MEXICAN FESTIVALS. 385 



flie, and in the morning they took him out of prison, setting LlB v - 

 him vpon an eminent place, where they served him, giving 

 him exquisite meates to eate. After he had eaten, they 

 put a chaine of flowers about his necko, and many nosegaies 

 in his hands. lice had a well appointed guard, with much 

 people to accompany him. When he went through the 

 Cittie, he went dancing and singing through all the streetes, 

 that hee might bee knowne for the resemblance of their 

 god, and when lice beganne to sing, the women and little 

 children came forth of their houses to salute him, and to 

 offer vnto him as to their god. Two old men of the 

 Antients of the Temple came vnto him nine daies before 

 the feast, and humbling themselves before him, they said 

 with a low and submisso voyce, Sir, you must vnderstand 

 that nine daies hence the exercise of dancing and singing 

 doth end, and thou must then die ; and then he must answer 

 in a good houro. 1 They call this ceremony Ncyolo Maxilt 

 Ileztli, which is to say, the advertisement ; 2 and when they 

 did thus advertise him, they took very carefull heede whether 

 hee were sad, or if he danced as ioyfully as he was accus 

 tomed, the which if he did not as cheerefully as they de 

 sired, they made a foolish superstition in this maner. They 

 presently tooke the sacrificing rasors, the which they washed 

 and clensed from the blood of men which remained of the 

 former sacrifices. Of this washing they made a drinko 

 mingled with another liquor made of Cacao, giving it him 

 to drinke ; they said that this would make him forget what 

 had been said vnto him, and would make him in a maner in- 

 censible, returning to his former dancing and mirth. They 

 said, moreover, that he would offer himself cheerfully to 

 death, being inchanted with this drinke. The cause why 

 they sought to take from him this heavinesse, was, for that 

 they held it for an ill augure, and a fore-telling of some 



1 u Y el avia de respondev que fuesse mucho de norabuena.&quot; 

 &quot; El apercebimiento.&quot; 



C C 



