The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne

The accounting of yeares

These Mexicans had another order to recken theyr yeares, which exceded not aboue foure in number, as one, two, thrée, foure, wherewith they accounte a hundred, fiue hundred, a thousand, and as many moe as they lust. Those foure figures or names are, Tochtli, Acatlh, Tecpatlh, Calli, and do signifye, a Conny, a Caue, a Knife, and a House, saying.

So that the reconing passeth not aboue thirtéene, whiche is one wéeke of the yeare, and endeth where he began.

Another Weeke.

The third vveeke of yeares.

The fourth Weeke.

Ech of these wéekes, which our men cal Indition, doth conteyne thirtéene yeares, so that all the foure wéekes make two and fiftie yeares, which is a perfit number in the reconing, and is called the yeare of grace, for from fiftie two yeres, to fiftie two yeares, they vsed to make solemne feastes, with strange Ceremonies, as hereafter shall be declared. And when fiftie two yeares are ended, then they beginne againe, by the same order before declared, vntil they come to as many moe, beginning at Ce Tochtli, and so forwarde. But alwayes they begin at the Conny figure. So that in the forme of reconing they kepe & haue in mēmorye, things of 850. yeares, and by this Cronicle they know in what yere euerye thing hapned, and how long euery king raygned: howe many children they had, and all things else that importeth to the estate of the gouernement of the lande.

The Indians beleeued that fiue ages were past, which they called Sunnes

The Indians of Culhua did beléeue that the Gods had made y^e world, but they knew not how, yet they beléeued that since the creation of the world four Sunnes were past, and that the fift and last is y^e Sunne that now giueth light to the world.

They helde opinion that the firste Sunne perished by water, and at the same time all liuing creatures perished likewise.

The second Sunne (say they) fell from the heauēs, with whose fall all liuing creatures were slayne, and then (said they) were manye Giantes in that Countrey, and certayne monstrous bones, which our men found in opening of graues, by proportion whereof, some shoulde séeme to be men of twenty spannes high.

The third Sunne was consumed by fire, whiche burned day and night, so that then all liuing creatures were burned.

The fourth Sunne finished by tempest of ayre or winde, which blew downe houses, trées, yea and y^e mountaynes and Rockes were blowē asunder, but the lignage of mankinde perished not, sauing that they were conuerted into Apes. And touching the fift Sunne, which now raigneth, they know not how it shall consume. But they say that when the fourth Sunne perished, all the worlde fell into darkenesse, and so remained for the space of fiue and twenty yeares continually, and at the fiftenth yeare of that fearefull darkenesse, the Gods did forme one man and a woman, who brought forth children, and at the end of the other tenne yeares, appeared the Sunne whiche was newly borne vppon the figure of the Conny day, and therfore they begin their account of yéeres at y^t day, & reckoning from the yeare of oure Lorde 1552. their age or Sunne is 858. so that it appeareth that they haue vsed many yeares their writing in figures: and they had not onely this vse from Cetochtli, whiche is the beginning of their yeare, moneth, and day of their fifth Sunne, but also they hadde the same order and vse in the other foure Sunnes which were past: but they let many things slippe out of memorie, saying, that with the newe Sunne, all other things should be likewise new. They held also opinion, that thrée 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, which 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 y^e Moūtaynes. 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.

The oyntment

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 y^e 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 Vitzilopuchtli, 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 y^t another blewe, and both were paynted with y^e figures of dead mens skulles & bones. Then they put about his necke certaine laces, whereat did hang the armes of y^e 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, carrieth 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 whome he offereth bread, flowers, Papers and little Canes died in the bloudde of his owne tongue, nose, handes, and other partes of his body. After the foure dayes expired, then come all the Noblemen to beare him company to his palayce with great triumphe and pleasure of all the Cittie, but after his consecration fewe or none dare looke him in the face.

And now with the declaryng of the actes and Ceremonies that the Mexican Kings are crowned, I shall not néede to rehearse of other kyngs, for generally they all do vse the same order, sauyng that other Princes goe not vp to the toppe of the Temple, but abide at the foote of the steppes to be crowned, and after theyr Coronation they come to Mexico for their confirmation, and then at theyr returne to their countrey, they made many drunkē feasts and banquets.

The opinion of the Mexicans concerning the Soule

The Mexicans did beléeue that the Soule was immortal, and that they receyued eyther ioy or payne according to theyr desertes & liuyng in this worlde, vnto which opinion all their religion did attayne, and chiefly appeare at their burials. They helde for an assured faith, that there were nine places appointed for soules, & the chiefest place of glory to be neare vnto the Sunne, where the soules of those whiche were good men slaine in the warres, & those which were sacrifised were placed, and that all other sortes of euill persons their soules abode on the earth, & were deuided after this sorte, children that were dead borne went to one place, those which died of age or other disease went to another, those which died of sodden death to another, those whiche died of woundes or contagious diseases went to an other place, those which were drowned went to another, those which were put to death for offence by order of iustice, as for robbery and adultery to another: Those which slewe their fathers, mothers, wiues or childrē, to another place by themselues, also those who slew their maysters or any religious person went to another place. The common sorte of people were buried, but Lordes and rich men had their bodies burned & their ashes buried. In their shreudes they had a greate difference, for many dead bodies were buried better apparelled than when they were on liue. Women were shrewded after another sorte. And he that suffered death for adulterie was shrewded like vnto the God of leachery, called Tlazoulteutl, he that was drowned like vnto the God of water named Tlacoc, and he that died with drunkennesse was shrewded like vnto the God of wyne called Ometochtli. But the Souldier had an honorable shrewde like vnto the attyre of Vitzilopuchtli, and the lyke order in all other sortes of deathes.

The buriall of Kings in Mexico

When any Kyng of Mexico happened to fall sicke, they vsed forth-with to put a visor vppon the face of Tezcatlipuca, or Vitzilopuchtli, or some other Idoll, whiche Visor was not taken awaye, vntill they sawe whether the kyng did amend, or else die: But if he chaunsed to die, then worde was sent throughout all his dominions to bewaile his death, and also other postes were sent to call the Noble menne that were his nighest kinsmen, and to warne them within foure dayes to come vnto his buriall.

The dead body was layde vpon a fayre matte, & was watched foure nightes, with great lamētation and mournyng: then the body was washed, and a locke of heare cut from the crowne of his head, whiche was preserued as a great relicke, saying that therein remayned the remembrance of his soule. This done, a fine Emerald was put into his mouth, and his body shrewded in seuentene riche mantles, of colours, both riche and costly wrought. Vpon the vpper mantle was sette the deuise or armes of Vitzilopuchtli or Tezcalipuca, or of some other idoll, in whome the kyng had greate confidence in his lyfe tyme, and in his temple should the body be buried. Vpō his face they put a visor, paynted with foule and Diuelish gestures, besette with many iewelles, precious stones, and pearles. Then they killed his slaue, whose office was to light the Lampes and make fire vnto the Goddes of his pallayce. These things done, they carried the dead body vnto the Temple: some followed him with dolefull tune, others song the death of the kyng by note, for so was the custome.

The Noble men and Gentlemen of his housholde carried Targets, Arrowes, Maces, and Ensignes to throwe into the fire where the body should be buried in the Temple. The high Priest and all the Clergie receyued him at the Temple gate, with a sorrowfull song, and after he had sayde certayne wordes, the body was throwen into a great fire made for the purpose, with all the iewels that he had aboute him, and all the other things whiche was brought to honour the burial: also a dogge newly strangled with an arrowe, whiche was to guyde him his way. In the meane whyle that the King and dogge were burnyng, the Priests sacrificed twoo hūdred persons, howbeit in this Ceremonie there was no ordinary taxe, for sometymes they sacrificed many moe: they were opened with a rasour of flinte in the breastes, and theyr hartes taken out and throwen into the fire where the Kings body was. There miserable persons beyng sacrificed, and their bodies throwen into a hole, they beléeued assuredly that those shoulde serue for his slaues in another worlde: some of them were dwarffes, monstrous and deformed persons, with some women. They placed about the dead body of the King before his buriall, Roses, Floures and sundry dishes of meate and drinke, and no creature durste touche the same, but onely y^e Priests, for it séemed to be an offeryng.

The nexte day followyng, all the ashes were gathered togither, and the téeth with the Emerald that was in his mouth, the whiche things were put into a chest, paynted on the inside with horrible figures of diuels, and the locke of heare whiche was cut from his crowne, and another locke of heare which was preserued from the tyme of his birth. Then the chest was lockte, and an image of wood made and clothed like vnto the Kings person, which was set on the toppe of the chest. The obsequies endured foure dayes, in the whiche the wiues and daughters of the king offered great offerings at the place where his body was buried, and before the chest and his image.

On the fourth day after the buriall, fiftene slaues were sacrificed for his soule, and on the twentith day other fiue persons were also sacrificed, likewise on the sixtie thrée, and fourescore, whiche was lyke vnto the yéeres minde.

The order of buriall of the Kings of Michuacan

The kingdome of Michuacan is almoste as great as the Empire of Mexico, and when any king of that countrey happened to be visited with sicknesse, and brought to suche extremitie, that hope of life were past, according to the opinion of Phisitions, then would he name and appoint whiche of his Sonnes shoulde inherite the estate, and beyng knowen, the new king or heyre, incontinent sent for all the gouernours, Captaines, and valiant souldiers, who had any office or charge to come vnto the buriall of his Father, and he that came not, from thencefoorth was helde for a Traytour and so punished. When the death of the olde King was certayne, then came al degrées of Estates and brought presents to the newe king, for the approbation of his kyngdome, but if the King were not throughly dead, but at the poynt of death, then the gates were shut in, and none permitted to enter, and when hys lyfe was departed, then beganne a generall crie and mournyng, and they were permitted to come where their dead kyng lay, and to touche him with their handes: this beyng done the carkasse was washed with swéete waters, and then a fine shyrte put vpon him, and a payre of shoes made of a Déere skinne put on his féete, and aboute his ancles were tied certayne belles of golde, about his wrestes of his handes were put Manyllias of Turkies, and other bracelets of golde, lykewise aboute his necke they hong other collers of precious stones and golde, and rings in his eares, with greate Turkise in his neather lippe. Then his body was layde vpon a large beare, whereon was placed a good bedde vnder him: on his one side lay a bowe with a quyuer of arrowes, and on his other side lay an image made of fine mantels of his owne stature or bignesse with a greate tuffe of fine feathers, shoes vpon his féete, with bracelets and a coller of gold. Whyle this worke was a doyng, others were busied in washyng the men and women whiche shoulde be slayne for to accōpany him into Hell: these wretched folke that should be slaine were banqueted & filled with drinke, bycause they shoulde receyue their death with lesse paine. The newe kyng did appoint those who shoulde die for to serue the king his father, but yet many of them had rather bene without his seruice, notwithstanding some simple soules estéemed that odious death for a thyng of immortall glory. First seuen Gentlewomen of noble parentage were appoynted to die, the one to haue the office of keper of his iewels which he was wont to were, another for the office of cup bearer, another to giue him water with a basen and ewer, another to giue him alwayes the vrinall, another to be his Cooke, and another to serue for landres. They slewe also many women slaues, and frée maydens for to attende vpon the Gentlewomen, and moreouer one of euery occupation within the citie. When all these that were appoynted to die were washed & theyr bellies full with meate & drinke, then they paynted their faces yellow, and put garlandes of swéete floures vpon each of their heads. Then they went in order of processiō before the beare whereon the dead king was caried, some wente playing on instruments made of snayle shelles, others played vpon bones and shelles of seaturtils, others went whistlyng and the most part weping: the Sonnes of the dead kyng & other noble men carried vpō their shoulders the beare where y^e corse lay, & proceded with an easie pace towarde the Temple of the God Curicaueri: his kinsmen went round about the bere, singyng a sorowful song. The officers and houshold seruants of the Court w^t other Magistrates and rulers of iustice bare the Standartes and diuers other armes.

About midnight they departed in the order aforesayde out of the Kings palayce with great light of fire brandes and with a heauy noyse of trumpets and drummes. The Citizens which dwelt where the corse passed, attended to make cleane the streate. And when they were come to the temple, they wente foure tymes rounde about a great fire made of the woodde of Pine trée, whiche was prepared to burne y^e dead body: then the beare was layd vpon the fire, and in the meane while that the body was burnyng, they mawled with a clubbe those whiche had the garlandes, and afterwarde buried them by foure and foure, as they were apparelled behind the Temple.

The nexte day in the mornyng, the ashes, bones and Iewels was gathered and layde vpon a riche mantle, the whiche was carried to the temple gate, where the priests attended to blesse those Diuelishe relickes, whereof they made a dowe or paste, and thereof an image whiche was appareled lyke a man, with a visor on his face, and all other sortes of Iewels that the dead King was wonte to weare, so that it séemed a gallant idoll. At the foote of the temple stayres, they opened a graue ready made, whiche was square, large, & twoo fadome déepe, it was also hāged with new mattes rounde about, and a fayre bed therein, in the whiche a religious man placed the idoll made of ashes, with his eyes towarde the east parte, and honge rounde aboute the walles Targets of golde and siluer, with bow and arrowes, & many gallant tuffes of feathers with earthen vessels, as pottes, dishes & platters, so that the graue was filled vp with houshold stuffe, chests couered with leather, apparell, iewels, meate, drinke, and armour. This done, the graue was shut vp & made sure with beames, bordes, and floored with earth on the toppe.

All those Gentlemen which had serued or touched any thing in the buriall, washed them selues, and wente to dinner in the Courte or yard of the Kings house without any table, and hauing dined, they wiped their hands vpon certayne lockes of Cotton wol, hanging downe their heads, and not speaking any word, except it were to aske for drinke. This Ceremonie endured fiue dayes, and in all that time no fire was permitted to be kindled in the Citie, except in the Kings house and Temples, nor yet any corne was ground, or market kept, nor none durst goe out of their houses, shewing all the sorrow that might be possible for the death of theyr King.