TEMl LE OF MEXICO. O^7 



stones, the which was placed to the East, with so great Art, 

 as the sun at its rising did cast his beanies tliereou : and as 

 it was of most fine mettall, his beames did reflect with such 

 a brightnes that it seemed another Sunne. The Yncas did 

 worship this for their God, and the Pachayacha, 1 which 

 signifies the Creator of heaven. They say, that at the spoilo 

 of this so rich a Temple, a souldier had for his part this 

 goodly plate of gold of the Sunne. And as play was then 

 in request he lost it all in one night at play, whence come 

 the proverb they have in Peru for great gamesters, saying 

 that they play the Sunne before it riseth. 2 



CHAP. xni. Of tin. 1 Frowd Te nicies at Mexico. 



The Superstitions of the Mexicaines have without com 

 parison been greater than the rest, as well in their cere 

 monies as in the greatnes of their Temples, the which in 

 old time the Spaniards called by this word Cu, which word 

 might bee taken from the Ilanders of Santo Domingo, or of 

 Cuba, as many other wordes that are in vse, the which are 

 neyther from Spaino nor from any other language now vsuall 

 among the Indians, as is Mays, Chico, Vaquinno, Chapetou, 

 and other like. There was in Mexico, this Cu, the famous 

 Temple of Vitziliputzli ; it had a very great circuite and 

 within a faire Court. It was built of great stones, in fashion 

 of snakes tied one to another, and the circuite was called 

 Coatcpantli, which is a circuite of snakes ; vppon the toppe 

 of every chamber and oratorio where the Idolls were, was a 

 fine piller wrought with small stones, blackc as iette, set in 

 goodly order, the ground raised vp with white and red, 

 which below gave a great light ; vpon the top of the pillar 

 were battlements very artificially made, wrought like snails, 



1 Pacha-yachacJtic, u The teacher of the universe&quot;. 



2 Mancio Semi do Leguisumo. See (J. &amp;lt;/t la Vt&amp;lt;ja, i, p. 272, and note. 



