For seeing a kinsman
of mine set some paper on fire with a burning-glass, a trick they
had never before seen, they were like to have adored him for a god,
and begged he would give 'em the characters or figures of his name,
that they might oppose it against winds and storms: which he did,
and they held it up in those seasons, and fancied it had a charm to
conquer them, and kept it like a holy relic. They are very
superstitious, and called him the great Peeie, that is, Prophet.
They showed us their Indian Peeie, a youth of about sixteen years old,
as handsome as Nature could make a man. They consecrate a beautiful
youth from his infancy, and all arts are used to complete him in the
finest manner, both in beauty and shape. He is bred to all the
little arts and cunning they are capable of; to all the legerdemain
tricks and sleight-of-hand, whereby he imposes upon the rabble; and is
both a doctor in physic and divinity: and by these tricks makes the
sick believe he sometimes eases their pains, by drawing from the
afflicted part little serpents, or odd flies, or worms, or any strange
thing; and though they have besides undoubted good remedies for almost
all their diseases, they cure the patient more by fancy than by
medicines, and make themselves feared, loved, and reverenced. This
young Peeie had a very young wife, who, seeing my brother kiss her,
came running and kissed me. After this they kissed one another, and
made it a very great jest, it being so novel; and new admiration and
laughing went round the multitude, that they never will forget that
ceremony, never before used or known.
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