510 EVIL OMENS. 



LIB. vu. an( j confounded. At the same time there appeared in the 

 heavens a great flame of fire, very bright, in the forme of a 

 Pyrarnide, which beganne to appeare at midnight, and went 

 still mounting vntill the Sunne rising in the morning, 

 where it stayed at the South, and then vanished away. It 

 shewed it self in this sort the space of a whole yeare, and 

 ever as it appeared the people cast foorth great cries as 

 they were accustomed, beleeving it was a presage of great 

 misfortune. It happened also that fire tooke the Temple, 

 whenas no body was within it, nor neare vnto it, neither 

 did there fall any lightning or thunder : wherevpon the 

 guardes crying out, a number of people ran with water, but 

 nothing could helpe, so as it was all consumed ; and they 

 say the fire seemed to come forth of peeces of timber, which 

 kindled more by the water that was cast vpon it. There 

 was a Comet seene in the day time, running from the west 

 to the east, casting an infinite number of sparkles, and they 

 say the forme was like to a long taile, having three heads. 



The great lake betwixt Mexico and Tezcuco, without any 

 wind, earthquake, or any other apparent signe, beganne 

 sodainely to swell, and the waves grewe in such sort, as all 

 the buildings neare vnto it fell downe to the ground. They 

 say at that time they heard many voices, as of a woman in 

 paine, which sayde sometimes, &quot; my children, the time of 

 your destruction is come&quot;, and otherwhiles it sayde, &quot;0 my 

 children, whither shall I carry you, that you perish not 

 utterly?&quot; There appeared, likewise, many monsters with 

 two heads, which, being carried before the king, sodainely 

 vanished. There were two that exceeded all other monsters, 

 being very strange ; the one was, the fishers of the lake 

 tooke a bird as bigge as a crane, and of the same colour, 

 but of a strange and vnseene form. They caried it to 

 Monte^uma, who at that time was in the pallace of tears and 

 mourning, which was all hanged with blacke, for as he had 

 many palaces for his recreation, so had he also others for 



