394 MEXICAN CALENDAR. 



LIB. vi. figures, of a house, a conny, a reed, or a flint, noting by 

 every signe a yeare, and vppon the head of this signe they 

 painted what had happened that yeare. 



And therefore I did see in the Kalender mentioned the 

 yeare when the Spaniards entered Mexico, marked by the 

 picture of a man clad in red, after our manner, for such was 

 the habite of the first Spaniard, whome Fernand Cortes sent 

 at the end of the two and fifty years, which finished the 

 wheele. They vsed a pleasant ceremony, which was the 

 last night they didde breake all their vesselles and stuffe, 

 and put out their fire, and all the lights, saying, that the 

 worlde should end at the finishing of one of these wheeles, 

 and it might be at that time : for (said they), seeing the 

 worlde must then end, what neede is there to provide meate 

 to eate, and therefore they had no further neede of vessel 

 nor fire. Vpon this conceit they passed the night in great 

 feare, saying it might happen there would be no more day, 

 and they watched very carefully for the day; but when they 

 saw the day beginne to breake, they presently beat rnanie 

 drummes, and sounded cornets, flutes, and other instru 

 ments of ioy and gladnesse, saying, that God did yet pro 

 long the time with another age, which were fiftie two 

 yeares. And then beganne an other wheele. The first day 

 and beginning of this age they took new fire, and bought 

 new vesselles to dresse their meate, and all went to the 

 high Priest for this new fire, having first made a solemne 

 sacrifice, and given thanks for the comming of the day, and 

 prolongation of an other age. This was their manner of 

 accounting their yeares, moneths, weekes, and ages. 



