374- *T%e ^aturallandMoraU 



and know the penance they did for the people: they do 

 wafh off the blood in a lake appoynted tor that pur- 

 pofe, which they call Ez>a$Angttt^ which is to fay, water 

 ofblood. 



There were in the Temple a great number of bod 

 kins or lancets, for that they might notvfe one twice. 

 Moreover,thefe Priefts and Religious men, vfed great 

 fadings, of five or ten daies together,before any of their 

 great feaftes 3 and they were vnto them as our foure em 

 ber weekes: they were fo ftri<S in continence,that fome 

 of them (not to fall into any fenfualitie, ) flit their 

 members in the midft, and did athotifand thingcsto 

 Uiakethemfclves vnable , left they fhould offend their 

 gods /They drunke no wine,and ilept little,for that the 

 greateft part of their exercifes were by night, commit 

 ting great cruelties and martiring themfelves for the 

 Divell, and all to bee reputed great faftei sand peni 

 tents. 



They did vfc to difcipline themfelves with cordes 

 foil of knottcs,and not they onely, but the people alfo 

 vfcd this punishment and whipping, in the proceffion 

 and fofl they made to theidoilT(?^//^^,the which 

 fasl have /aid before,)is the god of penance ; for then 

 they all carried in their hands new cordes of the threed 

 <$$ Maguey a fadome long, with a knot at die end, and 

 therewith they whipped themfelves, giving great la- 

 (hes over their flioulders. The Priefts did faft five daies 

 together before this feaft, eating but once a day, and 

 they lived apart from their wives, not going out of the 

 Temple during thofe five dates , they did whip them 

 felves rigoroufly in the maner aforefaid . The lefuites 

 which have written from the Indies , treate amply of 

 the penances and exceeding rigor the Bovcosvk, all 



which 



