The divcll hath even in Mtxic* had ft me kind of re 

 ligious women , although their poffeflion was but for 

 one yeare , and it was in this forte : Within this great 

 circuit whereof we havefpoken, which was in the prin- 

 cipall temple, there were twohoufes like cloyfters, the 

 one oppofite to the other,one of men,the other of wo- 

 men : In that of women, they were virgines onely,of 

 twelve or thirteene yeares of age,which they called the 

 Maydes of Penaunce. They were as many as the men, 

 and lived chaftly and regularly, as virgins dedicated to 

 theferviceof their god. Their charge was, tofweepc 

 and make cleane the temple , and every morning td 

 prepare meate for the idoll and his minifters , of the 

 almes the religious gathered. Thefoode they prepared 

 for the idoll were (mall loaves in the forme of hande$ 



j and feete , as of marchpane : and with this bread they 

 prepared certayne fawfes which they caft dayly before, 

 the idoll, and his priefts did eate it.as tjhofeof &*<*/,that 

 Daniel ipcakcth of. Theft virgins had their haire cutte, 

 and then they let them grow for a certaine time : they 

 rofeat midnight to the idolls mattins, which they day4 

 ly celebrated, performing the fame exercifcs the religi: 

 ousdid. They had their Abcfles who impleyed them 

 to make cloth of diverfe fafliions for the ornament of 

 I their idolls and temples. Their ordinary habite was all 



f -white, without any workc or colour. They did their 

 penance at midnight, facrificingand wounding them- 

 felves, and piercing the toppe of their eares, they laydc 

 the blood which iffucd foorth vpon their checkesrand 

 after, (towafli off the blood ) they bathed themfclve* 

 in a poole which was within their montftery. They li 

 ved very honeflly and difcreetly^and if any were found 

 to have offended^ although but lightly, prefently they 



were 



