438 MEXICAN NOBILITY. 



LIB. vi. partialities amongest them for ambition, thogh it be an 

 ordinary thing in Comminalties ; but contrariwise they 

 reporte, as you shall see heereafter, that a man, the best of 

 the Mexicaines, refused this realme, seeming vnto him to be 

 very expedient for the Common-weale to have an other 

 king. In the beginning, when the Mexicaines were but 

 poore and weake, the kings were very moderate in their 

 expenses and in their Court, but as they increased in power 

 they increased likewise in pompe and state, vntill they 

 came to the greatuesse of Montecuma, who if hee had 

 had no other thing but his house of beasts and birds, it 

 had beene a prowde thing, the like whereof hath not beene 

 seene ; for there was in this house all sortes of fish, birds, 

 and beasts, as in an other Noahs Arke, for sea fish there 

 were pooles of salt-water, and for river fish lakes of fresh 

 water, birds that do prey were fedde, and likewise wilde 

 beasts in great aboundaunce ; there were very many Indians 

 imployed for the keeping of these beasts ; and when he 

 found an impossibilitie to nourish any sort of fish, fowle, or 

 wilde beast, hee caused the image or likenesse to be made, 

 richly cutte in pretious stones, silver, or golde, in marble, or 

 in stone ; and for all sortes of entertainements, hee had his 

 severall houses and pallaces, some of pleasure, others of 

 sorrowe and mourning, and others to treate of the affairs 

 of the realme. There was in this pallace many chambers, 

 according to the qualitie of noble men that served him, 

 with a strange order and distinction. 



CHAP. xxv. Of the titles mid dignities the Indians vsed. 



The Mexicaines have beene very curious to divide the 

 degrees and dignities amongst the Noble men and Lords, 

 that they might distinguish them to whom they were to 

 give the greatest honour. The dignity of these foure 



