FIRST INHABITANTS OP MEXICO. 449 



There is yet an other more particular reason, which is, that Lrn - VIr - 

 wee ought licerin to esteeme that which is woorthy of 

 memorie, both for that it is a Nation little esteemed, and / 

 also a subiect different from that of our Europe, as these 

 Nations be, wherein wee should take most pleasure and 

 content, to vnderstand the ground of their beginning, their 

 manor of life, with their happy and vnhappy adventures. 

 And this subiect is not onely pleasant and agreeable, but 

 also profitable, especially to such as have the charge to rule 

 and governo them ; for the knowledge of their acts invites 

 vs to give credite, and dooth partely teach howe they ought 

 to be intreated : yea, it takes away much of that common 

 and foolish contempt wherein they of Europe holde them, 

 supposing that those Nations have no feeling of reason. 

 For in trueth wee can not cleere this errour better, than by 

 the true report of the actes and deedes of this people. I 

 will, therefore, as briefly as I can, intrcate of the beginning, 

 proceedings, and notable deedes of the Mexicaines, whereby 

 wee may know the time and the disposition that the high 

 God woulde choose, to send vnto these Nations the light of 

 the Gospel of lesus Christ his only sonno our Lord, wkome 

 I beseech to second our small labour, that it may be to the 

 glory of his Divine greatnes, and some profite to these 

 people, to whome hee hath imparted the lawe of his holy 

 gospel. 



CHAP. n. Of the ancient Inhabitants of New Spaine, and 

 how ihe Navatlacas came thither. 



The antient and first Inhabitants of those provinces, 

 which wee call New Spaine, were men very barbarous and 

 savage, which lived onely by hunting, for this reason they 

 were called Chichimecas. They did neither sowe nor till the 

 ground, neither lived they together ; for all their exercise 



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