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if they were to do it in their old age, in order to pleafe us, what would 

 their priefts and the rifing generation think of them ? They would raife 

 an infurrediion ; the more fo, as the priefts had already confulted their 

 gods, who had commanded them by no means to omit their human 

 facrifices, and other ancient cuftoms; as in cafe of failure in the ob- 

 fervance of them, they would punifh the country with famine, pefti- 

 lence, and war. They therefore requefted to b& no more fpoken to on 

 the fubje(3:, as they could not renounce their gods but with their lives. 



When the Rev. Father Olmedo, who was a wife man and good 

 theologian, heard this, he advifed Cortes to urge it no farther at pre- 

 fent, being adverfe to forced converfions, notwithftanding it had been 

 done in Cempoal. He alfo obferved, that the deftrudlion of their idols 

 was a fruitlefs violence, if the principle was not eradicated from their 

 minds by arguments, as they would find other idols to continue their 

 worfhip to, elfewhere. Three other cavaliers, Alvarado, De Leon, and 

 De Lugo, alfo fpoke to Cortes to the fame effe€t. We however got 

 one of the temples cleared out, and erediing an altar, converted it into a 

 chriftian church, and here the ladies deftined to be the brides of our 

 officers were baptized. The daughter of Xicotenga received the name 

 of Donna Louifa, and was taken by the hand by Cortes, who prefented 

 her to Alvarado, telling her father, that officer was his brother.: at 

 which the old chief exprefled his entire fatisfadtion. The niece or- 

 daughter of Maxicatzin was given to Velafquez de Leon, to the beft of 

 my recollediion : (he was very handfome, and took the name of Donna 

 Elvina ; .and the reft whofe names 5 do not now remember, but they 

 v/ere^all Donnas, were affigned to De Oli, Sandoval, and Avila. After 

 the -ceremony, the reafon of the ered:ion of croffes was explained to the 

 natives, as being done in order to terrify and *expel the evil fpirits they 

 worffiipped, to all which they liftened with proper attention. Before I 

 proceed farther I muft mentiori, that almoft the whole province of 

 TIafcala paid homage and made prefents to Donna Louifa: Alvarado 

 had by her a (on named Don Pedro, and a daughter named Donna 

 Leonora, wife at prelent to D. Fra. de la Cueva, a good cavalier, coufin 



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