him by Letters He told mee hee had beene brought up in Spain in the Country of Asturias where many English ships did use to come and having seen there many of my Nation he affected them very much and to mee as one of so good a Nation and as a stranger and Pilgrime out of my owne Country hee would shew all the favour that the utmost of his power would afford How glad was I to find in him so contrary an opinion to that of foure eyed Hidalgo And how did he performe his words He was the chief Master and Reader of Divinity in the University his name Master Iacinthode Cabannas who finding mee desirous to follow the Schools and especially to hear from him some lessons of Theologie within the first quarter of yeer that I had been his constant and attentive Auditor graced mee with a publick act of conclusions of Divinity which I was to defend under his direction and moderation in the face of the whole University and Assembly of Doctors and Divines against the Tenents of Scotus and Suarez But the principall and head conclusion was concerning the birth of the Virgin Mary whom both Jesuites Suarez and Franciscans and Scotists hold to have beene borne without Originall sinne or any guilt or staine of it against whose fond foolish and ungrounded fancies I publickly defended with Thomas Aquinas and all Thomists that shee as well as all Adams posterity was borne in Originall It was an act the like whereof had not been so controverted in that University with arguments in contra and their answers and solutions and with reasons and arguments in pro many yeers before The Jesuites stamped with their feet clapt with their hands railed with their tongues and condemned it with their mouths for a heresie saying that in England where were hereticks such an opinion concerning Christs mother might bee held and defended by mee who had my birth among hereticks but that Master Cabannas borne among Spaniards and brought up in their Universities and being the chief Reader in that famous Academy should maintaine such an opinion they could not but much marvaile and wonder at it But with patience I told them that strong reasons and the further authority of many learned Thomist Divines should satisfie their vaine and clamorous wondring The Act was ended and though with Jesuites I could get no credit yet with the Dominicans and with Master Cabannas I got so much that I never after lost it for the space of almost twelve yeers but was still honored by the meanes of this Cabannas and Fryer Iohn Baptist the Prior of Chiapa who at Christmas ensuing was made Prior of Guatemala with honors and preferments as great as ever stranger was living among Spaniards These two above named being at Candlemas or beginning of February that same yeer at Chiapa at the election of a new Provinciall would not forget mee their poorest friend stil abiding in Guatemala but remembring that the University which belonged chiefly to the Cloister at Michaelmas would want a new Reader or Master of Arts to begin with Logick continue through the eight bookes of Physicks and to end with the Metaphysicks propounded mee to the new elected Provincialll whose name was Fryer Iohn Ximeno and to the whole Chapter and Conventicle of the Province for Reader of Arts in Guatemala the Michaelmas next ensuing Their suit for me was so earnest and their authority so great that nothing could bee denied them and so they brought unto mee from the Provinciall Chapter these insuing Letters Patents from Fryer Iohn Ximeno whose form and manner I thought fit here to insert out of the Original in Spanish which to this day abideth with me for curiosity and satisfaction of my Reader FRay Iuan Ximeno Predicador General y Prior Provincial desta Provincia de San Vicente de Chiapa y Guatemala Orden de Predicadores Por quanto nuestro Convento de Sancto Domingo de Guatemala carece de Lector de Artes. Por la presente Instituyo y doy por Lector Al Padre fray Thomas de Sancta Maria so was my Name then and by this name will some Spaniards know mee who may chance hereafter to read this and curse mee por la satisfaccion que tengo de su sufficiencia Y mando al Pe. Prior del dicho nuestro Convento le ponga en possession del tal Officio Y para mayor merito de obediencia le mando in virtute Spiritus sancti et sanctae obedientiae et sub praecepto formali In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti Amen Fecho en este nuestro Convento de Chiapa la Real en nueve de Febrero de 1647. Y la mande sellar con sello mayor de nuistro officio Fray Juan or Ximeno Plis Por Mandado de Nostro Rdo. Padre Fray Juan de Sto. Domingo Noto Notifique esta Patente a el Contenido en 12 dias del mes de Abril de 1627. Fray Juan Baptista Por. This Form according to the Originall in Spanish is thus in English and to this purpose FRyer Iohn Ximeno Preacher Generall and Prior Provinciall of this Province of Saint Vincent of Chiapa and Guatemala Order of Preachre Whereas our Convent of Saint Dominick of Guatemala wanteth and stands in need of a Reader of Arts By these presents I doe institute name and appoint for Reader Fryer Thomas of Saint Mary for the great satisfaction which I have of his sufficiency And I command the Prior of the foresaid our Convent that hee put him into full possession and enjoyment of the said Office And for the greater merit of obedience I command him our forenamed Reader by vertue of the Holy Ghost and of holy obedience and under a formall precept In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen Dated in thi our Convent of Chiapa the Royall the ninth of February 1627. And I commanded these to bee sealed with the great Seale of our Office Fryer Iohn or Ximeno Pal. By the command of our Reverend Father Fryer Iohn of St. Dominick Notary I notified these Letters Patents unto the contained in them the 12. day of the moneth of Aprill 1627. Fryer Iohn Baptist. Por. This honour conferred upon mee a stranger and new commer to the Province made the Criolian party and some others who had aymed at that place and preferment in the University to stomack mee But to mee it was a spurre to stir and prick mee on to a more eager pursuit of learning to frequent the Academy lessons with more care and diligence and to spend my selfe and time day and night more in studying that so I might performe with like honour that which was laid upon mee and answer the expectation of my best and forwardest friends Three yeers I continued in this Convent and City in obedience to the forecited Patents oftentimes I thought within my self that the honour of my English Nation here lay upon me in Guatemala in
All this said Father Fitzherbert I was witnesse of who was then sent for by the Cardinals as in all like occasions and affaires concerning England to give theâ—… opinion concerning the said Common Prayer Booke and the temper of the Scots But the good Archbishop quoth hee hearing the censure of the Cardinals concerning his intention and Form of Prayer to ingratiate himself the more into their favour corrected some things in it and made it more harsh and unreasonable for that Nation which wee already heare they have stomacked at and will not suffer it in many parts to be read and wee justly fear that this his Common Prayer Book his great compliance with this Court will at last bring strife and division between the two Kingdomes of Scotland and England And this most true Relation of William Laud late Archbishop of Canterbury though I have often spoken of it in private discourse â—…and publiquely preached it at the Lecture of Wingham in Kent I could not in my conscience omit it here both to vindicate the just censure of death which the now sitting Parliament have formerly given against him for such like practises and compliance with 〈◊〉 and secondly to reprove the ungrounded opinion and errour of some ignorant and Maâ—…ant spirits who to my knowledge have since his death highly exalted him and â—…yed him up for a Martyr At the same time whilst I was at Rome I understood of another great bufâ—…sse concerning England then in agitation amongst the Cardinals and much prosecuted by this Fitzherbert and one father Courtney a Jesuite son to one Sir Thomas Leeds which was to create one of the English Nation Cardinall that so the Conversion of England what by the Assistance of William Laud what by the power of a higher person and what by the authority of the said Cardinall might be more fully and earnestly plotted and indeavoured This businesse was much agitated in England by Signior Con at whose house in Long Aker were many meetings of the chief Gentry of the Papists In Rome Sir William Hamilton then Agent for the Queene vied much for the said Cardinals Cap and got a great number of friends to further this his ambitious design But hee was too yong and some scandall of a Gentlewoman who stuck too close to him made the red Cap unfit for his head and secondly because a greater then hee to wit Sir Keâ—…lham Digby was appointed by the Queen to bee her Agent there who sent before him his Chaplain a great Politician and active Priest named Fitton to take up his lodging and make way and friends for his ambitious preferment who in his daily discourse cryed up his Master Digby for Cardinall and told mee absolutely that hee doubted not but hee would carry it But though hee had great favour from the Queen and was her Agent yet hee had strong Antagonists in Fitzherbert Courtney and the rest of the crew of the Jesuites who looked upon that honour and red Cap as better becomming one of their profession and fitter for a head which had formerly worne a four Cornered black Cap to wit Sir Toby Matby But in case the said Cap should fall from Sir Toby his head then they would helpe and further a third whose birth and Nobility should advance him before Sir Kenelham Digby to wit Walter Mountague the old Earle of Manchester his sonne at that time And thus it was a generall and credible report in Rome that either a Digby a Mathy or a Mountâ—…gue should that yeere bee made Cardinall Whereby I perceived that England was comming neere to Rome and that my design of professing and following the truth in England was blasted and that in vain I had come from America for satisfaction of my conscience in England I was more troubled now then ever and desired to try all wayes if I could bee better satisfied concerning the Popish Religion in Rome Naples or Venice whither I went then I had been in America and among the Spaniards But I found such exorbitances and scandalls in the lives of some Cardinals of Rome whilst I was there especially in Don Antonio Barbarini and Cardinal Burgest who at midnight was taken by the Corchetes or Officers of justice in uncivill wayes and came off from them with money that I perceived the Religion was but as I had found it in America a wide and open doore to loosnesse and policy and the like in Naples and Venice which made mee even hate what before I had professed for Religion and resolve that if I could not live in England and there injoy my Conscience that I would live in France for a while untill I had well learned that tongue and then associate my selfe unto the best reformed Protestant Church Whereupon I obtained from the General of the Dominicans this ensuing order to live in the Cloister of Orleans intending from thence at my best opportunity to goe to Paris Lyons or some other place and shake off my Magpy habit and to live and dye in France in the true Protestant and refoâ—…med Religion as professed there In Dei filio sibi Dilecto Reverendo Patri fratri Thomae Gageo Provinciae Anglicanae Ordinis Praedicatorum Frater Nicolaus Rodulfius totius ejusdem Ordinis Magister Generalis ac servus in Domino salutem Conventui nostro Aurelia nensi Provinciae nostrae Franciae de probo optimo Patre Sacerdote providere cupientes Tenore praesentium nostri authoritate officii supra nominatum Reverendum Patrem Fratrem Thomam Gageum revocamus te a quovis alio Conventu Assignamus in dicto Conventu nostro Aurelianensi Assignatumque declaramus in Nomine Patris Filii Spiritus Sancti Amen Mandantes Rdo. admodum Patri Magistro Priori illius ut te benigne recipiat cum omni charitate tractet In quorm fidem his officii hostri sigillo munitis propria manu subscripsimus Datum Suriani die nono Aprilis 1640. Frater Nicolaus Magister Ordinis Frater Ignatius Ciantes Magister Provincialis Angliae Socius The Forme whereof as also the manner of sending Fryers from one Cloister to live in another commonly called by them an Assignation is in English as followeth To our Beloved in the Son of God the Reverend Father Fryer Thomas Gage of the English Province of the Order of Preachers Fryer Nicholas Rodulfius of the same whole Order Master Generall and Servant in the Lord health and greeting WEE being willing and desirous to provide for our Convent of Orleans of our Province of France of an honest and very good Father and Priest by Tenour of these present and by the authority of our Office doe recall you the above named Reverend Fryer Thomas Gage from any other Convent and doe Assigne you in our said Convent of Orleans and declare you to bee assigned in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen Commanding the very Reverend Father Master Prior thereof that hee
Conversion of England the onely object of their Ambition and unsatiable Covetousnesse But above all is this envy and hatred found between Dominicans and Jesuites for these owe unto them an old grudge for that when Ignatius Loiola lived his Doctrine de Trinitate which hee pretended was revealed to him from heaven for hee was certainely past the Age of studying at his Conversion was questioned by the Dominicans and hee by a Church Censure publickly and shamefully whipped about their Cloisters for his erroneous principles This affront done to their chief Patron hath stirred up in them an unreconciliable hatred towards the Order of the Dominicans and hath made them even cracke their braines to oppose Thomas Aquinas his Doctrine How shamefully doe those two Orders indeavour the destruction of each other branding one another with calumnies of heresie in the Opinions especially de Conceptione Mariae de libero arbitrio de Auxiliis And of the two the Jesuites is more bold and obstinate in malice and hatred How did they some twenty yeares agoe all Spaine over about the Conception of Mary stirre up the people against the Dominicans in so much that they were in the very streets tearmed Hereticks stones cast at them the King almost perswaded to banish them out of all his Dominions and they poore Fryers forced to stand upon their Guard in their Cloisters in many Cities especially in Sevill Osuna Antiquera and Cordova to defend themselves from the rude and furious multitude Much like this was that publike Conference and disputation betweene Valentia the Jesuite and Master Lemos the Dominican before the Pope concerning their alterâ—…ation de Auxiliis When the cunning Jesuite hoping to brand with heresie the whole Order of Dominicans had caused Augustmes Workes to bee falsly printed at Lions with such words which might directly oppose the Thomâ—…sts Opinion and had prevailed had not Lemos begged of â—…e Pope that the Originall Bookes of â—…ustin might bee brought out of his Vatican Library where was found the quite contrary words to what the false Iesuite had caused to be printed hee was forced to contesse his knavery was harshly reprehended and with the apprehension of that great affront the next night gave up his ghost to his father the father of lies and falshood An other reason of this mortall enmity between these two Orders is for that the Jesuites surpasse all others in ambition of honour credit and estimation whence it is they cannot indure to behold the Dominicans to exceed them in any preferment Now it is that by the Laws of Arragon and the Kingdome of Valencia the Kings of Spain are tied to have a Dominican Fryer for their Confessor or ghostly father which could but the Jesuites obtain how would they then rule and govern Spain and the Kings heart But though they could never yet prevail to alter this established law yet have they prevailed now lately so that Antonio de Sotomayor the King of Spains Confessor should lie at rest in the Court of Madrid with a pension and dry title only and that Florencia that grand Statist should be Confessor to the Count of Olivares the Royall Issue the Queen and should hear the Kings confessions oftner then his chosen and elected Confessor Sotomayor Secondly the Dominicans as first Authors of the Inquisition which they prove from their Martyr Peter of Verona still enjoy the highest places of that Court which is a wofull sight to the Jesuites to see their Religion affaires handled their Church kept pure from what they call heresy by any but themselves O had they as they have often strived for it in their hands the judicature of that tribunall how should all Dominicans nay all sorts of Preists but their own presently by them be branded with heresy Thirdly in Rome there is an other preferment successively due to Dominicans from the time of Dominicus de Guzman founder of that Religion to wit to be magister Sacri Palatii the Popes Palace master instituted to this purpose that about him there may be some learned Divine for commonly the Popes are more Statists and Canonists then Divines to read a daily lecture of Divinity to such as will be instructed therein and to resolve the Pope himselfe of whatsoever difficult points in Divinity may be questioned This is the Dominicans due with a pension to maintain Coach and servants within the Palace of St Peter Which the Jesuites have often by favour and cunning Jesuiticall trickes endeavoured to bereave the Dominicans of but proving labour in vain they continue still in their unplacable enmity and hatred against them And thus you see the fountaines of their strife which as here in Europe hath been well seen so hath this contentious fire overpowered the fire of their zeal of soules in the East and West-India's and the wealth and riches of those Countries the ambition of honor in their Gospel function hath more powerfully drawn them thither then what they pretend the conversion of a barbarous and idolatrous nation This was well published to the view of the whole world by a most infamous libel which in the year 1626 fryer Diego de Colliado a missionary Fryer in Philippinas and Iapan set ouâ—… of the unheard of passages and proceedings of the Jesuites in those Eastern parts At that time the Jesuites pretended that mission to themselves only and petitioned the King of Spain that only they might go thither to preach having been the first plantation of Franciscus Xavier and since continued successively by their Priests To this purpose they remembred the King of the great charges he was at in sending so many Fryers and maintaining them there all which should be saved might they only have free ingresse into those Kingdomes All which charges they offered themselves to beare and further to bring up the Indians in the true faith to instruct them and civilize them to teach them all liberall sciences and to perfect them in musick and all musicall instruments and in fencing dancing vaulting painting and whatsoever els might make them a compleat and civill people But against all this was objected by Diego Colliado that not zeal only and charity moved them to this offer but their ambition and covetousnesse which would soon be seen in their encroaching upon the silly and simple Indians wealth bringing instances of many thousand pounds which they had squeâ—…zed from the poore Barbarians in the Islands of Philippinas And that their entring into Iapan was more to enrich themselves then to convert the Iaponians to Christianisme that whensoever they entred into the Kingdome they conveyed from Manila whole ships laden with the richest commodities of those Islands that their trading was beyond all other Merchants trading their Bench for exchange mony farre more accustomed then any other whither for China for Iapan for Peru and Mexico and that the Viceroy himselfe made use of none other but theirs That to keep out all other orders out of Iapan they had ingratiated themselves so
are but poore thatched cottages without any upper roomes but commonly one or two only roomes below in the one they dresse their meat in the middle of it making a compasse for fire with two or three stones without any other chimney to convey the smoak away which spreading it selfe about the the roome filleth the thatch and the rafters so with sur that all the roome seemeth to be a chimney The next unto it is not free from smoak and blacknesse where sometimes are four or five beds according to the family The poorer sort have but one room where they eat dresse their meat and sleep Few there are that set any lockes upon their dores for they fear no robbing nor stealing neither have they in their houses much to lose earthen pots and pans and dishes and cups to drinke their Chocolatte being the chief commodities in their house There is scarce any house which hath not also in the yard a stew wherein they bath themselves with hot water which is their chief physick when they feel themselves distempered Among themselves they are in every Town divided into Tribes which have one chief head to whom all that belong unto that Tribe doe resort in any difficult matters who is bound to aid protect defend counsell and appear for the rest of his Tribe before the officers of justice in any wrong that is like to be done unto them When any is to be married the father of the son that is to take a wife out of another Tribe goeth unto the head of his Tribe to give him warning of his sons marriage with such a maid Then that head meets with the head of the maids Tribe and they conferre about it The businesse commonly is in debate a quarter of a yeer all which time the parents of the youth or man are with gifts to buy the maid they are to be at the charges of all that is spent in eating and drinking when the heads of the two Tribes doe meet with the rest of the kindred of each side who sometimes fit in conference a whole day or most part of a night After many dayes and nights thus spent and a full triall being made of the the one and other sides affection if they chance to disagree about the marriage then is the Tribe and parents of the maid to restore back all that the other side hath spent and given They give no portions with their daughters but when they die their goods and lands are equally divided among their sons If any one want a house to live in or will repair and thatch his house anew notice is given to the heads of the Tribes who warn all the Town to come to help in the work and every one is to bring a bundle of straw and other materials so that in one day with the helpe of many they finish a house without any charges more then of Chocolatte which they minister in great cups as big as will hold above a pint not putting in any costly materials as doe the Spaniards but only a little Anniseed and Chile or Indian pepper or else they halfe fill the cup wich Attolle and powre upon it as much Chocolatte as will fill the cup and colour it In their diet the poorer sort are limited many times to a dish of Frixoles or Turkey beanes either black or white which are there in very great abundance and are kept dry for all the yeer boyled with Chile and if they can have this they hold themselves well satisfied with these beanes they make also dumplins first boyling the bean a little and then mingling it with a masse of Maiz as we do mingle Currants in our cakes and so boile again the frixoles with the dumplin of Maiz masse and so eat it hot or keep it cold but this and all whatsoever else they eat they either eat it with green biting Chile or else they dip it in water and salt wherein is bruised some of that Chile But if their means will not reach to frixoles their ordinary fare and diet is their Tortilla's so they call thin round cakes made of the dow and masse of Maiz which they eat hot from an earthen pan whereon they are soon baked with one turning over the fire and these they eat alone either with Chile and salt and dipping them in water and salt with a little bruised Chile When their Maiz is green and tender they boil some of those whole stalkes or clusters whereon the Maiz groweth with the leaf about and so casting a little salt about it they eat it I have often eate of this and found it as dainty as our young green pease and very nourishing but it much increaseth the blood Also of this green and tender Maiz they make a Furmity boiling the Maiz in some of the milke which they have first taken out of it by bruising it The poorest Indian never wants this diet and is well satisfied as long as his belly is thorowly filled But the poorest that live in such Townes where flesh meat is sold will make a hard shift but that when they come from worke on Saturday night they will buy one halfe Riall or a Riall worth of fresh meat to eat on the Lords day Some will buy a good deal at once and keep it long by dressing it into Tassajo's which are bundles oâ—… flesh rowled up and tied fast which they doe when for examples sake they have from a leg of beefe sliced off from the bone all the flesh with the knife after the length forme and thinnesse of a line or rope Then they take the flesh and salt it which being sliced and thinly cut soon takes salt and hang it up in their yards like a line from post to post or from tree to tree to the wind for a whole week and then they hang it in the smoak another week and after rowle it up in small bundles which become as hard as a stone and so as they need it they wash it boyl it and eat it This is America's powdered beef which they call Tassajo whereof I have often eaten and the Spaniards eat much of it especially those that trade about the Countrey with Mules nay this Tassajo is a great commodity and hath made many a Spaniard rich who carry a Mule or two loaden with these Tassajo's in small parcels and bundles to those Townes were is no flesh at all sold and there they exchange them for other commodities among the Indians receiving peradventure for one Tassajo or bundle which cost them but the halfe part of a farthing as much Cacao as in other places they sell for a Riall or six pence The richer sort of people will fare better for if there be fish or flesh to bee had they will have it and eat most greedily of it and will not spare their fowls and Turkeys from their own bellies These also will now and then get a wild Dear shooting it with their bows and arrows And
this sweetnesse and pleasing delight of shewes in the Church hath its sowre sawce once a yeer besides the sowrenesse of poverty which followeth to them by giving so many gifts unto the Preist for to shew that in their Religion there is some bitterness sowrenesse they make the Indians whip themselves the weeke before Easter like the Spaniards which those simples both men and women perform with such cruelty to their owne flesh that they butcher it mangle and teare their backs till some swound nay some as I have known have died under their own whipping and have selfe murthered themselves which the Preists regard not because their death is sure to bring them at least three or foure Crownes for a Masse for their soules and other offerings of their friends Thus in Religion they are superstitiously led on and blinded in the observance of what they have been taught for the good and profit of their Preists then for any good of their soules not perceiving that their Religion is a Policy to inrich their teachers But not onely doe the Fryers and Preists live by them and eat the sweat of their browes but also all the Spaniards who not onely with their worke and service being themselves many given to idlenesse grow wealthy and rich but with needlesse offices and authority are still fleecing them and taking from them that little which they gaine with much hardnesse and severity The President of Guatemala the Judges of that Chancery the Governours and High Justices of other parts of the Country that they may advance and inrich their meniall servants make the poor Indians the subject of their bountifulnesse towards such Some have offices to visit as often as they please their Towns and to see what every Indian hath sowed of Maiz for the maintenance of his wife and children Others visit them to see what fowles they keepe for the good and store of the County others have order to see whether their houses bee decently kept and their beds orderly placed according to their Families others have power to call them out to mend and repaire the high wayes and others have Commission to number the Families and Inhabitants of the severall Townes to see how they increase that their Tribute may not decrease but still bee raised And all this those officers doe never perform but so that for their pains they must have from every Indian an allowance to bear their charges which indeed are none at all for as long as they stay in the Town they may call for what fowles and provision they please without paying for it When they come to number the Townes they call by lift every Indian and cause his chiidren sonnes and daughters to be brought before them to see if they bee fit to be married and if they be of growth and age and bee not married the fathers are threatned for keeping them unmarried and as idle lives the Towne without paying tribute and according to the number of the sonnes and daughters that are marriageable the fathers tribute is raised and increased untill they provide husbands and wives for their sons and daughters who as soone as they are married are charged with tribute which that it may increase they will suffer none above fifteen yeers of age to live unmarried Nay the set time of age of marriage appointed for the Indians is at fourteen yeers for the man and thirteene for the woman alleadging that they are sooner ripe for the fruit of Wedlock and sooner ripe in knowledge and malice and strength for worke and service then are any other people Nay sometimes they force them to marry who are scarce twelve and thirteene yeeres of age if they find them well limbed and strong in body explicating a point of one of Romes Canons which alloweth fourteene and fifteen yeers nisi malitia suppleat aetatem When I my selfe lived in Pinola that Town by order of Don Iuan de Guzman a great Gentleman of Guatemala to whom it belonged was numbred and an increase of tributary Indians was added unto it by this meanes The numbring it lasted a full week and in that space I was commanded to joyne in marriage neer twenty couple which with those that before had been married since the last numbring of it made up to the Encomendero or Lord of it an increase of about fifty Families But it was a shame to see how young some were that at that time were forced to marriage neither could al my striving and reasoning prevail to the contrary nor the producing of the Register Booâ—… to show their age but that some were married of between twelve and thirteene yeers of age and one especially who in the Register booke was found to bee not fully of twelve yeers whose knowledge and strength of body was judged to supply the want of age In this manner even in the most free act of the will which ought to bee in marriage are those poore Indians forced and made slaves by the Spaniards to supply with tribute the want of their purses and the meannesse of their Estates Yet under this yoke and burden they are cheerfull and much given to feasting sporting and dancing aâ—… they particularly shew in the chief feasts of their Townes which are kept upon that Saints day to whom their Town is dedicated And certainly this superstition hath continued also in England from the Popish times to keep Faires in many of our Towns upon Saints dayes which is the intent of the Papists to draw in the people and country by way of commerce and trading one with another to honor worship and pray to that Saint to whom the Town is dedicated or else why are our Faires commonly kept upon Iohn Baptist Iames Peter Matthew Bartholomew Holy Rood Lady dayes and the like and not as well a day or two before or a day or two after which would bee as good and fit dayes to buy and sell as the other True it is our Reformation alloweth not the worshipping of Saints yet that solemne meeting of the people to Fairs and mirth and sport upon those daies it hath kept and continued that so the Saints and their dayes may bee and continue still in our remembrance There is no Town in the India's great or small though it be but of twenty Families which is not dedicated thus unto our Lady or unto some Saint and the remembrance of that Saint is continued in the mindes not onely of them that live in the Towne but of all that live farre and neere by commercing trading sporting and dancing offering unto the Saint and bowing kneeling and praying before him Before this day day cometh the Indians of the Town two or three Moneths have their meetings at night and prepare themselves for such dances as are most commonly used amongst them and in these their meetings they drinke much both of Chocolatte and Chicha For every kind of dance they have severall houses appointed and masters of that dance who teach the
man and so after two dayes I tooke post in company of some Spaniards and an Irish Colonel for Canterbury and so forward to Gravesend When I came to London I was much troubled within my selfe for want of my Mother tongue for I could onely speak some few broken words which made mee fearefull I should not bee accknowledged to bee an English man born Yet I thought my kinred who knew I had beene many yeers lost would some way or other acknowledge mee and take notice of mee if at the first I addressed my selfe unto some of them untill I could better expresse my selfe in English The first therefore of my name whom I had notice of was my Lady Penelope Gage widow of Sir Iohn Gage then living in St. Iones to whom the next morning after my arrivall to London I addressed my selfe for the better discovery of some of my kinred whom though I knew to bee Papists and therefore ought not to be acquainted with my inward purpose and resolution yet for feare of some want in the mean time and that I might by their means practice my selfe in the use of my forgotten native tongue and that I might enquire what Childs part had been left me by my father that I might learn some fashions and â—…astly that in the meane time I might search into the Religion of England and find how farre my conscience could agree with it and bee satisfied in those scruples which had troubled mee in America for all these reasons I thought it not amisse to looke and inquire after them When therefore I came unto my Lady Gage shee beleeved mee to bee her kinsman but laughed at mee telling mee that I spake like an Indian or Welch man and not like an English man yet shee welcomed mee home and sent mee with a servant to a Brothers lodging in Long Aker who being in the Country of Surrey and hearing of mee sent horse and man for mee to come to keepe Christmas with an Uncle of mine living at Gatton by whom as a lost and forgotten Nephew and now after foure and twenty yeeres returned home againe I was very kindly entertained and from thence sent for to Cheam to one Mr. Fromand another kinsman with whom I continued till after twelfth day and so returned againe to London to my brother Thus my good Reader thou seeâ—…t an American through many dangers by Sea and Land now safely arrived in England and thou maiest well with mee observe the great and infinite goodnesse and mercy of God towards mee a wicked and wretched sinner How I have answered to this Gods gracious calling mee from so farre and remote a Country to doe him service here I will shew thee in the Chapter following and so conclude this my long and tedious History CHAP. XXII Shewing how and for what causes after I had arrived in England I tooke yet another Iourney to Rome and other parts of Italy and returned againe to settle my selfe in this my Country NOw Reader as the stone that is falling the neerer it cometh to its Center more haste it maketh So I the neerer I am coming to the conclusion of this my History more haste I desire to make in this last Chapter for the compleating and finishing of it With brevity therefore I will relate some of my travels in Europe in which I will yeeld to many of my Nation but for America and my travels and experience there I dare boldly challenge all travellers of my Country After my return to London from Surrey I began to expostulate with my younger Brother knowing hee had been present at my Fathers death and had a chief hand in the ordering and executing his last Will and Testament concerning what childs part was left unto mee To which hee made mee answer that my father had indeed left him and my Brother the Colonell and two other sons by a second wife and my owne sister every one somewhat but to mee nothing nay that at his death he did not so much as remember mee which I could not but take to heart and called to minde the angry and threatning letter which I had received from him in Spain because I would not bee a Jesuite Though for the present I said nothing yet afterwards in many occasions I told my Brother I would have the Will produced and would by course of law demand a childs part but hee put me off assuring me I should never want amongst other my friends and kindred with whom hee knew I should bee well accommodated as long as I continued in England After few dayes that I had been in London my kinsman at Cheam desired me to come to live with him where I continued not long for my Uncle at Gatton invited mee to his house offering mee there meat drink lodging horse and man with twenty pound a yeare which hee promised in other waies to make as good as thirty Here I continued a twelve moneth refining my self in my native tongue and though altogether unknown to my Uncle and kindred searching into the Doctrine and truth of the Gospel professed in England for which cause I made many journeys to London and then privately I resorted to some churches and especially to Paulâ—… Church to see the service performed and to heare the Word of God Preached but so that I might not be seen known or discovered by any Papist When in Pauls Church I heard the Organs and the Musick and the Prayers and Collects and saw the Ceremonies at the Altar I remembred Rome againe and perceived little difference between the two Churches I searched further into the Common-Prayer and carryed with me a Bible into the Country on purpose to compare the Prayers Epistles and Gospels with a Masse Book which there I had at command and I found no difference but onely English and Latin which made mee wonder and to acknowledge that much remained still of Rome in the Church of England and that I feared my calling was not right In these my scruples coming often to London and conversing with one Dâ—…de Popham and Crâ—… Connel and Brown English and Irish Dominican Fryers I found their wayes and conversations base lewd light and wanton like the Spanish and Indian Fryers which made me againe reflect upon the Popish Church upheld by such Pillars I came yet to the acquaintaince of one Price Superiour to the Benedictine Monkes whom I found to be a meer States-man and a great Politician and very familiar private and secret with the Archbishop of Canterbury William Land in conversation with my Brother who belonged then unto one Signior Coâ—… the Popes Agent and was in such favour at the Court that hee was sent over by the Queen with a rich present to a Popish Idol named our â—…ady of Sichem in the Low Countries I heard him sometimes say that hee doubted not but to bee shortly Curate and Parish Preist of Coven Garden sometimes that he hoped to bee made Bishop in England and that then I