HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



33 



heaven. In the other temples and religious buildings 

 comprifed within the inclofure of the great wall, there 

 were fix hundred (loves, of the fame lize and figure, 

 which in the night time, when they ufed all to be burn- 

 ing, prefented a very pleafmg fight. 



In the fpace betwixt the wall and the great temple, 

 there were, befides a place for their religious dances, 

 upwards of forty leffer temples, confecrated to the other 

 gods, feveral colleges of priefts, fome feminaries for 

 youth and children of both fexes, and many other build- 

 ings fcattered about, of which, for their Angularity, it 

 will be neceffary to give fome account. 



The moft remarkable were the temples of Tezcatli- 

 poca, Tlaloc, and Quetzalcoatl. They all refembled 

 one another in form, but were of different fizes, and all 

 fronted the great temple; while the other temples 

 without this area were built with the front towards the 

 weft. The temple of Quetzalcoatl alone differed from 

 the reft in form ; it being round, the others all quad- 

 rangular. The door of this fan&uary was the mouth of 

 an enormous ferpent of ftone, armed with fangs. Some 

 Spaniards tempted by curiofity to go into that diabolical 

 temple, afterwards confeffed the horror which they felt 

 upon entering it. Among other temples there was one 

 called Ilhuicatitlari) dedicated to the planet Venus, in 

 which was a great pillar with the figure of that ftar 

 painted or engraved upon it ; near which, at the time 

 of her appearance, they facrificed prifoners. 



The colleges of priefts, and the feminaries were vari- 

 ous ; but we particularly know only of five colleges or 

 monafteries of priefts, and three feminaries of youth, 

 although there muft certainly have been more, from 



Vol. II. E the 



