. 



A Prologue to the Bookes following. 



HAvingintrcatcdofthe Natural Hijlorie of the Indies, 

 Iwil hereafter difcourfi of the MoratlHiftor^ that it te 

 fiyjfthe deeds andcuftorttesofthe Indies.jF0r after the he a- 

 venjhe temperature, the jcituationfo the qualities of the new 

 world^after the elements & mixtures -Jmean mettals giants ^ 

 & beafts, whereof we havefysken in the former Eookes^ oc* 

 cafion didferveiboth Order& Reafon doth invite vs to con 

 tinue and vndzrtake the difcourp efthofc men which wha- 

 bite the new world. And therefore I pretend in the following 

 ,bookes ^ tofaealtewhat I thinke worthie ofthisfubmZ^ And 

 for that the intention ofthtiHiftorie, is not ondy to give, 

 knowledge of what hath faffed at the Indies, but afi to conti- 

 nue this knowledge, to the fruit? we may gather by it , wjycjt 

 is to helps this people for their foules health^, and to glorifa 

 the Creator and Redeemer , who hath drawne them from tht 

 obfcure darkenes of their infdditie, and imparted v^to them 

 the admirable light of 'his Gofpel. Aud therefore Iwitlfrjl 

 jpeake in thefe bookes fallowing , what concerncs their retigi- 

 en, orftperftit'ton, their cufiomcs, their idolatries, and their 

 facrifices - and after, what concernes their policie and go 

 vernment, their Uwes, cujlomes, and their dcedzs. Andfor 

 that the wcmorie is preserved amontjt the Mexicainc Na~ 

 tsbn^of their beginnings } ficcefiions,warres, and other things 

 mrthie the relation : beftdes, that which flail be handled in 

 the ftxt booke , I wiU make a peculiar Difiowfein the fe- 

 venthjfhcwing the difyofition andjwewarnings this Nation 

 JjadofthenervJtinrdojneofChriJl our Lord* which jhould . 

 beext'.ndedTn thtft Countries , and ft ould conquer them ta 

 hinfelfe, a* he hath done in aH the reft of the world. The 

 which in truth is a thing worthie of great confederation, to 

 fee how the divine providence hath appointed, that the light 



