tiiflorieoftkelndis. lib.f. 



hoftage. In this 6mc houfe was the Piitcha^ which was 

 an Idoll of the Sunne, of raoft fine gold,wroughtwith 

 great riches of ftoncs,tfae which was placed to the Eaft, 

 with fo great Art, as the Sunne at his rifing did caft his 

 bearnes thereon : and as it was of inoft fine mettall 3 his 

 beames diJ reflet with fuch a brightnes,that it fcemed 

 another Sunne. The Ingua* did worfliip this for their 

 God 3 and the f&kinMk* , which fignifies the Creator 

 of heaven. They fay, that at the fpoilc of this fb rich a 

 Temple, afouldier had for his part this goodly plate 

 of gold of the Sunne. And as play was then in requeft, 

 he loft it all in one night at play 5 whencccame the pro- 

 verb they have in Pert* for great gamefters, faying, that 

 they play the Sunne before it tifeth. 



Of the ProwdTcmples at Mexico. 

 CHAP. 13. 



THeSuperftitions of the Mexicaines , have with 

 out comparifon beene greater then the reft 5 as 

 wellin their ceremonies , as in the greames of their 

 Temples, the which in old time the Spaniards called 

 fey this word Cu , which word might bee taken from 

 the Ilanders of S. Dominique^ or of Cuba, as many other 

 wordes that are in vfe, the which are ncyther from 

 Spains , nor from any other language now vfuall a- 

 mong the Indians,as is Mays, Chico^ VaqmdnojCh^eTon^ 

 and other like.There was in Afcv/flp,this C,thcfamous 

 Temple ofritztliptttzl^it had a very great circuite,and A 

 within a faire Court. It was built of great ftones, in fa- 

 fhion of (hakes tied one to another,and the circuite was 

 called Coatepantli, which is,a circuite offtakes : vppon 

 the toppe of every chamber and oiatoric where the 



Idolls 



