thousande houses. The Kings house and other noble mens houses were
great, large, and beautifull, the others were small and roynish,
without eyther dores or windowes: and although they were small, yet
there dwelled in some of them two, thrée, yea and tenne persons, by
reason whereof, the Citie was wonderfully replenished with people.
This Citie is built vpon the water, euen in the same order as _Venice_
is. All the body of the Citie standeth in a greate large lake of water.
There is thrée sortes of stréetes very broade and fayre, the one sorte
are onely of water, with many bridges, an other sort of onely earth,
and the thirde of earth and water, that is to saye, the one halfe
earth to walke vpon, and the other halfe for boates to bring prouision
of all sorts. These stréetes are kepte alwayes cleane, and the moste
parte of the houses haue two dores, the one towarde the calsey, and
the other towarde the water, at the whiche they take boate to goe
where they list. And although this Citie is founded vppon water, yet
the same water is not good to drynke, wherefore there is broughte by
conduit water from a place called _Chapultepec_, thrée myles distant
from the Citie, which springeth out of a little hill, at the foote
whereof standeth two Statues or couered Images wrought in stone, with
their Targettes and Launces, the one is of _Mutezuma_, and the other of
_Axaiaca_ his father.
The water is broughte from thence in two pypes or Canalls in greate
quantitie, and when the one is foule, then all the water is conuayed
into the other, til the first be made cleane. From this fountayne al
the whole Citie is prouided, so that they goe selling the same water
from stréete to stréete in little boates, and doe paye a certayne
tribute for the same.
This Citie is deuided into two stréetes, the one was called
_Tlatelulco_, that is to say, a litle Iland, and the other _Mexico_,
where _Mutezuma_ his dwelling and courte was, & is to be interpreted a
spring. This stréete is the fayrest and most principall, and bycause of
the Kings pallace there, the Citie was named _Mexico_, although the old
and first name of the Citie was _Tenuchtitlan_, whiche doth signifie
fruite out of stone, for the name is compounded of _Tetl_, which is,
stone, and _Nuchtli_, which is fruite, called in _Cuba_, _Tunas_. The
trée that beareth this fruite, is named _Nopal_, and is nothing almost
but leaues of a foote broade and round, and thrée ynches thicke, some
more, and some lesse, according to the growth, full of thornes whiche
are venemous: the leafe is gréene, and the thorne or pricke russet.
After that it is planted, it encreaseth, growing leafe vnto leafe, and
the foote thereof commeth to bée as the body of a trée, and one leafe
dothe not onely produce another at the poynt, but at the sides of the
same leaues procéedeth other leaues: And bycause héere in _Spayne_ is
of the same trées and fruite, it néedeth no further description.
In some prouinces where water is scante, they vse to drynke the iuice
of these leaues. The fruite thereof called _Nuchtli_, is lyke vnto
fygges, and euen so hathe hys little kernels or graynes within, but
they are somewhat larger, and crowned lyke vnto a Medler. There are of
them of sundrye coloures, some are gréene without, and Carnationlike
within, which haue a good tast. Others are yellowe, and others white,
and some speckled: the best sort are the white: it is a fruite that
will last long.
Some of them tasteth of peares, and other some of Grapes: it is a
colde and fresh fruite, and best estéemed in the heate of Sommer. The
_Spanyardes_ doe more estéeme them than the _Indians_. The more the
grounde is laboured where they growe, the fruite is so muche the better.
There is yet another kinde of this fruite redde, and that is nothing
estéemed, although his tast is not euill, but bycause it dothe coloure
and dye the eaters mouth, lippes, and apparell, yea and maketh his
vryne looke like pure bloud. Many _Spanyardes_ at their first comming
into _India_, and eating this fruite, were in a maze, and at their
wittes ende, thinking that all the bloud in their bodyes came out in
vryne: yea and manye Phisitions at theyr first comming were of the same
beliefe: for it hathe happened, when they haue bin sent for vnto such
as haue eaten this fruite, they not knowing the cause, and beholding
the vryne, by and by they ministred medicine to staunch bloud: surely
a thing to laugh at, to sée the Phisitions so deceyued. Of this fruite
_Nuchtli_ and _Tetl_, which is a stone, is compounded _Tenuchtlitan_.
When this Citie was begunne to bée founded, it was placed néere vnto
a great stone that stoode in the middest of the lake, at the foote
whereof grewe one of these _Nopal_ trées, and therefore _Mexico_ giueth
for armes and deuise the foote of a _Nopal_ trée springing from a
stone, according to the Cities name.
Others do affirme, that this Citie hathe the name of his first founder,
called _Tenuch_, béeyng the seconde sonne of _Iztacmixcoatl_, whose
sonnes and descendentes did first inhabite thys lande of _Ananac_,
called nowe newe _Spayne_.
Howsoeuer the opinions are, certayne it is that the scituation is
called _Tenuchtlitan_, and the dwellers there _Tenuchca Mexico_.
_Mexico_ is as much to say, as a spring or fountayne, according to the
propertie of the vowell and spéech.
Others doe affirme, that _Mexico_ hathe his name of a more auntiente
time, whose firste founders were called _Mexiti_, for vnto this day the
_Indian_ dwellers in one strete of this citie are called of _Mexica_.
The _Mexiti_ tooke name of their principallest Idoll called _Mexitli_,
who was in as greate veneration as _Vitzilopuchtli_, God of the warre.
_Mexico_ is enuironed with swéete water, and hathe thrée wayes to come
vnto it by calsey, the one is from the West, and that calsey is a mile
and a halfe long. Another from the North, and conteyneth thrée myles in
length. Eastwarde the Citie hathe no entrye. But Southwarde the Calsey
is syxe myles long, whyche was the waye that _Cortez_ entred into the
Citie.
The lake that _Mexico_ is planted in, although it séemeth one, yet it
is two, for the one is of water saltishe, bitter, and pestiferous, and
no kinde of fyshe lyueth in it. And the other water is wholesome, good
and swéete, and bringeth forth small fishe.
The salte water ebbeth and floweth, accordyng to the winde that
bloweth. The swéete water standeth higher, so that the good water
falleth into the euill, and reuerteth not backward, as some hold
opinion. The salt lake conteyneth fiftéene miles in breadth and
fiftéene in length, and more than fiue and fortie in circuite, and the
lake of swéete water conteyneth euen as muche, in such sort, that the
whole lake conteyneth more than thirtie leagues, and hath about fiftie
townes scituated round about it, many of whyche Townes doe conteyne
fiue thousand housholdes, and some tenne thousande, yea and one Towne
called _Tezcuco_, is as bigge as _Mexico_. Al this lake of water
springeth out of a Mountayne that standeth within sight of _Mexico_.
The cause that the one part of the lake is brackishe or saltish, is,
that the bottome or ground is all salte, and of that water greate
quantitie of salt is dayly made.
In this greate lake are aboue two hundred thousande little boates,
which the _Indians_ call _Acalles_, and the _Spanyardes_ call them
_Canoas_, according to the spéeche of _Cuba_ and _Santo Domingo_,
wrought like a kneding trough: some are bigger than other some,
according to the greatenesse of the body of y^e trée whereof they
are made. And where I number two hüdred thousand of these boates, I
speake of the least, for _Mexico_ alone hathe aboue fiftie thousande
ordinarily to carrie and bring vnto the Citie victuall, prouision, and
passengers, so that on the market day all y^e stréetes of water are
full of them.
The Market place of Mexico.
The Market is called in the _Indian_ tong _Tlanquiztli_: euery parish
hath his Market place to buy and sel in: but _Mexico_, and _Tlatelulco_
only, which are y^e chiefest cities, haue great fayres and places
fitte for the same, and especiallye _Mexico_ hath one place where most
dayes in the yeare is buying and selling, but euery fourth day is the
greate Market ordinaryly: and the like custome is vsed throughout the
dominions of _Mutezuma_.
This place is wide and large, compassed round about with dores, and is
so great, that a hundered thousand persons come thither to choppe and
change, as a Cittie most principall in all that region. Wherefore the
resort is frö farre parties vnto that place. Euery occupatiö and kinde
of Marchädise hath his proper place appointed, which no other may by
any means occupy or disturbe. Likewise pesterous wares haue their place
accordinglye, (that is to say) stone, timber, lyme, bricke, and all
kinde of stuffe vnwrought, being necessarie to buylde withall. Also
mattes both fine and course of sundry workemanship, also coles, woodde,
and all sorts of Earthen vessell glazed and painted very curiously:
Deare skinnes both rawe and tanned in haire and without haire, of many
colours, for shoomakers, for bucklers, Targets, Ierkins, and lyning of
woodden Corselets: also skinnes of other beastes and foule in feathers
ready dressed of all sortes, the colours and straungnesse thereof was
a thing to behold. The richest Marchandise was salte, and mantels of
Cotten wolle of diuers colours, both great and small, some for beddes,
others for garments and clothing, other for Tapissarie to hang houses,
other cotten clothe for linnen breaches, shirtes, table clothes,
towels, napkins, and suche like things.
There were also Mantels made of the leaues of the trée called _Metl_,
and of Palme trée, & Connie heare, which are wel estéemed, being very
warm, but y^e couerlets made of feathers are the best: they sell
thréede made of Connie heare, péeces of linnen clothe made of cotten
wolle, also skaynes of thréede of all colours: also it is straunge to
sée the great store of poultrie that is brought to that market, and
although they eate the fleshe of the foule, yet the feathers serue
for clothing, mixyng one sorte with another. There are of these foule
so many sortes and seuerall colours, that I can not number them: some
wilde, some tame, some water foule, and other some of rapine. All the
brauery of the market, is the place where golde and feathers ioyntly
wrought is solde, for any thyng that is in request is there liuely
wrought in golde and feathers and gallant colours. The _Indians_ are
so expert and perfite in this science, that they will worke or make a
Butterflie, any wilde beaste, trées, roses, floures, hearbes, rootes
or any other thyng so liuely, that it is a thyng maruelous to behold.
It hapneth many tymes that one of these workemen in a whole day will
eate nothyng, onely to place one feather in his dew perfection, turnyng
and tossing the feather to the lighte of the Sunne, into the shade
or darke place, to sée where is his moste naturall perfection, and
till his worke be finished he will neyther eate nor drinke. There are
few nations of so muche fleame or sufferance. The Arte or Science of
Goldsmiths among them is the moste curious, and very good workemanship
engrauen with toles made of flinte, or in moulde. They will caste a
platter in moulde with eight corners, and euery corner of seuerall
mettall, that is to say, the one of golde, and the other of siluer,
without any kinde of sowder: they will also founde or cast a litle
caudren with lose handles hangyng thereat, as we vse to caste a Bell:
they will also caste in mould a fish of mettal with one scale of siluer
on his back and another of gold: they will make a Parret or Popingay of
mettall, that his tongue shall shake, and his head moue, & his wings
flutter: they wil caste an Ape in mold, that both hands & féete shall
stirre, & holde a spindle in his hande séeming to spinne, yea and an
apple in his hande as though he would eate it. Our Spaniardes were not
a litle amazed at the sight of these things, for our Goldsmithes are
not to be compared vnto them. They haue skil also of Amell worke, and
to sette any pretious stone. But now as touchyng the markette, there
is sell Golde, Siluer, Copper, Leadde, Latton, and Tinne, although
there is but little of the thrée laste mettals mentioned. There are
Pearles, Pretious stones, diuers and sundry sortes of Shelles, and
Bones, Sponges, and other pedlers ware, whiche certainely are many
and straunge sortes, yea and a thing to laughe at their Haberdashe
toyes and trifles. There are also many kinde of hearbes, rootes, and
séedes, as well to be eaten as for Medicine, for bothe men, wemen and
chyldren haue great knowledge in hearbes, for through pouertie and
necessitie, they séeke them for theyr sustenaunce and helpe of theyr
infirmities and diseases. They spende little among Phisitions, although
there are some of that Arte, and many Poticaries, who doe bryng into
the markette, oyntments, Siroppes, waters, and other drugges fitte for
sicke Persons: they cure all diseases almost, with hearbes, yea as
muche as for to kill lyse they haue a proper hearbe for the purpose.
The seuerall kyndes of meates to be solde is without number, as Snakes
without head & tayle, little Dogges gelte, Moules, Rattes, Long wormes,
Lyse, yea and a kinde of earth, for at one season in the yéere they
haue Nettes of mayle with the which they rake vp a certayne duste that
is bredde vpon the water of the lake of _Mexico_, and that is knéeded
togither like vnto oas of the sea: they gather much of this victuall,
& kéepe it in heapes, & make thereof cakes like vnto brickebats: they
sell not only this ware in y^e market, but also send it abroad to other
fayres & markets a far of: they eat this meate w^t as good stomake as
we eate chéese, yea and they holde opinion that this skume or fatnesse
of the water, is y^e cause that such great number of foule cömeth to
the lake, which in the winter season is infinite.
They sel in this market venison by quarters or whole, as Does, Hares,
Connies, and Dogges, and many other beastes, which they bring vp for
the purpose, and take in huntyng. There are a great number of shoppes
that sell all kinde of orfall and tripes. It is a wonder to sée how
so much meate ready dressed coulde be spent. There is also fleshe and
fishe rosted, boyled and baked, Pies and Custardes made of diuers
sortes of egges, the great quantitie of bread is without number. Also
corne of all sortes threshed and vnthreshed. The greate store of sundry
kyndes of fruytes is maruellous which are there solde, bothe gréene and
ripe: there is one sorte as bigge as Almondes called _Cacao_, whiche
is both meate and currant money. There are diuers kind of colours
to be solde, whiche they make of Roses, floures, fruites, barkes of
trées, and other things very excellent: they sell there Honie of sundry
kindes, oyle of _Chian_, made of a séede like vnto mustarde séede, and
oynting any paynted clothe therewith, the water can not hurte it, they
also dresse therwith their meate, although they haue both butter and
larde. Theyr sundry sortes of wines shalbe declared in an other place:
it woulde be a prolixious thing to rehearse all the things that are to
be solde in that markette. There are in this fayre many Artificers, as
Packers, Barbars, Cutlers, & may others, although it was thought that
among these _Indians_ were none such. All the things recited, and many
others which I speake not of, are solde in euery market of _Mexico_,
all the sellers paye a certaine summe for theyr shops or städings
to the King, as a custome, & they to be preserued and defended from
théeues: and for that cause there goe certayne Sergeants or officers
vp & downe the market to espie out malefactours. In the middest of the
market standeth a house whiche may be séene throughout the fayre, &
there sitteth twelue auncient men for iudges to dispatch lawe matters:
their buying and selling is to chaunge one ware for another, as thus,
one giueth a hen for a bundell of _Maiz_, other giue mantels for salte,
or money whiche is _Cacao_, and this is theyr order to choppe and
chaunge: they haue measure and strike for all kynde of corne, and other
earthen measures for Hony and Wine, and if any measure be falsified,
they punish the offenders and breake their measures.
The great Temple of Mexico.
The Temple is called _Teucalli_, that is to say, Gods house, _Teutl_
signifieth God, & _Calli_ is a house, a vowell very fitte, if that
house had bene of the true God. The Spaniards that vnderstäd not the
language, do pronounce and call those Temples _Cues_, and the God
_Vitzilopuchtli_, _Vchilobos_. There are in _Mexico_ many parishe
churches, with towres, wherein are chappels and Altares where the
images & idols do stande, & those chappels do serue for burial places
of their founders, and the Parishioners are buried in the Churchyarde.
All their tëples are of one fashion, therefore it shal be nowe
sufficient to speake of the cathedral church. And euen as those tëples
are al in generall of one making in that citie. I doe beleue that the
lyke was neuer séene nor heard off. This temple is square, & doth
containe euery way as much ground as a crossebow can reach leuell:
it is made of stone, with foure dores that abutteth vpon the thrée
calseys, and vpon an other parte of the Cittie, that hath no calsey but
a fayre streate.
[Sidenote: A straunge dore.]
In the middest of this Quadern standeth a mount of earth and stone
square lykewise, and fiftie fadom long euery way, buylte vpward like
vnto a pyramide of Egipt, sauyng the toppe is not sharpe, but playne
and flatte, and tenne fadom square: vppon the weast side, were steppes
vp to the toppe, in number an hundreth and fourtene, whiche beyng so
many, high, and made of good stone dyd séeme a beautifull thing. It
was a straunge sight to beholde the Priestes, some goyng vp, and some
downe with ceremonies, or with men to be sacrificed. Vpon the toppe of
this Temple are two great Alters, a good space distant the one from
the other, and so nigh the edge or brimme of the wall, that scarcely
a man mought go behind them at pleasure. The one Alter standeth on
the right hande, & the other on the left, they were but of fiue foote
highe, eche of them had the backe part made of stone, paynted with
möstrous and foule figures, the Chappell was fayre & well wrought
of Masons worke & timber, euery Chappell had thrée loftes one aboue
another, susteyned vpon pillers, & with y^e height thereof it shewed
like vnto a fayre tower, and beautified the Cittie a farre of: from
thence a man mought sée all the cittie and townes rounde aboute the
lake, whiche was vndoubtedly a goodly prospect. And bycause _Cortes_
& his company shoulde sée the beautie therof, _Mutezuma_ brought him
thither, and shewed hym all the order of the Temple, euen from the
foote to the toppe. There was a certaine plot of space for the idoll
priests to celebrate their seruice without disturbance of any. Their
general prayers were made toward y^e rising of the sunne. Vpon ech
alter standeth a great idoll. Beside this tower that standeth vpö the
pyramide, there are fourtie towers great & small belonging to other
little tëples which stand in the same circuite, the which although they
were of the same making, yet theyr prospect was not westwarde, but
otherwayes, bicause there should be a difference betwixte the great
temple & them. Some of these Temples were bigger than others, and euery
one of a seuerall God, among the whiche there was one rounde temple
dedicated to the God of the ayre called _Quecalcouatl_, for euen as
the ayre goeth rounde aboute 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 téeth & 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 téeth.
There were other _Teucalles_ in the citie, that had the ascending vp
by steps in thrée places: all these temples had houses by thëselues
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 cömon armouries for the Citie, for
the force and strength of euery towne is the temple, and therfore they
haue there placed their storehouse 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 thë 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 goe daylye 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 bréede 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 tëple 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 heard 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.
[Sidenote: A vvicked attire.]
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.
[Sidenote: A madde offering.]