Purchas his pilgrimes. part 3 In fiue bookes. The first, contayning the voyages and peregrinations made by ancient kings, patriarkes, apostles, philosophers, and others, to and thorow the remoter parts of the knowne world: enquiries also of languages and religions, especially of the moderne diuersified professions of Christianitie. The second, a description of all the circum-nauigations of the globe. The third, nauigations and voyages of English-men, alongst the coasts of Africa ... The fourth, English voyages beyond the East Indies, to the ilands of Iapan, China, Cauchinchina, the Philippinæ with others ... The fifth, nauigations, voyages, traffiques, discoueries, of the English nation in the easterne parts of the world ... The first part.

To the Reader.

REader, I here present vnto thee the choisest of my Iewels. My trauelling fancis hath inuited ma∣ny Readers to many my labours in strange births already. Q••ae regio in terris nostri non plena la∣boris? Iaponian and China rarities so remote from our world, are neere to our worke, and their chara∣cters communicated here to the Reader; not their arts alone. Thou hast here also Indostan, Arabike, Per∣sian, Turkish, add other Letters, and not onely the transcript from their languages. As for translations and collections, thou hast them here also out of the Hebrew, Auncient and Moderne Greeke, Abassine, Tartarian, Russian, Polonian, Aegyptian, and innumerable other Nations Christian, Iewish, Mahu∣metan, Ethnike, Ciuill, Barbarian and Sauage, innumerable wayes diuersified. Yet all these in letters, [ 50] or characters. In hieroglyphicall mysticall pictures the ancient Aegyptians and Ethiopians, haue by way of Emblemes obscurely and darkly deliuered their obscure mysteries, vncertaine, waxenly, pliant con∣ceits to the world; some of which our Pilgrimage hath mentioned. But a Historie, yea a Politicke, E∣thike, Ecclesiastike, Oeconomike History, with iust distinctions of times, places, acts and arts, we haue nei∣ther seene of theirs, nor of any other Nation, but of this, which our light and slight apprehensions terme not barbarous alone, but wilde and sauage. Such an one we here present, a present thought fit for him whom the senders esteemed the greatest of Princes, and yet now presented to thy hands before it could ar∣riue in his presence. For the Spanish Gouernour hauing with some difficultie (as the Spanish Preface imports) obtained the Booke of the Indians, with Mexican interpretations of the Pictures (but ten daies [ 60] before the departure of the Ships) committed the same to one skilfull in the Mexican language to be in∣terpreted; who in a very plaine stile and verbatim performed the same, vsing also some Morisco words, as Al••aqui and Mezquitas (for Priest and Temples) import. This Historie thus written, sent to Charles the fifth Emperour, was together with the Shippe that carried it taken by F••enchmen of war, from whom Andrew Theuet the French Kings Geographer, obtained the same: after whose death,

Master Hakluyt (then Chaplaine to the English Embassadour in France) bought the same for 20. French crownes, and procured Master Michael Locke in Sir Walter Raleighs name to translate it. It seemes that none were willing to be at the cost of cutting the Pictures, and so it remained amongst his papers till his death, whereby (according to his last will in that kinde) I became possessour thereof, and haue obtained with much earnestnesse the cutting thereof for the Presse. The rather was I eagerly vehe∣ment herein, as being a thing desired by that most industrious Antiquary, iudicious Scholler, Religious Gentleman,* 1.1 our Ecclesiastike Secular, the Churches champion, Sir Henry Spelman, Knight; whom for honors sake I name, that his name may honour our ruder lines; a name so fitting to the Man, as one which ••an, in regard of his wise spell and science in diuine & humane learning, and is ready, with maine courage and alacritie to shew himselfe the Churches Man, and to exhibit himselfe in deede whatsoeuer any man can spell, out of Spel-man. The commending from such a friend (let the Muses impetrate [ 10] pardon for so bold a name) was a commanding vnto me, which here I againe commend to Him and thee.

It is diuided into three parts; the first being the Annales and Mexican Chronicle: the second, their Exchequer or the Accounts of their seuerall Tributes paid them from the Nations and peoples tributary, whereby may be seene the Naturall riches of those parts peculiarly sorted: the third the Mexican Oeconomie and Policie in warre and peace, religious and secular, their priuate and pub∣like rites from the graue of the wombe, to the wombe of the graue. Obscure places I haue explained (besides what before in Acosta thou hast read) comparing the translation with the originall, adding ma∣ny of mine owne: and perhaps there is not any one History of this kinde in the world comparable to this, so fully expressing so much without Letters; hardly gotten, and easily lost, that thou maist here [ 20] finde it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sir. Hen. Spel∣man.