Good and Bad Sellers in the Market

El médico suele curar y remediar las enfermedades; el buen médico es entendido, buen conocedor de las propiedades de las yerbas, piedras, árboles é raíces, esperimentado en las curas, el cual tambien tiene por oficio saber concertar los huesos, purgar, sangrar, sajar al enfermo, dar puntos, y al fin librar, de las puertas de la muerte. El mal médico es burlador, y por ser inhabil, en lugar de sanar empeora á los enfermos con el brebage que les dá, y aun á veces usa hechicerías y supersticiones, para dar á entender que hace buenas curas.

The physician usually cures and remedies illnesses; the good physician is knowing, a good knower of the properties of herbs, stones, trees and roots, experienced in cures, who also has as his office to know how to set the bones, purge, bleed, cut [lance] the sick person, give stitches, and in the end free [him], from the doors of death. The bad physician is a mocker [fraud], and by being unskilled, instead of healing makes the sick worse with the brew he gives them, and even at times uses sorceries and superstitions, to give to understand that he makes good cures.

The physician cures and treats illnesses. The good physician is wise. He knows well the powers of herbs, stones, trees, and roots, and he has experience in curing. His work is also to set bones, to purge, to bleed,1 to lance the sick, and to stitch wounds, and so in the end to snatch people from the doors of death. The bad physician is a fraud. Because he lacks skill, he makes the sick worse instead of better with the brews he gives them. Sometimes he even uses sorcery and superstitions2 to make people think he cures well.

1. Drawing blood and purging the bowels with strong medicines, cures standard in Europe too. The Spanish words are Sahagún's; the Nahuatl has not been compared.
2. Supersticiones: Sahagún's word, as a Christian friar, for rites and charms he judged false.

La tejedora de labores, tiene por oficio tejer mantas labradas, ó galanas y pintadas: la que és buena de éste oficio, es entendida y diestra en su oficio, y así sabe matizar las colores, y ordenar las bandas en las mantas, al fin hácelas labradas y galanas de diversas colores. Tambien tiene por oficio saber hacer orillas de mantas, hacer, labor del pecho del vipil, y hacer mantas de tela rala, como es la toca, y por el contrario, hacerlas gruesas de hilo gordazo ó grueso, á manera de cotonia de Castilla: la que es mala, és incapáz de este oficio, es torpe, y hace mala labor y echa á perder cualquier tela.

The weaver of designs has as office to weave worked cloaks, or showy and painted: she who is good at this office is knowing and skilled in her office, and so knows how to shade the colors, and to arrange the bands on the cloaks, in the end she makes them worked and showy in diverse colors. Also she has as office to know how to make borders of cloaks, to make, work of the breast of the vipil, and to make cloaks of thin [open] cloth, like the toca [veil], and on the contrary, to make them thick of fat or thick thread, in the manner of cotonia of Castile: she who is bad, is incapable of this office, is clumsy, and makes bad work and spoils any cloth.

The weaver of designs weaves patterned cloaks, showy and painted. The good weaver knows her craft and is skilled at it. She knows how to blend colors and lay out the bands on the cloaks, so that in the end they come out patterned and showy in many colors. She also knows how to make the borders of cloaks and the patterned front of the vipil,3 and how to make cloaks of thin, open cloth like a veil, or, the other way, thick ones of heavy thread, like the cotonia of Castile.4 The bad weaver is not up to the work. She is clumsy, does poor work, and spoils any cloth.

3. Huipilli, the loose blouse worn by Nahua women, which Spanish writers spelled vipil or huipil.
4. A cotton cloth woven in Spain.

El mercader es tratante, y para mercadear, tiene cuenta con los mercados: el buen mercader sabe multiplicar su caudal y guardar bien lo ganado, vende y compra por justo precio, es recto en todo y temeroso de Dios, sabe tambien concertarse en el precio, y es bien convenible. El mal mercader muy lindamente engaña, vendiendo y regateando mas de lo que es justo; es mentiroso y gran embaucador, y es gran encandilador, engaña en mas de la mitad del justo precio, ó dálo á logro.

The merchant is a trader, and to trade, keeps account of the markets: the good merchant knows how to multiply his capital and keep well what is gained, sells and buys at just price, is upright in everything and fearful of God, knows also how to come to terms on the price, and is very accommodating. The bad merchant very prettily deceives, selling and haggling more than is just; he is a liar and a great swindler, and is a great dazzler, cheats by more than half the just price, or gives it at usury.

The merchant is a trader, and to do his trading he keeps track of the markets. The good merchant knows how to multiply his capital and keep what he has earned. He buys and sells at a fair price. He is honest in everything and fears God. He also knows how to strike a bargain and is easy to deal with. The bad merchant cheats very smoothly, selling and haggling for more than is fair. He is a liar, a great swindler, and a great dazzler of buyers. He cheats by more than half the fair price, or lends at interest.5

5. Lending at interest, which the Church of Sahagún's day condemned as the sin of usury.

El oficial de plumas, se cuenta entre los mercaderes, y el que es buen oficial, tiene en mucho las plumas, las guarda, trata muy bien, su oficio es vender plumas estimadas de todos géneros de aves, de todos colores. Las plumas muy verdes, y las que son muy preciadas, tienen corbada la punta, y las que relumbran haciendo unas aguas como tornasol. Y el que no es tal hace plumas falsas, y las viejas nuevas con colores falsos.

The craftsman of feathers is counted among the merchants, and he who is a good craftsman holds the feathers in much [esteem], keeps them, treats [them] very well, his office is to sell esteemed feathers of all kinds of birds, of all colors. The very green feathers, and those which are very precious, have the tip curved, and those that shine making some waters like tornasol [shot silk]. And he who is not such makes false feathers, and the old ones new with false colors.

The feather dealer is counted among the merchants. The good one values his feathers highly, stores them, and handles them with great care. His trade is selling prized feathers of every kind of bird and every color. The deep green feathers, the most precious ones, have curved tips, and some shimmer with changing colors like shot silk.6 The bad one makes false feathers, and makes old ones look new with false colors.

6. Probably the long green tail feathers of the quetzal bird. Shot silk is woven so that its color changes as it moves.

El que vende mantas, tiene por oficio que comprar junto para vender por menudo: el que sabe bien vender las mantas no usa algun fraude, sino que en venderlas es recto y justo, y en su oficio muy sosegado y convenible, y vendelas á justo y moderado precio; y las mantas que vende, son las que son nuevas, recias fornidas, y delgadas, ó ralas, como toca, lisas, y de tela igual, anchas y largas. El que es mal tratante en esto, es de mala conciencia, engañador, mentiroso, y alaba su mercaderia de mantas con palabras bien compuestas, regatéa mucho, disminuyéndo el precio que pagan los comprantes, y las mantas que vende estan dañadas, ó podridas, remendadas, y falsas pues que las sabe remendar, ó adobar con el vetun de masa, que echa éncima para dar color, y peso á la manta, y las viejas las cuesen en legia para blanquearlas, y algunas les echan el atole espeso encima, y despues las bruñe muy bien, y parecen nuevas y buenas, y hacen otros engaños y fraudes semejantes.

He who sells cloaks has as office to buy in bulk to sell at retail: he who knows well how to sell the cloaks uses no fraud, but in selling them is upright and just, and in his office very calm and accommodating, and sells them at just and moderate price; and the cloaks that he sells are those that are new, strong, sturdy, and thin, or open, like veil-cloth, smooth, and of even cloth, wide and long. He who is a bad dealer in this is of bad conscience, a deceiver, a liar, and praises his merchandise of cloaks with well-composed words, haggles much, diminishing the price that the buyers pay [?], and the cloaks that he sells are damaged, or rotten, patched, and false, since he knows how to patch them, or dress them with the paste of dough, which he puts on top to give color and weight to the cloak, and the old ones he boils in lye to whiten them, and some put the thick atole on them, and afterwards he burnishes them very well, and they look new and good, and they do other deceits and similar frauds.

The cloak dealer's trade is to buy in bulk and sell piece by piece. The one who sells cloaks well uses no tricks. In selling he is honest and fair, calm and easy to deal with, and he sells at a fair and moderate price. The cloaks he sells are new, strong and sturdy, or thin and open like veil cloth, smooth, evenly woven, wide, and long. The bad dealer has a bad conscience. He is a cheat and a liar. He praises his cloaks with smooth words and haggles hard, running down the price buyers offer. The cloaks he sells are damaged or rotten, patched and fake. He knows how to patch them, or to dress them with a paste of dough that he spreads on to give the cloak color and weight. He boils old ones in lye to whiten them. Some spread thick atole7 on them and then polish them well, so that they look new and good. And they play other tricks and frauds like these.

7. A thick drink made of maize dough and water.

El que trata en cacao, suele tener gran copia de ello, y tener heredades de cacao, y lo lleva á fuera á vender, ó lo compra junto para vender por menudo. El que es buen tratante en esta mercadería, las almendras que vende son todas gordas, macisas, y escogidas, y vende cada cosa por sí, aparte las que son gordas y macisas, y aparte las que son menudas, y como huecas ó quebradas, y á parte el ripio de ellas, y cada género por sí, las de Tochtepec, las de Anaoac, las de Guatemala, las de Guatulco, las de Xolotepec; ora sean blanquizcas, ó cenicientas, ó coloradas. El mal tratante, vende las falsas porque las cuece, y aun las tuesta para que parezcan buenas, y á las veces echalas en la agua para que parezcan gordas, y hacelas como cenicientas ó pardas, que son las mejores almendras para engañar. Tiene tambien este modo para adobarlas, que las que son nuevas, para que parezcan gordas, suelelas tostar en la ceniza caliente, y despues las envuelve con greda, ó con tierra humeda para que las que parecian menudas parezcan gordas y nuevas. Otro modo tiene para engañar, que en las cáscaras de las almendras, mete una masa negra, ó cera negra, que parece ser semejante al meollo de ellas, y algunas veces los huesos de ahuacetes los hacen pedazos, y redondéanlos, y así redondeados los meten en las cáscaras vacias de las almendras, y las que son menuditas, ó pequeñitas, todas las mezcla, ó las envuelve con las otras almendras que son cenicientas, ó frescas, y aun con las otras bastardas que parecen ser tambien cacaos, ó tienen por nombre quauhpotlaxtli, lo cual hace para engañar á los que compran.

He who deals in cacao usually has great abundance of it, and has estates of cacao, and takes it outside to sell, or buys it in bulk to sell at retail. He who is a good dealer in this merchandise, the almonds that he sells are all fat, solid, and chosen, and he sells each thing by itself, apart those that are fat and solid, and apart those that are small, and as if hollow or broken, and apart the rubble of them, and each kind by itself, those of Tochtepec, those of Anaoac, those of Guatemala, those of Guatulco, those of Xolotepec; whether they be whitish, or ash-colored, or reddish. The bad dealer sells the false ones because he cooks them, and even toasts them so that they look good, and at times throws them in the water so that they look fat, and makes them as if ash-colored or brownish, which are the best almonds, to deceive. He has also this way to dress them, that those that are new, so that they look fat, he is wont to toast them in the hot ash, and afterwards wraps them with clay, or with damp earth so that those that looked small look fat and new. Another way he has to deceive, that in the shells of the almonds, he puts a black dough, or black wax, which seems to be like the kernel of them, and sometimes the pits of avocados they make into pieces, and round them, and so rounded put them into the empty shells of the almonds, and those that are very small, or tiny, he mixes them all, or wraps them with the other almonds that are ash-colored, or fresh, and even with the other bastard ones that seem also to be cacaos, or have for name quauhpotlaxtli, which he does to deceive those who buy.

The cacao dealer usually has a great deal of it and owns cacao orchards. He takes it away to sell elsewhere, or he buys it in bulk to sell in small amounts. The good dealer sells beans that are all plump, solid, and hand-picked. He sells each kind separately: the plump, solid ones apart, the small, hollow-looking or broken ones apart, and the broken bits apart. He keeps each sort by itself, those of Tochtepec, of Anaoac, of Guatemala, of Guatulco, and of Xolotepec,8 whether they are whitish, ash-gray, or reddish. The bad dealer sells fake beans. He cooks them, and even roasts them, so that they look good. Sometimes he soaks them in water so that they look plump, and makes them look ash-gray or brownish, like the best beans, to fool people. He has another way of doctoring them, too. To make new beans look plump, he roasts them in hot ashes and then coats them with clay or damp earth, so that small beans look plump and fresh. He has yet another trick. Into the shells of the beans he puts a black dough or black wax that looks like the kernel. Sometimes they break avocado pits into pieces, round them off, and put the rounded pieces into the empty shells. He mixes the tiny beans in with the rest, or hides them among the ash-gray or fresh ones, and even among the false beans that look like cacao, called quauhpotlaxtli.9 All this he does to cheat the buyers.

8. Places that grew or traded cacao: Tochtepec (Tuxtepec, in northern Oaxaca), Guatemala, and Guatulco (Huatulco, on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca). Anaoac, Nahuatl Anahuac, “by the water”, means coastlands. Xolotepec has not been identified.
9. A Nahuatl name for the seeds of a tree that look like cacao but are not true cacao.

El que vende maíz suele ser labrador, ó lo compra de los labradores para tornarlo á vender. El que es buen tratante en este oficio, véndelo limpio, gordo sin alguna falla, recio, macizo y duro, y cada género de maíz lo vende por sí, el blanco, el prieto &c. El mal tratante engaña vendiendo su maiz que tiene gorgojo, ó con el maíz menudo ó dañado, y el que es nuevo mezclado con él, de dos ó tres, y aun de diez años, ó con el maíz dañado, y cuando lo vende alábalo mucho, y tiénelo en gran estima, poniendo encima el mejor maíz, y encubriendo el ruin.

He who sells maize is usually a farmer, or buys it from the farmers to sell it again. He who is a good dealer in this office sells it clean, fat without any fault, strong, solid and hard, and each kind of maize he sells by itself, the white, the black etc. The bad dealer deceives selling his maize that has weevil, or with the maize small or damaged, and the one that is new mixed with that of two or three, and even of ten years, or with the damaged maize, and when he sells it he praises it much, and holds it in great esteem, putting on top the best maize, and hiding the bad.

The maize seller is usually a farmer, or else he buys it from farmers to sell again. The good dealer sells it clean and plump, without any flaw, firm, solid, and hard, and he sells each kind of maize separately: white, black, and so on. The bad dealer cheats. He sells maize that has weevils in it, or mixes in small or damaged grain. He mixes new maize with maize two or three or even ten years old, or with damaged maize. When he sells it he praises it highly and makes much of it, putting the best maize on top and hiding the bad.

El que es oficial de hacer tamales, los compra para venderlos, y suélelos vender de cualquiera manera y género, ya sean de pescado, ó de ranas, de gallina, ó de otra cualquiera manera, como se dijo en el capítulo trece del octavo libro: el que es buen oficial hácelas bien hechas, sabrosas y limpias; y el que es mal oficial en esto, suele vender tamales mal hechos, sucios, desabridos, y revueltos con otras semillas, y los que están podridos y hediondos, por ser ya de muchos dias; al fin tamales que no valen nada.

He who is craftsman of making tamales, buys them to sell them, and is wont to sell them of any manner and kind, whether they be of fish, or of frogs, of hen, or of any other manner, as was said in the chapter thirteen of the eighth book: he who is a good craftsman makes them well made, tasty and clean; and he who is a bad craftsman in this, usually sells tamales badly made, dirty, tasteless, and mixed with other seeds, and those that are rotten and stinking, from being already of many days; in the end tamales that are worth nothing.

The one whose trade is making tamales buys them to sell, and sells every kind, whether of fish, frog, or hen,10 or of any other kind, as was told in the thirteenth chapter of the eighth book. The good one makes them well, tasty, and clean. The bad one sells tamales that are badly made, dirty, and tasteless, mixed with other seeds, and rotten and stinking because they are many days old. In short, tamales that are worth nothing.

10. Gallina, hen. A later chapter of book 10 sells both native hens (the turkey) and hens of Castile, so either may be meant.