1892 Drinks of the world

DRINKS.

284

* dried and beaten to powder, to ease and assuage the

* Inflammation, or swelling of any Wound ;

good

it is

' to strengthen bones which have been broken, and * expell colds from the Body, and to prevent them ; it * is good also to cleanse great Wounds of Worms, and

* heal them

; nor is the Virtue of it less, being taken

by outward applications.

Besides

* inwardly, than it is

which Virtues,

it yields a great benefit to the

* all

* Bishop and Canons and other Dependents on the * Cathedral Church of Cozco, the Tithes of the Leaves of * Cuca being their greatest Revenue ; * commodity amongst the Merchants ; notwithstanding 'all which good Qualities of the Cuca, there are many, * who being ignorant of its Virtues have wrote against * it ; for no other reason, than because the Gentiles, in ' ancient times, did, by their Diviners and Wizards offer * this Cuca to their Gods in Sacrifice ; and, therefore, * having been abused to Idolatry, they conclude that it * ought for ever to be esteemed abominable and pro- phane. This Argument might be available, if it had * been the custome to offer this Herb onely to the Devil, * but, in regard that both ancient and modern Idolaters * have made their Corn, and Fruits, and whatsoever * grows above or beneath the earth, their Drinks and ' Water, their Wool and Clothing, their Flocks and * Herds, and all things else, the matter and subject of it is also a great * tion, that all those things are defiled and rendred as ' abominable and unclean as the Cuca ; but to the clean, * all things being clean, let us teach them to abhor and * their Sacrifices ; we may argue from the same founda-

superstitious and idolatrous Worships,

forsake

their

'