how to rost and boyle their victuals and howe to barter and sell one thing for another They did vnderstande one another in their contradictions by knots made vpon cords for that they had not the vse of letters nor any mention thereof After that they say that a certaine woman called Hantzibon was deliuered of a son named Ocheutey who was the inuentor of many things ordained mariage to play on many diuers instruments They do affirme that he came from heauen by myracle for to do good vpon the earth for that his mother going by the way did sée the print of a mans foote putting her foote on it she was straight wayes inuironed with a lightning with whom she was conceiued and with child with this son This Ocheutey had a son called Ezoulom who was the inuenter of phisicke astrology but in especiall matters touching lawe and iudgement Hée shewed them howe to till the lande and inuented the plough and spade of this man they doo tell manie woonderfull and maruellous things but amongst them all they say that he did eate of seuen seuerall kindes of hearbes that were poyson and did him no harme he liued 400. hundred yeares his son was called Vitey the first king they had amongst them hée reduced all things to be vnder gouernement and to haue it by succession as shalbe declared in the chapter whereas I will treate of the king of this mightie kingdome that now liueth These and many other varieties and toyes they saie of the beginning of the world whereby may be vnderstood how little men may do without the fauour of God and the light of the catholike faith yea though they be of the most subtilest and finest wit that may be immagined CHAP VI. How they hold for a certaintie that the soule is immotall and that he shal haue another life in the which it shalbe punished or rewarded according vnto the workes which he doth in this world and how they pray for the dead BY that aforesaid it appeareth to be of a truth that the apostle S. Thomas did preach in China we may presume that all which wee haue séene dooth remaine printed in their hearts from his doctrine and beareth a similitude of the truth a conformity with the things of our catholike religion Now touching this that wee will treate of in this chapter of the immortalitie that they beléeue of the soule and of the rewarde or punishment which they shall haue in the other life according vnto the workes doone in company with the bodie which appeareth to be the occasion that they do not liue so euill as they might not hauing the knowledge of this truth I do hope by the power of his deuine maiestie that they wil easilie be brought vnto the true knowledge of the gospel They say and doo affirme it of a truth that the soule had his first beginning from the heauen and shall neuer haue ende for that the heauen hath giuen it an eternall essence And for the time that it is within the body that God hath ordeined if it do liue according to such lawes as they haue without doing euill or deceit vnto his neighbor thē it shalbe caried vnto heauē wheras it shal liue eternally with great ioy shalbe made an angel to the contrarie if it liue ill shall go with the diuels into darke dungeons and prisons whereas they shall suffer with them torments which neuer shall haue end They doo confesse that there is a place whither such soules as shalbe made angels doo go to make themselues cleane of al such euil as did cleaue vnto them being in the bodie and for that it should be spéedelier doone the good déeds which are done by their parents friends doo helpe them verie much So that it is very much vsed throughout al the kingdome to make orations praiers for the dead for the which they haue a day appointed in the moneth of August They do not make their offrings in their temples but in their houses the which they doo in this manner following The day appointed all such as do beare them companie vntill their sacrifices are concluded for the dead which are such as we do cal here religious men euery one hath his companion and walketh the stréets and dooth report the daies houses where they will be for that it cannot be doone altogether So when they come vnto the house whereas they must doo their offices they enter in do prepare that euery one do make oration and sacrifice according to their fashion for the dead of that house vnderstanding that by their helpe they shalbe made cleane from their euils which is an impediment that they cannot be angels nor inioy the benefite which is ordained for them in heauen One of these that is like vnto a priest dooth bring with him a taber other two little bords another a little bell Thē they do make an altar wheron they do set such idols as the dead had for their saints liuing then do they perfume them with frankēsence and storax and other swéet smels then do they put 5. or 6 tables ful of victuals for the dead for the saints then straightwayes at the sound of the taber little bords bels which is a thing more apt for to dance by as by report of them that haue heard it they begin to sing certaine songs which they haue for that purpose then doe the nouices goe vp vnto the altar and do offer in written paper those Orations which they did sing to the sound of those instruments This being done they sit down and begin anew to sing as before In the end of their prayers and songs he who doth this office doth sing a prayer and in the end thereof with a litle borde that he hath in his hand for the purpose he striketh a blow vpon the table then the other do answere in the same tune declining their heades doe take certaine painted papers and guilt papers and doe burne them before the altar In this sort they are all the night which is the time that ordinarily they do make their sacrifices the which being done the priests those that be in the house do eat the victuals that was set vpon the tables wherein they doo spend the residue of the night till it be day They say that in doing this they do purifie and make cleane the soules that they may goe become angels The commō people do beléeue of truth that the soule that liueth not well before they go into hell which shall not be before the end of the world according as they do thinke in their error in recompence of their euill life the heauens doo put them into the bodies of buffes and other beasts and those which liue well into the bodies of kings lords whereas they are very much made of well serued These and a thousande toies in like sort
of this booke These Tartarians haue had many times wars with them of China but at one time as you shall perceiue they got the whole kingdome of China and did possesse the same for the space of 93. yeares till such time as they of China did rebell and forced them out againe At this day they say that they are friends one with another and that is for that they bee all Gentiles and do vse all one manner of ceremonies and rites They doo differ in their clenes lawes in the which the Chinas doth excéede them very much The Tartarians are very yealow not so white and they go naked from the girdlested vpwards and they eate raw flesh and do annoint themselues with the blood of raw flesh for to make them more harder and currish by reason whereof they doo so stinke that if the aire doth come from that part where they be you shall smel them afar off by the strong sauor They haue for certainty the truth of the immortalitie of the soule although it be with error for they say that the soule doth enter into other bodies and that soule that liued well in the first bodie doth better it from poore to rich or from age to youth and if it liued euill to the contrarie in worse The sons of the Tartarians do very much obserue and kéepe the commandement in obeying their parents for that they doo wholly accomplish the same without failing any iot of their will vnder paine to be seuerly and publikelie punished They confesse one God whom they worship haue him in their houses carued or painted and euery day they doe offer vnto it incense or some other swéet smelles they do call him the high God do craue of him vnderstanding health They haue also another God which they say is son vnto the other they do call him Natigay this is their God of terestriall things They haue him likewise in their houses and euery time they go to eate they doo annoint his face with the fattest thing they haue to eate that being doone they fall to eating hauing first giuen their gods their pitance They are a kinde of people that verie seldome doo fable a lie although their liues should lie thereon and are verie obedient vnto their king but in speciall in their warres in the which euerie one doth that he is appointed to doo they are led by the sound of a drome or trumpet with the which their captaines do gouerne them with great ease by reason that they are trained vp in the same from their youth And many other things are amongst them in the which they do resemble them of China who if they did receiue the faith of our Lord Iesu Christ it is to be beléeued that the Tartarians would do the same for that they are taken for men very ducible and do imitate verie much them of China CHAP. II. Of the temperature of the kingdome of China THe temperature of this mightie kingdome is diuersly by reason that almost the whole bignesse thereof is from the South to the North in so great a length tâ—at the Iland of Aynan being néere vnto this land in 19. degrées of altitude haue notice of some prouinces that are in moâ—e then 50. degrées and yet they do vnderstand that beyond that there bée more vpon the confines of Tartaria It is a strange thing to be séene the strange and great difference betwixt the colours of the dwellers of this kingdome In Canton a mightie citie whereas the Portingales had ordinarie traficke with them of China for that it was nigh vnto Macao where as they had inhabited long since and from whence they do bring all such merchandise as is brought into Europe There is séene great diuersities in the colours of such people as doo come thither to traficke as the said Portingales do testifie Those which are borne in the citie of Canton and in al that cost are browne people like vnto them in the citie of Fez or Barberie for that all the whole countrie is in the said paralel that Barberie is in And they of the most prouinces inwards are white people some more whiter then others as they draw into the cold countrie Some are like vnto Spanyards and others more yealow like vnto the Almans yelow and red colour Finally in all this mightie kingdome to speake generally they cannot say that there is much cold or much heat for that the Geographers do conclude and say it is temperate and is vnder a temperate clime as is Italy or other temperate countries wherby may be vnderstood the fertilitie of the same which is without doubt the fortresse in all the world may compare with the Peru and Nuoua Espannia which are two kingdomes celebrated to be most fertill and for the verification you shall perceius in this Chapter next folowing wherin is declared such things as it doth yéeld and bring forth and in what quantitie And yet aboue all things according vnto the sayings of fryer Herrada prouinciall and his companions whose relation I will follow in the most part of this hystorie as witnesses of sight vnto whom we may giue certaine credite without any exception They say that the countrie is so full of youth that it séemeth the women are deliuered euerie moneth and their children when they are little are extreame faire and the countrie is so fertill and fat that it yeldeth fruit thrée or foure times in the yéere which is the occasion that all things is so good cheape that almost it séemeth they sell them for nothing CHAP III. Of the fertilitie of this kingdome and of such fruits and other things as it doth yeeld THe inhabitants in this countrie are perswaded of a truth that those which did first finde and inhabite in this lande were the Neuewes of Noe who after they had traueiled from Armenia wheras â—he Arke stayed wherin God did preserue their grandfather from the waters of the flood went séeking a land to their contentment and not finding a countrie of so great fertilitie and temperature like vnto this wherein was all things necessarie for the life of man without comparison they were compelled with the aboundance thereof for to inhabite therin vnderstanding that if they should search throughout all the world they should not finde the like and I thinke they were not deceiued according as now it is to be séene and what may be considered in the proces of this chapter of such fruits as the earth doth yéeld And although there is declared here of such as shall suffice in this worke yet is there left behind a great number more of whose properties as well of herbes and beasts which of their particulars may be made a great volume and I doo beléeue that in time there will be one set forth The great trauell and continual laboure of the inhabitants of this countrie is a great helpe vnto the goodnes and fertilitie thereof and is so much that they do neither
is apparelled they do set him in y e best chaier that he hath then coÌ„meth vnto him his father mother brethren sisters children who knéeling before him they do take their leaue of him shedding of many teares making of great moane euery one of theÌ„ by themselues Then after them in order commeth all his kinsfolkes friends and last of all his seruants if â—e had any who in like case do as the other before This being done they do put him into a coffin or chest made of verie swéete wood in that countrie you haue verie much they do make it very close to auoid the euil smel Then do they put him on a table with two bankes in a chamber verie gallantly dressed and hanged with the best clothes that can be gotten couering him with a white shéete hanging downe to the ground whereon is painted the dead man or woman as naturall as possible may be But first in the chamber whereas the bead bodie is or at the entrie they set a table with candles on it and full of bread fruits of diuers sorts And in this order they kéepe him aboue ground 15. daies in y t which time euery night commeth thether their priests religious men whereas they sing praiers and offer sacrifices with other ceremonies they bring with them many painted papers and do burne them in the presence of the dead bodie with a thousand superstitions witchcraftes they do hang vpon cordes which they haue for the same purpose of the same papers before him many times do shake them make a great noyse with the which they say it doth send the soule straight vnto heauen In the end of the 15. daies all which time the tables are continually furnished with victuals wine which the priests their kinsfolkes and friends that do come to visite theÌ„ do eat These ceremonies being ended they take the coffin with the dead bodie carrie him into the fields accompanied with all his kinsfolks friends with their priests religious men carrying candles in their hands wheras ordinarily they do burie theÌ„ on a mountaine in sepultures that for the same purpose in their life time they caused to be made of stone masons worke that being doone straight waies haâ—d by y e sepulture they do plant a pine trée in y e which place there be many of them they be neuer cut downe except they be ouerthrowne with the weather after they be fallen they let them lie till they consume of theÌ„selues for that they be sanctified The people y t do beare him company to the graue do go in very good order like a procession haue with them many instruments which neuer leaue playing till such time as the dead is put into the sepulcher And that burial which hath most priests musicke is most sumptuous wherin they were woont to spend great riches They sing to the sound of the instrumeÌ„ts many orations vnto their Idols and in the end they do burne vpon the sepulcher many papers whereon is painted slaues horse gold siluer silkes many other things the which they say that the dead body doth possesse in the other world whether he goeth to dwell At such time as they do put him into y e graue they doe make great bankets sports with great pastime saying of a truth that looke what soeuer they do at that time the angels saints that are in heauen doe the like vnto the soule of the dead that is there buried Their parents familiars and seruants in all this time doo weare mourning apparell the which is verie asper for that their apparell is made of a verie course wolle weare it next vnto their skins girt vnto them with cords and on their heads bunnets of the same cloth with verges brode like vnto a hat hanging downe to their eyes for father or mother they do weare it a hole yeare and some two yeares if his son be a gouernor with licence of the king he doth withdraw himself many times leauing the office he hath the which they estéeme a great point of honor haue it in greaâ— account and such as are not so much in aliance do apparell theÌ„ in died linnen certaine monethes Likewise their parents and friendes although these doo weare it but for the time of the buriall CHAP. IX Of their ceremonies that they vse in the celebrating the marriages THe people of this kingdome haue a particular care to giue state vnto their children in time before that they be ouercome or drowned in vices or lasciuious liuing The which care is the occasion that in this countrie being so great there is lesse vice vsed than in any other smaller countries whose ouer much care doth cause them many times to procure to marrie their children being verie yoong yea and to make consort before they bee borne with signes tokens making their writings and bandes for the performance of the same in publike order In all this kingdome yea and in the Ilands Philippinas it is a customable vse that the husband doth giue dowrie vnto the wife with whom he doth marrie and at such time as they doe ioyne in matrimonie the father of the bride doth make a great feast in his owne house and doth inuite to the same the father and mother kinsfolkes and friends of his sonne in lawe And the next day following the father of the bridegrome or his next parent doth the like vnto the kinsfolkes of the bride These bankets being finished the husbande doth giue vnto his wife her dowrie in the presence of them all and she doth giue it vnto her father or mother if she haue them for the paines they tooke in the bringing her vp Whereby it is to be vnderstoode that in this kingdome and in those that doe confine on it those that haue most daughters are most richest so that with the dowries their daughters do giue them they may well sustaine themselues in their necessitie and when they die they doo giue it that daughter that did giue it them that it may remaine for their children or otherwise vse it at their willes A man may marrie with so manie wiues as he can sustaine so it be not with his sister or brothers daughter and if any doo marrie in these two degrées they are punished very rigorously Of all their wiues the first is their legitimate wife and all the rest are accompted but as lemanes or concubines These married men doo liue and kéepe house with his first wife and the rest he doth put in other houses or if he be a merchant then he doth repart them in such villages or townes whereas hee doth deale in who are vnto him as seruantes in respect of the first When the father doth die the eldest sonne by his first wife doth inherite the most part of all his goods and the rest is reparted in equall partes amongest the other children
euery one in particular Of the antiquitie of this kingdome of China and of the beginning of the world and in what time and for whome it beganne Of the kings that haue raigned in this kingdome and the order of their succession and gouernement with their liues and customes Of the ceremonies they vse in doing sacrifice vnto their idols which they hold as gods and the names of them of their beginnings and at what time they shoulde make their sacrifices Their opinions of the immortalitie of the soule of the heauen of hell of the manner of their funerals and of their mourning apparel that euery one is bounde to weare according as he is alianced vnto the dead Of the lawes of the kingdome and when and by whom they were made and the punishment executed on those which violate the same with manie other matters touching their good gouernement and policie Manie Herbals or bookes of herbes for phisitions shewing how they should be applied to heale infirmities Many other bookes of phisicke and medicine compiled by authors of that kingdome of antiquitie and of late daies containing in them the maner how to vse the sicke and to heale them of their sicknes to make preseruatiues against all sicknesses and infirmities Of the properties of stones and mettals and of things natural that haue vertue of themselues wherefore pearles gold siluer and other mettals may serue for the vtility of man comparing with the one and the other the vtilitie of euerie thing Of the nomber and moouings of the heauens of the planets and stars and of their operations and particular influences Of such kingdomes and nations as they haue notice off and of particular things that are in them Of the life and behauiour of such men whom they holde for saints where they lead their liues and where they died and were buried The order howe to play at the tables and at the chests and how to make sports of legerdemaine and puppets Of musicke and songs and who were the inuentors thereof Of the Mathematicall sciences and of Arithmeticke and rules how to vse the same Of the effectes that the children doo make in their mothers wombs and how they are euery moneth sustained and of the good and bad times of their birth Of Architecture and all manner of buildings with the bredth and length that euerie edifice ought to haue for his proportion Of the properties of good and bad ground and tokens how to know them and what seede they will beare euery yeare Of Astrologie naturall and Iudiciarie and rules to learne the same and to cast figures to make coniectures Of Chiromancia and Phisiognomia and other signes and tokens and what euery one doth signifie The order how to write letters and how to giue euerie one his title according to the dignitie of his person How to bring vp horses and to teach them to runne and trauaile How to deuine vpon dreames and cast lottes when they beginne any iourney or take any thing in hande whose ende is doubtfull Of apparell worne in all the kingdome beginning with the King and of the ensignes or coates of armes of such as doo gouerne How to make armour and instruments of warre and howe to firme a squadron These bookes and many others that the Fryers brought out of the which as afore saide haue béene taken all such thinges as haue béene and shall be declared in this historie interpreted by persons naturally borne in China and brought vp in Philippinas with the Spaniardes that dwell there who affirme that they haue séene great libraries in Cities where they abode but especially in Auchea and Chincheo CHAP. XVIII The order that these Chinos obserue in making bankets and in celebrating their festiuall daies FOr that in some parts of this historie wee haue touched the bankets that the Chinos do make it shall not bee amisse to declare here the order they vse therein for that they are curious and differ verie much from our order and vse in their banquetting the which we haue perceiued as well by their féeding as by many other thinges Amongest these Chinos more than amongest any other people of the world are vsed bankets and feastes for they are rich and without care and also without the light of heauen albeit they do confesse and beléeue the immortalitie of the soule and the rewarde or punishment in an other worlde according vnto their workes in this life as we haue saide all that euer they can they doo giue themselues vnto the contentment of the flesh and vnto all maner pastimes wherein they liue most delicately and in verie good order Their custome is although they haue a hundred guestes yet euerie one must sit and eate at a table by himselfe Their tables be verie fine gilt and painted full of birdes and beastes and other varieties verie pleasant vnto the eye They doo not vse to put table clothes on them but onely a forefront of damaske or some other silke on euerie one of them which hangeth downe to the ground and on the foure corners they doo sette manie little baskettes curiously wrought with golde and siluer wyer full of flowers and knackes of sugar made with great curiositie as Elefantes grayhoundes hares and all other kinde of beastes and foules gylt and painted in the middest of the table they doo sette the victualles in maruelous good order as â—lesh of diuerse sortes fowle and fishes of the which they make diuerse manners of brothes passing well dressed and are serued in fine earthen dishes of great curiositie and of siluer although these they vse verie seeldome except for the viceroyes they haue no neede of table clothes nor napkins for they eate so delicately that they doo not touch the meate with their handes but with little forkes of golde or siluer with the which they eate so cleanly that although it be verie small that they eate yet will they let nothing fall they drinke often but a little at a time and therefore they vse verie little cuppes At these bankettes and feastes there are present alwayes women gesters who doo play and sing vsing manie prettie gestes to cause delight and make mirth to the guestes besides these they haue diuerse sortes of men with other instruments as tomblers and players who doo represent their Comedies verie perfectly and naturally in these bankets they spende the greatest part of the day by reason of so manie diuersities of meates that they serue in They passe many times a hundreth sundrie dishes when that the estate of the person that is inuited or of him that maketh the banket dooth require As may shew the report of the Augustine Fryers in the beginning of the second part of this historie where one doth tell of bankets that were made him by the Insuanto a Gouernor of the prouince of Chincheo and the Uiceroy of Aucheo and of the gallant deuises they had to driue away the time so long as the banket lasted Unto euerie one
day and carrie them vnto his mansion or dwelling All this kingdome is so fertile as well for the ordinarie watring as also for the temperature of the heauen that almost all the whole yeare they do gather fruits but in especiall of wheat and rice so that both the one and the other are very good cheape that our people in the discourse of their trauaile or pilgrymage did buy one pyco of rice or of wheate meale which is fiue rouâ—s of Spaine for one ryall and a halfe according vnto this rate al other thinges beare their prices as hath béene before declared They say that in this countrie there be many elephants lyons tygres ownses other brute breastes of the which these friers sawe verie few aliue but many skins of them which is a signe that it is of truth There are many beasts whereof come the muske the which are of the tygres like vnto a litle dogge the which they do kill put them vnder the ground certaine dayes and after that it is putrified rotten the flesh and bloud is conuerted into that swéete powder There be also many cyuet cats little worth a great number of horse although those which the said friers did sée were litle yet is it a common voice fame that in some of the fiftéene prouinces there are very good but they were not there so that they can not say they had seene theÌ„ But the hens géese duckes and other poultrie that are in all partes of this kingdome are without number which is the occasion that they are of small estimation the abundance of fish ia no lesse as well of the sea as of the riuers in the which they are conformable All they that do declare of the thinges of this countrie and the small price that it is solde for is such that the saide Frier doth affirme and others that haue bin in that kingdome that for the value of sixe marauadies which is a pennie may four companions eat very wel of flesh fish rice and fruits and drinke good wine of that countrie In all this kingdome there are many mynes both of gold and siluer and all verie rich but the king will not let them be labored but with great lymitation saying that which is in those mynes be in his house and that they should procure to bring it from other kingdomes yet notwithstanding the abundance is so great both of the one and the other and so coÌ„mon that there is no man although he be of an occupation but hee hath in his house things both of gold and siluer and other very rich iewels They do estéeme for his value more the siluer than the golde and they say the cause is for that the prices of golde are variable as in Italie but the siluer is alwaies at one sâ—aye and price There are great store of pearles but in especiall in the Iland of Aynao and great abundance of quickesiluer copper yron steele laton tyn lead salt peter brimstone and other things which were woont to beautifie a kingdome but aboue all there is very much muske and amber gryce The king of this kingdome besides the great rent the which he hath it is saide that he hath great treasories in all the principall cities those which are the head cities of the prouinces for the confirmance thereof it was affirmed vnto the saide fryer for a verie certaintie that in the citie of Canton all the money that hath entred into the same for y e space of fiue hundred yeres as well by way of the Portingals as by those of the kingdom of Cyan and others their borderers and all the tributes of that prouince is altogether in the kings treasure house of that citie which amounteth vnto by good account many more millions than may be well numbred for to giue credite thereunto It is as common for the people of this countrie to weare silke as in Europe to weare lynnen yea they do make their shooes thereof some of satten and many times of cloth of golde of verie gallant colours the cause is by reason of the great abundance that they haue therof and is of so great quantitie that it is carried from the Citie of Canton vnto the Protingall Indians more than thrée thousand kintals euery yeare besides a great quantitie which is carried vnto Iapon and ordinarily more than â—iftéene ships laden for the Ilandes of Luzon The Sianes and other nations doo also carrie away a great quantitie and although there are carried away ordinarily as afore saide yet there remaineth so great quantity in that kingdome that many fleetes may be laden therewith There is also great store of â—laxe cotton and other kinde of webstrie and also good cheape that the aforesaide Fryer dooth affirme that he hath seene solde a canga which is fiftéene fadam for foure ryals of plate The fine earthen dishes that are in this countrie cannot be declared without many wordes But that which is brought from thence into Spaine is verie course although vnto them that hath not séene the finer sort it seemeth excellent good but they haue such with them that a cubbaâ—d thereof amongest vs would be esteemed as though it were of golde The finest cannot be brought foorth of the kingdome vpon paine of death neyther can any haue the vse therof but onely the Loytias which be there gentlemen as hath béen tolde you There is great quantitie of sugar honie and waxe and verie good cheape as aforesaide And in conclusion I say that they liue with so great abundance that all things do flow so that they lacke nothing necessarie for their bodies but for their soules which is the principallest they do lack as you haue vnderstoode in the discourse of this historie God remedie the same at his pleasure The rent which the king of this kingdome hath is declared vnto you in a proper chapter of it selfe so that in this I will declare that which the sayde fryer tolde me and is onely of one riuer which is called the riuer of the salt and is in the prouince of Canton and is worth vnto him euerie yeare a million and a halfe And although the ordinarie rent the which he hath euery yeare dooth exceede the greatest king that is nowe knowen in all the world in quantitie yet in his treasories which be gathered together and kept if it be true that the Chinos do say in euery principall citie of these fiftéene prouinces is more than a great number of kings togither haue or can procure no nor come nigh vnto it by a great deale All the cities and townes of this kingdome are walled about with stone walles and at euerie fiftéene paces a bulwarke and without the wall commonly all of them haue a riuer or else a great déepe moote wherein they may bring water at all times with the which they are very strong they doo vse no fortes neyther haue they any but
onely ouer the gates of the Cities towers as hath béene declared and in them is put all the artilerie the which is for the defence of that citie or towne They vse many sortes of weapons but in especiall hargabushes bowes lances of thrée or foure manners swords like vnto faunchers with them targets All the souldiers when they go to fight they weare long garments down to their knées very wel stuffed with cotton wooll the which doth resist the thrust of a lance or a stabbe all such souldiers as haue the kings ryall pay weare in token thereof red and yellowe hats of the which there is so great a number as well horsemen as foot men that almost it is impossible to number them And it is a coÌ„mon opinion of all them that haue bin in this kingdome and haue séene them that all Spaine France and the great Turke hath not so many as this kingdome hath They haue amongst them captaines of ten souldiers some of a hundreth souldiers some of a thousand of ten thousand of twentie thousand in this sort to a hundred thousand The number of souldiers y t these captains do leade are knowen by certain ensignes that they beare They muster and make show of their people euery new moone the same day they do pay theÌ„ royally their pay must be in siluer in no other money It is saide by such as haue seene this pay but especially the aforesaid father fryer Ignacio that they giue them a péece of siluer which may weigh so much as a ryall and halfe of Spaine and is as much worth there as foure crownes amongest vs in respect of the value of all things But both in the one and in the other kingdom that day that they do receiue their pay euery one must make a show of some act in armes the which is done in the presence of viewers or mustermasters and such as are found that doe not his exercise with dexteritie they are reprehended and cruelly punished they doo skirmish with great consort and in that which toucheth obedience to their captaines vnto the ensignes the which they do vse in their wars they may compare with all nations of the world CHAP. XVIII This chapter doth treat of certaine rites ceremonies and other signes tokens which be found and do show that they haue had notice of the holy law of the gospell SUch ceremonies as vnto this day haue bin séene amongst the people of this kingdom are gentilicas without any mixture with the Moores nor with any other sect yet there is found amongst theÌ„ that is a sufficient iâ—dition that they haue had in some time past some particular notice of the euangelicall law as is plainly séene by certaine pictures which haue béene found and séene amongest them whereof we haue made particular mention the which they beléeue was knowen by the preaching of the Apostle S. Thomas who passed through this kingdome when as he went vnto the Indians from thence to the city of Salamina which in their language is called Malipur whereas he was martyred for the name faith of Iesus Christ of whoÌ„ at this day they do remember in that kingdome by the traditioÌ„ of their antecessors who said that many yeares past there was in that kingdome a man that did preach vnto them a new law whereby they might goe vnto heauen who after that hee had preached certaine daies saw little fruit thereof for that they were all occupied in ciuill wars he departed from thence vnto the Indians But first he left certaine disciples behind him that were baptised and well instructed in matters of faith that they might preach vnto them wheÌ„ as occasion did serue for the same In many places they do worship the diuell only for y t he should do them no harme and so the said fryer did tell me for that heâ— was diuers times in presence wheÌ„ as they did obsequies of certaine Chinos that lay a dying and he saw that they had painted before y e dead man a furious diuell hauing in his left hand the sunne and in his right hande a dagger with the which he made a show as though he would strike him This picture was put before him at the point that hee should yeelde vp the ghost strengthening him that he should put great trust thereon And as the fryer did demand of them what reason they had to do the same some of them answered and saide because the diuell should do no harme vnto the dead man in the other world they put his picture before him that he might knowe him and take him for his friend That which is vnderstood of these Chinos is that although they haue amongst them many errors of the Gentiles yet with great ease they would be reduced vnto our faith if they might haue libertie for to preach and they to receiue it When as the sunne and the moone is in eclypse they beléeue verily that the prince of the heauen will destroye them and for verye feare they put them selues in that colour the people generally doo worshippe vnto them and beléeue verily that the sunne is a man and the moone a woman And therefore when as they beginne to bee eclypsed they make great sacrifices and inuocations vnto the prince afore said dâ—siring him not to kill nor destroy them for the great necessitie they haue of them All generally beléeue the immortalitie of the soule and that in the other world they shall be rewarded or punished according as they liued in this worlde in coÌ„pany of y e bodie And therfore they do vse to make in the fields sepulchres wherin they command theÌ„selues to be buried after they be dead When they should be buried they command to kill all their seruants or their wiues those that best he loued in his life saying y t they do it that they should go with them to serue them in the other world wheras they beléeue they shall liue eternally die no more They put with them into their sepulchres things to be eaten great riches beléeuing that they do carry the same into the other world there to serue their necessities In this error were the Indians of the Peru of old antiquity as y e Spaniards haue séene by experience There is in this kingdom many vniuersities colleges wherein is taught philosophie both naturall morall and the lawes of the countrie for to learne to gouerne by theÌ„ vnto the which the king doth send ordinarily visitors to sée vnderstand the order that is amongst them to reward or punish the students according vnto the desert of eyther of them They are greatly ashamed when they sée any euil thing committed although they bee not punished for the same and aâ—â— people that do permit with ease correction as the father Ignacio and his companions did sée by experience who going alwayes as condemned men to die yet at all times when they
making that the soule dooth mooue out of one into another as certaine old philosophers did affirme it to bee who were as blind and as far from the truth as they CHAP. VII Of their temples and of certaine manner of religious people both men and women and of their superiours THere are found in this kingdome many moral things the which do touch verie much our religion which giueth vs to vnderstand that they are people of great vnderstanding in especial in naturall things and that it should be of a certainty that the holy apostle of whom we haue spoken did leaue amongst them by his preachings occasion for to learne manie things that do shew vnto vertue one of the which is that there is found amongst them many monasteries in their cities and townes and also in the fieldes wherein are manie men and women that do liue in great closenes and obedience after the fashioÌ„ of other religious monasteries They haue amongst theÌ„ that is knowne onely foure orders euery one of theÌ„ hath their generall who dwelleth ordinarily in the citie of Suntien or Taybin wheras is the king his counsel These their generals they doo call in their language Tricon who doo prouide for euery prouince a prouinciall to assist visite all the conuents correcting and amending such faults as is found according vnto the institution and manner of liuing This prouinciall doth ordaine in euery conuent one which is like vnto the prior or guardian whom al the rest do reuerence and obey This generall is for euer till he doo die except they doo finde in him such faults that he doth deserue to be depriued yet they do not elect their prouincials as we do vse but it is doone by the king his counsell alwayes choosing 〈◊〉 that is knowne to be of a good life and fame so that fauour carrieth nothing away This generall is apparelled all in silke in that colour that his profession dooth vse either blacke yeallow white or russet which are the fower colours that the foure orders doo vse hee neuer goeth foorth of his house but is carried in a little chaire of Iuorie or golde by foure or sixe men of his habite When any of the conuent doth talke vnto him it is on their knées they haue also amongst them a seale of their monasterie for the dispatching of such businesse as toucheth their religion These haue great rentes giuen them by the king for the sustayning of themselues and their seruants All their conuents hath great rentes in general part giuen them by the king and part of charitie giuen them in those cities or townes whereas they haue their houses the which are many and verie huge They doo aske their charitie in the stréets singing with the sounde of two little â—ords and other instruments Euery one of them when they do begge doth carrie in their hands a thing wherin are written certaine praiers that they say is for the sins of the people and all that is giuen them in charitie they lay it vpon the said thing wherewith they do vnderstand in their blinde opinion that their spirit is cleare of all sinne In general their beards and heads are shauen and they weare one sole vesture without making any difference according vnto the colour of their religion They do eate altogether haue their sels according to the vse of our friers their vestures or apparel is ordinary of serge of the saide foure colours They haue beads to pray on as the papists vse although in another order they doe assist al burials for to haue charity they do arise two houres before day to pray as our papists do their mattins and do continue in the same vntill the day doo breake they doo praie all in one voice singing in verie good order and attention and all the time of their praying they do ring belles whereof they haue in that kingdome the best and of the gallantest sounde that is in all the world by reason that they are made almost all of stéele they pray vnto the heauen whom they take for their God and vnto Sinquian who they say was the inuenter of that their manner of life and became a saint They may leaue their order at all times at their pleasure giuing their generall to vnderstand thereof But in the time that they are in that order they cannot marrye neither deale with anye women vpon paine to bee punished asperly At such time as one doth put himselfe in religion the father or next kinsman of him that taketh the order doth inuite all them of the conuent and doth make them a great and solemne banket yet you must vnderstand that the eldest sonne of any man cannot put himself in any monasterie but is prohibited by the lawes of the countrie for that the eldest sonne is bound to sustaine his father in his olde age When that any of these religious men do die they doe wash him and shaue him before they do burie him do all weare mourning apparell for him The religious man or woman that is once punished for any fault cannot afterward turne and receiue the habite at any time They haue a certaine marke giuen vnto them in token of their fault and that is a bordâ— put about their necke so that it is séene of all people Euerie morning and euening they do offer vnto their Idolles frankensence beniamin wood of aguila and cayolaque the which is maruelous swéete and other gummes of swéet and odoriferous smels When that they will lanch any ship into the water after that it is made then these religious men all apparelled with rich roabes of silke do go to make sacrifices vpon the poopes of them wheras they haue their oratories and there they doe offer painted papers of diuers figures the which they doe cut in peeces before their idols with certaine ceremonies and songes well consorted and ringing of little belles they do reuerence vnto the diuell And they do paint him in the fore castle for that he shall do no harme vnto the ships that being done they do eate and drinke till they can no more And with this they thinke it is sufficient for the shippe that all such viages as shee shall make shall succéede well the which they haue amongst them for a thing most certaine and if they did not blesse them in this order all things would fall out to the contrarie CHAP. VIII The order that they haue in burying of the dead and the mourning apparell they haue IT séemeth vnto me not farre from our purpose to declare in this place how they vse in this kingdome to burie the dead it is surely a thing to be noted the maner is as foloweth WheÌ„ that any one doth die at the very instant y t he yéeldeth vp y e gost they do wash his bodie all ouer from top to toe then do they apparell him with the best apparell that he had all perfumed with swéet smels TheÌ„ after he