( HO ) 



received with high refpedt, eating what was in them without taking 

 their eyes off the ground. He was ferved on earthenware of Cholula, 

 red and black. While the king was at fable, no one of his guards, or 

 in the vicinity of his apartment, dared for their lives make any noife. 

 Fruit of all the kinds that the country produced was laid before him; 

 he eat very little, but from time to time, a liquor prepared from cocoa, 

 and of a ftimulative, or corroborative quality, as we were told, was 

 prcfented to him in golden cups. We could not at that time fee if he 

 drank it or not, but I obferved a number of jars, above fifty, brought 

 in, filled with foaming chocolate, of which he took fome, which the 

 women prefented to him. At different intervals during the time of 

 dinner, there entered certain Indians, hump-backed, very deformed, 

 and ugly, who played tricks of buffoonery, and others who they faid 

 were jefters . There was alfo a company of fingers and dancers, who 

 afforded Montezuma much entertaiment. To thefe he ordered the vafes 

 of chocolate to be diftributed. The four female attendants then took 

 away the cloths, and again with much refpedl prefented him with 

 water to waflr his hands, during which time Montezuma converfed 

 with the four old noblemen formerly mentioned, after which they took 

 their leave with many ceremonies. One thing I forgot, and no wonder, 

 to mention in its place, and that is, that during the time Montezuma 

 was at dinner, two very beautiful women were bufily employed making 

 fmall cakes with eggs and other things mixed therein. Thefe were 

 delicately white, and when made they prefented them to him on plates 

 covered with napkins. Alfo another kind of bread was brought to him 

 in long loaves, and plates o^ cakes refembling wafers. After he had 

 dined, they prefented to him three little canes highly ornamented, con- 

 taining liquid amber, mixed with an herb they call tobacco; and 

 when he had fufhciently viewed and heard the fingers, dancers, and 

 buffoons, he took a little of the fmoke of one of thefe canes, and then 

 laid himfelf down to fleep ; and thu^s his principal meal concluded. 

 After this was over, all his guards and domeflics fat down to dinner, 

 and as near as I could judge, above a thoufand plates of thofe eatables 

 that I have mentioned wxre laid before them, with veffels of foaming 



chocolate 



