The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 06: Madiera, the Canaries, Ancient Asia, Africa, etc.Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 06: Madiera, the Canaries, Ancient Asia, Africa, etc.
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
The Seretines are a debonaire people, and suche louers of quietnesse, that
they shonne to entremedle with any other people. Merchauntes passe their
outmost floude toward them, but thei maie come no nigher. Along the banques
there, thei sette oute suche thynges, as thei are disposed to selle. Not
the Merchauntes, but the indwellers of the Countrie. For thei selle to
other, and buie of none. And thei sette them in ordre as thei iudge them in
price. The buyer cometh, and as he iudgeth theim by his eye to be worthe,
without further trade or feloweshippe betwixte theim, so laieth he doune.
And if thei receiue it, he departeth with the ware. Emong them is there
neither whore nor thiefe, nor adulteresse broughte to iudgemente. Neither
was it euer hearde, that there was a manne slaine emong theim. For the
feare of their Lawes woorketh more strongly with theim, then the influences
of the Starres. Thei dwelle as it ware in the beginnyng or entryng of the
worlde. And for that thei liue aftre a chast sort: thei are neither
skourged with Blastynges, ne Haile, ne Pestilence, ne suche other euilles.
No manne toucheth a woman there, aftre she hath conceiued, ne yet in the
time of her flowres. Thei eate none vncleane beastes, ne knowe what
Sacrifisyng meaneth. Euery man there is his owne Iudge, acordyng to
Iustice. Therefore are thei not chastised with suche corrections as happen
vnto other for synne, but bothe continue long in life, and die without
grief.
The Tauroschithians (so called for that thei dwell aboute the mounteigne
Taurus) offre as many as fortune to make Shipwracke vpon their shore: to
the virgine, whose name ye shall aftre heare. And if it fortune any Greke
or Grekes, to be driuen thether, him doe thei sacrifice after this maner.
Aftre what tyme thei haue made prayer after their maner, thei strike of his
heade with an hatchet. And (as some saie) tumble doune the carkesse into
the Sea, (for this Virgine hath a Chapelle vpon the toppe of a high clieue,
hangyng ouer the Sea, where this feate is doone) and naile vp the heade
vpon a Gibet. In this poincte of nailyng vp the heade, all the writers
agre, but in tomblyng doune the body, not so, for some affirme, that the
body is bewried. The Virgine Deuille, to whom thei Sacrifice: is saith to
be Iphigenia Agamemnons doughter. Their enemies as many as thei take, thus
thei handle. Euery manne cutteth of his prisoners head, and carieth it
home: and fasteneth it vpon the ende of a long pole, and setteth it vp:
some vpon their house toppe some vpon their chimneis as high as thei can.
And no merueile though thei set them so that thei might well see rounde
about theim: for thei saie: they are the wardens and kepers of al their
whole house. They liue by spoile, and by warre.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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