SACRED VIROIXS IN MEXICO. 



required them for the service of these monasteries. Yea, _ 

 many fathers did willingly offer their daughters, supposing 

 it was a great merit to be sacrificed for the Ynca. If any of 

 these Momacomas or Acllas were found to have trespassed 

 against their honour, it was an inevitable chasti cement to . 



burv them alive, or to put them to death by some other 

 kind of cruell torment. 



The devill hath even in Mexico had some kind of religious / 

 women, although their profession was but for one yeare, 

 and it was in this sorte : Within this great circuit whereof 

 we have spoken, which was in the principall temple, there 

 were two houses like cloysters, the one opposite to tho 

 other, one of men, the other of women : In that of women, 

 they were virgines onely, of twelve or thirteene yeares of age, 

 which they called the Maydcs of Penaunce. They were as 

 many as the men, and lived chastly and regularly, as virgins 

 dedicated to the service of their god. Their charge was, to 

 sweope and make clcane the temple, and every morning to 

 prepare meatc for the idoll and his ministers, of the alines tho 

 religious gathered. The foode they prepared for the idoll were 

 small loaves in the forme of handes and feete, and others 

 twisted as marchpane; 1 and with this bivad they prepared ccr- 

 taine sawses, which they cast dayly before the idoll, and his 

 priests did cate it, as those of .Baal, that Daniel speaketh of. run. xiv 

 These virgins had their haire cutte, and then they let them 

 growe for a certaine time : they rose at midnight to the 

 idolls mattins, which they dayly celebrated, performing tho 

 same exercises the religious did. They had their Abbesses, 

 who imployed them to make cloth of diverse fashions for tho 

 ornament of their idolls and temples. Their ordinary habito 

 was all white, without any worke or colour. They did their 

 penance at midnight, sacrificing and wounding themselves, 

 and, piercing the toppe of their cares, they layde the blood 

 which issued foortli vpou their cheekcs ; and after, to wash 

 1 M&amp;gt; froclifiK. honey cakes. 



