_Of their temples, and of certaine manner of religious people,
both men and women, and of their superiors._
[Sidenote: Gallant colours for religious men.]
[Sidenote: Gallant bels.]
There are found in this kingdome many moral things, the which do touch
verie much our religion, which giueth vs to vnderstand that they are
people of great vnderstanding, in especiall in naturall things, and that
it should be of a certainty, that the holy apostle of whom we have
spoken, did leaue amongst them by his preachings occasion for to learne
manie things that do shew vnto vertue; one of the which is, that there
is found amongst them many monasteries in their cities and townes, and
also in the fieldes, wherein are manie men and women that do liue in
great closenes and obedience, after the fashion of other religious
monasteries. They haue amongst them (that is knowne) onely foure orders,
euery one of them hath their generall, who dwelleth ordinarily in the
citie of Suntien, or Taybin, whereas is the king and his counsell. These
their generals they doo call in their language _tricon_, who doo prouide
for euery prouince a prouinciall, to assist and visite all the conuents,
correcting and amending such faults as is found, according vnto the
institution and manner of liuing. This prouinciall doth ordaine in euery
conuent one, which is like vnto the prior or guardian, whom al the rest
do reuerence and obey. This generall is for euer till he doo die, except
they doo finde in him such faults that he doth deserue to be depriued;
yet they do not elect their prouincials as we do vse, but it is doone by
the king and his counsell, alwayes choosing him that is knowne to be of
a good life and fame, so that fauour carrieth nothing away. This
generall is apparelled all in silke, in that colour that his profession
dooth vse, either black, yeallow, white, or russet, which are the fower
colours that the foure orders doo vse: hee neuer goeth foorth of his
house, but is carried in a little chaire of iuorie or golde, by foure or
sixe men of his habite. When any of the conuent doth talke vnto him, it
is on their knees; they haue also amongst them a seale of their
monasterie, for the dispatching of such businesse as toucheth their
religion. These haue great rentes giuen them by the king for the
sustayning of themselues and their suruants. All their conuents hath
great rentes in general; part giuen them by the king, and part of
charitie, giuen them in those cities or townes whereas they haue their
houses, the which are many and verie huge. They doo aske their charitie
in the streets, singing with the sounde of two little bords, and other
instruments. Every one of them when they do begge, doth carrie in their
hands a thing, wherein are written certaine praiers, that they say is
for the sins of the people; and all that is giuen them in charitie they
lay it vpon the said thing, wherewith they do vnderstand (in their blind
opinion) that their spirit is cleare of all sinne. In general their
beards and heads are shauen, and they weare one sole vesture, without
making any difference, according vnto the colour of their religion. They
do eate altogether, and haue their sels according to the vse of our
friers, their vestures or apparel is ordinary of serge of the said foure
colours. They haue beads to pray on, as the papists vse, although in
another order; they doe assist al burials for to haue charity; they do
arise two houres before day to pray, as our papists[70] do their
mattins, and do continue in the same vntill the day doo breake: they doo
praie all in one voice, singing in verie good order and attention, and
all the time of their praying they do ring belles, whereof they haue in
that kingdome the best and of the gallantest sounde that is in all the
world, by reason that they are made almost all of steele; they pray vnto
the heauen, whom they take for their god, and vnto Sinquian, who they
say was the inuenter of that their manner of life, and became a saint.
They may leaue their order at all times at their pleasure, giuing their
generall to vnderstand thereof.
[Sidenote: The eldest sonne is prohibited to take orders.]
But in the time that they are in that order they cannot marrye, neither
deale with anye woman, vpon paine to bee punished asperly.[71] At such
time as one doth put himselfe in religion, the father or next kinsman of
him that taketh the order, doth inuite all them of the conuent, and doth
make them a great and solemne banket; yet you must vnderstand that the
oldest sonne of any man cannot put himself in any monasterie, but is
prohibited by the lawes of the countrie, for that the eldest sonne is
bound to sustaine his father in his old age. When that any of these
religious men do die, they doo wash him, and shaue him, before they do
burie him, and do all weare mourning apparell for him. The religious man
or woman that is once punished for any fault, cannot afterward turne and
receiue the habite at any time. They haue a certaine marke giuen vnto
them in token of their fault, and that is a borde put about their necke,
so that it is seene of all people. Euerie morning and euening they do
offer vnto their idolles frankensence, benjamin, wood of aguila,[72] and
cayolaque,[73] the which is maruelous sweete, and other gummes of sweet
and odoriferous smels. When that they will lanch any ship into the water
after that it is made, then these religious men, all apparelled with
rich roabes of silke, do go to make sacrifices vpon the poopes of them,
wheras they haue their oratories, and there they doo offer painted
papers of diuers figures, the which they doo cut in peeces before their
idols, with certaine ceremonies and songes well consorted, and ringing
of little belles, they do reuerence vnto the diuell. And they do paint
him in the fore castle, for that he shall do no harme vnto the shipps:
that being done, they do eate and drinke till they can no more. And with
this they thinke it is sufficient for the shippe, that all such viages
as shee shall make shall succeede well, the which they haue amongst them
for a thing most certaine: and if they did not blesse them in this
order, all things would fall out to the contrarie.