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
Thei belieue that there is one GOD that made all thynges, bodily and
ghostly, sene or vnsene, and hym thei honour: but not with any maner of
Sacrifice or ceremonie. Thei make theim selues litle pupettes of silke or
of felte, or of thrumme, like unto menne: whiche thei sette vp vpon eche
side of their Tentes, and do them muche reuerence, beseching them to take
hede to their catteille. To these thei offre the first milke of all their
milche catteill, of what kinde so euer thei be. And before thei begin
either to eate or drinke aught, thei sette a porcion thereof before theim.
Looke what beaste thei kille to be eaten, thei reserue the harte all nighte
in some couered cuppe, and the nexte mornynge seath it and eate it.
Thei worshippe also and Sacrifice to the Sonne, Moone, and elementes fowre.
To Cham also their Lorde and Kyng, thei do very deuoute honour and
Sacrifice: supposyng him to be the sonne of God, and to haue no piere in
the whole worlde: neither can they abide to heare any other manne name hym.
This people so despiseth al other men, and thincke theim selues so farre to
surmount them in wisedome and goodnes: that thei abhorre to speake to
theim, or to compaignie with theim. Thei calle the Pope and all Christen
menne, Doggues and Idolatres: because thei honour stones and blocques. And
thei theim selues (beyng giuen to deuelishe supersticions) are markers of
dreames, and haue dreame readers emong theim: as well to enterpreate their
sweuens, [Footnote: From the Saxon, meaning a dream. See Bailey's _Dict._,
London, 1737.] as to aske knoweledge of Idolles. In whom thei are perswaded
that God speaketh: and therefore acordyng to their answeres, frame them
selues to do. Thei marke many seasons, and specially haue regarde to the
chaunges of the Moone. Yet make thei for no season, ne chaunge, any
singular holidaie or obseruance: but ilike for them all indifferently. Thei
are of so gredie a coueitousenesse, and desire, that if any of them se
aughte, that he coueiteth to haue, and cannot obtein with the good wille of
the owner: if it apperteigne to no Tartarre, he will haue it by force. And
thei thincke (through a certein ordenaunce that their Kyng made) thei
offende not therein. For suche a commaundemente had thei of Canguista, and
Cham, their firste Kynges: That if it fortune any Tartarre, or Tartarres
seruaunt, to finde in his waie, horse, man, or woman, without the kinges
lettres or his saulfconduite: he should take it, him, her, or them as his
owne for euer.
To suche as lacke money thei lende, but for shamefull gaines: that is to
saie, two shillynges of the pounde for euery Monethe. And if it fortune ye
to faile to make paiemente at the dale: ye shall also be forced to paie the
enterest, acording to the rate of the Vsurie. That is to saie, of euery
tenth penie, one.
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