PENANCE. 337 



rising at midnight to sound the cornets and trumpets to __ 

 awake the people. Every one watched the idol! in his turne, 

 lest the fire before the Altar should die; they gave the 

 censor, with the which the Priest at midnight incensed the 

 idoll, and also in the morning, at noone, and at night. 

 They were very subject and obedient to their superiors, and 

 passed not any one poynt that was commaunded them. 

 And at midnight, after the priest had ended his censing, 

 they retired themselves into a secret place apart, sacrificing 

 and drawing blood from the calfes of their legges with 

 sharpo bodkins; with this blood they rubbed their temples 

 and vnder their eares ; and, this sacrifice finished, they pre 

 sently washt themselves in a little poole appoynted to that 

 end. These yong men did not annoint their heads and 

 bodies with any betun 1 as the Priestes did ; their garments 

 were of a coarse white linnen cloth they do make there. 

 These exercises and strictnesso of penance continued a 

 whole yeare, during which time they lived with great auste- 

 ritie and solitarinesse. In truth it is very strange to see 

 that this* false opinion of religion hath so great force among 

 these yoong men and maidens of Mexico that they will 

 serve the Divell with so great rigor and austerity, which 

 many of vs doe not in the service of the most high God, the 

 which is a great shame and confusion ; for those amongst 

 vs that glory to have doone a small penaunce, although this 

 exercise of the Mexicaines was not continuall, but for a 

 yeare onely, which made it the more tollerable. 



CHAP. xvir. Of Penance and the Strictnes the Indians have 

 vsed at the D iv ell s per swasion. 



Seeing we are come to this point, it shall bee good both 

 to discover the cursed pride of Sathan and to confound it, 



1 Pitch, a coarse wax. 



z 



