MEXICAN HUMAN SACRIFICES. 349 



the sacrificers were thus in order they drew forth such as LlB - v 

 had beene taken in warre, which were to be sacrificed at that 

 feast, and being accompanied with a guard of men all naked 

 they caused them to mount vp these large staires in ranke 

 to the place where the Ministers were prepared : and as 

 every one of them came in their order, the six sacrificers 

 tooke the prisoner, one by one foote another by the other, 

 and one by one hand another by the other, casting him on 

 his backe vpon this pointed stone, where the fift of these 

 Ministers put the coller of wood about his necke, and the 

 high priest opened his stomacke with the knife, with a 

 strange dexteritie and uimblenes, pulling out his heart with 

 his hands, the which he shewed smoaking vnto the Sunne, 

 to whom he did offer this heate and fume of the heart, and 

 presently he turned towardes the idoll, and did cast the 

 heart at his face, then did they cast away the body of the 

 sacrificed, tumbling it downe the staires of the Temple, the 

 stone being set so neere the staires as there were not two 

 foote space betwixt the stone and the first steppe, so as with 

 one spurne with their foote they cast the body from the 

 toppo to the bottome. In this sort one after one they did 

 sacrifice all those that were appointed. Being thus slain, 

 and their bodies cast downe, their masters, or such as had 

 taken them, went to take them vp and carried them away : 

 then having divided them amongest them they did eate 

 them, celebrating their feast and solemnitie. There were 

 ever forty or fifty at the least thus sacrificed, for that they 

 had men very expert in taking them. The neighbour 

 Nations did the like, imitating the Mexicaines in the customes 

 and ceremonies of the service of their gods. 



