The decades of the newe worlde or west India conteynyng the nauigations and conquestes of the Spanyardes, with the particular description of the moste ryche and large landes and ilandes lately founde in the west ocean perteynyng to the inheritaunce of the kinges of Spayne. ... Wrytten in the Latine tounge by Peter Martyr of Angleria, and translated into Englysshe by Rycharde Eden.

¶ Of the familiaritie which certeyne of the Indians haue with the deuyll, and howe they receaue answere of hym of thynges to coome.

WHen the Indians begynne theyr batrayle, or go to any combat or attempte any other greate matter, they haue certeyne electe menne whom they reuerendely esteme and caule them Tequ••nas, whiche in theyr tonge is as muche to saye as masters. Notwithstandynge that they caule euery man that is cunnynge in any science, by the same name, as fysshers, foulers, hunters, or makers of nettes. These Tequinas therfore, they caule the masters of theyr aun••weres by¦cause they speake with Tuyra, that is th•• deuyll, and brynge them aunswere what he saythe, eyther as touchynge suche thynges as they haue to doo or shall chaunce to them the day folowynge, or many dayes to coome. For the deuyll beinge so auncient an Astronomer, knowethe the tymes of thynges and seeth howe they are naturally directed and inclin••d. And makethe theym beleue that they come so to passe by his ordy∣naunce, as though he were the lorde and mouer of all that is and shalbe: And that he gyueth the day lyght and ••ayne: cau¦seth

tempest and ruleth the stations of tymes, gyuyng lyfe or takynge awaye lyfe at his pleasure. By reason wherof, the Indians being deceaued of hym, and seing also such effectes to coome certeynely to passe as he hath tolde them before, be∣leue hym in all other thynges and honoure hym in many pla∣ces with sacrifyces of the bludde and liues of men and odori∣ferous spices. And when god disposeth the contrary to that whiche the deuell hath spoken in oracle wherby he is proued a lyer, he causeth the Taquin••s to perswade the people that he hath chaunged his mynde and sentence for summe of their synnes, or deuiseth summe suche lye as lyketh hym beste, be∣ynge a skylfull maister in suche subtile and craftie deuises to deceyue the symple and ignorant people whiche hath smaule defence against so mighty and craftie an aduersarie. And as they caule the deuell Tuyra, so doo they in many places caule the Christians by the same name, thynkyng that they greatly honoure them therby, as in deede it is a name very feete and agreable to many of them, hauynge layde aparte all honestie and vertue, lyuynge more lyke dragons then men amonge these symple people.

Before thinhabitauntes of the Ilande of Hispaniola had re∣ceaued the Christian faithe there was amonge them a secte of men whiche liued solytarily in the desertes and wooddes and ledde their lyfe in sylence and abstinence more straightly then euer dyd the phylosophers of Pythagoras secte, absteinyng in lyke maner from the eatyng of al thynges that liue by bludde contented onely with suche fruites, herbes, and rootes as the desertes and wooddes mynistred vnto them to eate. The pro∣fessours of this secte were cauled Piaces. They gaue them sel∣ues to the knowleage of naturall thynges, and vsed certeine secreate magicall operations and superstitions wherby they had familiaritie with spirites whiche they allured into theyr owne bodyes at suche tymes as they wolde take vppon them to tell of thynges to coome, whiche they dyd in maner as fo∣loweth. When any of the k••nges had occasyon to caule any of them owte of the desertes for this purpose, their custome was to sende them a portion of their fyne breade of Caxabbi or M••azium, and with humble requeste and sute to desyre them to tell them of suche thynges as they woulde demaunde. After the request graunted and the place and daye appoynted, the

Plari coometh with twoo of his disciples waytynge on hym, wherof the one bryngeth with hym a vessell of a secreate wa∣ter, and the other a lyttle syluer bell. When he coommeth to the place, he sytteth downe on a rounde seate made for hym of purpose. Where hauynge his disciples the one standynge on the one hande and the other on the other euen in the pre∣sence of the kyng and certeyne of his nobles (for the common people are not admytted to these misteries) and turnynge his face toward the deserte, he begynneth his inchauntment and cauleth the spirit with loude voyce by certeyne names which no man vnderstandeth but he and his disciples. After he hath dooen thus a while, if the spirite yet deferre his coommyng, he drynketh of the sayde water, and therwith waxeth hotte and furious, and inuerteth and turneth his inchauntement, and letteth hym selfe bludde with a thorne, marueilously tur∣moylyng hym selfe as wee reade of the furious Sybilles not ceasynge vntyl the spirite bee coome: who at his coommyng entereth into hym and ouerthroweth hym as it weare a gre∣hounde shulde ouerturne a squerell. Then for a space, he see∣meth to lye as thoughe he were in great payne or in a rapte, wonderfully tormentynge hym selfe, durynge whiche agonie, the other disciple shaketh the syluer bell contynually. Thus when the agonie is paste and he lyeth quietly (yet withowte any sence or feelyng) the kynge or summe other in his steade, demaundeth of hym what he desyreth to knowe, and the spi∣rite answereth by the mouth of the rapte Piaces with a directe and perfecte answere to all poyntes. In so muche that on a tyme certeyne Spanyardes beynge presente at these mysteries with one of the kinges, and in the Spanyshe tounge demaun∣dynge the Piaces of their shyppes whiche they looked for owte of Spayne, the spirite answered in the Indian toonge, and toulde them what daye and houre the sh••ppes departed from Spayne, how many they were, and what they brought with∣owt faylynge in any poynte. If he be also demaunded of the eclypse of the soonne or moone (which they greatly feare and abhorre) he geueth a perfecte answere, and the lyke of tem∣pestes, famen, plentie, warre or peace, and suche other thin∣ges. When all the demaundes are fynysshed, his disciples caule hym aloude, rynging the syluer bell at his eare and blo∣wynge a certeyne pouder into his nosethrilles wherby he is

raysed as it we••e from a deadesscape beinge yet sumewhat heauy headed and faynt a good whyle afect. Thus beinge a∣geyne r••w••••••ded of t••••cky••ge with more breade, he departeth ageyne to the desert is with his disciples. But sence the Chri¦stian fayth hath byn disparsed throwghe owte the Ilande, these deuyll 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pr••ouses haue ceased, and they of the mem∣bers of the deuyll, are made the members of Chryste by bap∣tisme, forsakynge the deuyll and his workes, with the vaine curiositie o•• desyre of knowleage of thynges to coome, wher∣of for the most part it is better to be ignorant then with vex∣ation to knowe that which can not be auoyded.

Furthermore; in many places of the firme lande, when any of the kynges dye, all his housholde seruauntes, aswell women as men which haue continually serued hym, kyl them selues, beleauynge as they are taught by the deuyl Tuyra, that they which kyll them selues when the kynge dyeth, go with hym to heauen and seene hym in the same place and office as they dyd before on the earth whyle he lyued. And that all that refuse so to doo, when after they dye by theyr naturall death or otherwyse, theyr soules to dye with theyr bodyes and to bee dissolued into ayer and become nothynge us do the soules of hogges, byrdes, or fysshes or other brute beastes. And that only the other may enioy the priuileage of immorta¦litie for euer to serue the kynge in heauen. And of this false opinion commeth it that they which sowe corne or set rootes for the kynges breade, and gather the same, are accustomed to kyll them selues that they may enioy this priuileage in hea¦uen. And for the same purpose, cause a portion of the graine of Maizium and a bundle of Iucca (wherof theyr breade is made) to bee buryed with them in theyr graues that the same maye serue them in heauen if perhappes there shuld lacke seedes to sowe. And therfore they take this with them to begyn with all, vntyl Tuyra (who maketh them all these fayre promisses) prouyde them of greater quantitie. This haue I my selfe sene in the toppe of the mountaynes of Guaturo, where hauynge in pryson the kynge of that prouince (who rebelled from thobe∣dience of yowre maiestie) and demaundynge of hym to whom perteyned those sepultures or graues whiche I sawe in his hou••e, he answered that they were of certeyne Indians whi¦che ••••ewe them selues at the death of his father. And bycause

they are oftentymes accustomed to burye greate quantities of wrought golde with them, I caused twoo graues to bee ope∣ned, wherein was nothynge founde but a vessell full of the grayne of Maizium, and a bundell of Iucca as I haue sayde. And demaundyng the cause hereof of the kinge and the other Indians, they aunswered that they that were buryed there, were the labourers of the grounde, and men skylful in sow∣ynge of seedes and makynge of breade, and seruauntes to the kynges father. And to thende that theyr soules shoulde not dye with theyr bodyes, they slewe them selues at the deathe of the kynge theyr master to lyue with hym in heauen. And to thintent that they myght seene him there in the same office they reserued that Maizium and Iucca to sowe it in heauen.

Wherunto I aunswered them in this maner. Beholde howe your Tuyra deceaueth yowe? And howe all that he teacheth yow is false? Yowe see how in so long a tyme sence they are deade, they haue not yet taken awaye this Maizium and Iucca which is nowe putrified and woorth nothynge, and not lyke to bee sowen in heauen. To this the kynge replyed, sayinge. In that they haue not taken it away nor sowen it in heauen, the cause is that they chaunced to fynde enowgh there, by rea¦son wherof they had no neade of this. To this errour manye thynges were sayde which seemed of lyttle force to remoue hym from his false opinion, and especially any such as at that age are occupyed of the deuyll, whom they paynt of the selfe same forme and coloure as he appereth vnto theym in dyuers shapes and formes. They make also Images of golde, copper and woodde, to the same similitudes in terrible shapes and so variable as the paynters are accustomed to paynt them at the feete of saynte Mychaell tharchangell or in anye other place where they paynt them of most horrible portiture. Lykewyse when the deuyll greatly intendeth to feare theym, he threte∣neth to sende them great tempestes which they caule Fu••acanas or Haurachanas, and are so vehement that they ouerthrowe ma¦ny howses and great trees. And I haue seene in montaynes full of many and greate trees, th••t for the space of three quar¦ters of a league the m••untayne hathe byn subuerted and the trees ouer••hrowen and plucked owte of the earthe with the rootes: a thynge doubtelesse so fearefull and terryble to be∣hold, that it may verely appere to be doen by the hand of the

deuyll. And in this case the Christian men ought to consider with good reason, that in al places where the holy sacrament is reserued, the sayd tempestes are no more so owtragious, or so perelous as they were wonte to bee.