PEOPLE WEARY OF THE SACRIFICES. 351 



him with all the ornaments of the idoll, giving him the LlB - T - 

 same name. Hee was that whole yeare reverenced and 

 honoured as the idoll itselfe, and had alwayes with him 

 twelve men for his guarde, lest hee should flie, with which 

 guarde they suffered him to goe freely, and where hee would : 

 and if by chaunce ho fled, the chiefe of the guarde was 

 put in his place to represent the idoll, and after to be 

 sacrificed. 



This Indian had the most honourable lodging in all the 

 temple, where he did eate and driucke, and whither all the 

 chiefo Ministers came to serve and honour him, carrying 

 him meate after the manner of great personages. When 

 hee went through the streetes of the citie hee was well 

 accompanyed with noble men ; he carried a little flute in his 

 hand, which sometimes he sounded, to give them knowledge 

 when he passed. Then presently the women came forth 

 with their little children in their arms, which they presented 

 vnto him, saluting him as god. All the rest of the people 

 did the like : at night they put him in a strong prison or 

 cage, lest he should flic ; and when the feast came they 

 sacrificed him, as hath beene sayde. By these and manic 

 other meanes hath the Divell abused and entertained these 

 poore wretches, and such was the multitude of those that 

 had beene sacrificed by this inferuall cruelty as it seems a 

 matter incredible, for they affirme there were some dayes 

 five thousand or more, and that there were above twenty 

 thousand sacrifyced in diverse places. The divell to intcr- 

 taine this murther of men, vsed a pleasant and strange in 

 vention, which was, when it pleased the priests of Sathan 

 they went to their Kings, telling them how their gods died 

 for hunger, and that they should remember them. Presently 

 they prepared themselves, and advertised one another that 

 their gods required meate, and therefore they should com 

 mand their people to be ready to goe to the warres ; and 

 thus the people assembled, and the companies appoyuted 



