CURING BY MIRACLES. 525 



brake downe their idolls, and beganne to carry the crosse LrB - vn - 

 for tlic ir bailee, demanding preachers to instruct and to 

 baptise them. For this reason, the province to this day 

 hath beene called Santa Cruz de la Sierra. But to the end 

 we may see by whom God wrought these miracles, it shall 

 not be vnfit to show how that this souldier, after he had 

 some yea res done these miracles, like an Apostle, and yet 

 nothing reformed in his lewd course of life, left the pro 

 vince of Charcas, and continuing in his wicked courses, 

 was publikcly hanged at Potosi. Polo (who knew him wel) 

 writes all this, as a notable thing happened in his time. 

 Cabeqa de Vaca, who since was governour of Paraguay, 

 writes what happened vnto him in his strange perigrination 

 in Florida, with two or three other companions, the onely 

 remainder of an army, where they continued ten yeares 

 with these Barbarians, traveling and searching even vnto 

 the South sea, being an author worthy of crcdite : he 

 saieth, that these Barbarians did force them to cure cer- 

 taino diseases, threatning them with death if they did it 

 not; they being ignorant in any part of phisicke, and 

 having nothing to apply, forced by necessitie, made evan- 

 gclicall medicines, saying the praicrs of the Church, and 

 making the signe of the crosse, by rneanes whereof they 

 cured these diseases, which made them so famous, as they 

 were forced to exercise this office in all townes as they 

 passed, the which were innumerable, wherein our Lord 

 did aide them miraculously, and they themselves were 

 thereat amazed, being but of an ordinarie life; yea, one of 

 them was a Negro. Lancero was a souldicr of Peru, of 

 whom they knew no other merit but to be a souldier : he 

 spake certaine good wordes vpon wounds, and making 

 the signe of the crosse, did presently cure them : so as they 

 did say (as in a proverbe), the psalme of Lancero. Being 

 examined by such as held authority in the Church, his 

 office and works were approved. Some men worthy of 

 crcdite report (and I have heard it spoken), that in the 



