The People are most passionately addicted to Delight, and Lasciviousness. The People. They alone always sell all Things; they buy nothing that Nature or Art affords, either for Sustenance, or Cloathing, except some Perfumes for their Cloaths, and Pepper out of India; nor would there be any Place for Foreign Trade, did not an insatiable Avarice of Gold and Silver predominate among the Chineses. What they draw out of the Bowels of the Mines, they conceal as carefully as if it were still in them; and even that they bring from remote Provinces, they heap up, and bury. Their publick and private Structures would make up a Narration of extraordinary Length. We are told of 200 Cities of an extraordinary Magnitude, Cities. and many more of inferior Degree, besides Towns, Castles, and Villages, containing above 3000 Families each, built of Bricks made of the same Clay as our Purcelane, or China Ware, and these encompass’d with continu’d Woods, Springs and Rivers. In all these there are Towers with stately Pinnacles, Pleasure-Houses, and Temples, tho’ hideously painted, yet costly, with Variety of deform’d Images, through which the Devils give their Answers. But these are not in all Parts, for many of them know no God, nor Religion. Life, they say, was from Eternity common to, and alike in all living Creatures. That at first Men drank Barbarous Opinions. humane Blood, and eat raw Meat. That afterwards the Use of Reason provided for Necessity, and Pleasure; inventing the Ways of dressing, and seasoning Meat at the Fire, in Vessels and other Utensils. The same, they say, happen’d in Regard to Man’s Nakedness. So that Man is indebted to himself alone for what he enjoys, and therefore whosoever lay’d on him the Burden of Religion, and the owning of a Cause Superior to Nature, only aim’d at the dejecting him, and exercising a Tyranny over his Liberty. With these impious Notions, and destructive Atheism, they oppose their Eternal Salvation, which our Arms, and our Preachers invite them to. They only regard Generation; but not without Distinction. Lawful Matrimony entitles Women to be Mistresses of their Families. The Matrons Chastity. value themselves upon being highly Chast. Concubines are kept in Houses apart. They do not want for Plays, and such Representations; and they delight in seeing their Traditions, whether true or fabulous, acted on the Stage. They use Entertainments, and have Tables and Chairs of Ebony, and other precious Materials; as also Shipping, Shows, Carts, Horse-Litters, and the Exercise of Arms, and Riding.
Customs, and Manners. It were no difficult Matter to give an Account here of their private Customs and Manners, were they to our Purpose. Something shall be said of the Publick and Political, for the better Understanding of some Things that happen’d in the Philippine Islands, from whence the Recovery of the Moluccos, in our Times, had its Beginning. They call their great Government. Men Loyties, from among whom the King chuses his Judges and Counsellors. There is almost an infinite Number of inferiour Magistrates, who exercise the Regal Power and Authority, even in the most inconsiderable Cases. In every Town there are five, that have the greatest Power, and these are Strangers in the Place, that they may be free from Partiality. Tutan a Viceroy. The Head of them all, is call’d Tutan, being the same as a Viceroy in Poncasio. Europe. The next in Dignity is the Poncasio, who has Charge of the King’s Taxes, and Royal Treasure, with a great Number of Clerks, and other Ancasio. Officers; and he pays all Salaries and Pensions. Next follows the Ancasio, Aitan. who is chief Justice, in Criminal Cases of Consequence. The Aitan has the Inspection of all Martial Affairs, he musters the Armies, builds the Ships, and his principal Duty is to observe the Guards, that no Stranger Luitisio. may pass into the Inland Country. The Luitisio is next to the Aitan in Dignity, and is to be expert in War, in which he is employ’d by the Aitan. I know there are other Magistrates, and their Names and Dignities, which I must pass over in Silence. All of them except the Luitisio, keep great State. There are ten chosen Persons of the Council, tho’ not equal in Authority. Five of them sit on the Right, the others on the Left. The King often thrusts in among the Judges and Parties in Disguize, to pry into the Causes, and their Decisions, and be certainly inform’d of both. When he thinks fit, he sometimes makes himself known; and the Moment he discovers himself, they all stand Mute, full of Respect and Astonishment, listening to what he shall command. Then he commends or reproves either Party, and rewards, or punishes before he Mandarines. departs the Court. His Mandarines, and Prime Ministers are so highly respected, that no Man dares look them in the Face, and they always look so Stern, that it would be thought a great Disorder to lose the least of their Gravity, tho’ it were but with a modest Smile. This they observe, when they pass thro’ the Streets, in Sight of the People. The greatest Honour among them is to wear a Cymiter with a gold Pommel, and a yellow Hat.
When the President of the Council Dies, the eldest Judge succeeds him. Judges. These go Circuits thro’ the Provinces, and reform Abuses, and all of them wear the King’s Badge on their Shoulders, and Breasts, being a Golden Dragon wove in the Cloth. When they go these Progresses, they save, or lessen the Charge by circumscribing the State. When first elected, at their taking Possession of their Posts, they generally go out attended by Troops of Horse and Foot, with all Sorts of Musick, and Splendour. Their Pomp appears in the Hanging, and other Ornaments of the Streets and Houses. All the expence of Law Suits, Courts, and other Perquisites is allow’d out of the King’s Exchequer. The Mandarines are Governors, and Viceroys. In China there are no Dukes, Marquesses, or Earls, nor do they own any Dignity, but what is deriv’d from the King’s Authority. Though in the Parts next to Scythia, or Tartary, some People are Mahometans; yet in all Religion. others they are either Idolaters, or look upon the Notion of a God as a meer Jest. They believe the Life and Death of Men and Beasts are alike. There is nothing they are more attentive to, than the obstructing of any foreign Religion, and this under the politick Pretence, that they are jealous of Innovation. But above all they oppose the true Religion, hating that they know nothing of; and are as much afraid of it, as if its Ministers went arm’d to preach it, and with the Noise of Drums, and Trumpets, and regular Armies. They are frighted at a few bare-foot, and almost naked Men who profess Poverty, and preach up Morality, and supernatural Virtues, grounded on Humility and Peace. They have such an Aversion for them, that were it proper to our Subject, or were there not printed Relations thereof already, we would recount several Instances, to show their unreasonable Hatred. Hence may be inferr’d, how much more Need of the special Grace of Heaven these Nations stand in, with those in the Neighbourhood, which are expos’d to the Infection and Danger of their Obstinacy. The Reader ought also to consider, that tho sometimes, the Avarice, and other Crimes of our Commanders, and Soldiers interfere with the Preaching of the Gospel, yet their Offences do not lessen the Iustice of the Cause. He is also to reflect, that, allowing his Majesty, for weighty Reasons of State should, as we have said was propos’d, resolve to abandon those Parts of Asia, as the Chineses did, and circumscribe the Compass of his Monarchy; yet the Cause of Religion would not permit it. Our Kings are its Ministers, and Sons of the Catholick Church, and any War made for the Propagation of the Gospel, is of the greatest Consequence, and highly gainful, tho’ it be to acquire, or recover desert Provinces. Besides that the Philippine Islands have shown us how tractable their Natives are, and how much they improve with the Example, and Society of the Spaniards, and how affectionately they have imbrac’d the Faith, and assist the Religious Men, who dilate, and carry it over into China, Japan, Camboxa, Mindanao, the Moluccos, and other Islands, where still Idolatry continues, or the Friendship with the Devils left them by their antient Masters, when they excluded them their Dominions, or else the Mahometan Fictions, which they have since imbrac’d.
This is the Principal End of keeping those Provinces; and the Revenues and Wealth which is consum’d upon them, and several others, are laid out upon the Forces, and Preparations Spain makes for the Preaching and Security of the Ministers of the Church. Besides, that as Times have alter’d, Rumours of Chinese Invasions. so they have often in China chang’d their Opinion, and show’d they repented their having diminish’d their Empire. No Year passes over with out Threats of Chinese Armies; of their Listing Men; of building Ships; of their solemn consecrating, or dedicating them to their carv’d Gods, or to the Sun, Moon, and Stars, which are ador’d in some Parts, begging Success in their vain Prayers against the Spaniards, who are possess’d of those Countries they abandon’d, thro’ their own Indiscretion. This short Account of the Chineses, or Sangleys, is here inserted, for the better understanding of those Actions we shall soon treat of. They not only oppose the Truth; but tho’ they are wholly addicted to their Interest, and Slaves to Gain, and tho’ it be so absolutely requisite for the attaining of those Ends through their Industry and Trade, to maintain Amity with their Neighbours, yet there is nothing less to be reliy’d on than their Faith, or to give it a more proper Name, their Dissimulation. Happy those People, if when China withdrew its Dominion, it had also with drawn the Errors of its Worship.
The End of the Fourth Book.
THE
HISTORY
OF THE
Discovery and Conquest
OF THE
Molucco and Philippine Islands, &c.
BOOK V.
The Islands Luzones, or Manilas, which are both of them antient Names, having been discover’d by Magellan; after his Death, and various Accidents befallen his Companions, Sebastian Sebastian Cano the first that sail’d round the World. Cano return’d to Spain in that renowned Ship, call’d the Victory, as it were to express her Voyage, which is not so likely as true. Sebastian Cano, was born in the Town of Guetaria, on the Pyrenean Mountains, as we are told by Massæus, in his Latin History, where he extols Cano’s mighty Resolution, and skill in the Art of Navigation. He tell us with what Respect and Admiration all Men look’d on him, as the first that went round this Globe, which is the Habitation of Mortals. And in Truth what value shall we henceforward put upon the Fabulous Argonauts, Tiphys, Jason, and all other Sailers, so much celebrated by the Greek Eloquence, or Vanity, if compar’d with our Cano? He was the first Witness of the Communication of the two Seas, to whom Nature disclos’d what she had till then reserv’d for his Discovery, suffering herself to be entirely lay’d open, as a Beginning of such Bold Enterprizes of that Law which serves, and renders us Immortal.
Islands Lusones call’d Philippines. Magellan being dead, the islands Lusones, which ought to have inherited his Name for being his Place of Burial, as the Streight did for his discovering and passing it, in the year 1565, chang’d theirs for that of Philippines, tho’ those of that Eastern Archipelago bear the same. The Adelantado, or Lord Lieutenant Michael de Legaspe, sent from New-Spain, by the Viceroy Don Lewis de Velasco, with a Spanish Fleet arriv’d at these Islands. He first conquer’d that of Zebu, and its Neighbours, where he spent six Legaspe the first Conqueror. Years. These Islands, as there are several Names given to divers of those Parts, are call’d Pintados, because then the Indians went naked, and their Bodies wrought and painted of several Colours. He left a Garrison there, Luzon Island subdu’d. and went over to possess himself of Luzon, 150 Leagues from Zebu. He fought the Barbarians, who after the first Surprize, caus’d by our Arms, Ships, and Countenances, differing from theirs, was over, were encourag’d by that very Novelty. Legaspe ran into a Bay, four Leagues over at the Mouth, where is an Island now call’d Marivelez. The Bay runs thirty Leagues up to the City Manila, and is eight Leagues over, lying North-West, and South-East. The Inhabitants of this City oppos’d him with more Bravery than the Pintados; because they had Cannon, and a Fort, but as soon as they saw that taken by the Spaniards, they submitted. This was done so expeditiously that the Country had not time to come in; and thus he enter’d Manila, a Place strong by Nature. At a Point of it, which is shut in by the Waters of the Bay, a considerable River empties it self, which rises in the Great Lake call’d Vay, five Leagues Distant. This Point which at first is narrow and sharp, presently widens, because the Sea-coast runs away to the South South-East, and the River West, leaving a most Manila City. spacious Spot for the City, which is all encompass’d with Water, except that part which lyes to the South-West. Legaspe then built it of Wood, whereof there is great plenty in those parts. The Roofs he cover’d, or Thatch’d with the Leaves of Nipa, which is like our Sedge, or Sword-Grass, and a sufficient Fence against the Rains; but a Combustible Matter, and the occasion of Great Conflagrations, which have often hapned.