348 MEXICAN HUMAN SACRIFICES. 



LIB. v. which i n our tong is as much as the ministers of holy 

 things. It was a high dignitie, and much esteemed amongest 

 them, wherein they did inherite and succede as in a fee 

 simple. The minister who had the office to kill, which was 

 * the sixt amongest them, was esteemed and honoured as the 

 soveraigne Priest and Bishop, whose name was different, 

 according to the difference of times and solemnities. Their 

 habites were likewise divers when they came foorth to the 

 sacrifice, according to the diversitie of times. The name of 

 their chiefe dignitie was Papa and Topilzin j 1 their habite and 

 robe was a red curtain, after the Dalmatica fashion, with 

 tasselles belowe, a crowne of rich feathers, greene, white, 

 and yellow vpon his head, and at his eares like pendants 

 of golde, wherein were set greene stones, and vnder the 

 lip, vpon the middest of the beard, hee had a peece like 

 vnto a small canon of an azured stone. These sacrificers 

 came with their faces and handes coloured with a shining 

 blacke. The other five had their haire much curled, and 

 tied vp with laces of leather bound about the middest of the 

 head : vpon their forehead they carried small roundelets of 

 paper, painted with diverse colours, and they were attired 

 in a Dalmatica robe of white, wroght with blacke. With 

 this attire they represented the very figure of the Divell, so 

 as it did strike feare and terror into all the people to see 

 them come forth with so horrible a representation. The 

 soveraigne priest carried a great knife in his hand of a large 

 and sharpe flint : another priest carried a coller of wood, 

 wrought in forme of a snake : all sixe put themselves in 

 order, ioyning to this Piramidall stone whereof I have 

 spoken, being directly against the doore of the Chappell of 

 their idoll. This stone was so pointed as the man which 

 was to be sacrificed being laid thereon vpon his backe did 

 bend in such sort as letting the knife but fall vpon his 

 stomacke it opened very easily in the middest. When 

 1 Topiltzin, the chief sacrificial priest. 



