eate it alone as any other fruit There is some of it very small and pleasing in the mouth almost like to the smell of muske and is very good That which is sharpe and biting in this Axi be the veines and the graine onely the rest is not for that they eate it greene and dry whole and beaten in the pot and in sawces being the chiefe sawce and all the spice they have at the Indies When this Axi is taken moderately it helps and comforts the stomacke for digestion but if they take too much it hath bad effects for of it selfe it is very hote fuming and pierceth greatly so as the vse thereof is preiudiciall to the health of yong folkes chiefely to the soule for that it provokes to lust It is strange that although the fire and heate of it be well knowne by experience and that every man saies it burnes in the mouth and the stomacke yet some yea many holde that the Indian pepper is not hote but colde and well tempered But I might say to them the like should be of pepper though they brought me as many experiences as they woulde of the one and the other yet is it a very mockery to say it is not hote seeing it is in the highest degree They vse salt to temper this Axi having great sorce to correct it and so they moderate one with the other by the contrarietie that is in them They vse also Tomates which are colde and very wholesome It is a kinde of graine great and full of iuyce the which gives a good taste to sawce and they are good to eate They have generally throughout the Indies of this Indian pepper at the Ilands new Spaine Peru and all the rest that is discovered And as mays is the generall graine for bread so Axi is the most common spice for sawces Of the Plane tree CHAP. 21. COmming to the greater plants or trees at the Indies the first that shall be needefull to treate of is the Plane or Platano as the vulgar call it I have been sometimes in doubt whether the Plane which the Antients have so much celebrated and that of the Indies were of one kinde This well observed and that which they write of the other without all doubt they will appeare to be of sundry kindes The reason why the Spaniards called it Plane for the Indians had no such name was as in other trees for that they have found some resemblance of the one with the other even as they called some fruites prunes pines and cucumbers being far different from those which are called by those names in Castille The thing wherein was most resemblance in my opinion betwixt the Planes at the Indies and those which the Antients did celebrate is the greatnes of the leaves for that these have them very great and coole and the Antients did likewise much esteeme them for the greatnesse and coolenesse of their leaves It is also a plant that requireth much water and in a maner continually which agrees with the sacred Scripture that saith Like to the Plane neere the waters But in truth there is no more comparison nor resemblance of the one with the other then there is as the Proverb saith betwixt an egge and a chesnut For first the antient plane carries no fruit at the least they made no account theâ— of but the chiefest reason why they esteemed it was for the shadow for that there was no more Sunne vnder a Plane than vnder a roofe And contrariwise the reason why they shoulde regarde it at the Indies yea make great accompt thereof is by reason of this fruite which is very good for they have little shade Moreover the antient Plane had the body so bigge and the boughs so spread that Pliny reporteth of one Licinius a Romane Captaine who with eighteene of his companions dined at ease in th'hollow of one of these planes and of the Emperour Caius Caligula who with eleven of his ghests feasted vpon the toppe of an other Plane where he made them a sumptuous banquet The Indian Planes have neither so great nor hollow bodies not so broade boughs He saieth moreover that the auntient Planes grew in Italie and in Spaine although they had beene brought thither from Greece and first from Asia but the Indians Planes growe neither in Italy nor in Spaine I say they growe not there for although we have seene some at Seville in the Kings gardins yet they prosper not nor are of any account Finally whatsoever they find alike betwixt the one and the other is very different For although the leaves of the auntient Planes were very great yet were they not such nor so great as those at the Indies seeing that Pliny compares it to the leafe of a Vine or Figge tree The leaves of the Indian Plane are of a wonderfull bignes and are in a maner sufficient to cover a man from the foote to the head so as no man can doubt but there is great difference betwixt the one and the other But put the case that this Indian Plane be different from the ancient yet deserves it no lesse commendation it may be more by reason of the profitable qualities it hath It is a plant that makes a stocke within theearth out of the which springs many and sundrie siens and sprigges divided and not ioyned together These sprigges grow bigge every one making a small tree apart and in growing they cast forth these leaves which are of a fine greene smooth and great as I have said When it is growne to the height of a stade and a halfe or two it puttes forth one only bough of fruite whereon sometimes there are great numbers of this fruite and sometimes lesse I have tolde vpon some of these boughs three hundred whereof every one was a spanne long more or lesse and two or three fingers bigge yet is there much difference heerein betwixt some and others they take away the rinde and all the rest is a firme kernell and tender good to eate and nourishing This fruite inclines more to cold then heate They are accustomed to gather the boughs or clusters as I have said being greene and put them into vessells where they ripen being well covered especially when there is a certaine hearbe mingled with it which serves for this effect If they suffer them to ripen on the tree they have a better taste and a very good smell like to Camoisses or sweet apples They last almost all the yeere for that there are alwaies yong ones that grow out of this stocke so as when one endes another beginnes to yeelde his fruite the one is halfe ripe and the other beginnes to bud anew so as one succeedes another and the fruite continues the whole yeere In gathering the cluster they cut the sprigge or
stalke for that it beares but one and never but once but as I have saide the stalke remaines and castes forth new sienes or stalkes vntill it growes olde and dies This Plane continues many yeares and requires much moisture and a very hote ground They put ashos at the foote of it for the better â—â—tertaining therâ—f and they make small groves and very thicke which are of great profit and revenue vnto them for that it is the fruite they vse most at the Indies and is generall in all places although they say the first beginning comes from Ethiopia And in trueth the Negros vse them much and in some places they serve them as bread yea they make wine of them They eate this fruite rawe like other fruits they likewise roast it and make many sorts of potages and conserves and in all thinges it serveth very well There is a kinde of small Planes white and very delicate which in Hispaniola they call Dominiques There are others which are stronger and bigger and red of colour There growes none in the kingdome of Peru but are brought from the Indies as from Mexico Cuernavaca and other vallies Vpon the firme land and in some Ilands there are great store of Planes like vnto thicke groves If this plant were fit for the fire it were the most profitable of all others but it is nothing fit for neither the body noâ— the boughs will burne and much lesse will it serve for building being a sappy wood and without force Yet Don Alonze Darzilla as it is said vsed the leaves of this tree dried to write a parte of the Auricana and in truth it may serve for want of paper seeing that the leafe is as broade as a sheet of paper or little lesse and foure times as long Of Cacao and Coca CHAP. 22. ALthough the Plane be the most profitable yet that Cacao is most esteemed at Mexico and the Coca in Peru in which two trees they have great superstition The Cacao is a fruit little lesse than almonds yet more satte the which being roasted hath no illâ—taste It is so much esteemed amongest the Indians yea and among the Spaniards that it is one of the richest and the greatest traffickes of new Spaine for being a drie fruite and that keepes long without corruption they carry whole shippes loaden from the province of Guatimalla The last yeare an English Pirat did burne in the Port of Guatulco in new Spaine above a hundred thousand charges of Cacao They vse it in steede of money for with five Cacaos they buy one thing with thirtie an other and with a hundred an other without any contradiction and they vse to give it to the poore that beg for almes The chiefe vse of this Cacao is in a drincke which they call Chochâ—laté whereof they make great accompt in that Country foolishly and without reason for it is loathsome to such as are not acquainted with it having askumme or froth that is very vnpleasant to taste if they be not very well conceited thereof Yet it is a drinke very much esteemed among the Indians wherewith they feast noble men as they passe through their Country The Spaniards both men and women that are accustomed to the Countrey are very greedy of this Chocholaté They say they make diverse sortes of it some hote some colde and some temperate and put therein much of that Chili yea they make paste thereof the which they say is good for the stomacke and against the Catarre Whatsoever it be such as have not been nourished there are not very curious thereof The tree whereon this fruite growes is of reasonable bignesse and well fashioned it is so tender that to keepe it from the burning of the Sunne they plant neere vnto it a great tree which serves onely to shadow it and they call it the mother of Cacao There are places where they are like to the Vines and Olive trees of Spaine The province where there is greatest abundance for the traffike of Marchandise is Guatimalla There growes none in Peru but Coca wherein they hold an other great superstition which seemes to be fabulous In trueth the trafficke of Coca in Potozi doth yearely mount to above halfe a million of peeces for that they vse fourescore and tenne or foure score and fifteene thousand baskets every yeare In the yeare one thousand five hundred eighty three they spent a hundred thousand A basket of Coca in Cusco is woorth two peeces and a halfe and three and in Potozi it is readily worth foure peeces and five Tomines and five peeces tried It is a kinde of marchandise by the which all their Markets and Faires are made with great expedition This Coca whereof they make such account is a small greene leafe which groweth vpon small trees about a fadome high and in hote and moyst grounds every foure moneths it casts forth this leafe which they call Tresmitas or Tremoy it requires great care in planting beeing very tender and much more to keepe it when it is gathered They laie it in order in long narrow baskets and so lade theyr sheepe of the Country which go in troopes with one two or three thousand baskets of this marchandise They bring it commonly from the Andes and vallies where there is an extreame heate and where it raines continually the most part of the yeare wherein the Indians endure much labour and paine to entertaine it often many die for that they go from the Sierre and colde places to till and gather them in the Andes And therefore there hath beene great question and diversity of opinions among learned men whether it were more expedient to pull vp these trees or to let them growe but in the end they remained The Indians esteeme it much and in the time of their Kings Inguas it was not lawfull for any of the common people to vse this Coca without licence from the Governor Their vse is to cary it in their mouthes chawing it and sucking out the iuyce but they swallow it not They say it gives them great courage and is very pleasing vnto them Many grave men holde this as a superstition a meere imagination for my part and to speake the truth I perswade not my selfe that it is an imagination but contrariwise I thinke it works and gives force and courage to the Indians for we see the effects which cannot be attributed to imagination as to go some daies without meate but onely a handfull of Coca and other like effects The sawce wherewith they doe eate this Coca is proper enough whereof I have tasted and it is like the taste of leather The Indians mingle it with the ashes of bones burnt and beat into powlder or with lime as others affirme which seemeth to them pleasing and of a good taste and they say it dooth them much good They willingly imploy their money therein and vse it as money yet all these things were not inconvenient were not the hazard of
grow wonderfully fatte to have the grease which they vse for want of oyle in some places they make gâ—mons as in Tollâ—ca of new Spaine and in Paria at Peru. Returning then to such beasts as are pecullar there even as the Sainos are like vnto swine though somewhat lesse even so the Dante 's resemble small kine but more vnto mules having no hornes The hides of these beasts are much esteemed for jerkins and other coverings they are so hard as they resist any blow whatsoever And as the Dante 's be defended by the hardnes of their hides so those which they call Armadillos are by the multitude of their scales which open and shut as they please like to a curasse There be litle beasts which go thorow the woods called Armadillos by reason of the defence they have hiding themselves within their scales and opening when they list I have eaten of them and doe not holde it for a meate of any great woorth but the flesh of the Yguanas is a better meate but more horrible to the eye for they are like to the very Lizardes of Spaine although they be of a doubtfull kinde for that they go to the water comming to land they climbe the trees vpon the bankes and as they cast themselves from the trees into the water the boates watch vnderneath to receive them The Chinchilles is an other kind of small beasts like squirrels they have a woonderfull smoothe and soft skinne which they weare as a healthfull thing to comfort the stomacke and those partes that have neede of a moderate heate they make coverings and rugges of the haire of these Chinchilles which are found on the Sierre of Peru where there is likewise a small beast very common which they call Cuyes and which the Indians hold for a very good meate and they are accustomed often to offer these Cuyes in their sacrifices They are like small conies and have their borows iâ— the ground and in some places they have vndermined all the land some are grey some white and some speckled There are other small animalles which they call Viscachas and are like to hares although they be bigger they hunt them and eate the flesh Of common hares there are great store in some parts There are also connies in the realme of Quitto but the good are come from Spaine There is another strange beast the which for his great heavinesse and slownesse in mooving they call Perico-ligero or the little light dogge hee hath three nailes to every hand and mooves both hand and feete as it were by compasse and very heavily it is in face like to a monkie and hath a shrill crie it climeth trees and eates Ants. Of Micos or Indian Monkies CHAP. 39. THroughout all the mountaines eyther of these Ilands of the firme land or of the Andes there are infinite numbers of Micos or Monkies which are a kind of apes but very different in that they have a taile yea a very long one And amongest them there are some kinds which are thrise yea foure times bigger than the ordinary some are all blacke some bay some grey and some spotted Their agilitie and maner of doing is admirable for that they seeme to have reason discourse to go vpon trees wherein they seeme to imitate birds Going from Nombre de Dios to Panama I did see in Capira one of these monkies leape from one tree to an other which was on the other side of a river making me much to wonder They leape where they list winding their tailes about a braunch to shake it and when they will leape further than they can at once they vse a pretty devise tying themselves by the tailes one of another and by this meanes make as it were a chaine of many then doe they launch themselves foorth and the first holpen by the force of the rest takes holde where hee list and so hangs to a bough and helpes all the rest till they be gotten vp It were long to report the fooleries trickes traverses and pleasant sportes they make when they are taught which seeme not to come from bruit beasts but from a manlike vnderstanding I sawe one in Carthagenâ— in the Governours house so taught as the things he did seemed incredible they sent him to the Taverne for wine putting the pot in one hand and the money in the other and they could not possibly gette the money out of his hand before he had his pot full of wine If any children mette him in the streete and threw any stones at him he would set his pot downe on the one side and cast stones against the children till he had assured his way then would he returne to carry home his pot And which is more although hee were a good bibber of wine as I have oftentimes seene him drinke when his maister hath given it him yet would he never touch it vntill leave was given him They told me moreover that if hee sawe any women painted he would fall vppon them pull off their attire and would seeke to bite them This may be an addition which I have not seene but I doe not thinke there is any beast in the world approacheth so neare the conversation of a man as this monkey doth They report so many things which for feare I shoulde be thought to give credite to fables or they should be so esteemed I thinke best to omitte blessing the Author of all creatures in that hee would createa kinde of beast onely for the recreation and delight of man Some report that they carried these Micos or Monkies to Solomon from the Weast Indies but for my parte I holde it was from the East Indies Of Vicugnes and Tarugnes of Peru. CHAP. 40. AMongst the most remarkable things at the Indies of Peru be the Vicugnes and sheepe of the countrie as they call them which are tractable beasts and of great profite the Vicugnes are wilde and the sheepe are tame Some thinke that the Vicugnes are those which Aristotle Plinie and other Authors call Capreas which are wilde goates and in truth they have some resemblance for the lightnes they have in the woodes and mountaines but yet they are no goates for the Vicugnes have no hornes as those have whereof Aristotle makes mention neither are they the goates of the East Indies from whom they draw the Bezar stone for if they be of that kinde it were a diverse one as in the race of dogges the mastie is divers from the greyhound The Vicugnes of Peru are not those beasts which carrie the Bezar stone in the Province of new Spaine which there they cal BeZaars for that they are a kind of Stagges and Venison yet do I not know in any part of the world there be any of these beasts but in Peru and in Chille which are countries ioyning one to another These Vicugnes are greater then goates and lesse then calves Their haire is of the colour of dried roses somewhat cleerer they
vse our Spanish name Dios fitting it to the accent or pronounciation of the Indian tongues the which differ much whereby appeares the small knowledge they had of God seeing they cannot so much as name him if it be not by our very name yet in trueth they had some little knowledge and therefore in Peru they made him a rich temple which they called Pachacamac which was the principall Sanctuarie of the realme And as it hath beene saide this word of Pachacamac is as much to say as the Creator yet in this temple they vsed their idolatries worshipping the Divell and figures They likewise made sacrifices and offrings to Viracocha which helde the chiefe place amongst the worships which the Kings Inguas made Heereof they called the Spaniards Virocochas for that they holde opinion they are the sonnes of heaven and divine even as others did attribute a deitie to Paul and Barnabas calling the one Iupiter and the other Mercurie so woulde they offer sacrifices vnto them as vnto gods and as the Barbarians of Melite which is Malté seeing that the viper did not hurt the Apostle they called him God As it is therefore a trueth conformable to reason that there is a soveraigne Lorde and King of heaven whome the Gentiles with all their infidelities and idolatries have not denyed as wee see in the Philosophy of Timee in Plato in the Metaphisickes of Aristotle and in the Aesculape of Tresmigister as also in the Poesies of Homer Virgil. Therefore the Preachers of the Gospel have no great difficultie to plant perswade this truth of a supreame God be the Nations of whome they preach never so barbarous and brutish But it is hard to roote out of their mindes that there is no other God nor any other deitie then one and that all other things of themselves have no power being nor workeing proper to themselves but what the great and only God and Lord doth give and impart vnto them To conclude it is necessarie to perswade them by all meanes in reproving their errors as well in that wherein they generally faile in worshipping more then one God as in particular which is much more to hold for Gods and to demand favour and helpe of those things which are not Gods nor have any power but what the true God their Lord and Creator hath given them Of the first kinde of Idolatrie vpon naturall and vniversall things CHAP. 4. NExt to Viracocha or their supreme God that which most commonly they have and do adore amongst the Infidells is the Sunne and after those things which are most remarkable in the celestiall or elementarie nature as the moone starres sea and land The Guacas or Oratories which the Inguas Lords of Peru had in greatest reverence next to Viracocha and the sunne was the thunder which they called by three divers names Chuquilla Catuilla and Intiillapa supposing it to bee a man in heaven with a sling and a mace and that it is in his power to cause raine haile thunder and all the rest that appertaines to the region of the aire where the cloudes engender It was a Guaca for so they called their Oratories generall to all the Indians of Peâ—â— offering vnto him many sacrifices and in Cusco which is the Court and Metropolitane Cittie they did sacrifice children vnto him as to the Sunne They did worship these three Viracocha the Sunne and Thunder after another maner then all the rest as Pollo writes who had made triall thereof they did put as it were a gauntlet or glove vpon their hands when they did lift them vp to worshippe them They did worshippe the earth which they called Pachamama as the Ancients did the goddessâ— Tellus and the sea likewise which they call Mamacocha as the Ancients worshipped Thetis or Neptune Moreover they did worship the rainebow which were the armes and blazons of the Ingua with two snakes stretched out on either side Amongst the starres they all did commonly worship that which they called Colca and we heere Cabrille They did attribute divers offices to divers starres and those which had neede of their favour did worship them as the shepheard did sacrifice to a starre which they called Vrcuhillay which they hold to be a sheepe of divers colours having the care to preserve their cattell and they imagine it is that which the Astronomers call Tyra These shepheards worshippe two other starres which walke neere vnto them they call them Catâ—chillay and Vrcuchillay and they faine them to be an Ewe and a Lambe Others worshipped a starre which they called Machacuâ—y to which they attribute the charge and power over serpents and snakes to keepe them from hurting of them They ascribe power to another starre which they called Chuguinchinchay which is as much as Tigre over Tigres Beares and Lyons and they have generally beleeved that of all the beasts of the earth there is one alone in heaven like vnto them the which hath care of their procreation and increase And so they did observe and worship divers starres as those which they called Chacana Topatarca Mamanan Mirco Miquiquicay and many other So as it seemed they approached somewhat neere the propositions of Platoes Idees The Mexicaines almost in the same maner after the supreame God worshiped the Sunne And therefore they called Hernando CorteZ as he hath written in a letter sent vnto the Emperour Charles the fift Sonne of the Sunne for his care and courage to compasse the earth But they made their greatest adoration to an Idol called Vitzilipuztli the which in all this region they called the most puissant and Lord of all things for this cause the Mexicaines built him a Temple the greatest the fairest the highest and the most sumptuous of all other The scituation beautie thereof may wel be coniectured by the ruines which yet remaine in the midst of the Cittie of Mexico But heere the Mexicaines Idolatrie hath bin more pernicious and hurtfull then that of the Inguas as wee shall see plainer heereafter for that the greatest part of their adoration and idolatrie was imployed to Idols and not to naturall things although they did attribute naturall effects to these Idolls as raine multiplication of cattell warre and generation even as the Greekes and Latins have forged Idolls of Phoebus Mercurie Iupiter Minerva and of Mars To conclude whoso shall neerely looke into it shall finde this manner which the Divell hath vsed to deceive the Indians to be the same wherewith hee hath deceived the Greekes and Romans and other ancient Gentiles giving them to vnderstand that these notable creatures the Sunne Moone Starres and Elements had power and authoritie to doe good or harme to men And although God hath created all these things for the vse of man yet hath he so much forgotte himselfe as to rise vp against him Moreover he hath imbased himselfe to creatures that are inferiour vnto himselfe worshiping and calling vpon their workes forsaking his Creator As the Wise man saieth
drawe them from so great ignorance For in trueth it is a matter woorthy of consideration to see how they subiect themselves to such as instruct them in the true way of life Ther is nothing among all the creatures more beutifull than the sunne which all the Gentiles did commonly worship A discreete captaine and good christian told me that he had with a good reason perswaded the Indians that the Sunne was no god He required the Caâ—ique or chiefe Lord to give him an Indian that were light to carry him a Letter which doone he saide to the Cacique Tel me who is Lord and chiefe either this Indian that carries the letter or thou that dost send him The Cacique answered without doubt I am for he dooth but what I commauâ—d him Even so replied the Captaine is it of the Sunne we see and the Creator of all things For that the Sunne is but a servant to the most high Lorde which by his commaundement runnes swiftly giving light to all nations Thus thou seest it is against reason to yeeld that honour to the Sunne which is due to the Creator and Lord of all The Captaines reason pleased them all and the Cacique with his Indians sayde it was trueth and they were much pleased to vnderstand it They report of one of the Kings Inguas a man of a subtill spirite who seeing that all his predecessors had worshipped the Sunne said that hee did not take the Sunne to be God neither could it be for that God was a great Lord who with great quiet and leasure performeth his workes and that the Sunne doth never cease his course saying that the thing which laboured so much could not seeme to be God Wherein hee spake truth Even so when they shew the Indians their blind errors by lively and plaine reasons they are presently perswaded and yeelde admirably to the trueth Of another kinde of idolatry vpon the dead CHAP. 6. THere is an other kinde of idolatry very different from the rest which the Gentiles have vsed for the deads sake whom they loved and esteemed and it seemeth that the Wise man would give vs to vnderstand that the beginning of idolatry proceeded thence saying thus The seeking of Idolles was the beginning of fornication and the bringing vp of them is the destruction of life for they were not from the beginning neither shall they continue for ever but the vanitie and idlenesse of men hath found out this invention therefore shall they shortly come to an end for when a father mourned heavily for the death of his miserable sonne he made for his consolation an Image of the dead man and bâ—ganne to worshippe him as a god who a little before had ended his daies like a mortall man commanding his servants to make ceremonies sacrifices in remembrance of him Thus in processe of time this vngratious custome waxing strong was held for a lawe and Images were worshipped by the commaundement of Kings and Tirantes Then they beganne to doe the like to them that were absent and such as they could not honour in presence being farre off they did worship in this sort cansing the Images of Kings to be brought whom they would worship supplying by this invention their absence whom they desired to flatter The curiositic of excellent workmen increased this Idolatrie for these Images were made so excellent by their Art that the ignorant were provoked to worshippe them so as by the perfection of their Arte pretending to content them that gave them to make they drew Pictures and Images farre more excellent and the common people ledde with the shew and grace of the worke did holde and esteeme him for a God whome before they had honoured as a man And this was the miserable errour of men who sometimes yeelding to their affection and sence sometimes to the flatterie of their Kings did attribute vnto stones the incommunicable name of God worshipping them for Gods All this is in the booke of Wisedome woorthy to be noted and such as are curious in the search of Antiquities shall finde that the beginning of idolatry were these Images of the dead I say idolatry which is properly the worship of Idolles and Images for that it is not certaine that this other idolatry to worship the creatures as the Sunne and the hostes of heaven or the number of Planets and Starres whereof mention is made in the Prophets hath beene after the idolatry of Images although without doubt they have made idols in honour of the Sunne the Moone and the Earth Returning to our Indians they came to the height of Idolatry by the same meanes the Scripture maketh mention of first they had a care to keepe the bodies of their Kings and Noblemen whole from any ill scent or corruption above two hundred yeares In this sorte were their Kings Inguas in Cusco every one in his Chappell and Oratorie so as the Marquise of Canette being Viceroy to root out Idolatry caused three or foure of their gods to be drawne out and carried to the city of Kings which bredde a great admiration to see these bodies dead so many yeares before remaine so faire and also whole Every one of these Kings Inguas left all his treasure and revenues to entertaine the place of worshippe where his body was layed and there were many Ministers with all his familie dedicated to his service for no King successor did usurpe the treasures and plate of his predecessor but he did gather all new for himselfe and his pallace They were not content with this Idolatry to dead bodies but also thev made their figures and representations and every King in his life time caused a figure to be made wherin he was represented which they called Guaoigui which signifieth brother for that they should doe to this Image during his life and death as much honor and reverence as to himself They carryed this Image to the warres and in procession for rayne or fayre weather making sundry feastes and sacrifices vnto them There have beene many of these Idolles in Cusco and in that territorie but nowe they say that this superstition of worshipping of stones hath altogether ceased or for the most part after they had beene discovered by the diligence of the Licentiate Pollo and the first was that of the Inguas Rocha chief of the faction or race of Hanam Cusco And we find that among other Nations they had in great estimation and reverence the bodies of their predecessors and did likewise worship their Images Of Superstitions they vsed to the Dead CHAP. 7. THe Indians of Peru beleeved commonly that the Soules lived after this life and that the good were in glorie and the bad in paine so as there is little difficultie to perswade them to these articles But they are not yet come to the knowledge of that point that the bodies should rise with the soules And therefore they did vse a wonderfull care as it is saide to preserve the bodies
two considerations the one is to confuâ—e that false opinion many doe commonly holde of them that they are a grose and brutish people or that they have so little vnderstanding as they scarce deserve the name of anie So as many excesses and outrages are committed vpon them vsing them like bruite beasts and reputing them vnworthy of any respect which is so common and so dangerous an errour as they know well who with any zèale and consideration have travelled amongst them and that have seene and observd their secrets and counsells And moreover for the small regard many mâ—â—e of these Indians who presume to knowe much and yet are commonly the most ignorant and presumptuous I finde no better meanes to confound this pernicious opinion then in relating their order and maner whenas they lived vnder their owne lawes in which although they had many barbarous things and without ground yet had they many others worthy of great admiration whereby wee may vnderstand that they were by nature capable to receive any good instructions and besides they did in some things passe many of our common-weales It is no matter of marvell if there were so great and grose faults amongst them seeing there hath been likewise amongst the most famous Law givers and Philosophers yea without exception Lycurgus and Plato and amongest the wisest common-wealths as the Romanes and Athenians where wee may finde things so full of ignorance and so worthy of laughter as in trueth if the commonweales of the Mexicaines or of the Inguas hadde beene knowne in those times of the Romans and the Greekes their lawes and governements had been much esteemed by them But we at this day little regarding this enter by the sword without hearing or vnderstanding perswading our selves that the Indians affaires deserve no other respect but as of venison that is taken in the forrest and broght for our vse and delight The most grave and diligent which have searched and attained to the knowledge of their secrets customs and antient governement holde another opinion and admire the order and discourse that hath been betwixt them Of which number is Polo Ondeguardo whome I vsually followe in the discourse of matters of Peru and for these of Mexico Iohn de Toüar who had a Prebend in the Church of Mexico and is now of our company of Iesuites who by the commaundement of the viceroy Don Martin Enriques have made a diligent and a large collection of the Histories of that nation and many other grave and notable personages who both by word and writing have sufficiently informed me of all those things I shall here set downe The other end and the good which may followe by the knowledge of the lawes customes and government of the Indians is that wee may helpe and governe them with the same lawes and customes for that they ought to be ruled according to their owne lawes and priviledges so farre foorth as they doe not contradict the Lawe of Christ and his holy Church which ought to be maintained and kept as their fundamentall lawes For the ignorance of laws and customes hath bred many errours of great importaunce for that the Governours and Iudges knowe not well how to give sentence nor rule their subiects And besides the wrong which is doone vnto them against reason it is preiudiciall and hurtefull vnto our selves for thereby they take occasion to abhorre vs as men both in good and in evill alwayes contrary vnto them Of the supputation of times and the Kalender the Mexicaines vsed CHAP. 2. ANd to beginne then by the division and supputation of times which the Indians made wherein truely wee may well perceive the great signes of their vivacitie and good vnderstanding I will first shew in what sorte the Mexicaâ—nes counted and divided their yeere their moneths their kalender their computations their worldes and ages They divided the yeare into eighteene moneths to which they gave twentie dayes wherein the three hundred and three score days are accomplished not comprehending in any of these moneths the five dayes that remaine make the yeare perfect But they did reckon them aparte and called them the dayes of nothing during the which the people did not any thing neither went they to their Temples but occupied themselves only in visiting one another and so spent the time the sacrificers of the Temple did likewise cease their sacrifices These five dayes being past they beganne the computation of the yeare whereof the first moneth and the beginning was in March when the leaves beganne to growe greene although they tooke three dayes of the moneth of February for the first day of their yeere was as it were the sixe and twentie day of February as appeareth by their kalender within the which ours is likewise comprehended and contained with a very ingenious Arte which was made by the antient Indians that knew the first Spaniardes I have seene this Kalender and have it yet in my custody which well deserveth the sight to vnderstand the discourse and industry the Mexicaine Indians had Every one of these eighteene monethes had his proper name and his proper picture the which was commonly taken of the principall feast that was made in that moneth or from the diversitie of tymes which the yeere caused in that moneth They had in this Kalender certaine dayes marked and distinguished for their feasts And they accompted their weekes by thirteene dayes maâ—king the dayes with a Zero or cipher which they multiplied vnto thirteene and then beganne to count one two c. They did likewise marke the yeares of these wheeles with foure signes or figures attributing to every yeare a peculiar signe whereof one was of a house an other of a conny the third of a reede and the fourth of a flint They painted them in this sort noting by those figures the yeare that did runne saying of so many houses of so many flints of such a wheele happened such a thing For we must vnderstand that their wheele which was an age contained foure weekes of yeares every weeke containing thirteene yeares which in all made fiftie twoo yeares In the midst of this wheele they painted a Sunne from the which went foure beames or lines in crosse to the circumference of the wheele and they made their course even as the circumference was divided into foure equall partes every one with his line having a distinct colour from the rest and the foure colors were greene blew red and yellow every portion of these foure had thirteene separations which had all their signes or particular figures of a house a conny a reed or a flint noting by every signe a yeare and vppon the head of this signe they painted what had happened that yeare And therefore I did see in the Kalender mentioned the yeare when the Spaniards entered Mexico marked by the picture of a man clad in red after our manner for such was the habite of the first Spaniard whome Fernand Cortes sent at the end
Realme taking the government from his father and brother Then afterwardes he conquered and overthrew the Changuas and from that time commanded that Viracocha should be held for vniversall Lord and that the images of the Sunne and Thunder should do him reverence and honour And from that time they beganne to set the image of Viracocha above that of the Sunne and Thunder and the rest of the Guacas And although this Ingua Yupangui had given farmes landes and cattell to the Sunne Thunder and other Guacas yet did he not dedicate any thing to Viracocha saying that he had no neede being vniversall Lord and Creator of all things He informed his souldiers after this absolute victory of the Changuas that it was not they alone that had conquered them but certaine bearded men whome Viracocha had sent him and that no man might see them but himselfe which were since converted into stones it was therefore necessary to seeke them out whome he would know well By this meanes hee gathered together a multitude of stones in the mountaines whereof he made choice placing them for Guacas or Idolls they worshipped and sacrificed vnto they called them Pâ—ruraucas and carried them to the warre with great devotion beleeving for certaine that they had gotten the victory by their help The imagination and fiction of this Ingua was of such force that by the means thereof hee obtained goodly victories He founded the family called Yuacapanaca and made a great image of golde which hee called Indijllapa which hee placed in a brancard of golde very rich and of great price of the which gold the Indians tooke great store to carry to Xaxamalca for the libertie and ransome of Atahulpa when the Marquise Francis PiZarre held him prisoner The Licentiate Polo found in his house in Cusco his servants and Mamacomas which did service to his memorie and found that the body had beene transported from Patallacta to Totocache where the Spaniards have since founded the parish of Saint Blaise This body was so whole and preserved with a certaine rosin that it seemed alive he had his eyes made of a fine cloth of golde so artificially set as they seemed very naturall eyes he had a blowe with a stone on the head which he had received in the warres he was all grey and hairy having lost no more haire than if hee had died but the same day although it were seaventy and eight yeares since his decease The foresaid Polo sent this body with some others of the Inguas to the cittie of Lima by the viceroyes commaund which was the Marquise of Canette and the which was very necessary to root out the idolatry of Cusco Many Spaniards have seene this body with others in the hospitall of Saint Andrew which the Marquise built but they were much decayed Don Phillip Caritopa who was grand-childe or great grand-childe to this Ingua affirmed that the treasure hee left to his family was great which should be in the power of the Yanaconas Amaro Toto and others To this Ingua succeeded Topaingua Yupangui to whom his son of the same name succeeded who founded the family called Cupac Aillo Of the greatest and most famous Ingua called Guaynacapa CHAP. 22. TO this latter Ingua succeeded Guaynacapa which is to say a yoong man rich and valiant and so was he in trueth more than any of his predecessors or successors Hee was very wise planting good orders thorowout his whole realme hee was a bold and resolute man valiant and very happy in warre Hee therefore obtained great victories and extended his dominions much farther then all his predecessors had done before him he died in the realme of Quitto the which he had conquered foure hundred leagues distant from his court The Indians opened him after his decease leaving his heart and entrailes in Quitto the body was carried to Cusco the which was placed in the renowmed temple of the Sunne We see yet to this day many cawseies buildings fortresses and notable workes of this king hee founded the familie of Teme Bamba This Guaynacapa was worshipped of his subiects for a god being yet alive as the olde men affirme which was not doone to any of his predecèssours When he died they slew a thousand persons of his housholde to serve him in the other life all which died willingly for his service insomuch that many of them offered themselves to death besides such as were appoynted his riches and treasure was admirable And forasmuch as the Spaniards entred soone after his death the Indians laboured much to conceale all although a great parte thereof was carried to Xaxamalca for the ransome of Atahulpa his sonne Some woorthy of credite affirme that he hadde above three hundred sonnes and grand-children in Cusco His mother called Mamaoella was much esteemed amongst them Polo sent hir body with that of Guaynacapa very well imbalmed to Lima rooting out infinite idolatries To Guaynacapa succeeded in Cusco a sonne of his called Titocussigualpa who since was called Guaspar Ingua his body was burned by the captaines of Atahulpa who was likewise sonne to Guaynacapa and rebelled in Quitto against his brother marching against him with a mighty armie It happened that Quisquits and Chilicuchi captains to Atahulpa took Guaspar Ingua in the cittie of Cusco being received for Lord and king for that hee was the lawfull successor which caused great sorrowe throughout all his kingdome especially in his Court. And as alwayes in their necessities they had recourse to sacrifices finding themselves vnable to set their Lord at libertie as well for the great power the captaines had that tooke him as also for the great army that came with Atahulpa they resolved some say by the commaundement of this Ingua to make a great and solemne sacrifice to Viracocha Pachayachachic which signifieth vniversall Creator desiring him that since they coulde not deliver their Lord he would send men from heaven to deliver him from prison And as they were in this great hope vpon their sacrifice news came to them that a certaine people come by sea was landed and had taken Atahulpa prisoner Heerevpon they called the Spaniards Viracochas beleeving they were men sent from God as well for the small number they were to take Atahulpa in Xaxamalca as also for that it chaunced after their sacrifice done to Viracocha and thereby they began to call the Spaniards Viracochas as they doe at this day And in truth if we had given them good example and such as we ought these Indians had well applied it in saying they were men sent from God It is a thing very well worthy of consideration how the greatnesse and providence of God disposed of the entry of our men at Peru which had beene impossible were not the dissention of the two brethren and their partisans and the great opinion they hadde of christians as of men sent from heaven bound by the taking of the Indians countrey to labour to winne soules vnto Almightie God Of the
they taught them to sing and dance and did practise them in the exercise of warre some to shoote an arrow to cast a dart or a staffe burnt at the end and to handle well a target and a sword They suffered them not to sleepe much to the end they might accustome themselves to labour in their youth and were not men given to delightes Besides the ordinary number of these children there were in the same colledges other children of Lordes and Noblemen the which were instructed more privately They brought them their meate and ordinary from their houses and were recommended to antients and old men to have care over them who continually did advise them to be vertuous and to live chastely to be sober in their diet to fast and to march gravely and with measure They were accustomed to exercise them to travell and in laborious exercises and when they see them instructed in all these things they did carefully looke into their inclination if they found any one addicted to the war being of sufficient yeares they sought all occasions to make triall of them sending them to the warre vnder colour to carry victualls and munition to the souldiers to the end they might there see what passed and the labour they suffered And that they might abandon all feare they were laden with heavy burthens that shewing their courage therein they might more easily be admitted into the company of souldiers By this meanes it happened that many went laden to the Armie and returned Captaines with markes of honour Some of them were so desirous to bee noted as they were eyther taken or slaine and they held it lesse honourable to remaine a prisoner And therefore they sought rather to be cut in peeces then to fall captives into their enemies hands See how Noblemens children that were inclined to the warres were imployed The others that had their inclination to matters of the Temple and to speake after our maner to be Ecclesiastical men having attained to sufficient yeares they were drawne out of the colledge and placed in the temple in the lodging appointed for religious men and then they gave them the orders of Ecclesiasticall men There had they prelates and masters to teach them that which concerned their profession where they should remaine being destined therevnto These Mexicaines tooke great care to bring vp their children if at this day they would follow this order in building of houses and colledges for the instruction of youth without doubt Christianitie should florish much amongst the Indians Some godly persons have begunne and the King with his Counsell have favored it but for that it is a matter of no profit they advance little and proceede coldly God open our eyes that we may see it to our shame seeing that we Christians do not that which the children of darkenes did to their perdition wherin we forget our duties Of the Indians feasts and dances CHAP. 28. FOrasmuch as it is a thing which partly dependes of the good government of the Common-weale to have some plaies and recreations when time serves it shall not be from the purpose to relate what the Indians did heerein especially the Mexicaines We have not discovered any Nation at the Indies that live in comminalties which have not their recreations in plaies dances and exercises of pleasure At Peru I have seene plaies in maner of combats where the men of both sides were sometimes so chafed that often their Paella which was the name of this exercise fell out to be dangerous I have also seene divers sortes of dances wherein they did counterfait and represent certaine trades and offices as sheepheards laborers fishers and hunters and commonly they made all those dances with a very grave sound and pase there were other dances and maskes which they called Guacones whose actions were pure representations of the divell There were also men that dance on the shoulders one of another as they do in Portugall the which they call Paellas The greatest part of these dances were superstitions and kindes of idolatries for that they honoured their idolls and Guacas in that maner For this reason the Prelates have laboured to take from them these dances all they could but yet they suffer them for that part of them are but sportes of recreation for alwaies they dance after their maner In these dances they vse sundry sortes of instruments whereof some are like flutes or little Canons others like drummes and others like cornets but commonly they sing all with the voyce and first one or two sing the song then all the rest answer them Some of these songs were very wittily composed contayning histories and others were full of superstitions and some were meere follies Our men that have conversed among them have laboured to reduce matters of our holy faith to their tunes the which hath profited well for that they imploy whole daies to rehearse and sing them for the great pleasure and content they take in their tunes They have likewise put our compositions of musicke into their language as Octaves Songs and Rondells the which they have very aptly turned and in truth it is a goodly and very necessary meanes to instruct the people In Peru they commonly called dances Tagui in other Provinces Areittos and in Mexico Mittottes There hath not beene in any other place any such curiositie of plaies and dances as in new Spaine where at this day we see Indians so excellent dancers as it is admirable Some dance vpon a cord some vpon a long and straight stake in a thousand sundrie sortes others with the soles of their feete and their hammes do handle cast vp and receive againe a very heavy blocke which seems incredible but in seeing it They do make many other shewes of their great agilitie in leaping vaulting and tumbling sometimes bearing a great and heavie burthen sometimes enduring blowes able to breake a barre of yron But the most vsuall exercise of recreation among the Mexicaines is the solemne Mittotte and that is a kinde of daunce they held so brave and so honorable that the king himselfe daunced but not ordinarily as the king Don Pedro of Arragon with the Barber of Valencia This daunce or Mittotte was commonly made in the Courts of the Temple and in those of the kings houses which were more spatious They did place in the midst of the Court two instruments one like to a drumme and the other like a barrell made of one peece and hollow within which they set vppon the forme of a man a beast or vpon a piller These two instruments were so well accorded together that they made a good harmony and with these instruments they made many kinds of Aires Songs They did all sing and dance to the sound and measure of these instruments with so goodly an order and accord both of their feete and voices as it was a pleasant thing to beholde In these daunces they made twoo circles or wheeles the one was in the middest
into a very darke chappell where their idoll was that he might offer sacrifice to his daughter that was in that place But it chanced that the incense that was vpon the harth according to their custome kindled in such sort as hee might discerne his daughters haire and having by this meanes discovered the crueltie and deceit hee went forth crying alowde and with all his men he fell vpon the Mexicaines forcing them to retyre to the lake so as they were almost drowned The Mexicaines defended themselves casting certaine little darts which they vsed in the warres wherewith they much galled their ennemies But in the end they got land and leaving that place they coasted along the lake very weary and wet the women and little children crying and making great exclamations against them and their god that had brought them into this distresse They were inforced to passe a river that could not be waded through and therefore they advised to make small boates of their targets and of reedes wherein they passed Then afterwardes having left Culhuacan they arived at Iztacalco and finally to the place where the hermitage of Saint Anthonie now is at the entry of Mexico and to that quarter which they now call S. Paul During which time their idoll did comfort them in their travells and incoraged them promising great matters Of the Foundation of Mexico CHAP. 7. THe time being now come that the father of lies should accomplish his promise made to his people who could no longer suffer so many turnings travells and dangers it happened that some old priests or sorcerers being entred into a place full of water-lillies they met with a very faire and cleere current of water which seemed to be silver and looking about they found the trees medowes fish and all that they beheld to be very white wondring heereat they remembred a prophecie of their god whereby he had given them that for a token of their place of rest and to make them Lords of other Nations Then weeping for ioy they returned to the people with these good newes The night following VitzliputZli appeared in a dreame to an antient priest saying that they should seeke out a Tunal in the lake which grew out of a stone which as he told them was the same place where by his commandement they had cast the heart of Copil sonne to the sorceresse their enemy and vpon this Tunal they should see a goodly Eagle which fed on certaine small birdes When they should see this they should beleeve it was the place where their Cittie should be built the which shuld surmountal others be famous throughout the world Morning being come the old man assembled the whole people from the greatest to the least making a long speach vnto them how much they were bound vnto their god and of the Revelation which although vnworthy hee had received that night concluding that all must seeke out that happie place which was promised them which bred such devotion and ioy in them all that presently they vndertooke the enterprise and dividing themselves into bandes they beganne to search following the signâ—s of the revelation of the desired place Amiddest the thickest of these water-lillies in the lake they met with the same course of water they had seene the day before but much differing being not white but red like blood the which divided it selfe into two streames whereof the one was of a very obscure azure the which bred admiration in them noting some great mistery as they said After much search heere and there the Tunal appeared growing on a stone whereon was a royall Eagle with the wings displaied towardâ—s the Sunne receiving his heat About this Eagle were many rich fethers white red yellow blew and greene of the same sort as they make their images which Eage held in his tallants a goodly birde Those which sawe it and knew it to be the place fore-tolde by the Oracle fel on their knees doing great worship to the Eagle which bowed the head looking on every sideâ—â—hen was their great cries demonstrations and thankes vnto the Creator and to their great god Vitzliputzli who was there father and had alwaies told them truth For this reason they called the cittie which they founded there Tenoxtiltan which signifies Tunal on a stone and to this day they carry in their armes an Eagle vpon a Tunal with a bird in his tallant and standing with the other vpon the Tunal The day following by common consent they made an hermitage adioyning to the Tunal of the Eagle that the Arke of their god might rest there till they might have meanes to build him a sumptuous Temple and so they made this hermitage of flagges turfes covered with straw then having consulted with their god they resolved to buy of their neighbours stone timber lime in exchange of fish frogges and yong kids and for duckes water-hennes courlieus and divers other kindes of sea fowles All which things they did fish and hunt for in this Lake whereof there is great aboundance They went with these things to the markets of the Townes and Citties of the Tapanecans and of them of Tescuco their neighbours and with pollicie they gathered together by little and little what was necessary for the building of their Cittie so as they built a better Chappell for their idoll of lime and stone and laboured to fill vp a great part of the lake with rubbish This done the idoll spake one night to one of his priests in these tearmes Say vnto the Mexicaines that the Noblemen divide themselves everie one with their kinsfolkes and friends and that they divide themselves into foure principall quarters about the house which you have built for my rest and let every quarter build in his quarter at his pleasure The which was put in execution and those be the foure principall quarters of Mexico which are called at this day S. Iean S. Mary the round S. Paul and S. Sebastian After this the Mexicaines being thus divided into these foure quarters their god commanded them to divide amongest them the gods he should name to them and that they should give notice to every quarter principal of the other foure particall quarters where their gods should be worshipped So as vnder every one of these foure principall quartâ—rs there were many lesse comprehended according to the number of the idolls which their god commanded them to worship which they called Calpultetco which is as much to say as god of the quarters In this manner the Cittie of Mexico Tenoxtiltan was founded and grew great Of the sedition of those of Tlatelulco and of the first Kings the Mexicaines did choose CHAP. 8. THis division being made as afore-said some olde men and Antients held opinion that in the division they had not respected them as they deserved for this cause they and their kinsfolke did mutine and went to seeke another residence and as they went thorough the lake they found a small peece of ground
their Lords and which have beene charged with the heaviest burthens as well of tributes and services as of customes and bloodie practises All that which the Mexicane Kings and those of Peru did possesse is at this day most planted with Christian religion and where there is least difficultie in the government and ecclesiasticall discipline The Indians were so wearied with the heavy and insupportable yoake of Sathans lawes his sacrifices and ceremonies whereof wee have formerly spoken that they consulted among themselves to seeke out a new law and another God to serve And therefore the law of Christ seemed vnto them and doth at this day seeme iust sweete cleane good and full of happinesse And that which is difficult in our law to beleeve so high and soveraigne Misteries hath beene easie among them for that the Divell had made them comprehend things of greater difficultie and the selfe-same things which he had stolen from our Evangelicall law as their maner of communion and confession their adoration of three in one and such other like the which against the will of the enemy have holpeâ— for the casie receiving of the truth by those who before had imbraced lies God is wise and admirable in all his workes vanquishing the adversatie even with his owne weapon hee takes him in his owne snare and kills him with his owne sword Finally our God who had created this people and who seemed to have thus long forgot them when the hourâ— was come hee would have the same divells enemies to mankinde whom they falsly held for gods should give a testimony against their will of the true law the power of Christ and the triumph of the crosse as it plainely appeares by the presages prophesies signes and prodiges heere before mentioned with many others happened in divers partes and that the same Ministers of Sathan Sorcerers Magitians and other Indians have confessed it And we cannot deny it being most evident and knowne to all the world that the Divell dareth not hisse and that the practises oracles answers and visible apparitions which were so ordinary throughout all this infidelitie have ceased whereas the Crosse of Christ hath beene planted where there are Churches and where the name of Christ hath beene confessed And if there be at this day any cursed minister of his that doth participate thereof it is in caves and on the toppes of mountaines and in secret places farre from the name and communion of Christians The Soveraigne Lord be blessed for his great mercies and for the glory of his holy name And in truth if they did governe this people temporally and spiritually in such sort as the law of Iesus Christ hath set it downe with a milde yoake and light burthen and that they would impose no more vppon them then they can well beare as the letters pattents of the good Emperour of happy memorie doe command and that they would imploy halfe the care they have to make profite of these poore mens sweats and labours for the health of their soules it were the most peaceable and happy Christan part of all the world But our sinnes are often an occasion that God doth not impart his graces so aboundantly as he would Yet I will say one thing which I holde for truth that although the first entry of the Gospel hath not beene accompanied in many places with such sinceritie and christian meanes as they should have vsed yet God of his bountie hath drawne good from this evill and hath made the subiection of the Indians a perfect remedie for their salvation Let vs consider a little what hath beene newly converted in our time to the Christian Religion as well in the East as in the West and how little suretie and perseverance in the faith and Christian Religion there hath beene in places where the new converted have had full libertie to dispose of themselves according to their free will Christianitie without doubt augments and increaseth and brings forth daily more fruite among the Indian slaves and contrariwise decreaseth and threatens a ruine in other partes where have beene more happy beginnings And although the beginnings at the West Indies have beene laboursome yet our Lord hath speedily sent good worke-men and his faithfull Ministers holy men and Apostolicall as Friar Martin of Valence of the order of S. Francis Friar Dominicke de Gerancois of the order of S. Dominicke Friar Iohn de Roa of the order of S. Austen with other servants of our Lord which have lived holily and have wrought more then humaine things Likewise Prelates and holy Priests worthy of memory of whom we heare famous miracles and the very acts of the Apostles yea in our time we have knowne and conferred with some of this qualitie But for that my intention hath beene onely to touch that which concernes the proper history of the Indians themselves and to come vnto the time that the father of our Lord Iesus Christ would communicate the light of his word vnto them I will passe no farther leaving the discourse of the Gospel at the west Indies for another time and to a better vnderstanding Beseeching the Soveraigne Lord of all and intreating his servants humbly to pray vnto his Divine Maiestie that it would please hiâ— of his bountie often to visit and to augment by the guifts of heaven this new Christendome which these last ages have planted in the farthest boundes of the earth Glory Honour Empery be to the King of worlds for ever and ever Amen FINIS Chrysost. homil 14 17. in epist and Hebre. Chrys. hom 6.13 in Genâ—s hom 12 ad pop Antioch Theodoreâ— Theophil in capitul 8. ad Hebre Lact. lib. 3. divin inst ca. 24. Iev in epist. aâ— Ephes. â—â—â— 2. â— 4. Sixtuâ— Senens lib. 5. biblio annot at 3. Aug. lib. 2. de Gen. ad lit c. 9. Id. Psal. 35. Sapien. 13. Rom. 1. Aug. lib. 2. de Genes ad lit cap. 10. Aug. ep 109. ad Ianuarium cap. 4. August lib. de Genes ad litteram cap. 19. Dan. 14. Psal. 148. Hest 13. Sap. 1.27.11.18 Psal. 91.7.23.39.97 Iob 37. Eccles. 1. Ierom. cap. 3. ad Ephes. Basil. hom li. 1. Hexam prope finem Amb. lib. 10. Hexam cap. 6. Psal. 74. Amb. 1. Hexa Iob. 9 26. Heb. 1. Aug. in Ps. 13â— Iob. 26. Iob 38. Psal. 103. Psal. 103. Heb. 8. Exo. 36. Chrisost. in 20. cap. Psal. 103. Aug. 2. de Gen. ad litterans ca. 9. Isaie 66. 2. Coriâ— â— 2 Plin. lib. 6. câ—p 22. Via lactea Plut. â—li.de placâ—tis â—hil cap. 9. 1â— Aug. lib. 16. de câ—vit cap. 9. Gâ—â—es 1. Lact. lib. 7. inâ—â— divin cap. 23. Aug. lib. 16. de â—uâ—tate c. â— 9 Arist. 1. dd Cel. ca. 3. Aug lib. Categoriacum c. 10. in tomâ— 1. Lib. 16. câ—p 9 Nazian epist. 27. ad Pâ—stumiâ—num Arist. 2. Meta â—ap 5. Lucan 10. Pharsal Soph. â—â— 3 Plin. lib. â— cap. 61. Plutarch 3. de placitis phil cap. 11. S Ierom. super ap