_Of the opinion they haue of the beginning of the worlde, and
of the creation of man._
Although the Chinos be generally verie ingenious, and of a cleere
vnderstanding, yet in their owne respect they say that all other nations
in the worlde be blinde, except the Spaniards, whom they have knowne but
of late time; they haue amongst them both naturall and morall
philosophie, the which is read publikely amongst them, and also
astrologie.
But nowe touching the beginning of the worlde, and the creation of man:
they have many errors, wherof some of them shalbe declared in this
chapter, taken out of their owne books, and specially out of one that is
intituled the beginning of the world.
[Sidenote: Strange opinions.]
[Sidenote: Marvellous varieties.]
[Sidenote: The first invention of fire.]
[Sidenote: Strange opinions.]
[Sidenote: The invention of plough and spade.]
[Sidenote: Sic. orig.]
[Sidenote: The first king of China.]
They say that at the beginning, the heaven, the earth, and the water
were a masse or lumpe ioyned in one. And that there is one resident in
heaven, whom they call by name Tayn, hee by his great science did
separate heaven and earth the one from the other, so that the heaven
remained hie in the state that it is, and the earth following his
naturall inclination, as grave and heauie, did remaine whereas it is.
They say that this Tayn did create a man of nothing, who they call
Panzon,[63] and likewise a woman, who they call Pansona. This Panzon, by
the power that was given him by Tayn, did create of nothing another man,
who they call Tanhom,[64] with thirteen other brothers. This Tanhom was
a man of great science, in so ample sort, that hee did give name vnto
all created things, and did know by the assignement and doctrine of
Tayne the vertue of them all, and to apply them to heale all manner of
diseases and sicknesses: this Tanhom and his brethren, but especially
the eldest, who was called Teyencom,[65] he had twelve; his first
begotten, called Tuhuncom, had nine, so had al the rest very many. They
do believe that the linage and generation of these did indure for more
than ninty thousand yeeres, and in the end and conclusion of them did
end all humaine nature; for that it was the will of Tayn, who did first
create the man and woman of nothing, for to be reuenged on certaine
iniuries that they did vnto him, and for euery one that he had shewed
vnto them, they did almost knowe so much as himselfe, and would not
acknowledge any superioritie, as they did promise him, at such time as
hee did give vnto him the secreat of all his science. At that time did
the heauen fall downe, then did Tayn raise it vp againe, and created
another man vpon the earth named Lotzitzam;[66] hee had two hornes, out
of the which proceeded a verie sweete sauour, the which sweet smell did
bring forth both men and women. This Lotzitzam vanished away, and left
behind him in the world manie men and women, of whom did proceede all
nations that now are in it. The first that this Lotzitzam brought foorth
was called Alazan, and lived nine hundred yeares; then did the heauen
create another man called Atzion, whose mother, called Lutin, was with
childe with him, onely in seeing a lyons head in the aire: he was borne
in Truchin in the province of Santon, and liued eight hundred yeares. At
this time was the worlde replenished with much people, and did feede on
nothing but on wilde hearbs and raw things: then was there borne into
the worlde one called Vsao, who gave them industrie to make and do many
things, as to vse the trees to make defence to save them from wilde
beasts, which did them much harme, and to kill them, and make garments
of their skinnes. After him came one called Huntzui, who did inuent the
vse of fire, and instructed them what they should doo, and how to rost
and boyle their victuals, and how to barter and sell one thing for
another. They did understande one another in their contradictions by
knots made vpon cords, for that they had not the vse of letters nor any
mention thereof. After that, they say that a certain woman, called
Hautzibon, was deliuered of a son named Ocheutey,[67] who was the
inuentor of many things and ordained mariage, and to play on many and
diuers instruments. They do affirme that he came from heauen by myracle
for to doo good vpon the earth: for that his mother going by the way did
see the print of a mans foote, and putting her foote on it, she was
straight wayes invironed with a lightning, with whom she was conceiued,
and with child with this son. This Ocheutey had a son called
Ezoulom,[68] who was the inuentor of phisicke and astrology, but, in
especiall, matters touching lawe and iudgement. Hee showed them how to
till the lande, and inuented the plough and spade; of this man they do
tell manie wonderfull and maruellous things, but amongst them all, they
say that he did eate of seuen seuerall kindes of hearbes that were
poyson, and did him no harme; he liued 400 hundred yeares; his son was
called Vitey, the first they had amongst them; hee reduced all things to
be vnder gouernement, and to haue it by succession, as shalbe declared
in the chapter whereas I will treate of the king of this mightie
kingdome that now liueth. These and many other varieties and toyes they
saie of the beginning of the world, whereby may be vnderstood how little
men may do without the fauour of God, and the light of the catholike
faith, yea, though they be of the most subtilest and finest wit that may
be imagined.