dayes after this last Sunne appeared all the Gods did dye and that in processe of time the Gods whiche nowe they haue and worshippe were borne And through these false opinions our Diuines did soone conuert them to the knowledge of the true lawes of God. The nation of the Indians called Chichimecas IN the lande nowe called newe Spayne are dyuers and sundry generations of people but they holde opinion that the stocke of most antiquitie is the people nowe called Chichimecas whiche procéeded out of the house of Aculhuacan which standeth beyond Xalixco about the yeare of our Lorde 720. Many of this Generation did inhabite aboute the lake of Tenuchtitlan but their name ended by mixture in marriage with other people At that time they hadde no King nor yet did builde eyther house or Towne Their only dwellings was in caues in the Mositaynes They went naked they sowed no kind of graine nor vsed bread of any sorte They did mainteyne themselues with rootes hearbes and siluester fruites and béeing a people cunning in shooting with the bowe they kylled deare hares connyes and other beastes and foule which they eate also not sodden or rosted but rawe and dryed in the Sunne They eate also Snakes Lizardes and other filthye beastes yea and at this day there are some of this generation that vse the same dyet But although they liued suche a bestiall life being a people so barbarous yet in their diuelish religion they were verye deuout They worshipped the Sunne vnto whome they vsed to offer Snakes Lizards such other beasts They likewise offered vnto their God all kinde of foule from the degrée of an Eagle to a little Butterflie They vsed not sacrifice of māslaughter nor had any Idolles no not so muche as of the Sunne whome they helde for the sole and only god They married but with one woman in no degrée of kinred They were a stoute and a warlike people by reason whereof they were Lordes of the land The Coronation of the Kings of Mexico ALthough one brother was heire to an other among the Mexicans and after their deceasse did inherite the Sonne of the eldest brother yet they tooke no possession of the state nor name of King vntil they were annoynted and Crowned openlye As soone as any King of Mexico deceassed and his funerals ended then were called to Parliamente the Lorde of Tezcuco and the Lorde of Tlacopan who were the chiefest estates and then in order all other noble men who owed any seruice to the Mexican Empire And béeyng come togither if any doubt of the inheritāce of the crowne happened then the matter was decided with al hast then the newe King being knowen he was stripped starke naked except a cloth to couer his priuie partes and in thys sorte was carried among them to the greate Temple of Vitzilopuchtli with greate silence and without any ioy or pleasure Two Gentlemen of the Citie whose office it was ledde him vppe the staires of the Temple by the armes and before him wente the Princes of Tezcuco and Tlacopan who that day did weare their robes of Coronation wherevpon was paynted their armes and title Verye fewe of the Laytie wente vp into the Chappels but only those that were appoynted to attire the newe king and to serue in other Ceremonies for all the residue stoode vpon the steppes and belowe to beholde the Coronation These Magistrates being aboue in the Chappell came with great humilitie and reuerence knéelyng downe vpō their knées before the Idoll of Vitzilopuchtl and touched the earth with one finger and then kissed the same Then came the high prieste clothed in his pontificall vestmentes with many others in his company who did weare surplices and withoute speaking any worde they paynted or couloured the Kings person with ynke made for the purpose as blacke as any cole After thys Ceremonye done they blessed the annoynted Kyng and sprinckled him foure times with a certayne holly water that was made at the time of consecration of the God made of dowe or paste with a sprinckle made of boughes of Cane leaues Ceder willow leaues Then they put vpon his head a cloth painted with the bones and skulles of dead men and next they clothed him with a black garment and vpon the another blewe and both were paynted with the figures of dead mens skulles bones Then they put about his necke certaine laces whereat did hang the armes of the Crowne And behind his backe they did hang certain little bottels ful of powders by vertue wherof he was deliuered from pestilence and diseases according to their opiniō yea therby witches nor witchcrafts could not hurt him nor yet euill menne deceyue him In fyne with those relickes he was sure from all perill and daunger Vpon his lefte arme they bounde a litle bagge of incense and then brought vnto him a chaffyng dishe of imbers made of the barke of an Oke trée Then the king arose and with his owne hande threw of the same incense into the chaffing dishe and with great reuerence brought the same to the God Vitzilopuchtli and after he had smoked him therewith he satte him downe then came the high Priest and tooke his othe to mainteyne the religion of the Goddes to kéepe also all the lawes and customes of his predecessours to maynteyne iustice and not to agrauiate any of his vassals or subiects and that he should be valiant in the warres that he shoulde cause the Sunne to giue his light the clowdes to yéelde rayne the riuers to runne and the earth to bring foorth all kinde of grayne fruytes and other néedefull hearbes and trées These and many other impossible things the newe kyng did sweare to performe and then he gaue thankes to the high priest and commended himself to the Goddes and to the lookers on and they who brought him vp in the same order carieth him downe agayne Then all the people cried the Goddes preserue the newe kyng and that he may raigne many yéeres in health with al his people But then some began to daunce other to play on their instrumēts shewing outwardly their inwarde ioyes of harte And before the king came to the foote of the steppes all the noble men came to yéelde their obedience and in token of louing and faythfull subiectes they presented vnto him feathers strings of snayle shelles collours and other Iewelles of golde and siluer also mantels paynted with death bare him company vnto a great hal within the compasse of the temple and there lefte him The king sitteth downe vnder his cloth of estate called Tlacatecco and in foure daies departeth not out of the circuyte of the temple the which he spendes in prayers sacrifice and penaunce he eates then but once a day and euery day he bathes himselfe and agayne in the night in a great ponde of water and then lettes himselfe bloud in his eares and senseth therewith the God of Water called Tlaloc he likewise senseth the other idols vnto
the whiche there was one rounde temple dedicated to the God of the ayre called Quecalcouaâ—l for euen as the ayre goeth rounde about the heauens euen for that consideration they made his temple rounde The entraunce of that Temple had a dore made lyke vnto the mouth of a Serpent and was paynted with foule and Diuelish gestures with great teeth gummes wrought whiche was a thing to feare those that should enter in thereat especially the Christians vnto whom it represented very Hel with that ougly face and monsterous teeth There were other Teucalles in the citie that had the asâ—â—nding vp by steps in thrée places all these temples had houses by theÌ„selues with all seruice priests particular Gods. At euery dore of the great temple standeth a large Hall goodly lodgings both high and lowe round about which houses were coÌ„mon armories for the Citie for the force and strength of euery towne is the temple and therfore they haue there placed their store house of munition They had other darke houses full of idols greate small wrought of sundry mettals they are all bathed and washed with bloud and do shewe very blacke through theyr dayly sprinklyng and anoynting theÌ„ with the same when any man is sacrificed yea the walles are an inche thicke with bloud and the grounde is a foote thicke of bloud so that there is a diuelish stench The Priests or Ministers goeth dayly into those Oratories and suffer none others but great personages to enter in Yea and when any such goeth in they are bounde to offer some man to be sacrificed that those bloudy hangmen and ministers of the Diuell may washe their handes in bloud of those so sacrificed and to sprinkle their house therewith For their seruice in the kitchin they haue a ponde of water that is filled once a yéere which is brought by conduct from the pryncipal fountayne All the residue of the foresayde circuite serueth for places to breede foule with gardens of hearbes and swéete trees with Roses and floures for the Altars Such so great straunge was this temple of Mexico for the seruice of the Diuell who had deceiued those simple Indians There dothe reside in the same temple continually fiue thousand persons and all they are lodged and haue theyr liuing there for that teÌ„ple is maruellous riche hath diuers townes onely for their maintenaunce and reparation and are bounde to sustayne the same alwayes on foote They doe sowe corne and maintayne all those fiue thousande persons with bread fruyte flesh fishe and firewoodde as much as they néede for they spende more fire woodde than is spent in the kings courte these persons doe liue at their hartes ease as seruauntes and vassals vnto the Goddes Mutezuma brought Cortes to this temple bicause his men shoulde sée the same and to enforme them of his religion and holinesse wherof I will speake in an other place being the most straunge and cruellest that euer was harde off The Idols of Mexico THe Gods of Mexico were two thousand in number as the Indians reported the chiefest were Vitcilopuchtli and Tezcatlipuca whose images stoode highest in the Temple vppon the Altars they were made of stone in ful proportion as bigge as a Gyant They were couered with a lawne called Nacar These images were besette with pearles precious stones péeces of gold wrought like birds beasts fishes and floures adorned with Emeralds Turquies Calcedons and other little fine stones so that when the lawne Nacar was taken away the Images séemed very beautifull to beholde The Image had for a girdle great snakes of gold and for collors or chaynes about their neckes ten hartes of men made of golde and each of those Idolles had a counterfaite visor with eies of glasse and in their necks death painted eache of these things hadde their considerations and meanings These two Goddes were brethren for Tezcatlipuca was the God of Prouidence and Vitcilopuchtli God of the warres who was worshipped and feared more than all the rest There was another God who hadde a greate Image placed vppon the toppe of the Chappell of Idols and hée was estéemed for a speciall and singular God aboue all the rest This God was made of all kinde of séedes that groweth in that Countrey and being ground they made a certayne past tempered with childrens bloud and Virgins sacrifised who were opened with their razures in the breastes and their heartes taken out to offer as first fruites vnto the Idoll The Priestes and Ministers doe consecrate this Idoll with great pomp and many Ceremonies All the Comarcans and Citizens are presente at the consecration with great triumph and incredible deuotion After the consecration many deuoute persons came and sticked in the dowy Image precious stones wedges of golde and other Iewels After all this pomp ended no secular man mought touche that holye Image no nor yet come into his Chappell nay scarcely religious persons except they were Tlamacaztli who are Priestes of order They doe renue this Image many times wyth new dough taking away the olde but then blessed is hée that can get one péece of the olde ragges for relikes and chiefly for souldyers who thought themselues sure therwith in the warres Also at the consecration of thys Idoll a certayne vessell of water was blessed with manye wordes and ceremonyes and that water was preserued very religiously at the foote of the altar for to consecrate the King when he should be crowned and also to blesse any Captayne generall when he shoulde be elected for the warres with only giuing him a draught of that water The Charnell house or place of dead mens sculles for remembrance of death WIthout the temple and ouer againste the principall dore thereof a stones cast distant standeth the Charnell house onely of dead mens heads prisoners in warres and sacrifiâ—ed with the knife This monument was made like vnto a Theatre more larger than broade wrought of lyme and stone with ascending steppes in the walles whereof was graffed betwixt stone and stone a skul with the teeth outwards At the foote and head of this Theatre were two Towers made only of lime and skulles the téeth outwarde and this wall hauing no other stuffe séemed a straunge sight At and vppon the toppe of the Theatre were 70. polles standing the one from the other foure or fiue foote distant and eache of them was full of staues from the foote to the toppe Each of these staues had others made fast vnto them so that euery of them had fiue skulles brothed through the temples Andrewe de Tapia did certifie me that he and Gonsalo de Vmbria dyd recken them in one daye and founde a hundred thirtie and sixe thousande skulles on the polles staues and steppes The other Towers were replenished out of number a most cruell custome being only mens heads slaine in sacrifice although it hath a shewe of humanitie for the remembrance there placed of death There are also men
the matter séemed long he besought his Vncle to procure his libertie and to shew himselfe a Lorde and not a slaue but séeing at length that he could not accepte and follow his councell he began to stirre in the matter threatning the death and destruction of the Spanyardes Some said that Cacama did begin that matter to reuenge the iniurie and dishonor done vnto his Vncle. Others saide that his meaning was to make himselfe Kyng of Mexico Others held opinion that his pretence was only to make an ende of the Spanyards But let it be for whatsoeuer purpose Once he gathered a great army which he coulde not want although Mutezuma was prisoner especially against the Spanyards He published that he would redéeme his Vncle out of Captiuitie and expulse the Straungers or else kill and eate them This was a terrible newes for the Christians but yet for all those bragges Cortes dismayde not rather hée determined forthwith to prepare himselfe for the warres and to besiege him in his owne house and Towne sauing that Mutezuma disturbed him saying that Tezcuco was a place very strong and scituated in water and that Cacama was a man of bolde and stoute courage and had at commaundemente the Indians of Culhua and was also Lorde of Culhuacan and Oâ—umpa whiche were fortes of great strength thinking to bring the matter to a better passe another way so that Cortez ruled himselfe by the counsell of Mutezuma and sent vnto Cacama praying him to haue in remembrance the friendshippe that hadde bin betwixt them two from the time that he came and broughte hym into Mexico and that alwayes peace was better than warre and especially for a noble man of vassals for the begynnyng of warres was pleasant to hym that knewe not what warres meante and in so doyng he shoulde do both pleasure and seruice to the Kyng of Spayne Cacama aunswered that he had no friendship with him that woulde take away hys honor and kingdome and that the warres whych he pretended was profitable for his vassals and in defence of their Countrey and Religion yea and before he determined peace he meante to reuenge hys Vncles wrongs and his goddes Also quoth he what haue I to doe wyth the Kyng of Spayne who is a man that I know not no nor yet would gladly heare of hym Cortez turned agayne to admonishe and require hym diuers tymes to leaue off his determination and wylled Mutezuma to commaunde hym to accepte hys offer Wherevpon Mutezuma sente vnto hym desiryng him to come vnto Mexico to take some order in those controuersies and discordes betwixte hym and the Spanyardes Cacama aunswered very sharply vnto his Vncles request saying if you had bloud in your eye or the hearte of a Prince you woulde not permit your selfe to bée prisoner and captiue of foure poore straungers who with their fayre speache and flatteryng talke haue bewitched you and vsurped your kingdome no nor yet suffer the Goddes of Culhua to be throwen downe and spoyled yea and the Mexican religion and holy places violated and troden with théeues feete and deceyuers likewise the honour glory and fame of your predecessors blotted and abased through your faynt stomacke and cowardize But notwithstanding accordyng to your request and to repayre our religioÌ„ to restore the Goddes to their Temples to preserue the kingdome and to procure libertie for you and the Cittie I will obay your commaundement But how not with my handes in my bosome but lyke a warrier to kill those Spaniardes who haue so affrented the nation of Culhua Our men stoode in great perill as well of the losing of Mexico as of their owne liues if this warre and mutinie had not soone bene qualified for why Cacama was valiant stoute and a good souldier yea and well furnished of men of warre also the Citizens of Mexico were desirous of the same for to redéeme Mutezuma their prince and to kill the Spaniardes or else to expulse them out of the Cittie But poore Mutezema remedied the matter knowyng or foreseing that warres would not preuayle yea and beleued that at the ende all shoulde fall vpon his backe He dealt with certayne Captaynes Gentlemen that dwelt in Tezcuco with Cacama to apprehend him and bryng him prysoner coÌ„sidering that he was their king and yet aliue But whether it were that those Captaynes had serued Mutezuma in the warres or whether it were for giftes rewardes they apprehended Cacama being in counsell among them treatyng of his warres pretended and embarked him in a boate armed for the purpose and so brought him to Mexico without any further slander or stryfe and when he was comen to Mexico they put him on a riche seate as the Kings of Tezcuco were wonte to sitte vpon beyng the greatest Prince in all that lande next vnto Mutezuma and in this sorte brought him before his vncle who would not looke vpon him but commaunded him to be deliuered vnto Cortes who incontinent clapped a payre of giues on his legges and a payre of manacles on his handes and put hym into sure Guarde and custodie After that Cacama was in this order prysoner with the consent of Mutezuma was elected Lorde and Prince of Tezcuco and Culhuacan Cucuzca Cacama his yonger brother who was abidyng in Mexico with his vncle and fled from his brother Mutezuma did entitle him with the ceremonies accustomed vnto Princes newly elected and chosen So that forthwith he was obeyed in Tezcuco by Mutezuma his commaundement for he was there better beloued than Cacama who was somewhat of a croked nature In this sorte was remedied all the former perill but if there had bene many Cacamas it would haue fallen out otherwise Here Cortes made kings and coÌ„maunded with as great auctoritie as though he had obtayned already the whole Empire of Mexico and certainely sithens his first entry into that countrey he had an assured hope to win Mexico and to be Lorde ouer the whole state of Mutezuma The Oration that Mutezuma made vnto his Noble men yeelding himselfe to the King of Castile AFter the imprisonment of Cacama Mutezuma proclaymed a Parliament vnto the which came all the Seniors Comarcans and beyng all together he made the Oration followyng vnto them My kinsmen friendes and seruants yée do well know that eightene yeares haue bene your kyng as my fathers and Grandfathers were and alwaies I haue bene vnto you a louing Prince and yée vnto me good and obedient subiectes and so I hope you will remayne all the dayes of my life Ye ought to haue in remembrance that eyther ye haue heard of your fathers or else our adeuines haue instructed you that we are not naturalles of this countrey nor yet our kingdome is durable bycause our forefathers came from a farre countrey and theyr king and captayne who brought them hither returned againe to his naturall countrey saying that he woulde sende suche as shoulde rule and gouerne vs if by chaunce hée himselfe returned not Beléeue ye assuredly
Mexico whereby the Christians and straungers mighte passe without daunger In this warres serued lyke faithfull friendes the Indians of Tlaxcallan Huexocinco and Cholalla promysing the lyke seruice and succour agaynst Mexico yea and rather better than worse With this victory the Spaniardes recouered great fame for they were thought to haue bene slayne The great auctoritie that Cortez had among the Indians AFter all these things were finished Cortes coÌ„maunded gaue licence to al the Indian frieÌ„ds to returne home vnto their houses except his assured friends of Tlaxcallan whâ—Ì„ he kept in his company for the warres of Mexico he nowe dispatched a poste to Vera Crux commaundyng that foure of the shippes which Naruaez had brought should be sent with al spéede to the Iland of Santo Domingo for men horses armour pouder other munition also for wollen cloth linnen shooes and many other things and wrote his letters for the same to the licenciat Rodrigo de Figueroa and to the whole magistrates of Chancery certifying them of all their procéedings in that countrey beséechyng them of helpe and succour and that forthwith to be sent by the messenger This done he sente twentie horsemen twoo hundred Spaniardes and many Indians vnto Zacatami and Xalaxinco whiche were townes subiect to the Mexicans and placed in the high way to Vera Crux who had slayne certaine Spaniardes passyng that way This company wente thither with their accustomed protestations whiche preuayled not wherevpon followed fire and spoyle many Gentlemen and other principall persons came to yéelde themselues to Cortes more for feare than for good will crauyng pardon for theyr offence promising also not to offende agayne nor yet at any tyme to take armour agaynst the Spaniardes Cortes pardoned them then hys armie returned with determination to kéepe his Christmasse in Tlaxcallan whiche was within twelue dayes followyng He left a Captaine with thrée score Spaniards in the newe towne of Segura to kéepe that passage and also to put in feare the Comarcans that dwelled thereabout he sente before him his whole armie and he himself went with twentie horsemen from thence to Coliman to lodge there that night being a cittie of his allied friendes and there to ordaine and make by hys auctoritie bothe Noble men and Captaynes in lue of them whiche died with the disease of small pockes He aboade there thrée dayes in the whiche the newe Lordes were ordeyned who afterwardes remayned his especiall friendes The nexte day hée came to Tlaxcallan beyng sixe leagues distant from thence where he was triumphantly receyued And truely at that time he made a iourney most worthie of renowne and glory At this season his déere friende Maxixea was departed this transitorie lyfe for whome he mourned clothed in blacke after the Spanishe fashion he lefte behinde him certaine sonnes of whom the eldest was .xij. yéeres of age whome Cortes named and appoynted for Lorde of his fathers estate and the commons did certifie it to appertaine vnto him This was no small glory for Cortes to giue estates and also to take them away at his pleasure yea and that those Indians should haue him in suche feare and respect that none durste doe any thyng in acceptyng the inheritaunce of their fathers without his good will and licence Now Cortes procured that euery man shoulde make his harneys weapons and prouision readie and in good order he made also great haste in building Vergantines for his timber was already cutte and seasoned he sente vnto Vera Crux for sayles tacle nayles roapes and other necessarie things whereof theâ—e was store remaynyng of the furniture of the shippes that were sunke And hauyng wante of pitche for in that countrey the Indians knewe not what it meant he commaunded certayne of his Mariners to make the same in the highe Mountaynes where was store of Pine trées and not farre from the cittie The Vergantines that Cortez commaunded to be built and the Spaniardes which he had ioyned togither to besiege Mexico THe fame of prosperitie whiche Cortes enioyed was wonderfully blowen abroade with the newes of the imprisonment of Mutezuma and the victory against Pamfilo de Naruaez wherevppon there came many Spaniardes by twenty and twentie in a company from Cuba Santo Domingo and other Ilandes Although that iourney coste some their liues for in the way they were murdered by those of Tepeacac and Xalacinco as is before declared yet notwithstanding there came many to Tlaxcallan whereby his hoste was muche encreased beséechyng him to make haste towarde the warres It was not possible for Cortes to haue espies in Mexico for the Tlaxcaltecas were knowen by their lippes eares and other tokens and also they had in Mexico garde and great enquirie for that purpose by reason wherof he could not certainely knowe what passed in those parties accordyng as he desired for to haue prouided himself of things néedefull yet a Captayne whiche was taken prysoner in Huacacholla certified that Cuetlauac Lorde of Iztacpalapan Neuewe to Mutezuma was elected Emperour after his Vncles death who was a wise and valiant man and hée it was that had dryuen Cortes out of Mexico who now had fortified Mexico with many bulworkes and caues and with many and sundry sortes of weapon but chiefly very long Lances yea and planted them in the grounde to resiste and molest the horsemen He proclaymed pardon and frée libertie without paying any tribute for the space of one whole yéere yea and further as long as the warres should laste he promysed also great rewardes to all them that shoulde kill any Christian or expulse them from that countrey This was a policie whereby he gatte muche credite among his vassals yea and gaue them greate courage to play the valiant men All this newes was founde to be true sauyng onely Cuetlauac was dead And that Quahutimoecin Neuew also as some doe say of Mutezuma raygned at that tyme who was a valiant man and a good warrier as hereafter shal be declared who sente his messengers through out his Empyre proclaymyng as great rewardes as Cuetlauac had done before declaryng vnto them that it was more reason to serue him than straungers and also to defende theyr olde auncient Religion and not to credite suche Christians as woulde make themselues Lordes of other mens goodes yea and make them slaues and captiues as they had done in other places Quahutimoc encouraged muche his subiectes and kindled with his talke their wrath agaynst the Spaniards yet there were some prouinces that gaue no eare to his information but rather leaned to our side or else medled with neyther side Cortes seyng the effect of the matter determined forthwith to beginne the warres he mustered his men on Sainct Steuens day and founde fourtie horsemen and fiue hundreth fourtie footemen wherof foure score were Hargabushiers and crosse bow men niene péeces of ordinaunce and little powder his horsemen he diuided into foure squares and his footemen into nine he named appointed captaynes and other officers for