The sogers ware so beastly that they could not refrain from laying and abusing the Indian women, which gave them the verole picot or French pox, surely the just iudgement of god, wt a iudgement not knowen to former ages, punishing men wt shame in this world. The Spaniards brought it from America to Naples, infected some Napolitan women wt it, whence called Morbus Napolitanus; thir women gave it to some French sogers who brought it unto France, whence called wt us French pox, now its become universall. Philip of Spaine who died August 1665 was owergoon wt it, they say.
The Indians calles the Spaniards Veracochié, which in their language signifies scume of the sea. Out of contempt and because they assaulted them first from the sea, they curse the sea always that vomited out sick monstres. Some chances to tel them of heaven and hell: wheiron they have demanded wheir the Spaniards would go to: they hearing that they would go to heaven, they sayed they would not go their then, for the Spaniards ware to bloody and cruell to stay wt.
To informe our selfes fully of the singularites of America and other things it will be fitting for us to buy Pancerollas[237] Vetera deperdita and his Nova reperta, as also Howels[238] Letters, Osburnes[239] advices to his sone, etc.
[237] Panceroli, Guido, 1523-1599, Italian jurist. The work referred to is Kerum memorabilium jam olim deperditarum at contra recens atque ingeniose inventarum. Hamburg, 1599.
[238] Howell, James, 1594-1666, Historiographer Royal to Charles II.,
published several series of Familiar Letters.
[239] Osborne, Francis, 1589-1659, author. The Advice to a Son
was written for his son when at Oxford.
Its a custome in Pictou that if a gentlewomen would have hir galland passe his gates[240] or any other to a other they have no more ado but to set the wood on one of the ends of it in the chemly and they wil not readily stay.
[240] Go away.
In France the father of the bride, if on life, accompany'es his daughter to the church; the worthiest of the company leading hir home, as wt us: yet at Saumur the bridegrome leds home his oune spouse.
In France they observe that they have usually great rains about Martimess, which we saw werified. When a great rain hath fallen we have sein al sortes of peaple, prentises wt others, wt racks and shovles cume furth to cleange the gutters and make the passage clear that it may not damme before their doores; for the streets are but narrow at Poictiers and none of the neitest. Orleans hath wery neit streets, amongs others on that goes from the end of toune to the other.