CHAP. XVIII.

This Chapter doth treat of certaine rites and ceremonies, and other signes and tokens which be found, and do show that they haue had notice of the holy law of the Gospel.

Such ceremonies as vnto this day haue bin seene amongst the people of this kingdom, are gentilicas,[83] without any mixture with the Moores, nor with any other sect: yet there is found amongst them, that is a sufficient indition,[84] that they haue had in some time past, some particular notice of the euangelical law, as is plainly seene by certaine pictures which haue beene found and seene amongest them, whereof we haue made particular mention, the which they beleeue was knowen by the preaching of the Apostle S. Thomas, who passed through this kingdome when as he went vnto the Indians, and from thence to the city of Salamina,[85] which, Salamina where S. Thomas was martred. in their language, is called Malipur, whereas he was martyred for the name and faith of Jesus Christ: of whom, at this day, they do remember in that kingdome, by the tradition 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, and 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 whenas occasion did serue for the same. In many places they do worship the diuell, only for that he should do them no harme; and so the said fryer did tell me, for that hee was diuers times in presence whereas they did obsequies of certaine Chinos that lay a dying: and he saw that they had painted before the dead man a furious diuell, having in his left hand the sunne, and in his right hand 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 beleeue 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 beleeue 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 unto the prince afore said, desiring him not to kill nor destroy them, for the great necessitie they haue of them. All generally beleeue 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 company of the bodie. And therefore they do vse to make in the fields sepulchres, wherein they command themselues to be buried after they bee 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, that they do it that they should go with them to serue them in the other world, whereas they beleeue they shall liue eternally and die no more. They put with them into their sepulchres things to be eaten and great riches, beleeuing that they do carry the same into the other world, and there to serue their necessities. In this error were the Indians of the Peru of old antiquity, as the Spaniards haue seene by experience. There is in this kingdom many vniuersities and colleges, wherein is taught philosophie, both naturall and morall, and the lawes of the countrie, for to learne to gouerne by them; vnto the which the king doth send ordinarily visitors to see and vnderstand the order that is amongst them, and to reward or punish the students according vnto the desert of eyther of them. They are greatly ashamed when they see any euil thing committed, although they bee not punished for the same, and are people that do permit with ease correction, as the father Ignacio and his companions did see by experience; who going alwayes as condemned men to die, yet at all times when they did see them do reuerence vnto their idols or vnto the diuell, or any other euill thing, they did reprehend them with great liberty, who did not onely seeke to hurt them for the same, but did greatly reioyce to heare their reasons wherewith they did prohibite or forbid them. The said frier did tell me that, one day, passing by an hermitage, whereas dwelled an hermite who had, vpon the altar in the same, an idoll for his saint: before whom was there a Chino, a principall man, worshipping the same; the saide father, without any feare, went vnto him, and began to reprehende him, and to spit at the idoll, and caused him therewith to leaue off his worshipping, whereof he was greatly amazed, both he and all the rest of his companie, to see with what boldnes it was done, and no harme done vnto him for the same, eyther they supposed that the Chino did thinke him to be a mad man, or else (which is most to be beleeued) that God did worke with his seruant whereby he would giue him his reward for that which he had done, in returning for his honour, in mittigating the furie of that man, and to giue him vnderstanding that he was reprehended with reason. There are many Chinos conuerted to the faith as well in the Ilands Philippinas, as in the citie of Machao, and they baptise of them daily, who giue tokens and outwarde showes to bee good Christians, and say that the greatest difficultie for to conuert all the whole kingdome, will be in them that doo gouerne in the same, for they had neede of a particular ayde and helpe of the mercie of God to bring them vnto the faith; for that they are had in reuerence and obeyed as Gods vpon the earth. Besides this, they do giue Giuen to delights. themselues to all delightes that any humaine creature can imagine, for that they put all their felicitie therein, and doo it with so great extremitie, that it is supposed there is no people in all the worlde that may be compared vnto them.

For besides that they are alwayes carried in little chayres, and vpon mens shoulders, which are covered with silke and golde; yet are they giuen much vnto bankets, wherein they haue so many different sortes of meates as their appetites doo require. And it is greatly to be maruailed at, that the Their women are chast, but their men are vicious. women of this kingdome are marveilous chast and secret as any whatsoeuer; and to the contrarie the men are as vicious, but in especiall the lords and gouernors: and for that our faith do reprehend with rigor and terror the excesse of these thinges, it is to be beleeued that it will be a great impediment to the entrie of the Gospel amongst them: yet God may so touch them, and in such sort, that there will be no difficultie. Amongest the common people there will be no such impediment; but rather they will embrace with great content our holy law, for that it will be an occasion to cleare and set them at libertie from the tyrannie of the diuell, and from their iudges and lords, who do intreate them as slaues. This is the opinion of all them that haue entred into this kingdome, and haue intreated of this matter with the Chinos. They haue amongest them some good thinges, and woorthie to be imitated and folowed, of the which I will here set downe two, which are thinges of great purpose to my iudgement. The one is, that vnto none they do giue the office to gouerne, by no manner of wayes nor meanes, although they be suborned by friendship, but onely by his owne merites and sufficient abilitie. The seconde, that none can be viceroy, gouernours, nor iudge of a prouince or citie, in the which hee is naturall borne, the which they say is done to take away the occasion of dooing any iniustice, beeing carried away or led by parentes or friendshippe. All other thinges of this kingdome I do remit vnto that which hath bin before declared, for to passe vnto the rest, the which in this Itinerario is promised to be mentioned and declared.