ABOLITION OF THE SACRIFICES. 353 



had changed their religion without any sufficient reason to Lin - v - 

 moove them. The Indian answered him: &quot; Beleeve not, 

 Father, that we have embraced the Law of Christ so rashly 

 as they say, for I will tell you that we were already weary 

 and discontented with such things as the idolls commaunded 

 vs, and were determined to leave it and to take another Law. 

 But whenas we found that the religion that you preached 

 had no cruelties in it, and that it was fit for vs and both iust 

 and good, we vnderstood and beleeved that it was the true 

 Law, and so we received it willingly/ Which answer of 

 this Indian agrees well with that we read in the first Dis 

 course, that Fernand Cortes sent to the Emperor Charles 

 the Fift, wherein hee reportes that after he had conquered 

 the city of Mexico, being in Cuyoacan, there came Ambas 

 sadors to him from the province and commonwealth of 

 Mechoacan, requiring him to send them his law and that he 

 would teach them to vnderstand it, because they intended 

 to leave their owne, which seemed not good vnto them, 

 which Cortes graunted, and at this day they are the best 

 Indians and the truest Christians that are in Xew Spaine. 

 The Spaniards that saw these cruell sacrifices resolved with 

 all their power to abolish so detestable and cursed a butcher 

 ing of men, and the rather for that in one night before their 

 eies they sawe threescore or threescore and tenne Spaniards 

 sacrificed, which had beene taken in a battell given at the 

 conquest of Mexico; and another time they found written 

 with a cole in a chamber in Tezcuco these wordes: &quot;Hero 

 such a miserable man was prisoner with his companions 

 whom they of Tezcuco did sacrifice.&quot; 



There happened a very strange thing vpon this subiect, 

 and yet true, being reported by men worthie of credite; 

 which was that the Spaniards beholding these sacrifices, 

 having opened and draw no out the heart of the lustie yong 

 man, and cast him from the toppe of the staires (as their 

 custome was) when hee came at the bottome, he said to the 



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