MEXICAN FESTIVALS. 387 



out all the partcs of the Cittie, then every mail shut vp Lt &quot; v 

 his merchandise, and retired vnto his house, and there was 

 so great a silence, as there seemed to be no living crea 

 ture in the Towne. In the morning whenas the day beganne 

 to breake, they beganno to sound the drumme, which was 

 a signe of the day beginning, so as travellers and strangers 

 attended this signall to beginno their iournies, for till that 

 time it was not lawfull to goe out of the cittie. 



There was in this temple a court of a reasonable great - 

 nes, in the which they made great dances and pastimes, 

 with games or comedies the day of the idolls feast; for 

 which purpose there was in the middest of this court a 

 theatre of thirty foote square, very finely decked and trim 

 med, the which they decked with flowers that day, with all 

 the arte and invention that mought be, beeing invironed 

 round with arches of divers flowers and feathers, and in some 

 places there were tied many small birds, connies, and other 

 tame beasts. After dinner all the people assembled in this 

 place, and the players presented themselves, and played 

 comedies : some counterfeit the deafe and the rheumatike, 

 others the lame, some the blinde, and without handes, which 

 came to seeke for cure of the idoll : the deafe answered con 

 fusedly, the rheuinatiko did cough, the lame halted, telling 

 their miseries and griefes, wherewith they made the people 

 to laugh ; others came foorth in the forme of little beasts, 

 some were attired like snailes, others like toades, and some 

 like lizardes : then meeting together, they tolde their offices, 

 and every one retyring to his place, they sounded on small 

 flutes, which was pleasant to heare. They likewise counter 

 feited butterflies and small birdes of diverse colours, and the 

 children of the Temple represented these formes; then they 

 went into a little forrest planted there for the nonce, where 

 the Priests of the Temple drew them foorth with instru 

 ments of musicke. In the meane time they vsed many 

 pleasant speeches, some in propounding, others in defend 

 er c 2 



