_Of the antiquitie and manner of printing bookes, vsed in this
Kingdome, long before the vse in our Europe._
The admirable inuention, and the subtill ingenie of printing is such,
that for lacke of the vse thereof, should haue beene forgotten the
worthinesse of manie excellent men, and of their deedes doone in the
happie daies and times long past: and manie in these our daies woulde
not trouble themselues so much as they doo, in learning to get honour
and promotion, or in feates of warres, if that their fame should no
longer continue in writing then their liues on the earth. Leauing apart
the woonderfull effectes of this subtile inuention, least speaking
thereof I should be ouer tedious, I will heere onlie goe about to prooue
that which this chapter dooth propounde, with some ensamples, whereof
manie are found in their histories, and likewise in ours. It doth
plainlie appeare by the vulgar opinion, that the inuention of printing
did beginne in Europe in the yeare 1458, the which was attributed vnto
Toscan,[124] called John Cutembergo: and it was saide of trueth, that
the first mould wherewith they doo print was made in Maguncia, from
whence an Almaine called Conrado[125] did bring the same inuention into
Italie. And the first booke that was printed, was that which saint
Austine did write, intituled _De ciuitate Dei_: wherein manie authors
agree. But the Chinos doo affirme, that the first beginning was in their
countrie, and the inuentour was a man whome they reuerence for a saint:
whereby it is euident that manie yeares after that they had the vse
thereof, it was brought into Almaine[126] by the way of Ruscia and
Moscouia, from whence, as it is certaine, they may come by lande, and
that some merchants that came from thence into this kingdome, by the
Redde Sea, and from Arabia Felix, might bring some books, from whence
this John Cutembergo, whom the histories dooth make authour, had his
first foundation. The which beeing of a trueth, as they haue authoritie
for the same, it dooth plainlie appeare that this inuention came from
them vnto vs: and for the better credite hereof, at this day there are
found amongst them many bookes printed 500 yeares before the inuention
began in Almaine: of the which I haue one, and I haue seene others, as
well in Spaine and in Italie as in the Indies. The frier Herrada and his
companions, when they came from the China vnto the Philippinas, did
bring with them manie printed bookes of diuers matters, which they did
buy in the citie of Ancheo, the which were printed in diuers places of
the kingdome.[127] Yet the most part of them were printed in the
prouince of Ochian,[128] whereas is the best print: and as they did
report, they woulde haue brought a great number more, if that the vizroy
had not disturbed them, for they haue great libraries, and very good
cheape; but hee suspected that those bookes might be a meane to giue
them to vnderstande the secrets of their kingdome, the which they doo
indeuour to keepe close from strangers. The vizroy vsed a policie, and
sent them word, how that he was certified that they went about buying of
bookes for to carry them into their countrie, and howe they shoulde not
spende their money on them, for hee would giue them for nothing so manie
bookes as they woulde haue, which afterward hee did not performe,
possible for the reason aforesaide, or else he did forget his promise.
At such time as this commandement came vnto them, they had bought a good
number, out of the which are taken the most things that wee haue put in
this small historie, for to giue a briefe notice of them and of that
kingdome, till such time as by a true certificate the experience of
manie shall cause more credite thereunto: for that vnto this day, by
reason of the small notice wee haue, we cannot with so great authoritie
make it so credible as wee hope that time hereafter will doo. The which
hath moued mee, yea and constrained me, to leaue to intreat of manie
things, which in those parts are to bee credited, yea and are most true:
and for the same I haue beene blamed and reprehended by such as haue had
perfite notice thereof.
And nowe for that I will not go from my purpose, you shall vnderstand in
the chapter following, whereof these bookes that they brought doo
intreat, that the better you giue credite vnto the curiositie and
policie of that kingdome, as in manie places I haue declared, and
hereafter will declare.