kingdome shall bee the Lordes This hath beene set downe acording to the letter but the hebrew Authors reade it thus And the transmigration of this Oâ—t of the childrens which be the Cananites vnto Zarphat which is France and the transmigration of Ierusalem which is in Sapharad vnderstood for Spaine shall possesse for inheritance the Cities of the South and those which procure salvation shall mount vp to the hill of Sion to iudge the mount of Esau and the kingdome shall be the Lords Yet some of them doe not produce any sufficient testimony of the Ancients nor pertinent reasons to proove that Sapharad which S. Ierome doth interpret the Bosphor or Straight and the 70. Interpreters Euphrates should signifie Spaine but their onely opinion Others alleage the Caldean Paraphrase which is of this opinion and the ancient Rabbins which expound it on this sort as also that Zarphat is France which the vulgar and the 70 Interpreters call Sarepte But leaving this dispute which belongs to men of more leisure what necessitie is there to beleeve that the citties of the South or of Mageb as the 70 write be those of this new world Moreover what need is there to beleeve and to take the Spanish Nation for the transmigration from Ierusalem to Sapharad vnlesse we will vnderstand Ierusalem spiritually and thereby the Church So as by the transmigration from Ierusalem to Sapharad the holy spirite shewes vs the children of the holy Church which inhabit the ends of the earth the banks of the Sea for so is Sapharad vnderstood in the Syrian tongue and doth well agree with our Spaine which according to the Ancients is the ende of the earth beeing in a manner all invironed with Sea And by the Citties of the South we may well vnderstand these Indies seeing the greatest parte of this newe worlde is seated in the South and the better part looks to the Pole Antartike That which followeth is easie to interpret viz. They which procure Salvation shall ascend the hill of Sion to iudge the mount of Esau. For wee may say they vnite themselves to the doctrine and strength of the holy Church which seeke to breake and disperse the prophane errors of the Gentiles for that may be interpreted to iudge the mount of Esau whereby it followes that in those daies the Realme shall neyther bee for the Spaniards nor for them of Europe but for Iesus Christ our Saviour Whosoever shall expound the Prophecie of Abdias in this sort ought not to be blamed being most certaine that the holy Spirit did vnderstand all secrets long before And it seemes there is great reason to beleeve that mention is made in the holy Scripture of a matter of such importance as the discoverie of the Indies of the new world and their conversion to the faith Isay saith in these wordes Oh the wings of ships which come from the other part of Ethiopia Many learned Authors hold that al this Chapter is vnderstood of the Indies and that same Prophet in an other place saith Those which shall escape out of Israel shal goe farre off to Tharsis and to remote Ilands where they shal convert many Nations vnto the Lorde Amongest the which hee names Greece Italie Affricke with many others the which without doubt may well bee applied vnto the conversion of the Indies Being most certaine that the Gospel shall be preached generally throughout the world as our Saviour hath promised and then the ende of the world shall come It followes then and so we ought to vnderstand it that there be many Nations vpon the face of the earth to whom Iesus Christ hath not yet been preached Whereby we may gather that there remained a great part of the world vnknowne to the Ancients and that yet at this day there is a good part to discover By what meanes the first men might come to the Indies the which was not willingly nor of set purpose CHAP. 16. NOw it is time to make answer to such as say there are no Antipodes and that this region where we live cannot bee inhabited The huge greatnes of the Ocean did so amaze S. Augustine as he could not conceive how mankinde could passe to this new-found world But seeing on the one side wee know for certaine that many yeeres agoe there were men inhabiting in these parts so likewise we cannot deny but the scripture doth teach vs cleerely that all men are come from the first man without doubt we shall be forced to beleeve and confesse that men have passed hither from Europe Asia or Affricke yet must wee discover by what meanes they could passe It is not likely that there was an other Noes Arke by the which men might be transported into the Indies and much lesse any Angell to carie the first man to this new world holding him by the haire of the head like to the Prophet Abacâ—c for we intreat not of the mightie power of God but only of that which is conformable vnto reason the order and disposition of humane things Wherefore these two things ought to be held for wonderfull and worthie of admiration yea to bee numbred among the secrets of God The one is how man could passe so huge a passage by Sea and Lande The other is that there beeing such multitudes of people they have yet beene vnknowne so many ages For this cause I demaund by what resolution force or industrie the Indians could passe so large a Sea and who might be the Inventer of so strange a passage Truely I have often times considered thereof with my selfe as many others have done but never could I finde any thing to satisfie mee Yet will I say what I have conceived and what comes presently into my minde seeing that testimonies faile mee whom I might follow suffering my selfe to be guided by the rule of reason although it be very subtill It is most certaine that the first men came to this land of Peru by one of these two meanes either by land or by sea If they came by sea it was casually and by chance or willingly of purpose I vnderstand by chance being cast by force of some storme or tempest as it happens in tempestuous times I meane done of purpose when they prepared fleetes to discover new lands Besides these two meanes I see it is not possible to find out any other if wee will follow the course of humane things and not devise fabulous and poeticall fictions for no man may thinke to finde another Eagle as that of Ganimede or a flying Horse like vnto Perseuâ— that should carie the Indians through the aire or that peradventure these first men haue vsed fishes as Mir-maides or the fish called a Nicholas to passe them thither But laying aside these imaginations and fopperies let vs examine these two meanes the which will bee both pleasant and profitable First in my iudgement it were not farre from reason to say that the first and auncient people of these
or terrasse which they call Tloteloli where they inhabited calling it Tlatellulco which signifies place of a terrasse This was the third division of the Mexicaines since they left their Country That of Mechovacan being the first and that of Malinalco the second Those which seperated themselves and went to Tlatellulco were famous men but of bad disposition and therefore they practised against the Mexicaines their neighbours all the ill neighbourhood they could They had alwaies quarrells against them and to this day continues their hatred and olde leagues They of Tenoxtiltan seeing them of Tlatellulco thus opposite vnto them and that they multiplied feared that in time they might surmount them heerevpon they assembled in counsell where they thought it good to choose a King whome they should obey and strike terror into their enemies that by this meanes they should bee more vnited and stronger among themselves and their enemies not presume too much against them Being thus resolved to choose a King they tooke another advise very profitable and assured to choose none among themselves for the avoyding of diffentions and to gaine by their new King some other neighbour nations by whom they were invironed being destitute of all succours All well considered both to pacifie the King of Culhuacan whom they had greatly offended having slaine and flead the daughter of his predecessor and done him so great a scorne as also to have a King of the Mexicaine blood of which generation there were many in Culhuacan which continued there since the time they lived in peace amongst them they resolved to choose for their King a yong man called Acamapixtli sonne to a great Mexicaine Prince and of a Ladie daughter to the King of Culhuacan Presently they sent Ambassadors with a great present to demand this man who delivered their Ambassage in these tearmes Great Lord we your vassalls and servants placed and shut vp in the weedes and reedes of the Lake alone and abandoned of all the Nations of the world led onely and guided by our god to the place where we are which falles in the iurisdiction of your limits of Ascapusalco and of Tescuco Although you have suffered vs to live and remaine there yet will we not neither is it reason to live without a head and lord to command correct and governe vs instructing vs in the course of our life and defending vs from our enemies Therefore we come to you knowing that in your Court and house there are children of our generation linckt and alied with yours issued from our entrailes and yours of our blood and yours among â—he which we have knowledge of a grand-child of yours and ours called Acamapixtli We beseech you therefore to give him vs for Lord we will esteeme him as hee deserves seeing hee is of the linage of the Lords of Mexico and the Kings of Culhuacan The king having consulted vppon this poynt and finding it nothing inconvenient to be alied to the Mexicaines who were valiant men made them answer that they should take his grandchilde in good time adding therevnto that if he had beene a woman hee woulde not have given her noting the foule fact before spoken of ending his discourse with these wordes Let my grand-childe go to serve your God and be his lievetenant to rule and govâ—rne his creatures by whom we live who is the Lord of night day and windes Let him goe and be Lord of the water and land and possesse the Mexicaine Nation take him in good time and vse him as my sonne and grand-child The Mexicaines gave him thanks all ioyntly desiring him to marry him with his owne hand so as he gave him to wife one of the noblest Ladies amongst them They conducted the new King and Queene with all honour possible and made him a solemne reception going all in generall foorth to see the king whom they led into pallaces which were then but meane and having seated them in royall throanes presently one of the Antients and an Orator much esteemed amongest them did rise vp speaking in this manner My sonne our Lord and King thou art welcome to this poore house and citty amongest these weedes and mudde where thy poore fathers grandfathers and kinsfolkes endure what it pleaseth the Lord of things created Remember Lord thou commâ—st hither to be the defence and support of the Mexicaine Nation and to be the resemblance of our God Vitzliputzli whervpon the charge and governement is given thee Thou knowest we are not in our country seeing the land we possesse at this day is anothers neither know we what shall become of vs to morrowe or another day Consider therefore that thou commest not to rest or recreate thy selfe but rather to indure a new charge vnder so heavie a burden wherein thou must continually labour being slave to this multitude which is fallen to thy lotte and to all this neighbour people whome thou must strive to gratifie and give them contentment seeing thou knowest we live vpon their lands and within their limites And ending hee repeated these wordes Thou art welcome thou and the Queene our Mistris to this your realme This was the speech of the old man which with other orations which the Mexicaine histories do celebrate the children did vse to learne by hart and so they were kept by tradition some of them deserve well to be reported in their proper termes The king aunswering thanked them and offered them his care and diligence in their defence aide in all he could After they gave him the othe and after their maneâ— set the royall crown vpon his head the which is like to the Crowne of the dukes of Venice the name of Acamapixtli their first king signifies a handfull of reeds and therfore they carry in their armories a hand holding many arrows of reedes Of the strange tribute the Mexicaines paied to them of Azcapuzalco CHAP. 9. THe Mexicaines happened so well in the election of their new king that in short time they grew to have some form of a common-weale and to be famous among strangers wherevpon their neighbours moved with feare practised to subdue them especially the Tapaneâ—ans who had Azcapuzalco for their metropolitane citty to whome the Mexicaines payed tribute as strangers dwelling in their land For the king of AzcapuZalco fearing their power which increased soght to oppresse the Mexicanes and having consulted with his subiects he sent to tel king Acamapixtli that the ordinary tribut they payed was too little and that from thencefoorth they should bring firre trees sapines and willowes for the building of the citty and moreover they shoulde make him a garden in the water planted with diverse kindes of hearbes and pulses which they should bring vnto him yearely by water dressed in this maner without failing which if they did not he declared them his enemies and would roote them out The Mexicaines were much troubled at this commaundement holding it impossible and that this demaund was to no other end but to
say this word of Obrise is thesame with Ophrise for finding there seven sortes or kindes of gold as S. Ierome reportes that of Ophir was held for the most fine as heere we esteeme the gold of Valdivia and Caramaya The chiefest reason which moves me to thinke that Ophir is at the East Indies and not in the West is for that Solomons fleete could not come hither without passing the East Indies all China and a great part of the sea being vnlikely they would passe over all the world to come thither for gold that continent especially lying in that sort as they could not come to the knowledge thereof by any voiage by land And hereafter we wil shew that the Ancients had never knowledge in thearte of Navigation without the which they could not runne so farre into the sea Finally in these matters when as there appeares no certaine proofes but onely light coniectures wee are not bound to beleeve but what we shall thinke good What Tharsis and Ophir signifie in the holy Scripture CHAP. 14. IF every mans coniecture and opinion may be allowed for my part I hold that in the holy scripture these words of Tharsis and Ophir most commonly do not signifie any certaine place but it is a word and signification generall to the Hebrewes as in our vulgar tongue this word of Indies is generall vnto vs in our vsuall maner ofspeech for wee meane by the Indies those rich countries which are farre off and strange vnto vs. So we Spaniards do indifferently call Indies the countries of Peru Mexico China Malaca and Bresil and from what parts soever of these any letters come wee say they bee from the Indies which countries be farre distant and different one from another Yet we cannot denie but that name of Indies is properly to be vnderstood of the East Indies And for that in olde time they did speake of these Indies as of a countrie farre off so likewise in the discoverie of other remote lands they have given them the names of Indies being distant from the rest and held as the end of the world Even so in my iudgement Tharsis in the holy scripture doth not signifie any certaine and determined place but onely regions a farre off and according to the vulgar opinion very rich and strange for that which Iosephus and some others would affirme that Tharsis is Tarso according to the meaning of the scripture in my opinion hath bene well refuted by S. Ierome not onely for that these wordes are written with divers letters the one with an aspiration the other without but also that many things are written of Tharsis which cannot agree with Tarso a Citie in Cilicia It is true that in some places of the scripture Tharsis is said to be in Cilicia the which you shall find in the booke of Iudith speaking of Holophernes who having passed the limits of Assyria he came to the great mountaines of Ange which perchance is Taurus which hilles be on the left hand of Cilicia and that he entred into all the Castells where he assembled all his forces having destroyed that famous Citie of Melothi he ruined all the children of Tharsis and of Israell which were ioyning vnto the desart and those which were in the South towards the land of Cellon and from thence passed Euphrates but as I have saide that which is so written of Tharsis cannot be applied to the Citie of Tharso Theodoret and some others following the interpretation of the 70. in some places they set Tharsis in Affrike saying it was the same Citie which was aunciently called Carthage and is now the kingdome of Thunis and they say that Ionas ment to go thether when as the scripture reports that hefled from the Lord into Tharsis Others pretend that Tharsis is a certaine countrie of the Indies wherevnto it seemes that S. Ierome is inclined I will not now decide these opinions but I holde that in this case the scripture doth not alwaies signifie one region or certaine part of the world It is true that the wise men or Kings that came to worshippe Christ were of the East and the scripture saith they were of Saba Epha and Madiem And some learned men holde that they were of Ethiopia Arabia and Persia and yet the Psalmist and the Church sings of them The Kings of Tharsis shall bring presents Wee agree then with S. Ierome that Tharsis is a word that hath many and divers significations in the scripture Sometimes it signifies the Crisolite or Iacinth stone sometimes a certaine region of the Indies sometimes the sea which is of the colour of a Iacinth by the reverberation of the sunne But the same Doctor doth with reason deny that Tharsis is any region of the Indies whether Ionas would fly seeing that parting from Ioppa it had beene impossible to saile vnto the Indies by that sea for that Ioppa which at this day wee call Iaffe is no port of the red Sea ioyning to the East Indian Sea but of the Mediterranean Sea which hath no issue into the Indian Whereby it doeth plainely appeare that the voyage which Solomons Fleet made parting from Asiongaber whereas the shippes of king Iosaphat were lost went by the redde Sea to Tharsis and Ophir the which is directly testified in the Scripture The which voyage was very different from that which Ionas pretended to Tharsis seeing that Asiongaber is the port of a Cittie of Idumea seated vpon the Straight whereas the red sea ioynes with the great Ocean From this Ophir they brought to Salomon gold silver Elephants teeth Monkies Indian Cocks and their voyage was of three yeeres all which without doubt ought to bee vnderstood of the East Indies which is fruitfull and aboundant of all these thinges as Plinie testifieth and our owne experience doth witnes From our Peru doubtlesse they could not bring any Elephants teeth those beastes beeing vnknowne there but they might well bring gold silver and pleasant monkies Finally the holy Scripture in my opinion doth commonly vnderstand by this word of Tharsis eyther the great Sea or farre and strange Regions So as he supposeth that the prophecies which speake of Tharsis seeing the spirit of prophecie may comprehend all things may often be applied to things of our new world Of the Prophecie of Abdias which some doe interpret to be the Indies CHAP. 15. MAny say and affirme that in the holy Scripture it was foretold long before that this new worlde should be converted to Iesus Christ by the Spanish nation and to this purpose they expound the text of the Prophecie of Abdias which sayth thus At the transmigration of this Oâ—t the children of Israel shall possesse all the the dwellings of the Cananites vnto Sarepte and the transmigration of Ierusalem which is at Bosphorus shall possesse the Citties of the South and they that shall save shall come vp to the hill of Sion to iudge the mount of Esau and the
doth teach vs. But whether it be so or otherwise for I will not contradict Aristotle but in that which is most certaine in the end they agree all that the middle region of the ayre is colder than the lowest next to the earth as experience dooth shew vs seeing that in this middle region are congealed snowe haile frosts and other signes of extreame colde The middle region then which they call the burning Zone having on the one side the sea and on the other the mountaines we must hold them for sufficient causes to temper and coole the heate That the colde windes be the principall cause to make the burning Zone temperate CHAH. 13. THe temperature of this region ought chiefly to be attributed to the property of the wind that blows in that country the which is pleasant and fresh The providence of the great God Creator of al things hath bin such as he hath ordained fresh and coole windes in that region where the sunne makes his course which seemes should be burnt vp that by their coolenes the excessive heate of the sunne might be qualified And they are not farre from apparance of reason which held that the earthly Paradise was vnder the Equinoctiall If they had not deceived themselves in the cause of their opinion saying that the equalitie of the dayes and nights was sufficient of it selfe to make that Zone temperate to which opinion many others have beene opposite of which number was that renowmed Poet saying That coast incessantly by hotte beames tyred Of Phoebus who from thence never retyred The coolenesse of the night then is not sufficient to moderate and to correct the violent heate of the Sunne but rather this burning Zone receives so sweet a temperature by the benefite of the fresh and pleasant aire as notwithstanding it were held by the Ancients to be more hotte then a burning furnace yet those which inhabite there take it for a delightfull spring It appeares by arguments and very apparant reasons that the cause heereof consistes principally in the qualitie of the winde We see in one climate some regions and Citties hotter then others onely for that they feele lesse winde to refresh them The like is in other Countries where no winde blowes the which are all on fire like vnto a furnace There are many of these Villages and Townes in Bresill Ethiopia and Paraguen as every one knoweth and that which is more considerable wee see these differences not only on the Land but also on the Sea there are some seas where they feele great heat as they report of that of Mozambigus and Ormus in the East and of the Sea of Panama in the West the which for this reason engenders and brings forth great Lizards called Cayamans as also in the sea of Bresill There are other seas in the same degree of height very colde as that of Peru in the which wee were a cold as I have said before when we first sailed it which was in March when the Sunne was directly over vs. In truth on this continent where the land and sea are of one sort wee cannot imagine any other cause of this so great a difference but the qualitie of the winde which doth refresh them If wee shall neerely looke into the consideration of the winde whereof we have spoken wee may resolve many doubts which some obiect and which seeme strange and wonderfull wherefore the Sunne casting his beames vppon the burning Zone and particularly at Peru and that more violently then in Spaine in the Canicular daies yet they defend the heat with a light covering so as with a slender covering of mats or straw they are better preserved from the heate then in Spaine vnder a roofe of wood or a vault of stone Moreover why are not the nightes in summer at Peru as hotte and troublesome as in Spaine Wherefore on the highest tops of mountaines even amongst the heaps of snow you shall sometimes feele great and insupportable heat Wherefore in all the Province of Colao when ye come into the shade how little soever you feele cold But comming into the Sunne beames you presently finde the heate excessive Why is all the coast of Peru being ful of sands very temperate And why is Potozi distant from the silver Citie but eighteene leagues and in the same degree of so divers a temperature that the Countrie being extreamely colde it is wonderfully barren and drie And contrariwise the silver Citie is temperate inclining vnto heat and hath a pleasant and fertil soile It is more certaine that the winde is the principall cause of these strange diversities for without the benefite of these coole windes the heate of the Sunne is such as although it bee in the midst of the snow it burnes and sets all on fire but when the coolenes of the aire returnes suddenly the heat is qualified how great soever it be and whereas this coole winde raines ordinarie it keepes the grosse vapours and exhalations of the earth from gathering together which cause a heavie and troublesome heat whereof we see the contrarie in Europe for by the exhalation of these vapours the earth is almost burnt vp with the Sunne by day which makes the nights so hotte and troublesome as the aire doth often seeme like vnto a furnace for this reason at Peru this freshnes of the winde is the cause by the meanes of some small shade at the Sunnesetting that they remaine coole But contrariwise in Europe the most agreeable and pleasing time in summer is the morning and the evening is the most hotte and troublesome But at Peru and vnder all the Equinoctiall it is not so for every morning the winde from the sea doth cease and the Sunne beginnes to cast his beames and for this reason they feele the greatest heat in the morning vntill the returne of the same windes which otherwise they call the tide or winde of the sea which makes them first to feele cold We have tried al this whilst we were at the Ilands of Barlovante where in the mornings we did sweat for heat and at noone we felt a fresh aire for that then a North-easterly wind which is fresh and coole doth commonly blow That they which inhabite vnder the Equinoctiall live a sweete and pleasant life CHAP. 14. IF those which have held opinion that the earthly Paradise was vnder the Equinoctiall had beene guided by this discourse they had not seemed altogether deceived not that I will conclude that the delightfull Paradice whereof the Scripture speakes was in that place which were too great a temeritie to affirme it for certaine But I may well say if there be any Paradice on earth it ought to bee placed whereas they inioy a sweete and quiet temperature for there is nothing more troublesome or repugnant to mans life then to live vnder a heaven or aire that is contrarie troublesome or sicklie as there is nothing more agreeable then to inioy a heaven that is sound sweet
well in these wordes All men are vaine and abused that have not the knowledge of God seeing they could not know him that is by the things that seemed good vnto them and although they have beheld his workes yet have they not attained to know the author and maker thereof but they have beleeved that the fire winde swift aire the course of the starres great rivers with Sunne and Moone were Gods and governours of the world and being in love with the beautie of these things they thought they should esteeme them as Gods It is reason they should consider how much more faire the Creator is seeing that he is the Author of beauties and makes all things Moreover if they admire the power and effects of these things thereby they may vnderstand how much more mightie hee is that gave them their being for by the beautie and greatnes of the creatures they may iudge what the Maker is Hitherto are the wordes of the Booke of Wisedome from whence we may draw a good and strong argument to overthrow the Idolatrie of Infidells who seeke rather to serve the creature then the Creator as the Apostle doth iustly reprehend them But for as much as this is not of our present subiect and that it hath been sufficiently treated of in the Sermons written against the errors of the Indians it shall bee sufficient now to shew that they did worship the great God and their vaine and lying gods all of one fashion for their maner to pray to Viracocha to the Sunne the Starres and the rest of their Idolls was to open their hands and to make a certaine sound with their mouthes like people that kissed and to aske that which every one desired in offering his sacrifices yet was there great difference betwixt the wordes they vsed in speaking to the great Ticiviracocha to whom they did attribute the cheefe power and commandement over all things and those they vsed to others the which every one did worship privately in his house as Gods or particular Lords saying that they were their intercessors to this great Ticciviracocha This maner of worship opening the hands and as it were kissing hath something like to that which Iob had in horror as fit for Idolaters saying If I have kissed my hands with my mouth beholding the Sunne when it shines or the Moone when it is light the which is a great iniquitie and to deny the most great God Of the Idolatry the Indians vsed to particular things CHAP. 5. THe Divell hath not beene contented to make these blinde Indians to worshippe the Sunne Moone Starres Earth and Sea and many other generall things in nature but hee hath passed on further giving them for God and making them subiect to base and abiect things and for the most part filthy and infamous No man needes to woonder at this barbarous blindnes if hee remember what the Apostle speaketh of Wise men and Philosophers That having knowne God they did not glorifie him nor give him thankes as to their God but they were lost in their own imaginations and conceipts and their hearts were hardened in their follies and they have changed the glory and deity of the eternall God into shews and figures of vaine and corruptible things as men birds beasts and serpents we know well that the Egyptians did worship the Dogge of Osiris the Cow of Isis and the Sheepe of Ammon the Romans did worship the goddesse Februa of Feavers and the Tarpeien Goose and Athenes the wise did worship the Cocke and the Raven and such other like vanities and mockeries whoreof the auntient Histories of the Gentiles are full Men fell into this great misery for that they would not subiect themselves to the Lawe of the true God and Creator as Saint Athanasius dooth learnedly handle writing against Idolatry But it is wonderfull strange to see the excesse which hath beene at the Indies especially in Peru for they worshipped rivers fountaines the mouthes of rivers entries of mountaines rockes or great stones hilles and the tops of mountains which they call Apachitas and they hold them for matters of great devotion To conclude they did worship all things in nature which seemed to them remarkable and different from the rest as acknowledging some particular deitie They shewd me in Caxamalca of Nasca a little hill or great mount of sand which was the chiefe Idoll or Guaca of the Antients I demaunded of them what divinitie they found in it They answered that they did worship it for the woonder beeing a very high mount of sand in the midst of very thicke mountains of stone Wee had neede in the cittie of Kings of great store of great wood for the melting of a Bell and therefore they cut downe a great deformed tree which for the greatnesse and antiquitie thereof had beene a long time the Oratorie and Guaca of the Indians And they beleeved there was a certaine Divinity in any thing that was extraordinary and strange in his kinde attributing the like vnto small stones and mettalls yea vnto rootes and fruites of the earth as the rootes they call Papas There is a strange kinde which they call Lallahuas which they kissed and worshipped They did likewise woorshippe Beares Lions Tygres and Snakes to th end they should not hurt them and such as their gods bee such are the things they offer vnto them in their worshippe They have vsed as they goe by the way to cast in the crosse wayes on the hilles and toppes of mountaines which they call Apachittas olde shooes feathers and Coca chewed being an hearb they vse much And when they have nothing left they cast a stone as an offring that they might passe freely and have greater force the which they say increaseth by this meanes as it is reported in a provinciall Counsell of Peru. And therefore they finde in the hie wayes great heapes of stones offered and such other things The like follie â—id the Antients vse of whome it is spoken in the Proverbs Like vnto him that offereth stones vnto Mercurie such a one is hee that honoureth fooles meaning that a man shall reape no more fruit nor profit of the second than the first for that their God Mercury made of stone dooth not acknowledge any offering neyther doth a foole any honour that is doone him They vsed another offring no lesse pleasant and ridiculous pulling the haire from the eyebrowes to offer it to the Sunne hills Apachittas to the winds or to any other thing they feare Such is the miseries that many Indians have lived in and do to this day whom the divell doth abuse like very Babes with any foolish illusion whatsoever So dooth Saint Chrysostome in one of his Homilies compare them but the servants of God which labour to draw them to salvation ought not to contemne these follies and childishnesse being sufficient to plunge these poore abused creatures into eternallâ—perdition but they ought with good and cleere reasons to
seeke occasion to ruine them But their god Vitzliputzli comforted them appearing that night to an olde man commaunding him to say to the king his sonne in his name that hee should make no difficultie to accept of this tribute he would help them and make the meanes easie which after happened for the time of tribute being come the Mexicanes carried the trees that were required and moreover a garden made and floating in the water and in it much Mays which is their corne already grained and in the eare there was also Indian pepper beetes Tomates which is a great sappy and savourie graine french pease fâ—gges gourds and many other things al ripe and in their season Such as have not seene the gardines in the lake of Mexico in the middest of the water will not beleeve it but will say it is an inchantment of the Divell whom they worship But in trueth it is a matter to be done and there hath beene often seene of these gardens floating in the water for they cast earth vpon reedes and grasse in such sort as it never wastes in the water they sowe and plant this ground so as the graine growes and ripens very well and then they remove it from place to place But it is true that to make this great garden easily and to have the fruites grow well is a thing that makes men iudge there was the worke of VitziliputZli whome otherwise they call Patillas specially having never made nor seene the like The king of Azcapuzalco wondred much when he sawe that accomplished which he held impossible saying vnto his subiects that this people had a great god that made all easie vnto them and hee sayd vnto the Mexicaines that seeing their God gave them all things perfit hee would the yeare following at the time of tribute they shoulde bring in their gardine a wilde ducke and a heron sitting on their egges in such sorte that they should hatch their yoong ones as they should arrive without failing of a minute vpon paine of his indignation The Mexicans were much troubled and heavy with this prowde and strict commaunde but their god as he was accustomed comforted them in the night by one of his priests saying that he would take all that charge vpon him willing them not to fear but beleeve that the day would come whenas the Azcapuzalcos should pay with their lives this desire of new tributes The time being come as the Mexicans carried all that was demaunded of their gardins among the reeds and weeds of the gardin they found a ducke and a heron hatching their egges and at the same instant when they arived at AzcapuZalco their yong ones were disclosed Whereat the king of AzcapuZalco wondring beyond measure he said againe to his people that these were more than humane things and that the Mexicans beganne as if they would make themselves lordes over all those provinces Yet did he not diminish the order of this tribute and the Mexicans finding not themselves mighty enough endured this subiection and slavery the space of fifty yeeres In this time the king Acamapixtli died having beautified the Citty of Mexico with many goodly buildings streets conduits of water and great aboundance of munition Hee raigned in peace and rest forty yeares having bin alwayes zealous for the good and increase of the common-weale As hee drew neare his end hee did one memorable thing that having lawfull children to whom he might leave the succession of the realme yet would he not do it but contrariwise hee spake freely to the common-weale that as they had made a free election of him so they should choose him that should seeme fittest for their good government advising them therein to have a care to the good of the common-weale and seeming grieved that he left them not freed from tribute subiection hee died having recommended his wife and children vnto them he left all his people sorowfull for his death Of the second King and what happened in his raigne CHAP. 10. THe obsequies of the dead king performed the Antients the chiefe of the realme and some part of the people assembled together to choose a King where the Antients propounded the necessitie wherein they were and that it was needefull to choose for chiefe of their citty a man that had pity of age of widows and orphans and to be a father of the commonweale for in very deede they should be the feathers of his wings the eie-browes of his eyes and the beard of his face that it was necessarie he were valiant being needefull shortly to vse their forces as their god had prophesied Their resolution in the end was to chuse a sonne of the predecessor vsing the like good office in accepting his sonne for successor as hee had done to the common-weale relying thereon This young man was called Vitzilovitli which signifieth a rich feather they set the royall crowne vpon his head and annointed him as they have beene accustomed to doe to all their Kings with an ointâ—â—nt they call Divine being the same vnction wherewith they did annoynt their Idoll Presently an Orator made an eloquent speech exhorting him to arme himselfe with courage and free them from the travells slavery and misery they suffered being oppressed by the AzcapuZalcos which done all did him homage This king was not married and his Counsell helde opinion that it was good to marry him with the daughter of the king of Azcapuzalco to have him a frind by this aliance and to obtain some diminution of their heavy burthen of tributes imposed vpon them and yet they feared lest he should disdaine to give them his daughter by reason they were his vassalls yet the king of AzcapuZalco yeelded therevnto having humbly required him who with curteous wordes gave them his daughter called Ayanchigual whom they ledde with great pompe and ioy to Mexico and performed the ceremony and solemnity of marriage which was to tie a corner of the mans cloke to a part of the womans vaile in signe of the band of marriage This Queene broght foorth a sonne of whose name they demaunded advise of the king of AzcapuZalco and casting lots as they had accustomed being greatly given to soothsayings especially vpon the names of their children he would have his grand-childe called Chimalpopoca which signifies a target casting smoke The Queene his daughter seeing the contentment the King of AzcapuZalco had of his grand-child tooke occasion to intreat him to releeve the Mexicaines of the heavy burthen of their tributes seeing he had now a grand-child Mexicaine the which the King willingly yeelded vnto by the advise of his Counsell granting for the tribute which they paid to bring yeerely a couple of duckes and some fish in signe of subiection and that they dwelt in his land The Mexicaines by this meanes remained much eased and content but it lasted little For the Queene their Protectrix died soone after and the yere following likewise Vitzilovitli the king of Mexico died