z$8 The 3^aturall and Moral! 



tients called Jl//#/V^and atthis day they call the Ima 

 ges ot criltall miniades, which are painted with quick- 

 filver. The Antients made great accompt of this Mini 

 um or vcrmillion, holding it for a facred colour, as Pit- 

 #/>reportes, faying, that the Romans were accuftoiued 

 to paint the face oflupiter, and the bodies of thofc that 

 triumphed in Ethiopia : yea their idollcs and their Go 

 vernors likewifc had their faces coloured with this Mi 

 mum . And this vermillion was fo cfteemed at Howe, 

 (which they brought onely from Spaine , where they 

 had manypittes and mines of quickefilver, which con 

 tinue there tx>t55^3ayy"tEat"tnc ^war/v fufFered it not 

 to be refined in Sfaivc,le& they (hould ftealc fomc ofit, 

 but they carried it to 'Rome, fealedVp in a mafic as they 

 drew it out of the mine, and after refined it . They did 

 yecrely bring from SP4inc, especially from Andalufic, a- 

 bout tenne thoufana pound weight, which the Romdtis 

 valued as an infinite treafurc. I have reported all this 

 out of that Author, to the end that thofe which doe fee 

 what pafleth at this day in Peru , may have the content 

 to know what chanced in former ages,among the migh 

 ticft Lords of the world.I fpcake for the InguiK kjngsof 

 Peru, and for the naturall Indians thereof wRcKnavc 

 laboured and digged long in thefc mines of quickc-fil- 

 ver , no t knowing what quickc-filver was, feekingone- 

 \\f^Cinabrium or vcrmillion, which they call Limpi, 

 the whlcK they cfteemc much, for that (ame effeft that 

 P///>reportes of the Romans and. Ethiopians, that is, to 

 paint the face and bodies of themfelves and their idolls: 

 the like hath been much pradifed by the Indians, efpe- 

 cially when they went to the warres , and vie it at this 

 day in themfeafts and dauncing , which they call flub- 

 bering/uppofing that their faces and vifages fb flubbe- 



red, 



