GODS OF THE MEXICANS. 321 



this idoll, for the fearc they had of it. In Cholula, which is Lin - v 

 a commonwealth of Mexico, they worshipt a famous idoll, 

 which was the god of marchandise, being to this day greatly 

 given to trafficko. They called it Quetzaalcoatl. 



This idoll was in a great place in a temple very high : it 

 had about it golde, silver, Jewells, very rich feathers, and 

 habites of divers colours. It had the forme of a man, but 

 the visage of a little bird with a red bill, and above a combo 

 full of wartes, having rankes of teeth, and the tongue hang 

 ing out. It carried vpou the head a pointed myter of 

 painted paper, a sithe in the hand, and many toyes of golde 

 on the legges ; with a thousand other foolish inventions, 

 whereof all had their significations; and they worshiped ir, 

 for that he enriched whoim* lice pleased, as Mcranon and 

 Plutus. In trueth this name which the Cholulauos gave to 

 their Cod was very fitte, although they vnderstoode it not: 

 they called it Quetzaalcoatl, sign ifving colour of a rich feather, 

 for such is the divell of covetousnesse. These barbarous 

 pcoj)le contented not themselves to have gods onely, but 

 they had goddesses also, as the Fables of Poets have brought 

 in, and the blind gentility of the fireekes and Romans 

 worshipt them. The chiefe goddesse they worshipt was 

 called To/i, which is to say our grandmother, who, as the 

 Histories of Mexico report, was daughter to the king of 

 Culbuacan, who was the first they fleaed by the commaunde- 

 ment of Vitzliputzli, whom they sacrificed in this sort, being 

 his sister, and then they beganne to flea men in their sacri 

 fices, and to clothe the living with the skinncs of the 

 sacrificed, having learned that their gods were pleased there 

 with, as also to pull the hearts out of them they sacrificed, 

 which they learned of their god, who pulled out the hearts 

 of such as he punished in T til la, as shall be sayd in his place. 

 One of these goddesses they worshipt had a sonne, who was a 

 great hunter, whoine they of Tlascalla afterwardes tooke for 

 a god, and those were ennemius to the Mexicaines, by whoso 



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