352 ABOLITION OF THE SACRIFICES. 



LIB. v. wen t to field, where they mustred their forces ; and all their 

 quarrell and fight was to take one another for sacrifice, 

 striving on eithej side to take what captives they could, so 

 as in these battells they laboured Inore to take then to kill, 

 for that all their intention was to take men alive, to give 

 them to their idolls to eate, for after that maner brought 

 they their sacrifice vnto their gods. And wee must vnder- 

 stand that never king was crowned vntill he had subdewed 

 some province, from the which hee brought a great number 

 of captives for the sacrifices of their gods, so as it was an 

 infinit thing to see what blood was spilt in the honour of 

 the Divell. 



CHAP. xxn. How the Indians grew weary and could not 

 endure the cruelty of Sathan. 



Many of these Barbarians were nowe wearied and tyred 

 with such an excessive cruelty in sheading so much blood, 

 and with so tedious a tribute to be alwayes troubled to get 

 captives for the feeding of their gods, seeming vnto them a 

 matter supportable; yet left they not to followe and execute 

 their rigorous lawes, for the great awe the ministers of these 

 idols kept them in and the cunning wherewith they abused 

 this poore people. But inwardly they desired to be freed 

 from so heavy a yoke. And it was a great providence of 

 God that the first which gave them knowledge of the Lawe 

 of Christ found them in this disposition; for, without doubt, 

 it seemed to them a good law and a good God to be served 

 in this sorte. Heerevpon a grave religious man in New 

 Spain told me that when he was in that country hee had 

 demaunded of an auntient Indian, a man of qualitie, for 

 what reason the Indians hadde so soone received the Lawe 

 of lesus Christ and left their owne, without making any 

 other proofe, triall, or dispute thereon, for it seemed they 



