The Skater all and Mcr all 



zeale and confideratibn have travelled amongft them, 

 and that have fecne and obfervd their fecrets and court. 

 fells- ) And moreover, for the fmall regard many make 

 of thefe Indians , who prefume to knowe much 5 and 

 yet are commonly the moft ignorant and prefumptu- 

 ous. Ifindeno better mcanes to confound this perni 

 cious opinion, then in relating their order and maner, 

 \vhenas they lived, vnder their owne lawes , in which 

 (although they had many barbarous things, and with 

 out ground,y ct had they many others worthy of great 

 admiration , whereby wee may vnderftand, that they 

 were by nature , capable to receive any good inftru&i- 

 ons : andbefides, they did in fome things, paflemany 

 of our common-weales . It is no matter of marvell if 

 there were fo great and grofe faults amongft them, fee- 

 ing there hath been likewife amongft the moft famous 

 Law-givers and Philofophers (yea without exception, 

 ZK/*r#f and Plato) and amongeft the wifeft common 

 wealths, as theRomanes and Athenians, where wee 

 may finde things fo full of ignorance, and fb worthy of 

 laugh ter,as in trueth if die common weales of the Mex- 

 icaincs; or of the Inguat, hadde beene knowne in thofc 

 times of the Romans and the Greekes, their lawes and 

 governemcntshad been much efteemed by them: But 

 we at this day little regarding this, enter by the fvvord, 

 without hearing or vnderftanding perfwading our 

 felvcs that the Indians affaires delerve no other refpe<3, 

 butas of venifon that is taken in the forrcfl, and broght 

 for ourvfe and delight, 



The moft grave t and diligent , which have fearched 

 and attained to the knowledge of their fecrets,cuftoms 

 and antient governement , holde another opinion,and 

 admire the order and difcourfe that hath been betwixt 



them. 



