MEXICAN RECOKDS. 405 



And in trueth, whosoever shall see them will wonder 



thereat. For to signifie these words, I, a sinner, do confesse 

 my self, they painted an Indian vpon his knees at a re 

 ligious mans feete, as one that confesseth himselfe : and 

 for this, to God most mighty, they painted three faces, with 

 their crownes, like to the Trinitie ; and to the glorious 

 Virgine Marie, they painted the face of our Lady, and halfo 

 the body of a little childe; and for S. Peter and S. Paul, 

 heads with crowns, and a key with a s\vord ; and whereas 

 images failed, they did set characters, as &quot;Wherein I have 

 sinned, etc/ , whereby wee may conceive the quickenesse 

 of spirite of these Indians, seeing this manner of writing 

 of our prayers and matters of faith hath not been taught 

 them by the Spaniards, neither could they have done it if 

 they had not had an excellent conception of that was taught 

 them. And I have scene in Peru a confession of sinnes, 

 brought by an Indian, written in the same sorte, with pic 

 tures and characters, painting every one of the tonne Com 

 mandments after a certaine manner where there were cer- 

 taine markes like ciphers, which were the sinnes he had 

 committed against the Commandments. I nothing doubt 

 but if any of the most suiHcicnt Spaniards were imployed 

 to make memorialles of the like things by their images and 

 markes, they would not attaine vnto it in a whole year, no 

 not in tonne. 



CHAT. vm. Of liei/i slurs and the manner of reckoning which 

 the Indians of Pern vscd. 



Before the Spaniards came to the Indies, they of Peru 

 had no kindc of writing, either letters, characters, ciphers, 

 or figures, like to those of China and Mexico : yet pre 

 served they the memory of their Antiquities, and maintained 

 an order in all their affairs of peace, warre, and pollicie, for 

 that they were careful 1 observers of traditions from one to 



