MEXICAN CUSTOMS. 315 



dcnvne and indure colde, thirst, hunger, and travell, and for LlB - T - 

 this cause they make their anniversaries, carrying them 

 clothes, meate, and drinke. So as the Prelates, in their 

 Synodes, above all things, give charge to their Priests to let 

 the Indians vnderstand, that the offerings that are set vpon 

 the sepulchre is not to feede the dead but for the poor and 

 ministers, and that God alone dooth feede the soules in the 

 other life, seeing they neither eate nor drinke any corporall 

 thing, being very needefull they should vnderstand it, lest 

 they should convert this religious vse into a superstition of 

 the gentiles as many doc. 



CHAP. vni. Of tin manner of burying tlie Ji-ad amoinj 

 tin 1 Mexicaine and sundrie otlter Nations. 



Having reported what many nations of Peru have done 

 with their dead, it shall not be from the purpose to make 

 particular mention of the Mexicaines in this poynt, whose 

 mortuaries were much solemnified and full of notable follies. 

 It was the office of the priests and religious of Mexico (who 

 lived there with a strange observance, as shall be said here 

 after) to interre the dead and doe their obsequies. The 

 places where they buried them was in their gardens, and in 

 the courts of their owne houses ; others carried them to the 

 places of sacrifices which were doone in the mountaines ; 

 others burnt them, and after buryed the ashes in theyr 

 Temples, and they buryed them all with whatsoever they 

 had of apparel, stones, and Jewells. They did put the ashes 

 of such as were burnt into pots, and with them the Jewells, 

 stones, and earerings of the dead, how rich and pretious 

 soever. They did sing the funerall offices like to answeres, 

 and did often lift vp the dead bodies, dooing many cere 

 monies. At the.se mortuaries they did eate and driiike, and 

 if it were a person of qualitie they gave apparrell to all such 



