Hittone of the Indies, lib.tf. 



not t^e tongiie>vnderftand them not : as for example, ' 

 tfaeiGreeke ndrthe Hebrews , cannot conceive what 

 this word Sol doth fignifie,although they fee it written-- 

 for that they vnderftand not the Latine word : foas 

 wriritigand letters are onely pra&ifed by them, which 

 fignifie word s s therewith. For if they fignifie things me 

 diately , they are no more letters nor writings , but ci 

 phers and pidures : whereby we may obferve two no 

 table things.Thc one,that the memory of hiftories and 

 antiquities may bee preferved by one of thefe three 

 meanes, either by letters and writings, as hath beene 

 Vfed atnongft the Latines , Greekes , Hebrews , and 

 many other Nationsor by painring,as hath beenc vfed 

 almoft throughout all the vvorid,f or it is Cud in thefe* 

 cond Nicene Coiinfell^F^///^ is a bwkeforfoolcs which 

 c<Mnoire<ide:&i by ciphers and chara<fters,as the cipher 

 fignifics the number of a hundred, a thoufandando. 

 thers,vvithout noting the word ofa hundred,or a thou- 

 fand.Thc other thing we may obferve thereby, is that 

 which is propounded in this chapter, which is, that no 

 Nation of the /W/V/difeoveredin our time, hath had 

 the vfe of letters and writings, but of the other two 

 fortes, images, and figures. The which I obferve, not 

 onely of the Indies of Peru, and new Sfaine, but alfb of 

 /4//w*,and China. And although this may feemefalfc 

 to fome/eeingit is teftified by the difcourfes that have 

 beene written , that there are fo great Libraries and V- 

 niverfities mChina y m&Iapfon^ and that mention is 

 made of their C^^Jetters, and expeditions , yet that 

 which I fay, is true , as you may vnderftand by the dijP 

 courfe following. 



of 



