The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne: atchieued by the vvorthy Prince Hernando Cortes, marques of the Valley of Huaxacac, most delectable to readeLópez de Gómara, Francisco
History
The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne: atchieued by the vvorthy Prince Hernando Cortes, marques of the Valley of Huaxacac, most delectable to reade
López de Gómara, Francisco
Cortés, Hernán, 1485-1547; Mexico -- History -- Conquest, 1519-1540; Nahuatl language -- Glossaries, vocabularies, etc.
platter in moulde with eight corners, and euery corner of seuerall
mettall, that is to say, the one of golde, and the other of siluer,
without any kinde of sowder: they will also founde or cast a litle
caudren with lose handles hangyng thereat, as we vse to caste a Bell:
they will also caste in mould a fish of mettal with one scale of siluer
on his back and another of gold: they will make a Parret or Popingay of
mettall, that his tongue shall shake, and his head moue, & his wings
flutter: they wil caste an Ape in mold, that both hands & féete shall
stirre, & holde a spindle in his hande séeming to spinne, yea and an
apple in his hande as though he would eate it. Our Spaniardes were not
a litle amazed at the sight of these things, for our Goldsmithes are
not to be compared vnto them. They haue skil also of Amell worke, and
to sette any pretious stone. But now as touchyng the markette, there
is sell Golde, Siluer, Copper, Leadde, Latton, and Tinne, although
there is but little of the thrée laste mettals mentioned. There are
Pearles, Pretious stones, diuers and sundry sortes of Shelles, and
Bones, Sponges, and other pedlers ware, whiche certainely are many
and straunge sortes, yea and a thing to laughe at their Haberdashe
toyes and trifles. There are also many kinde of hearbes, rootes, and
séedes, as well to be eaten as for Medicine, for bothe men, wemen and
chyldren haue great knowledge in hearbes, for through pouertie and
necessitie, they séeke them for theyr sustenaunce and helpe of theyr
infirmities and diseases. They spende little among Phisitions, although
there are some of that Arte, and many Poticaries, who doe bryng into
the markette, oyntments, Siroppes, waters, and other drugges fitte for
sicke Persons: they cure all diseases almost, with hearbes, yea as
muche as for to kill lyse they haue a proper hearbe for the purpose.
The seuerall kyndes of meates to be solde is without number, as Snakes
without head & tayle, little Dogges gelte, Moules, Rattes, Long wormes,
Lyse, yea and a kinde of earth, for at one season in the yéere they
haue Nettes of mayle with the which they rake vp a certayne duste that
is bredde vpon the water of the lake of _Mexico_, and that is knéeded
togither like vnto oas of the sea: they gather much of this victuall,
& kéepe it in heapes, & make thereof cakes like vnto brickebats: they
sell not only this ware in y^e market, but also send it abroad to other
fayres & markets a far of: they eat this meate w^t as good stomake as
we eate chéese, yea and they holde opinion that this skume or fatnesse
of the water, is y^e cause that such great number of foule cömeth to
the lake, which in the winter season is infinite.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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