Petrus 

 Mqfteius de 

 rebus 

 Japonicis. 



a.d. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



c. 1565. 



than famous travellers. For confirmation wherof, as also 



[II. ii. 82.] for the knowledge of other things not conteyned in the 

 premisses, the curious readers may peruse these 4 

 volumes of Indian matters written long ago in Italian, 

 and of late compendiously made latine, by Petrus 

 MafFeius my olde acquainted friend, entituling the same, 

 De rebus Japonicis. One whole letter out of the fift 

 booke thereof, specially intreating of that countrey, I 

 have done into English word for word in such wise as 

 folio weth. 



Aloisius Froes to his companions in Jesus Christ 

 that remaine in China and India. 



THe last yeere, deare brethren, I wrote unto you 

 from Firando, how Cosmus Turrianus had appointed 

 me to travaile to Meaco to helpe Gaspar Vilela, for that 

 there the harvest was great, the labourers few, and that I 

 should have for my companion in that journey Aloisius 

 Almeida. It seemeth now my part, having by the helpe 

 of God ended so long a voiage, to signifie unto you 

 by letter such things specially as I might thinke you 

 would most delight to know. And because at the 

 beginning Almeida and I so parted the whole labour 

 of writing letters betwixt us, that he should speake of 

 our voyage, and such things as happened therein, I should 

 make relation of the Meachians estate, & write what 

 I could well learne of the Japans maners and conditions : 

 setting aside all discourses of our voyage, that which 

 standeth me upon I will discharge in this Epistle, that 

 you considering how artificially, how cunningly, under the 

 pretext of religion, that craftie adversary of mankind 

 leadeth and draweth unto perdition the Japanish mindes, 

 blinded with many superstitions and ceremonies, may 

 the more pitie this Nation. 



The inhabiters of Japan, as men that never had greatly 

 to doe with other Nations, in their Geography divided 

 the whole world into three parts, Japan, Sian, and China. 

 And albeit the Japans received out of Sian and China 



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