would not long continue but would find againe its old course towards Mexico This City when Cortez first entred into it was as some say of sixty but more probably it is reported to have beene of fourescore thousand houses Montezuma his palace was very great large and beautifull which in the Indian language was named Tepac and that had twenty doores or gates which had their outcoming into the common streets It had three Courts and in the one stood a faire Fountaine many hals and a hundred chambers of three and twenty and thirty foot long an hundred bathes and hot houses and all this without nailes yet very good workmanship The walls were made of Masons worke and wrought of Marble Iaspe and other black stone with veines of red like unto Rubies and other stones which glistered very faire the roofs were wrought of timber and curiously carved being of Cedar Cypres and Pine tree the Chambers were painted and hung with cloth of Cotton and of Coneys haire and feathers The beds onely were unseeming this great sâ—…ate very poore and of no value such as to this day the best and richest Indians use for they weare nothing but mantles laid upon mattes or upon hey or else mattes alone Within this Palace lived a thousand women nay some affirme three thousand reckoning gentlewomen servants and slaves all together But the most were principall Indians daughters of whom Montezuma tooke for himselfe those that liked him best and the others hee gave in marriage to gentlemen his servants It is credibly reported among the Spaniards that hee had at one time a hundred and fifty women his wives with child who commonly tooke medicines to cast their creatures because they knew that they should not inherit the State and these had many old women to guard them for no man was permitted to looke upon them Besides this Tepac which signifieth Palace Montezuma had yet in Mexico another house with very curious lodgings and fair Galleries built upon pillars of â—…aspe which looked towards a goodly Garden in the which there were at least a dozen Ponds some of salt water for Sea fowles and others of fresh water for River fowles and Lake fowles which Ponds were devised with Slâ—… to empty and to fill at pleasure for the cleannesse of the Fowles feathers and these Fowles are said to have beene so many in number that the Ponds could scarcely hold them and of such severall sorts and of such strange and various coloured feathers that the most of them the Spaniards knew not nor had at any time seen the like There did belong to that house above three hundred persons of service who had their severall charge concerning these Fowles some had care to cleanse the Ponds others were appointed to fish for bait others served them with meat and to every kind of fowle they gave such bait as they were wont to feed of in the fields or rivers others did trim their feathers others had care to look to their egs others to set them abrood the principallest office was to pluck the feathers for of them were made rich mantles tapistry targets tuffes of feathers and many other things wrought with gold and silver Besides this house Montezums had yet another house within Mexico appointed only for hawking fowles and fowles of rapine In which house there were many high Halls wherein were kept men women and children such as were dwarfes crook backs or any monstrous persons and with them such as were born white of colour which did very seldome happen nay some would deform their children on purpose to have them carried to the Kings house to helpe to set forth his greatnesse by their deformity In the lower Halls of this house there were Cages for fowlâ—… of rapine of all sorts as Hawkes Kites Boyters which are very many in those parts and of the Hawkes neer a dozen sundry kinds of them This house had for daily allowance five hundred Turkey cocks and three hundred men of service besides the Falconers and Hunters which some say were above a thousand men The Hunters were maintained in that house because of the ravenous beasts which were also kept in thâ—… lower Halls in great cages made of timber wherein were kept in some Lions in other Tygres in other Ownzes in other Wolves in conclusion there was no fouâ—…-footed beast that wanted there only to the effect that the mighty Montezuma might say that he had such things in his house and all were fed daily with Turkey cocks Deare Dogges and such like There were also in another Hall great earthen vessels some with earth and some with water wherein werâ—… Snakes as grosse as a mans thigh Vipers Crocodiles which they call Cayâ—…anes of twenty foot long with scales and head like a Dragon besides many other smaller Lisarts and other venemous beasts and Serpents as well of the water as of the land To these Snakes and the other venemous beasts they usually gave the blood of men sacrificed to feed them Others say they gave unto them mans flesh which the great Lisarts or 〈◊〉 eat very well But what was wonderfull to behold horrid to see hideous to heare in this house was the Officers dayly occupations about these beasts the floor with blood like a gelly stinking like a slaughter-house and the roaring of the lioâ—…s the fearfull hissiâ—…g of the Snakes and Adders the dolefull howling and barking of the Wolves the sorrowfull yelling of the Ownzes and Tigres when they would have meat And yet in this place which in the night season seemed a 〈◊〉 of Hell and a dwelling place of the Devill could a heathen Prince pray unto his Gods and idols for nâ—…r to this Hall was another of a hundred and fifty foot long and thirty foot broad where was a chappell with the roofe of silver and gold in leaâ—…e wainscotted and deâ—…ed with great store of pearl and stone as Agaâ—… Cornerines Emeralds Rubies and divers other sorts and this was the Oratory where Montezuma prayed in the night season and in that chappell the Devill did appear unto him and gave him answer according to his prayers which as they were uttered among so many â—…gly and 〈◊〉 beasts and with the noise of them which represented Hell it selfe were fitâ—…ed for a Devils answer He had also his Armoury wherein was great â—…ore of all kind of such Ammunition which they used in their wars aâ—… Bowes Arrowes Slings Launces Darts Clubâ—… Swords and bucklers and gallant Targets more trimme then strong and all made of wood gilt or covered with leather The wood whereof they made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Targets was very hard and strong and at their arrowes endâ—… they 〈◊〉 little peece of flint-stone or a peece of a fish-bone called Libiâ—… which was so venemous that if any were hurt with it and the head râ—…ined in the wâ—…nd it so 〈◊〉 that it was almost incurable Their Swords were of wood and the edge tâ—…f was flint-stone inclosed or joyned into a stâ—…ffe
are but poore thatched cottages without any upper roomes but commonly one or two only roomes below in the one they dresse their meat in the middle of it making a compasse for fire with two or three stones without any other chimney to convey the smoak away which spreading it selfe about the the roome filleth the thatch and the rafters so with sur that all the roome seemeth to be a chimney The next unto it is not free from smoak and blacknesse where sometimes are four or five beds according to the family The poorer sort have but one room where they eat dresse their meat and sleep Few there are that set any lockes upon their dores for they fear no robbing nor stealing neither have they in their houses much to lose earthen pots and pans and dishes and cups to drinke their Chocolatte being the chief commodities in their house There is scarce any house which hath not also in the yard a stew wherein they bath themselves with hot water which is their chief physick when they feel themselves distempered Among themselves they are in every Town divided into Tribes which have one chief head to whom all that belong unto that Tribe doe resort in any difficult matters who is bound to aid protect defend counsell and appear for the rest of his Tribe before the officers of justice in any wrong that is like to be done unto them When any is to be married the father of the son that is to take a wife out of another Tribe goeth unto the head of his Tribe to give him warning of his sons marriage with such a maid Then that head meets with the head of the maids Tribe and they conferre about it The businesse commonly is in debate a quarter of a yeer all which time the parents of the youth or man are with gifts to buy the maid they are to be at the charges of all that is spent in eating and drinking when the heads of the two Tribes doe meet with the rest of the kindred of each side who sometimes fit in conference a whole day or most part of a night After many dayes and nights thus spent and a full triall being made of the the one and other sides affection if they chance to disagree about the marriage then is the Tribe and parents of the maid to restore back all that the other side hath spent and given They give no portions with their daughters but when they die their goods and lands are equally divided among their sons If any one want a house to live in or will repair and thatch his house anew notice is given to the heads of the Tribes who warn all the Town to come to help in the work and every one is to bring a bundle of straw and other materials so that in one day with the helpe of many they finish a house without any charges more then of Chocolatte which they minister in great cups as big as will hold above a pint not putting in any costly materials as doe the Spaniards but only a little Anniseed and Chile or Indian pepper or else they halfe fill the cup wich Attolle and powre upon it as much Chocolatte as will fill the cup and colour it In their diet the poorer sort are limited many times to a dish of Frixoles or Turkey beanes either black or white which are there in very great abundance and are kept dry for all the yeer boyled with Chile and if they can have this they hold themselves well satisfied with these beanes they make also dumplins first boyling the bean a little and then mingling it with a masse of Maiz as we do mingle Currants in our cakes and so boile again the frixoles with the dumplin of Maiz masse and so eat it hot or keep it cold but this and all whatsoever else they eat they either eat it with green biting Chile or else they dip it in water and salt wherein is bruised some of that Chile But if their means will not reach to frixoles their ordinary fare and diet is their Tortilla's so they call thin round cakes made of the dow and masse of Maiz which they eat hot from an earthen pan whereon they are soon baked with one turning over the fire and these they eat alone either with Chile and salt and dipping them in water and salt with a little bruised Chile When their Maiz is green and tender they boil some of those whole stalkes or clusters whereon the Maiz groweth with the leaf about and so casting a little salt about it they eat it I have often eate of this and found it as dainty as our young green pease and very nourishing but it much increaseth the blood Also of this green and tender Maiz they make a Furmity boiling the Maiz in some of the milke which they have first taken out of it by bruising it The poorest Indian never wants this diet and is well satisfied as long as his belly is thorowly filled But the poorest that live in such Townes where flesh meat is sold will make a hard shift but that when they come from worke on Saturday night they will buy one halfe Riall or a Riall worth of fresh meat to eat on the Lords day Some will buy a good deal at once and keep it long by dressing it into Tassajo's which are bundles oâ—… flesh rowled up and tied fast which they doe when for examples sake they have from a leg of beefe sliced off from the bone all the flesh with the knife after the length forme and thinnesse of a line or rope Then they take the flesh and salt it which being sliced and thinly cut soon takes salt and hang it up in their yards like a line from post to post or from tree to tree to the wind for a whole week and then they hang it in the smoak another week and after rowle it up in small bundles which become as hard as a stone and so as they need it they wash it boyl it and eat it This is America's powdered beef which they call Tassajo whereof I have often eaten and the Spaniards eat much of it especially those that trade about the Countrey with Mules nay this Tassajo is a great commodity and hath made many a Spaniard rich who carry a Mule or two loaden with these Tassajo's in small parcels and bundles to those Townes were is no flesh at all sold and there they exchange them for other commodities among the Indians receiving peradventure for one Tassajo or bundle which cost them but the halfe part of a farthing as much Cacao as in other places they sell for a Riall or six pence The richer sort of people will fare better for if there be fish or flesh to bee had they will have it and eat most greedily of it and will not spare their fowls and Turkeys from their own bellies These also will now and then get a wild Dear shooting it with their bows and arrows And
Limepits the men of the Pinetrees and the Water men all these foure sorts of men did make the Body of the Common-weelth of Tlaxcallan and commanded both in time of War and Peace Every of these Captaines had his just portion or number of Warriers but the Generall of all the whole Army was called Xicotencal who was of the Limepits and hee had the Standard of the Common-wealth which is a Crane of gold with his wings spread adorned with Emeralds and silver worke which Standard was according to their use either carryed before the whole Host or else behind them all The Lieutenant Generall of the Army was Maxixcazin and the number of the whole Army was a hundred and fifty Thousand men Such a great number they had ready against foure hundred Spauiards and seven hundred Indians of Zempoallam and Zaclotan and yet at length overcome and after this fight they were the greatest friends that Cortez had in those parts against Montezuma These Captaines came with their Companies that the fields where they were seemed a Forrest They were gallant Fellowes and well Armed according to their use although they were painted so that their faces shewed like Devils with great tuffes of Feathers and they boasted gallantly Their Weapons and Armour were Slings Staves Speares Swords Bowes and Arrowes Sculles Splintes Gantlets all of Wood guilt or else covered with Feathers or Leather their Corselets were made of Cotten Wooll their Targets and Bucklers gallant and strong made of wood covered with leather and trimmed with latten and feathers their Swords were staves with an edge of flint stone cunningly joyned into the staffe which would cut very well and make a sore wound Their instruments of War were hunters hornes and Drummes called Ataballs made like a Caldron and covered with Vellam So that the Spaniards in all their discovery of India did never see a better Army together nor better ordered that which I could not omit to speake of here having come in the order of my history to Tlaxcallan where this numerous and gallant Indian Army was set forth against 400 Spaniards and 600 Indians their friends These Indians thus ordered in Battalia bragged very much against the Spaniards and said amongst themselves What mad people are these bearded men that threaten us and yet know us not But if they will bee so bold to invade our Countrey without our licence let us not set upon them so soone it is meet they have a little rest for wee have time enough to take and bind them let us also send them meat for they are come with empty stomackes and so they shall not say that we do apprehend them with wearinesse and hunger Whereupon they sent unto the Spaniards three hundred Turkey cocks and two hundred baskets of bread called Centli the which present was a great succour and refreshment for the need the Spaniards stood in And soone after Now say they let us goe and set upon them for by this time they have eaten their meat and now we will eat them and so shall they pay us the victuals that we sent These such like brags they used seeing so few Spaniards before them and not knowing the strength of their Ordnance against their so numerous an host Then the foure Captaines sent two thousand of their valiantest men of warre and old Souldiers to take the Spaniards quietly with commandement that if they did resist either to binde them or else to kill them meaning not to set their whole Army upon them saying that they should get but small honour for so great a multitude to fight against so few The two thousand Souldiers passed the trench that was betwixt the two campes and came boldly to the Tower where the Spaniards were Then came forth the Horse-men and after them the Foot-men and at the first encounter they made the Indians feele how the iron swords would cut at the second they shewed of what force those few in number were of whom a little before they had so jested but at the third brunt they made those lusty Souldiers flie who were come to apprehend them for none of them escaped but only a few such as knew the passage of the trenches or ditch Then the main battail and whole Army set forth with a terrible and marvellous noise and came so fierce upon the Spaniards till they entred into their campe without any resistance and there were at handy strokes with the Spaniards and in a good space could not get them out many of them being killed which were so bold to enter In this sort they fought four houres before they could make way among their enemies Then the Indians began to faint seeing so many dead on their side and the great wounds they had and that they could kill none of the Christians yet the battail ceased not till it drew neere night and then they retired Whereof Cortez and his Souldiers were exceeding glad for they were fully wearied with killing of Indians The next day in the morning Cortez went forth to runne the fields as he had done before leaving halfe his men to keepe the campe and because he should not be espied he departed before day and burned about ten Townes and sacked one Towne which was of three thousand houses in the which were found but few people because the most of them were gone to their campe After the spoile he set fire on the Town and came his way to his campe with a great prey by no one time The Indians pursued thinking to take away their prey and followed them into the camp where they fought five houres and could not kill one Spaniard although many of their side were slain for even as they were many and stood on a throng together the Ordnance made a wonderfull spoil among them so that they left off fighting and the victory remained for the Spaniards whom the Indians thought were inchanted because their arrowes could not hurt them The next day following the four Captaines sent three severall things in present to Cortez and the messengers that brought them said Sir behold here five slaves and if thou be that rigoroue God that eatest mans flesh and blood eat these which we bring unto thee and we will bring thee more And if thou be the gentle and meek God behold here frankincense and feathers And if thou bee a mortall man take here fowle bread and cherries Cortez answered that both he and his were mortall men even as they were And because that alwaies he had used to tell them truth wherefore did they use to tell him lies and likewise to flatter him for he desired to be their friend advising them not to be mad and stubborn in their opinion for if they so did assuredly they should receive great hurt and dammage Notwithstanding this answer there came againe about thirty thousand of them even to Certez his campe to prove their corslets as they had done the day before but they returned with broken pates Here
jewels that the dead King was wont to weare so that it seemed a gallant Idoll At the foot of the Temple staires they opened a grave ready made which was square large two fadome deepe it was also hanged with new mats round about and a faire bed therein in the which one of the Preists placed the Idoll made of ashes with his eyes towards the East part and did hang round about the walls Targets of gold and silver with bowes and arrows and many gallant tuffes of feathers with earthen vessels as pots dishes and platters so that the grave was filled up with houshold-stuffe chests covered with leather apparell Jewels meate drinke and armour This done the grave was shut up and made sure with beames boardes and floored with earth on the top All those Gentlemen who had served or touched any thing in the buriall washed themselves and went to dinner in the Court or yard of the Kings house without any table and having dined they wiped their hands upon certain lockes of Cotton-wooll hanging downe their heads and not speaking any word except it were to aske for drinke This ceremonie endured five daies and in all that time no fire was permitted to be kindled in the City except in the Kings house and Temples nor yet any corne was ground or market kept nor any durst goe out of their houses shewing all the sorrow that might be possible for the death of their King And this was the superstitious manner of burying the Kings of Mechoacan This people did punish adultery most rigorously for to commit it was death as well for the man as the womâ—…n But if the adulterer were a Gentleman his head was decked with feathers and after that he was hanged and his body burned and for this offence was no pardon either for man or woman But for avoiding of adultery they did permit other common womâ—…n but no publike and ordinary stewes Now the Indians of Mechoacan are greatly taken with the popish devices and are strong in that religion as any part of America The fourth and last Province of the Countrey or Empire of Mexico is called Galicia nova and is watered with two very great rivers the one named Piastle and the other San Sâ—…stian This Province glorieth in many great Townes of Indians but especially in â—…ix inhabited both by Indians and Spaniards the first and chiefest is Xalisco taken by Nunio dâ—… Guzman 1530. when he fled from Mexico in a rage and tooke prisoner and burned the King of Mechoâ—… The second is Guadalaiara The third Coanum The fourth Compostelâ—… The fifth St. Espirit The sixth Copala which now is called Nova Mexico new Mexico And here it is that the Spaniards are daily warring against the Indians which live Northward and are not as yet reduced nor brought under the Spanish yoake and government They are valiant Indians and hold the Spaniards hard to it and have great advantage against them in the rocks and mountaines where they abide and cut off many Spaniards Their chief weapons are but bowes and arrowes and yet with them from the thick Woods hils and rockes they annoy and offend the Spaniards exceedingly I have heard some Spaniards say that they flie and climbe up the rocks like Goates and when they draw nigh unto them then they cry out with a hideous noise shooting their arrowes at them and in an instant are departed and fled unto another rock The reson why the Spaniards are so earnest to pursue and conquer these Indians more then many others of America which as yet are not brought in subjection to the Spaniards is for the many Mines of silver and treasure of gold which they know to bee there They have got already sure possession oâ—… part of those riches in the Mines called St. Lewis Sacatecas from whence they send all the silver that is coyned in the Mint houses of Mexico and the City of Angels and every yeere besides to Spain in silver wedges at least six Millions But the further the Spaniards goe to the North still more riches they discover and faine would they subdue all those Northern parts as I have heard them say lest our English from Virginia and their other plantations get in before them I have heard them wonder that our English enter no further into the maine land surely say they either they feare the Indians or else with a little paultry Tobacco they have as much as will maintaine them in lazinesse Certainly they intend to conquer through those heathenish Indians untill by land they come to Florida and Virginia for so they boast if they bee not met with by some of our Northern Nations of Europe who may better keep them off then those poor Indians and may doe God greater and better service with those rich Mines then the Spaniards hitherto have done Thus having spoken somewhat of the foure Provinces of Mexico which was the first member of the division Mexican and Peruan Now I shall briefly say somewhat further of three more Countries belonging to the Mexican or Northern Tract as opposite to the Peruan omiting Florida Virginia Norumbega Nova Francia Corterialis and Estotilandia because I will not write as many doe by relation and hearsay but by more sure intelligence insight and experience In my first division next to Mexico I placed Quivira Iâ—…eatan and Nicaragua of these three therefore I shall say a little and then somewhat of the Peruan part Quivira is seated on the most Western part of America just over against Tartary from whence being not much distant some suppose that the Inhabitants first came into this new World And indeed the Indians of America in many things seeme to bee of the race and progenie of the Tartars in that Quivira and all the Westside of the Country towards Asia is farre more populous then the East towards Europe which sheweth these parts to have been first inhabited Secondly their uncivility and barbarous properties tell us that they are most like the Tartars of any Thirdly the West side of America if it bee not continent with Tartary is yet disjoyned by a small straight Fourthly the people of Quivira neerest to Tartary are said to follow the seasons and pasturing of their cattell like the Tartarians All this side of America is full of herbage and injoyeth a temperate aire The people are desirous of glasse more then of gold and in some places to this day are Cannibals The chief riches of this Country are their Kine which are to them as we say of our Ale to drunkards meat drink and cloth and more too For the Hides yeeld them houses or at least the coverings of them their bones bodkins their hair thred their finews ropes their horns mawes and bladders vessels their dung fire their Calve skinnes budgets to draw and keepe water their blood drink their flesh meat There is thought to bee some traffique from China or Cathaya hither to those parts where as yet the Spaniards have not entred For
and smell of it a farre off at Sea they might when they came to the Coast of America smell out a Spanish ship and know it from a Hollander Here my Don Melchor fell into admiration assuring mee hee had never heard more solid reasons from any man Alas poore Criolian of Chiapa thought I if I had spoken sense thy shallow braine had not beene able to have leaped over it but after non-sense thou art easily carried away As for his last question I told him that was above my reach for that poore Fryers ought not to meddle with women neither had my mother ever told mee how long shee went with mee But how ever if Donna Angella would tell mee how long shee went with her children I would by the constellations of the Heavens search out against our next meeting how long the English women went with their children To this my Don Melchor answered that he would not trouble me to study what he thought was not belonging to my profession but he knew that if I would study that or any other hard difficult point I could give him more better satisfaction then any scholar in that City And thus Reader by this Don Melchors wit and ability would I have thee judge of the Gentlemen Criolians or natives of Chiapa and yet as presumptuous they are and arrogant as if the noblest bloud in the Court of Madrid ran through their veines It is a common thing amongst them to make a dinner only with a dish of Frixoles in black broath boyled with pepper and garlicke saying it is the most nourishing meat in all the India's and after this so stately a dinner they will be sure to comeout to the streetdore of their houses to see and to be seen and there for halfe an houre will they stand shaking off the crums of bread from their cloaths bands but especially from their ruffes when they used them and from their mustachoes And with their tooth-pickers they will stand picking their teeth as if some small Partridge bone stuck in them nay if a friend passe by at that time they will be sure to find out some crum or other in their mustacho as if on purpose the crums of the table had been shaken upon their beards that the losse of them might be a gaining of credit for great house keeping and they will be sure to vent out some non-truth as to say A Senor que linda perdiz he comido oy O Sir what a dainty Partridge have I eat to day where as they picke out nothing from their teeth but a black husk of a dry frixole or Turkey bean Though great in blood and in birth they say they are yet in their imployments they are but rich Grasiers for most of their wealth consisteth in farmes of Cattell and Mules Some indeed have Townes of Indians subject unto them whereof they are called Encomendero's and receive yeerly from every Indian a certaine Pole tribute of fowles and mony They have most cowardly spirits for warre and though they will say they would faine see Spaine yet they dare not venture their lives at sea they judge sleeping in a whole skin the best maxime for their Criolian spirits One hundred fighting souldiers would easily lay low those Chiapa Dons and gain the whole City which lyeth so open to the fields that the Mules and Asses come in and grase the streets being very commodious to entertain Asses from within and from without Yet in this City liveth commonly a Governour or Alcalde Major and a Bishop The Governours place is of no small esteem and interest for that his power reacheth farre and he tradeth much in Cacao and Cochinil and domineers over both Spaniards and Indians at his will and pleasure But ill gotten goods never thrive as was seen in Don Gabriel de Orellana Governour of this City and Countrey in my time who having sent the worth of eight thousand crownes in Cochinil Cacao Sugar and Hydes by the river of Tabasco towards the Havana lost it all into the hands of the Hollanders who doubtlesse knew how to make better use of it then would have done that tyrannizing Governour The Bishops place of that City is worth at least eight thousand duckats a yeer which truly he had need of that comes so far from Spain to live in such a City where are such able Dons as Don Melchor de Velasco and where Asses are so freely fed and bred Most of this Bishops revenues consisteth in great offerings which he yeerly receiveth from the great Indian Townes going out to them once a yeer to confirme their children whose confirmation is such a means to confirme and strengthen the Bishops revenues that none must be confirmed by him who offer not a faire white Wax-candle with a ribban and at least foure Rials I have seen the richer sort offer him a Candle of at least six pound weight with two yards of twelve penny broad ribban and the Candle stucke from the top to the bottom with single Rials round about Nay the poore Indians make it the chiefe master piece of their vanity to offer proudly in such occasions Don Bernardiâ—… de Salazar was the Bishop of this City in my time who desired my company to ride with him his circuit but one moneth about the Townes neer to Chiapa and in this time I was appointed by him to hold the basin wherein the Spaniards and Indians whilst he confirmed their children did cast their offerings which my selfe and another Chaplaine did alwaies tell and cast up by good account before we carried the mony up into his chamber and I found that at our returne at the moneths end he had received one thousand and six hundred duckats of onely offerings besides the fees due to him for visiting the severall companies or sodalities and confraternities belonging to the Saints or soules in their purgatory which are extraordinary rich there whereof he and all other Bishops in their district take account yeerly This Bishop was aâ—… all the rest are there somewhat covetous but otherwise a man of a temperate life and conversation very zealous to reforme whatsoever abuses committed in the Church which cost him his life before I departed from Chiapa to Guatemala The woman of that City 〈◊〉 seems pretend much weakenesse and squeamishnesse of stomack which they say is so great that they are not able to continue in the Church while a Masse is briefly hudled over much lesse while a solemn high Masse as they call it is sung and a Sermon preached unlesse they drinke a cup of hot Chocolatte and eat a bit of 〈◊〉 strengthen their stomackeâ—… For this purpose it was much used by them to make their maids â—…ing to them to Church in the middle of Masse or Sermon a cup of Chocolatte which could not be done to all or most of them without a great confusion and interrupting both Masse and Sermon The Bishop perceiving this abuse and having given faire warning for the
faith mosca en leche a flie in milke But the train of the Viceroy who often goeth to this place is wonderfull stately which some say is as great as the train of his Master the King of Spaine At this meeting are carried about many sorts of sweet-meats and papers of comfites to be sold for to relish a cup of coole water which is cried about in curious glasses to coole the blood of these love hot gallants But many times these their meetings sweetned with conserves and 〈◊〉 have sowre fawce at the end for jealousie will not suffer a Lady to be coâ—…reed no nor sometimes to be spoken to â—…uts fury into the violent hand to draw a sword or dagger and to stab or murther whom he was jealous of and when one sword is drawne thousands art presently drawne some to right the party wounded or murthered others to defend the party murthering whose friends will not permit him to bee apprehended but will guard him with drawn swords untill they have conveyed him to the Sanctuary of some Church from whence the Viceroy his power is not able to take him for a legall tryall Many of these suddain skirmishes happened whilest I lived about Mexico of which City a whole volume might bee compiled but that by other Authors much hath beene written and I desire not to fill my History with trifles but onely with what is most remarkable in it I may not omit yet from the situation of it upon a lake to tell that certainly the water hath its passage under all the streets of it for toward the street of St. Austin and the lower parts of the City I can confidently averre that in my time before the removing of the Lake those that died were rather drowned then buried for a grave could not bee digged with an ordinary graves depth but they met with water and I was eye-witnesse of many thus buried whose coffins was covered with water And this is so apparent that had not the Cloister of the Augustines often been repaired and almost rebuilt it had quite sunk by this In my time it was a repairing and I saw the old pillars had sunk very low upon the which they were then laying new foundations and I was credibly informed that that was the third time that new pillars had been erected upon the old which were quite sunk away This City hath but three wayes to come unto it by Cawsey the one is from the West and that Cawsey is a mile and a halfe long Another from the North and containeth three miles in length Eastward the City hath no entry but Southward the Cawsey is five miles long which was the way that Cortez entred into it when hee conquered it The fruit called Nuchtli whereof I have spoken before and some say this City was called Tenuchtitlan from it though it bee in most parts of America yea and now in Spain yet in no place there is more abundance of it then in Mexico and it is absolutely one of the best fruits in it It is like unto the Figge and so hath many little kernels or grains within but they are somewhat larger and crowned like unto a Medler There are of them of sundry colours some are green without and carnation-like within which have a good taste Others are yellow and others white and some speckled the best sort are the white It is a fruit that will last long Some of them taste of Pears and other some of Grapes It is a cold and a fresh fruit and best esteemed in the heat of summer The Spaniards doe more esteem them then the Indians The more the ground is laboured where they grow the fruit is so much the better There is yet another kind of this fruit red and that is nothing so much esteemed although his taste is not evill but because it doth colour and dye the eaters mouth lips and apparell yea and maketh the Urine looke like pure blood Many Spaniards at their first comming into India and eating this fruit were amazed and at their wits end thinking that all the blood in their bodies came out in Urine yea and many Physitians at their first comming were of the same belief And it hath happened when they have been sent for unto such as have eaten this fruit they not knowing the cause and beholding the Urine by and by they have administred medicines to staunch blood a thing to laugh at to see Physitians so deceived The skinne of the outside is thick and full of little small prickles and when it is cut downeright with one cut to the kernels with one finger you may uncleave the whole skin round about without breaking it take out the fruit to eat The Spaniards use to jest with it with strangers taking half a dozen of them and rubbing them in a napkin those smal prickles which can scarce bee seen or perceived stick invisibly unto the napkin wherewith a man wiping his mouth to drink those little prickles stick in his lips so that they seeme to sow them up together and make him for a while faulter in his speech till with much rubbing and washing they come off There is another fruit twice of the bignesse of a great warden which they call the growing Manjar Blanco or white meat which is a dainty dish made by them with the white of a Capon Cream and Rice and sugar and sweet waters much like unto the which tasteth this fruit It is as sweet as any hony and dissolves like meked snow in the mouth into a juyce most luscious within it is full of hard black kernels or stones which being cracked are bitter and these not joyned together but by division one from another each one having a bag or little skin discerning them in their rankes and orders so that when you cut this fruit in the middle it represents a Cheque â—…rd with black and white the white is suckt or eaten and the kernels thrown away But I cannot forget that which they call Pinia or Pineapple not the Pineapple of the high Pine tree but a pineapple that groweth upon a lower shrub with prickly leaves and is bigger then our biggest Muskmillians in England when it is ripe it is yellow without and within without it is full of little bunches and within so juycy and cool that nothing more dangerous then to eat much of it Before they eat it they cut it in round slices and lay it a while in salt and water and so being scoured half an houre in that salt and water which taketh much of the rawnes and coldnes from it and then putting into dishes with more fresh water they eat it thus But the better way of eating it is preserved which is absolutely the best preserve in all that Countrey There is also the Grape though they make not wine of it the Apple the Peare the Quince the Peach the Apricock the Pomegranate the Muskmillian the Plantin the Figge the Walnut the Chesnut the Orange