What Subtilty Soeuer Be In The 'Wiroances' And Priestes, This Opinion
Worketh So Much In Manie Of The Common And
Simple sort of people that it
maketh them haue great respect to their Gouernours, and also great care
what they
Do, to auoid torment after death, and to enjoy blisse;
although nothwithstanding there is punishment ordained for malefactours,
as stealers, whoremoongers, and other sortes of wicked doers; some
punished with death, some with forfeitures, some with beating, according
to the greatnes of the factes.
And this is the summe of their religion, which I learned by hauing
special familiarity [miliarity] with some of their priestes. Wherein
they were not so sure grounded, nor gaue such credite to their
traditions and stories but through conuersing with vs they were brought
into great doubts of their owne, and no small admiratio of ours, with
earnest desire in many, to learne more than we had meanes for want of
perfect vtterance in their language to expresse.
Most thinges they sawe with vs, as Mathematicall instruments, sea
compasses, the vertue of the loadstone in drawing yron, a perspectiue
glasse whereby was shewed manie strange sightes, burning glasses,
wildefire woorkes, gunnes, bookes, writing and reading, spring clocks
that seeme to goe of themselues, and manie other thinges that wee had,
were so straunge vnto them, and so farre exceeded their capacities to
comprehend the reason and meanes how they should be made and done, that
they thought they were rather the works of gods then of men, or at the
leastwise they had bin giuen and taught vs of the gods.
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