44 i DANCES AND MUSIC. 



LlB - V1 - to teach them that which concerned their profession, where 

 they should remaine being destined therevnto. These Mexi- 

 caines tooke great care to bring vp their children : if at this 

 day they would follow this order, in building of houses and 

 colledges for the instruction of youth, without doubt Chris- 

 tianitie should florish much amongst the Indians. Some 

 godly persons have begunne, and the King with his Coun- 

 sell have favored it : but for that it is a matter of no profit, 

 they advance little, and proceed coldly. God open our 

 eyes, that we may see it to our shame, seeing that we 

 Christians do not that which the children of darkenes did 

 to their perdition, wherin we forget our duties. 



CHAP, xxvin. Of the Indians feasts and dances. 



Forasmuch as it is a thing which partly dependes of the 

 good government of the Commoii-weale, to have some plaies 

 and recreations when time serves ; it shall not be from the 

 purpose to relate what the Indians did heerein, especially 

 the Mexicaines. We have not discovered any Nation at 

 the Indies that live in commonalties, which have not their 

 recreations in plaies, dances, and exercises of pleasure. At 

 Peru I have scene plaies in maner of combats, where the 

 men of both sides were sometimes so chafed that often their 

 Piiclla (which was the name of this exercise) fell out to be 

 dangerous. I have also seene divers sortes of dances, 

 wherein they did couiiterfait and represent certaine trades 

 and offices, as sheepherds, laborers, fishers, and hunters, 

 and commonly they made all those dances with a very grave 

 sound and pase : there were other dances and rnaskes, 

 which they called cuacones, whose actions were pure repre 

 sentations of the divell. There were also men that dance on 

 the shoulders one of another, as they do in Portugal!, the 

 which they call pelas. The greatest part of these dances 



