*7 



Cacatt ; vrhat manner of 



Frwt. 



Stately Tcmpte 



Chap* III. AMERICA. 



Gates no lefs artificial than coftly,which lead from the City to the Main Land.' 

 • The Frefli Water is convey'd through the Sale in a Wall'd Channel, out of 

 which none may take up Water, except they pay Excife to the Kings Farmers. 

 This City boafts above fixty thoufand Houfes, all divided into Iflands, but 

 joyn'd with great Wooden Bridges : The Market-place iurrounded with Gal- 

 leries, drives a quick and conftant Trade, being always full of Buyers and Sel- 

 lers. In every Street they have a publick Inn, in each of which they keep Or- 

 dinaries, wherein the Tables are ftor'd with well-drelVd Flefli and Fifli, not 

 wanting plenty of Wine. Their Trades are divided into feveral Companies, 

 and they have their peculiar Places to dwell in. They deal very much in £*- 

 caos, a Fruit not unlike an Almond, which beaten to Powder, and prepared 

 with feveral other Ingredients, gives name to that excellent Drink now in ufe 

 with us, caird Chocolate : They grow onely on moift and warm Grounds, and 

 are us'd fo currently in Trade, that they go in ftead of Money. Amongft ma- 

 ny beautiful Edifices, their Guild is very magnificent, wherein twelve Judges, 

 attended by a confiderable number of , Officers and Servants, fit daily, hearing' 

 and determining all manner of Caufes. The next is their Chief Temple or 

 Minder, built quadrangular, all of Free-Stone, having four Portals, opening 

 into the four principal Streets or Triumphs, that end at the four Stone Bridges. 

 On the Walls, being of an exceeding height, ftand feveral Turrets, fo high, 

 that they feem to hide their Spires in the Clouds, and have Apartments' 

 wherein the Priefts Diet, Lodge, and Study, which are afcended by Marble 

 Steps. Thefc Religious Perfons are generally of Noble Extract, which at fe- 

 ven years old are carried thither, where leading a very ftria Life, they never 

 come forth to fee the World, till they enter the State of Matrimony. The fa. 

 Pious Coloffut, that flood over the tyhodian Haven, between Whofe Legs all Ships 

 did Sail, that came in or went out of the Harbor, cannot ftand in competition 

 with the ftupendious Idol Vutchilabuchkhi y whofe Head touches the Arch'd Cei* 

 ling of the high Temple. Near his ftand feveral lefler Images, made of Meal 

 and all forts of Herbs bak'd together, and kneaded with Mens Blood. Along 

 the Walls are exceeding dark Vaults, in which the Priefts onely walk 5 over 

 them are large Halls, full of Prefentations of their Gods, which ferve for the 

 Burying-places of their Kings. 



Whilft Qorte^ and Montezuma were viewing the Temple, two Spaniards rufli'd 

 fuddenly into one of the Cells, where they found abundance of Lamps and 

 Torches burning, and the Walls bedaub'd two Inches thick with Humane 

 Gore : Over-head hung vaft numbers of their Sacrificing Knives ; and the 

 ftench of the place was intollerable. 



But Corte^ going on, Montezyma and his Attendants refented it very hainouf- 

 ly, that he pull'd down fome of their Idols, and durft prefume to look in the 

 Kings Face . for thofc People bear fo great Reverence to their Kings, that Grardeur of thc Ki 

 none dares fo much as once lookup in their prefence : His Council ftand bare- ****** 

 footed, ftooping with their Faces bow'd almoft to the Ground before him : 

 Four times a day they change their Apparel . and a Suit which they have once 

 worn, is put to no other ufe, but prefented to fuch Soldiers as have done fome 

 eminent Service. Whatever manner of Chargers, Diflies, Pots, Cups, and 

 other Veflels the Emperor is ferv'd in at his Table, are every Meal new. The 

 King hath in Tenujiitan three great Structures, whofe Magnificence,for Coft and 

 rare Architecture, can hardly be paralleled. Thc firft is the Refidence for all 

 deform/d People : The fecond, an JVtary for all manner of Birds and Fowl, 



Ml being 



Horrible Image* 



Strange Garden- houfes. 



