The present flourishing Condition of the City Los Reyos.
The City Los Reyos hath been of late years very much enlarg’d and brought to a most flourishing Condition, being exceeding populous, and extending four Miles in length, and half as much in breadth: In the biggest Market-place is the City Hall and the Exchange, where all things are brought to be sold. Of the other three Markets, two have their Denominations from St. Anne and St. Jacob; the fourth is call’d El Santo de los Cavallos, because nothing but Mules, Asses, and Horses are sold there. The chief Church is Consecrated to St. John the Evangelist; the other Three to Marcellus, Sebastian, and Anna. The Franciscans inhabit three Cloysters; the Dominicans, Augustines, and Monks De la Merced, each of them two, besides two costly Structures for the Jesuits. Other Orders have also five Cloysters here, viz. the Creation, Conception, the Holy Trinity, St. Joseph, and St. Clara; the three first have each of them a Church built hard by the several Cloysters, Dedicated to the Santas Virgines del Montserratto, Del Prado, and De Loretto. Each Cloyster contains above two hundred and fifty either Monks or Nuns. Here are also four large Hospitals, the chiefest whereof call’d Andrias, hath seldom less than four hundred Sick, which are kept and cur’d on Charity. The second is for Peruvians onely, call’d The Hospital of St. Anna. The third, built in honor of the Apostle St. Peter, is for poor old Clergy-men. The fourth, nam’d The House of Love, is for sick Women. Besides these there stands another Structure near the Walls of the City, Consecrated to Lazarus, where those that have the Leprosie are cur’d. The House call’d The Holy-Ghost, receives all sick and wounded Sea-men. The King maintains twenty four Students at his own Charge in the Royal Colledge, and the Arch-bishop as many in the Colledge call’d St. Toronius; but in the Colledge of St. Martin reside above six hundred, which are brought up in all manner of Arts and Sciences. Two hundred Students are also taught in the high School, where they chuse a new Governor every year. Here also is kept the King’s Treasure, and the Court of Inquisition. The River which washes the City Walls runs so exceeding swift, that not long since it carried away a new Stone Bridge with nine great Arches.
Miracles reported to have been done by Ramirez.
The Dominican Monks were the first that Landed on Peru, the first which came thither with Francisco Pizarro being Vincent de Valle Verde, who was follow’d by Sancio Martino, Martino de Esquivele, Dominico de Sancto Thoma, Pedro Ulloa, Alphonso de Montenegro, Reynaldo Pedraza, and many others, who were stirr’d up by the report of the Peruvian Riches; amongst whom were four Franciscans, viz. Pedro Portuguese, Jodoco de los Angelos, De la Cruiz, and De Sant Anna, who were soon after follow’d by twelve Monks of the Augustine Order. Anno 1552. Landed also at Los Reyos, Colonel Andreas Salazar, accompanied with Antonio Lozano, Juan de Sancto Petro, Hieronymo Melendez, Didaco Palamino, Pedro de Espeda, Andreas Ortega, Juan Canto, Juan Chamorro, Francisco de Treyas, Juan Ramirez, and Balthazar Melgarego. Salazar soon after his Arrival sent the Priest Juan Ramirez, and Balthazar Melganego to Guamachuco, where he Baptiz’d and Instructed the Inhabitants in great numbers. Afterwards travelling to Moyabamba, he got a great esteem amongst those Idolaters, and (as it goes for currant amongst them) wrought many Miracles, amongst which this is reported for one: He being inform’d by an old Peruvian, that his Daughter nam’d Curi had hid several Idols; enquiring after it, he tax’d her with what her Father had told him; which she denying, and being rebuk’d by Ramirez, is said to have become immediately dumb, to have foam’d at the Mouth, at last falling down dead like a second Saphira in the presence of many, which caus’d many to forsake their Idolatry. But the Necromancers endeavor’d by all means possible to raise a disesteem on Ramirez, and with the assistance of their Master the Devil, so wrought their Inchantments, that the Tygers came in great Herds out of the Wildernesses to Moyabamba, and devour’d not onely Men, Women and Children in the Highways, but also tore them out of their Houses, yet did not the least hurt to any Spaniard; whereupon Ramirez valiantly went with a Company of his Proselytes to a Herd of Tygers, which when he approached held the Cross to them, which it seems so affrighted the Devil-Tygers, that they climb’d up the Trees. They farther relate (if you will believe them) to make the Miracle the greater, That Ramirez call’d to the Multitude, saying, Go and revenge the Deaths of your devour’d Parents, Children and Relations; whereupon he throwing a Stone, and all the rest following his Example, the Tygers leap’d out of the Trees, stood still, and suffer’d themselves to be kill’d like Lambs. Six years after the fore-mention’d twelve Augustine Monks follow’d eleven others, who set Sail out of the Spanish Haven St. Lucar, and arriving at Peru went to the Village Tauca, where they broke the Image of the Goddess Huarella, being as it were the Peruvian Venus, or Patroness of amorous Delights, reported to have given Responses from the Wood in which she was worshipp’d. They also destroy’d the Idol Chanca in the Countrey Conchucos, which being worshipp’d by the Indians in the shape of a Man, had yearly a fair Maid, aged fourteen years, given to him in Marriage, a solemn Wedding being kept, and several Sheep kill’d.
The Miracle of an Augustine Monk.
The Augustine Monks are believ’d to have wrought also another Miracle in the Province Conchucos, upon this occasion: A Conjurer call’d Chaumango, boasted himself to be God, deny’d our Saviour, in testimony whereof he gave out that he would kick a Mountain to pieces, with his Foot; which Report spreading all over the Countrey, all the adjacent People flock’d to see this strange Wonder on an appointed Day, on which Charimango being, it seems, as good as his word, and kicking the Mountain, caus’d it to rent from the top to the bottom, and the pieces to flie all about the People, who were exceedingly amaz’d; but the Sorcerer upon the Augustine Monk’s rebuking him was (as they affirm) immediately eaten up with Worms.
Many other Stories of Miracles go currant amongst them, as of Marco Garcia and Didaco Ortez driving the Devil from a white Stone which hung over a Fountain in Chiquipalpa, and several others, but it would be very impertinent to dwell too long upon Discourses of this nature, especially since we are not oblig’d to make them a part of our Creed.
To conclude our Description of this famous Kingdom of Peru, the People thereof at the Spaniards first Arrival viewing their Shipping, their Guns, and other Accoutrements, unknown to them before, had them in great admiration, as Men descended from Heaven; but when they began to be oppress’d by their Tyranny, and to be tortur’d by them, they look’d upon them as the Spawn of Hell, and curs’d the Sea that had brought so wicked a People to them.
