Juan González de Mendoza

“ God, for his infinite mercy, conuert them, and take pittie on them, as hee did when that he came from heauen vppon the earth to die for all, and put into the heart of the king of Spaine, that, amongst other good workes, the which, with his most Christian zeale dooth intend and do, for to procure this, which will be so much vnto the glory of God, and great desert of honor vnto himselfe, the which he may do very commodiously, being, as he is at this day, Lord of all the Indies, and of the biggest part of all that newe world. ”

“ All cities are walled. All the cities and townes of this kingdome are walled about with stone walles, and at euerie fifteene paces a bulwarke; and without the wall commonly all of them haue a riuer, or else a great deepe 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 been declared) , and in them is put all the artilerie, the which is for the defence of that citie or towne.
They vse hargabushes, bowes, and lances. ”

“ From this straight to go vnto Malaca, you coast alongest the sea, fiue and twentie leagues: all which coast is full of great, mightie, and thicke woods, by reason whereof, as also for that it is not inhabited, there are many tygers, elephants, and mightie great lysards, and other furious beastes. ”

“ The interpreter, whose euill conscience did accuse him for the euils which he had done, was so timorous, that all men might see plainly his default, and without al doubt the iustices are so right in executing the same, that if their complaint had gone forwards, they would haue punished him and his companion, and that very cruelly: but the religious friers woulde not consent that the souldiers shoulde declare against them, although their will was good, but thought it a sufficient punishment to see in what affliction the poore men were in, and tooke pittie on them. ”

“ In one of these seuen ilands aforesaid, called the Hierco, [46] there is a continuall woonder, which in my iudgement is one of the greatest in all the worlde, and worthie to be knowen amongest all men, whereby they may exalt the mightie providence of God, and giue him thankes for the same. This iland being the greatest amongest the seuen, is a countrie very asper and vnfruitfull, and so drie that there is no water to be found in all the iland, but on the sea side, and that in fewe places, but very farre distant from the inhabitance of the ilande. ”

“ But there grew a great contention amongest them, which people of what ilande should first come vnto the shippes, and was in such order that they fell vnto blowes, and wounded the one the other maruellously, more liker beastes than men; of the which there were many slaine in the presence of the Spaniards, and would neuer leave off their contention a good while, till in the end, by way of peace, they consented a conclusion amongest themselues, but with a great noyse, which was, that those of one iland should go to the larbord of the ship, and those of the other iland should go to the starbord ”

“ They are people of great charitie, but in especiall vnto the ecclesiasticals, which is the occasion that one of them may trauell from sea to sea (which is more then fiue hundred leagues) without the spending of one riall of plate in victuals, or in any other thing, for that the naturals doo giue it them with great good will and affection: for the which in all their common places of resort, which is an inne for strangers, they haue men appointed for to prouide for all ecclesiasticall men that doo trauel, of all that they haue neede, and likewise vnto the common people, for their money. ”

“ I beseech the Lord God, if it be his pleasure that it may go forwardes in such order, that so many soules redeemed by his precious bloud be not condemned: whose wits and vnderstanding do farre exceed those of Mexico and Peru, as by the information of those that haue delt with them appeareth, wherby we may presume that with great facilitie they will imbrace the law of the gospell, and leaue the idolatrie that the most part of them do vse, which God for his mercies sake permit, so it may be for his glorie and exalting of the Catholike faith. ”

“ It is verie little and not of much people, yet notwithstanding it hath beene the death of many Spaniardes both men and women: such as haue come thither in shippes, not knowing the daunger thereof, haue gone a shore for fresh water, or else to wash their lynnen, and vppon a soddaine vnlooked for, haue beene be set by the Indios, who haue slaine them, and after eaten them: and they say that it is very sweete flesh and sauorie, so that it be not of a fryer, for of fryers by no meanes they will eate, nor would not after that happened vnto them as hereafter followeth. ”

“ 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. ”

“ All this coast of the Indias vnto Persia is inhabited with many and mightie kingdomes, in which there are an infinite number of people: one of them is that of Odialon, the which Odialon. is very rich, and of much people, and all Moores. Nigh vnto this is another called Disamaluco, harde by the kingdome of the great Tartar, which, in their language, is called [336] Mogor. Mogor, the which, next vnto that of China (I doo thinke) , is the greatest in all the world, as may be collected in that which is declared of the mightinesse thereof, both in ancient and latter histories. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ All the souldiers when they go to fight, they weare long garments down to their knees, very wel stuffed with cotton wooll, the which doth resist the thrust of a lance, or a stabbe: all such souldiers as haue the king's 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 Englande, France, Spaine, and the Turke hath not so many souldiers as this kingdome. ”

“ Touching the dressing and adorning of a church with flowers and other curiosities, they are maruellous politike: they are reasonable good painters in some places: they make images of the feathers of small birdes, which they call in their language Cinsones, [58] which haue no feete, and feede of nothing else but of the dewe that falleth from heauen, and is a thing greatly to be seene, and was wont in Spaine to cause great admiration; but in especiall vnto such as were famous painters, to see with what curiositie Pictures made of fethers. ”

“ There be in these ilandes three score and sixe kingdoms or prouinces, and many kings, although it may be better said, rulers or principals, such as the Spaniardes found in the Ilands of Luzo: for which cause, although they be called kings, yet are they not, neither in their contractation nor rent, for they haue verie little in respect of the multitude of people. ”

“ Here there is a pagode or temple of their gods very great and rich, thether come all the gentiles of that kingdom, at certain feasts in the year with great deuotion: there is in it a triumphant chariot, so great that twentie horse cannot mooue it, they bring it foorth in publike vpon their festiual daies, and is carried by elephants, and by an infinite number of men, who voluntarily do hale and pull at certaine roapes that are made fast therunto. ”

“ In one of the shippes there was a Chino called Sinsay, one who had beene many times at Manilla with merchandise, and was a verie friend and knowne of the Spanyards, and vnderstoode their language; who knowing that shippe to be of China, and not to be a rouer, did request our people not to shoote, neither to doo them any harme, vntill such time as they were informed what they were in that same shippe. ”

“ I am written vnto from Canton, howe that there are come thither certaine men apparelled very sharpe and asper, after the fashion of our religious men in the wildernesse, who bringe no weapons, neither any other thing that might seeme to pretend any euill intent: and for that they are thy charge, examine them with care and diligence, and prouide to doo therein that which shall be most requisite and conuenient: giuing vs to vnderstand the large and true relation of that which shall happen. ”

“ They obeyed their commandement with great ioy, and when they were come into the hall, one of the iudges, who was superior ouer all the rest, and a man of great authoritie, did aske of them by way of the interpreter, what was their pretence in that they did aske a house to dwell in, the Frier Costodio did answere, that he did desire it for to learne [164] the language well, by which meanes they might the better learne them to know the true God, and to set them in the true way to goe and glorie with him, because it was his office and his profession. ”

“ 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. ”

“ To conclude, this kingdome is so great that vnto this day they cannot find the end thereof: but euery day doth discouer new countries, whereas all the Indians that they do finde are verie easie to bee reduced vnto the Catholike faith, for that they are people very docible, ingenious, and of a good vnderstanding. There is amongst them diuers languages, and verie different climes; although all generally doo vnderstande the Mexican tongue, which is most common. There are many prouinces inhabited by Indians and Spaniards, that euery one of them is as bigge as a reasonable kingdome ”

“ Those that do die in this sort, they account them for great saints, and are had in singular veneration. Many other maners and fashions of idolatrie is declared of this kingdome, and more beastly than this we haue spoken of, the which I let passe because I would not be tedious in this itinerario. All the people of this kingdom be very bad and ill inclined, for which cause the fathers of the company of Iesus, that are in certaine townes nigh vnto the same, cannot as yet bring them out of their errors, although they haue put therein great care and diligence. ”

“ This captaine, with his foure hundreth souldiers, did continually garde them, till they came vnto the citie of Chincheo, and never departed from them a iot; the which was done more for pompe, and to showe their maiestie, then of necessitie; for that although the people are infinite and without number, yet do they weare no weapons, for that they are commanded The people of the countrie weare no weapons, but the souldiers. by the lawe of the countrie to the contrarie, vpon paine of death, of what state or degree soever he be ”

“ The Spaniards depart from China and go to Luzon, they do passe some stormes at the sea: the mariners do call vpon the diuell, by lots: the religious men do reprehend them: in the end they come to their desired port, whereas they are received with much ioy. ”

“ So after they departed from thence, and had trauailed sixe leagues, they came to the said prouince, which was called Ameias, in the which was seuen great townes, and in them, according to their iudgment, thirtie thousand soules: they said that one of these seuen townes was very great and faire; the which they would not go to see, for that it was situated behinde a mountaine, as also they feared some euil successe, if that they should be deuided the one from the other. They are people after the fashion of the other prouince their neighbours, with as much prouision, and as well gouerned. ”

“ The next day following, the viceroy did send to visite them, and to aske of them a sword, a hargubush, and a flaske; for that he would cause others to be made by them; the which they did send, and afterwards vnderstood that they had counterfeited the same, although not in so perfect manner.
Then after a time, our people seeing that their beeing in that citie seemed to be long and like to be longer, they did procure to driue away the time in the best manner they could, and went abroad into the citie and did buy eyther of them that which they thought best. ”

“ The hie wayes are [59] verie brode, that twentie men may ride together on a ranke, and one not hinder an other, and are all paued with great stones, and they say that the wayes throughout all the other prouinces be in the same order, and was done by a king of that countrie, who spent vpon the same a great part of his treasure. And it seemeth to be true, for that our Spaniards trauelling in that countrie, ouer high and mightie mountaines, yet did they finde the waies plaine, in such sort as hath been told you. ”

“ This wall is all couered ouer with tiles to defende the rayne water fro hurting of it, which could not to the contrarie but receiue damage, for that there is no lyme vsed in the whole wall. They haue not one castle in all this citie, neyther is there any vsed in all that kingdome; for all their force and strength is in their gates, the which be made very strong, with a double wall within verie broade, betwixt the which are continually many souldiers, such as do keepe watch and ward both day and night. ”