342 / 1060
/
Royal Commmtaries.
BooK
VIII.
'' a great
be~efit
co the BHhop and Canons, and other Dependents on the
Ca–
" thedral
Ch
rch of
Co~o,
the Tithes of the Leaves of
Cuca
being their
greateft
" Revenue ;
it
is
alfo
a great Commodity amongft the Merchants ; notwith–
' fianding all
h~ch
good
Qg_alities
of. the
.cuca,
there are many, who being
ig..
cc
nora nt of its
V
irme have wrote agamfi it;
for
no other reafon, than becaufe
" the Gentiles in ancient times did
by
their Diviners and Wizards offer this
CHc
4
ct
to their Gods
in
a
rifice; and therefore having
be~
·abufed to Idolatry,
the
" conclude that
it
ought for ever to be efieemed abominable and prophane.
This
" Arg ment might be av·ailable,
if
it had been the cufiome to offer this
Herb
c<
onely to the Devil, but in regard that both ancient and modern Idolaters have
' made their Corn, and Fruits, and whatfoever grows above or beneath the earth
" their
inks and Water, their Wool and Clothing, their Flocks and
Herds'
'<
and
all
thing elfe, the matter and fubjeet of their Sacrifices; we may argue
.fro~
cc
the fame foundacion, that all thofe things are defiled and rendred
as
abominable
cc
and unclean as the
Cuca;
but to the clean all things being clean, let us teach
cc
them to abhor
an~
forfake their fuperfiitious and idolatrous
W
oriliips, and
lee
' u , uGng our Chrifiian Liberty, receive thofe Ble!fmgs with moderation
and
" rhankfgiving. Thus
far
are the Words of
Bf.u Valer11.
To which we fhall add
thus much farcher, that this little Tree is about the height
of
a Man,
in
the
planting of which they
cafl:
the feed in it green fhell, and when it grows
up,
chey then hoa and open the Earth for it , as they doe for Vines, fupporcing die
tender twigs with fiakes; and in planting they take great care that the tender roots
be laid fireighr
in
the Earth , for with the leall: doubling they dry and wither;
they take likewife the leaf of every fprig by it felf, and Eolding it between
their
fingers, they cut it with great care
till
they come to the Bud, but do not touch
it,
for then the whole branch will wither; both the outfide and inftde of this Leaf in
the greennefs and {hape of
it,
is like the
ArbuteU!,
onely the
eaves
ar
fo thin,
that three or four of them being doubled, are not fo thick
that of the
Ar–
butciu.
I
am pleafed to find any fort of Fruits here in
Spain,
o wh"ch
I
may
· compare them · though the difference between them is
fo
grea ,
that
they
may
eaGly
be
dill:inguifhed one from the other. When they gather the Leaves they
dry
them in the Sun; but care
is
to be taken that they be not over-d ied,
for
then
they lofe much of their Virtue, and being very thin, foon
turn
into powder; nor
will
they bear moch moifiure; for they foon grow mufiy and rotten; but
they
fay chem up in Ba kets of flit Canes, of which many fine ones are made
in
the
.Antw.
With
the Leaves of thofe big Canes, which are about the third of
a
yard
broad, and about half a yard long, they cover the top of the Baskers,
co
keep moiflure from the Leaves, ' hich is very prejudicial to them; and to confi–
der the great pains and care which is taken to nourifh
thisCuca,
and the proviftons
of all
things
which are made
for
it, we ought rather to render thanks to God for
his
abqndant bleffing in the variety of his Creatures, than to believe or conclude
that
, hat we write
i
fabulous or incredible;
if
thefe fruits were to be planted or nou–
rifhed
in
ocher Countries, the charge and labour of them would be more
than the
benefit.
Th. Herb
i
gathered every four months, that is three times
a
year,
and
in
the
manuring
of
It
care is taken to weed it often ; for the Countrey being hot
and
moi!l:, the Weed grow apace, and the Herb fometimes increafes fo fall, that the
feafon
f(
r
gathering ofit advances fifreen days;
fo
that fometimes they have
four
Har efi for it
in
a year· the which a certain covetou Tithe-garherer obferviflg
in
my time, farmed
the
Tithes of all the principal and rich Inheritances and Pofieffi–
ons abour
Couo,
and
taking
care to keep them clear and
cl
an from Weeds, he
fo
impro ed his
Re
enue, tnat the year follo\
ing
the
armer of the Tithes
made
t\YO
thirds more than what had been made
in
the preceding years; '"hich caufed
a
Lav:.
uit between the Farmer and the Proprietor, but what the {fue
"V
as
of it,
I,
that
wa then but
a
Boy, did not much remark.
- Am ngll many other
irtues of this
CHca,
they
fay
it corroborates the
Gums,
nd fortifies the Teeth, and that
it
gives firength and vigour to any perfon that
la–
bour and coils, onely by carrying
it
in his mouth.
I remember a Srory
which
I
·
heard in my own Countrey. That a certain Gentleman both by Bloud and Vertue,
called
Rodrigo
Pantoia,
journying once from
Cf'A:.Co
to
Rimac,
met with
a
poor
~pa
niard
(for there are fome poor there
as
well as here) travelling on foot,
arrying
little
Girl of about
n o
ye rs
of
age
in
hi
Armes;
and being an acquainraocl-