4000003871

Royal

Comment'aries~

BooK VID.

" found in the Norch-Sea, near che River called

·Hacha,

where I underfl:ood how

" they fifhed for them and took them; which is done with che great labour and

'' hazard of thofe poo~ people, who will dive fix, nine, and fometimes twelve

" fathoms under water

gather che Oiíl:ers, which include the Pearls, and grow

" clofe to che' ftdes of the Rocks ; and having loaded themfelves ac che botcom

" of che Sea

they ariCe, and buoy up themfelves again

che furface of the wa–

" ter, and e~1ptying cheir fhells which they bring up into their C,moes, they

'~ then open them , and cake out thacTreafure, which good fortune hach prefen–

" red

chem: the coldnefs of che w11ter at che boccom of che Sea is gréat, and

" croubleforne to che Divers,

bue

much more laborious·to hold their breach for

quarcer of an hour, and fomecim~s for a

full

half hour ,. during che time thac

'' they remain under water ; che wh1ch cannot be performed by any, bue chofe

'' who have accuíl:omed chemfelves

it from their infancy, and who ufe great

" abfünence , adventuring not

dive, bue when chey are fafüng: Likewife

'' covetoufnefs in chis people makes chem _che _more abíl:emious, though ic_be ne–

" ver fo grievous : they drudge for Pearls

d1vers manners, and find them

fuch

" quamities, that chey now íl:ring chem in Neck-laces.

the year

587,

within

" my memory, there came ·from che

l ndies,

for the King's accoum,

Mark

" weight of.Pearl, with tbre~ ocher larg~ Cheíl:s of che fame, befides

1264

~ark

" weight for accounc of particular perfons, and feven other bags

ful!

not we1gh–

" ed: che report of which, ac any other time, would have feemed incredible.

Thus far are the Words of

Acofta,

wich which he concludes chat Chapcer.

And now hereunto I fhall add cwo Stories abouc Pearls ; one is, chac about che.

.year

1564,

chey brought fo•rnany Pearls

Sevil

for che King's account, thac being

heaped up in~o a hoard like feed, chey were fec

fale in grofs

che higheíl Bidder.

Ouc-cry beirig,inade of che fale co hirn chat fhould give rnoíl:, and che price agreed;

·"" ·,

one of che King's Officers 1prefencly offered

him chac had bougbc them

6000

Ducats for bis bargain ; and a cercain Merchant called

Profpero,

who was skilled

in that cornmodity, imrnediacely laid clown che Money;

_fo

che Pearls being ca–

ken up che

fir(l

buyer remained concented wich che advancage of

6000

Ducacs,

which he had gained for one word fpeaking ; and che ocher well fatisfied wich his

bargain, hoping

get much mor.e Money and be~efit by

confiderable a parcel

of Pearls. The other Story is tbis:

knew a young Man in

Spain

of low condi–

tion, and

great want ; and chough he were a Silver fmich by Trade, yec ha–

ving no Scock to fet up wich, he worked as aJo~rney-man.

This perfon lived

Madrid

in che year

r s-62,

and

63,

and lodged w1ch me at my Lodgings; and ob–

ferving bim to play away ali chat he gocby bis work, I ofcen chid him, and cold

hirn thac I believed

fhould one day fee hirn in very great rnifery: To which he

replied, chat his wants and miferies could not be greacer chan they had been, when

Thirty

fix

he'came on fooc, and onely wich

Maravedú

in his pockec

lkfadrid.

This

Maravedís

fe~low,

il)1pro'{_e and becter his Í?rt~ne, refolved to go

che

lndies,

and deal in

rnake fix

Pearls, for I knew he had fome sk1ll

them: lt happened chat he was

fucceís-

pence.

ful!

in his Voyage, and in his profit, that he got an Eíl:ace of above thircy chou–

fand Ducacs ; and chen to fhew his Gallantry (for I knew both hirn and his Wife)

he rnade hinÍ a large Coat of black

elvec, which he embroidered wich

fine

Pearl before, at leaíl:

fix

fingers broadt --,md quite round che borders; which was

very gallam, and agreeable

che newMode; chis Embroidery being valued ac

che leaíl: in four choufand Ducacs. ThisRelacion I have made, to fü_ew che great

quancicies of Pearl, which have been broughc from che

Jndies

;

beGdes chofe which

we 1iave mencioned

the third Book and fifreemh Chapcer of our Hiílory

Florida,

which are found in many·parcs of thac greac Kingdom, parcicularly in thac

rkh

Temple of chePro~ince called

Cof~chiq1ú

;

che

!'8

Mark 1,,veighc of Pearl, be–

fides che twoCheíl:s whKh

Acofta

menuons co have been brought for che King's ac–

connt, were

ali

choice Pearls, and foch as at feveral times were culled our by the

Jndians,

and fet apart for'the King's ufe and fervice, co whorn a fifch pare belonoed

of ali che Pearls which were caken, and accordingly

deliver.ed

into che R¿'yal

Wardrobe ; from whence rhey were

giv.en

out for. ad

orning a M

anto and Pecti–

coacfor the Irnage of our Lady of

Guada!t1pe;

embroderying a whole Suit, fuch

as che drefs of her Head,,fronclecs, Surcoac, hanging Sleeves, and hem of her Gar–

ments, all with the

fineft

fort ofPearl fer in Diamond-work: the Houfe, or Chair

of Scace made for chis Image, which were ufually of a darkifh colour, were now

covered with Rubíes

and

Emeralds fet in Gpld ; by which ic was apparent, by

•

. w~fu