the city of the sun-第8节

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oxen；　sheep；　dogs；　and　all　kinds　of　domestic　and　tame　animals
is　in　the　highest　esteem　among　them　as　it　was　in　the　time　of
Abraham。　　And　the　animals　are　led　so　to　pair　that　they　may
be　able　to　breed　well。

　　　Fine　pictures　of　oxen；　horses；　sheep；　and　other　animals　are
placed　before　them。　　They　do　not　turn　out　horses　with　mares
to　feed；　but　at　the　proper　time　they　bring　them　together　in　an
enclosure　of　the　stables　in　their　fields。　　And　this　is　done　when
they　observe　that　the　constellation　Archer　is　in　favorable　con…
junction　with　Mars　and　Jupiter。　　For　the　oxen　they　observe
the　Bull；　for　the　sheep　the　Ram；　and　so　on　in　accordance　with
art。　　Under　the　Pleiades　they　keep　a　drove　of　hens　and　ducks
and　geese；　which　are　driven　out　by　the　women　to　feed　near　the
city。　　The　women　only　do　this　when　it　is　a　pleasure　to　them。
There　are　also　places　enclosed；　where　they　make　cheese；　butter；
and　milk…food。　　They　also　keep　capons；　fruit；　and　other　things；
and　for　all　these　matters　there　is　a　book　which　they　call　the
Bucolics。　　They　have　an　abundance　of　all　things；　since　every…
one　likes　to　be　industrious；　their　labors　being　slight　and　profita…
ble。　　They　are　docile；　and　that　one　among　them　who　is　head
of　the　rest　in　duties　of　this　kind　they　call　king。　　For　they　say
that　this　is　the　proper　name　of　the　leaders；　and　it　does　not　be…
long　to　ignorant　persons。　　It　is　wonderful　to　see　how　men　and
women　march　together　collectively；　and　always　in　obedience
to　the　voice　of　the　king。　　Nor　do　they　regard　him　with　loath…
ing　as　we　do；　for　they　know　that　although　he　is　greater　than
themselves；　he　is　for　all　that　their　father　and　brother。　　They
keep　groves　and　woods　for　wild　animals；　and　they　often　hunt。

　　　The　science　of　navigation　is　considered　very　dignified　by
them；　and　they　possess　rafts　and　triremes；　which　go　over　the
waters　without　rowers　or　the　force　of　the　wind；　but　by　a　mar…
vellous　contrivance。　　And　other　vessels　they　have　which　are
moved　by　the　winds。　　They　have　a　correct　knowledge　of　the
stars；　and　of　the　ebb　and　flow　of　the　tide。　　They　navigate　for
the　sake　of　becoming　acquainted　with　nations　and　different
countries　and　things。　　They　injure　nobody；　and　they　do　not
put　up　with　injury；　and　they　never　go　to　battle　unless　when
provoked。　　They　assert　that　the　whole　earth　will　in　time　come
to　live　in　accordance　with　their　customs；　and　consequently　they
always　find　out　whether　there　be　a　nation　whose　manner　of　liv…
ing　is　better　and　more　approved　than　the　rest。　　They　admire
the　Christian　institutions　and　look　for　a　realization　of　the　apos…
tolic　life　in　vogue　among　themselves　and　in　us。　　There　are
treaties　between　them　and　the　Chinese　and　many　other　nations；
both　insular　and　continental；　such　as　Siam　and　Calicut；　which
they　are　only　just　able　to　explore。　　Furthermore；　they　have
artificial　fires；　battles　on　sea　and　land；　and　many　strategic　se…
crets。　　Therefore　they　are　nearly　always　victorious。


G。M。　　Now　it　would　be　very　pleasant　to　learn　with　what
foods　and　drinks　they　are　nourished；　and　in　what　way　and　for
how　long　they　live。


Capt。　　Their　food　consists　of　flesh；　butter；　honey；　cheese；
garden　herbs；　and　vegetables　of　various　kinds。　　They　were
unwilling　at　first　to　slay　animals；　because　it　seemed　cruel；　but
thinking　afterward　that　is　was　also　cruel　to　destroy　herbs　which
have　a　share　of　sensitive　feeling；　they　saw　that　they　would
perish　from　hunger　unless　they　did　an　unjustifiable　action　for
the　sake　of　justifiable　ones；　and　so　now　they　all　eat　meat。
Nevertheless；　they　do　not　kill　willingly　useful　animals；　such　as
oxen　and　horses。　　They　observe　the　difference　between　useful
and　harmful　foods；　and　for　this　they　employ　the　science　of　med…
icine。　　They　always　change　their　food。　　First　they　eat　flesh；
then　fish；　then　afterward　they　go　back　to　flesh；　and　nature　is
never　incommoded　or　weakened。　　The　old　people　use　the　more
digestible　kind　of　food；　and　take　three　meals　a　day；　eating　only
a　little。　　But　the　general　community　eat　twice；　and　the　boys
four　times；　that　they　may　satisfy　nature。　　The　length　of　their
lives　is　generally　100　years；　but　often　they　reach　200。

　　　As　regards　drinking；　they　are　extremely　moderate。　　Wine
is　never　given　to　young　people　until　they　are　ten　years　old；　un…
less　the　state　of　their　health　demands　it。　　After　their　tenth　year
they　take　it　diluted　with　water；　and　so　do　the　women；　but　the
old　men　of　fifty　and　upward　use　little　or　no　water。　　They　eat
the　most　healthy　things；　according　to　the　time　of　the　year。

　　　They　think　nothing　harmful　which　is　brought　forth　by　God；
except　when　there　has　been　abuse　by　taking　too　much。　　And
therefore　in　the　summer　they　feed　on　fruits；　because　they　are
moist　and　juicy　and　cool；　and　counteract　the　heat　and　dryness。
In　the　winter　they　feed　on　dry　articles；　and　in　the　autumn　they
eat　grapes；　since　they　are　given　by　God　to　remove　melancholy
and　sadness；　and　they　also　make　use　of　scents　to　a　great　degree。
In　the　morning；　when　they　have　all　risen　they　comb　their　hair
and　wash　their　faces　and　hands　with　cold　water。　　Then　they
chew　thyme　or　rock…parsley　or　fennel；　or　rub　their　hands　with
these　plants。　　The　old　men　make　incense；　and　with　their　faces
to　the　east　repeat　the　short　prayer　which　Jesus　Christ　taught
us。　　After　this　they　go　to　wait　upon　the　old　men；　some　go
to　the　dance；　and　others　to　the　duties　of　the　State。　　Later　on
they　meet　at　the　early　lectures；　then　in　the　temple；　then　for
bodily　exercise。　　Then　for　a　little　while　they　sit　down　to　rest；
and　at　length　they　go　to　dinner。

　　　Among　them　there　is　never　gout　in　the　hands　or　feet；　nor　ca…
tarrh；　nor　sciatica；　nor　grievous　colics；　nor　flatulency；　nor　hard
breathing。　　For　these　diseases　are　caused　by　indigestion　and
flatulency；　and　by　frugality　and　exercise　they　remove　every
humor　and　spasm。　　Therefore　it　is　unseemly　in　the　extreme
to　be　seen　vomiting　or　spitting；　since　they　say　that　this　is　a　sign
either　of　little　exercise；　or　of　ignoble　sloth；　or　of　drunkenness；
or　gluttony。　　They　suffer　rather　from　swellings　or　from　the
dry　spasm；　which　they　relieve　with　plenty　of　good　and　juicy
food。　　They　heal　fevers　with　pleasant　baths　and　with　milk…
food；　and　with　a　pleasant　habitation　in　the　country　and　by　grad…
ual　exercise。　　Unclean　diseases　cannot　be　prevalent　with　them
because　they　often　clean　their　bodies　by　bathing　in　wine；　and
soothe　them　with　aromatic　oil；　and　by　the　sweat　of　exercise　they
diffuse　the　poisonous　vapor　which　corrupts　the　blood　and　the
marrow。　　They　do　suffer　a　little　from　consumption；　because
they　cannot　perspire　at　the　breast；　but　they　never　have　asthma；
for　the　humid　nature　of　which　a　heavy　man　is　required。　　They
cure　hot　fevers　with　cold　potations　of　water；　but　slight　ones
with　sweet　smells；　with　cheese…bread　or　sleep；　with　music　or
dancing。　　Tertiary　fevers　are　cured　by　bleeding；　by　rhubarb
or　by　a　similar　drawing　remedy；　or　by　water　soaked　in　the　roots
of　plants；　with　purgative　and　sharp…tasting　qualities。　　But　it
is　rarely　that　they　take　purgative　medicines。　　Fevers　occurring
every　fourth　day　are　cured　easily　by　suddenly　startling　the　un…
prepared　patients；　and　by　means　of　herbs　producing　effects　op…
posite　to　the　humors　of　this　fever。　　All　these　secrets　they　told
me　in　opposition　to　their　own　wishes。　　They　take　more　diligent
pains　to　cure　the　lasting　fevers；　which　they　fear　more；　and　they
strive　to　counteract　these　by　the　observation　of　stars　and　of
plants；　and　by　prayers　to　God。　　Fevers　recurring　every　fifth；
sixth；　eighth　or　more　days；　you　never　find　whenever　heavy
humors　are　wanting。

　　　They　use　baths；　and　moreover　they　have　warm　ones　accord…
ing　to　the　Roman　custom；　and　they　make　use　also　of　olive　oil。
They　have　found　out；　too；　a　great　many　secret　cures　for　the
preservation　of　cleanliness　and　health。　　And　in　other　ways　they
labor　to　cure　the　epilepsy；　with　which　they　are　often　troubled。


G。M。　　A　sign　this　disease　is　of　wonderful　cleverness；　for
from　it　Hercules；　Scotus；　Socrates；　Callimachus；　and　Mahomet
have　suffered。


Capt。　　They　cure　by　means　of　prayers　to　heaven；　by
strengthening　the　head；　by　acids；　by　planned　gymnastics；　and
with　fat　cheese…bread　sprinkled　with　the　flour　of　wheaten　corn。
They　are　very　skilled　in　making　dishes；　and　in　them　they　put
spice；　honey；　butter；　and　many　highly　strengthening　spices；
and　they　temper　their　richness　with　acids；　so　that　they　never
vomit。　　They　do　not　drink　ice…cold　drinks　nor　artificial　hot
drinks；　as　the　Chinese　do；　for　they　are　not　without　aid　against
the　humors　of　the　body；　on　account　of　the　help　they　get　from
the　natural　heat　of　the　water；　but　they　strengthen　it　with
crushed　garlic；　with　vinegar；　with　wild　thyme；　with　mint；　and
with　basil；　in　the　summer　or　in　time　of　special　heaviness。　　They
know　also　a　secret　for　renovating　life　after　about　the　seventieth
year；　and　for　ridding　it　of　affliction；　and　this　they　do　by　a　pleas…
ing　and　indeed　wonderful　art。


G。M。　　Thus　far　you　have　said　nothing　concerning　their　sci…
ences　and　magistrates。


Capt。　　Undoubtedly　I　have　　But　since　you　are　so　curious
I　will　add　more。　　Both　when　it　is　new　moon　and　full　moon　they
call　a　council　after　a　sacrifice。　　To　this　all　from　twenty　years