310 Tlx ^atur all and Moral! 



the Painter cannot 6cceede it with his penciil and co 

 lours. Some Indians which are good and expert 

 workemen in this Art , will reprefent perfectly in fea 

 thers, whatfoeverthey fee drawne with the penciil, fo 

 as the Painters of Spainc, have in this point , no advan. 

 tage over them. Don Philip the Prince ofSpaim , his 

 ' fchoolemafter, did give vnto him three figures or por 

 traitures made of feathers, as.it were to put in a Brevia 

 ry. His Highnes did (hew them to King Phil/phis fa 

 ther, the which his Maiefty beholding attentively /aid, 

 that hce had never feene in fo fmall a worke , a thing 

 oi r fo great excellency and perfedion. One day as they 

 preferred to Pope Sixties quintw , another fquare big 

 ger then it, wherein was the figure of St. Francis, and 

 that they had told him it was made of feathers by the 

 Indians,hc defired to make triall thereofrouching the 

 table with his fingers, to fceif it were of feathers, for 

 tha'titfeemedftrange, to fee them fo properly fitted, 

 that the eye could not iudge nor difcerne whether 

 they were nauirall colours of fathers , or artificial!, 

 done with thcprncill. It is a goodly thing to fee the 

 luftrewhich a grcene, an orange tawny like gold, and 

 other fine colours do caft, and beholding them ano 

 ther way they feeme dead colours. They make thebeft 

 and goodlieft figures of feathers in the Province of 

 Meck&vAcan^hd in the village ofPafcaro. The manner 

 is with fmall delicate pinfors they pul the feathers from 

 the dead fowles, and with a fine pafte they cunningly 

 ioy nc them together.Thcy ta ! <e the fmal & delicate fea 

 thers of thofcbiais, which in Peru they call Tomineyes, 

 or others like vnto them, which have the moft perfed 

 colours in their feather. The Indians (befidesthefe 

 images,) did vfe feathers in many other moft excellent 



workes, 



