The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne: atchieued by the vvorthy Prince Hernando Cortes, marques of the Valley of Huaxacac, most delectable to readeLópez de Gómara, Francisco
History
The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne: atchieued by the vvorthy Prince Hernando Cortes, marques of the Valley of Huaxacac, most delectable to reade
López de Gómara, Francisco
Cortés, Hernán, 1485-1547; Mexico -- History -- Conquest, 1519-1540; Nahuatl language -- Glossaries, vocabularies, etc.
While the Lord _Mutezuma_ was at his meate, excepte some Iester, they
al serued him barefooted. There assisted alwayes somewhat a farre
off, sixe auntiente and noble men, vnto whome he vsed to giue of the
dish that best lyked him, who receyued the same at his hande with
greate reuerence, and eate it incontinent, without loking in his
face, whiche was the greatest humilitie that they coulde vse before
him. He had musike of Fiddle, Flute, and of a Snayle shell, and a
Caudron couered with a skinne, and suche other strange instrumentes.
They hadde very euill voyces to sing. Always at dinner time he had
Dwarfes, crookebackes, and other deformed counterfets, all for maiestie
and to laugh at, who hadde their meate in the Hall among the Iesters
and Idyots, whiche were fedde with parte of the meate that came from
_Mutezuma_ hys table, all the rest of the meate was giuen to thrée
thousand of the Guard, who attended ordinarily in the yarde or court,
and therefore they say that there was broughte for his table thrée
thousande dishes, and as manye pottes of wine, suche as they vse, and
that continually the buttrey and Pantrey stoode open, whiche was a
wonder to sée what was in them. The platters, dishes, and cuppes, were
al of earth, whereof the King was serued but once, and so frö meale to
meale new. He had likewise his seruice of golde and plate verye riche,
but he vsed not to bée serued with it, (they say) bycause he woulde not
be serued twice therewith, the whiche he thoughte a base thing. Some
affirme, that yong children were slayne and dressed in diuers kind of
dishes for _Mutezuma_ his table, but it was not so, only of mans flesh
sacrifised he fedde nowe and then. The table being taken vp, then came
againe the Gentlewomen to bring water for his hands, with the like
reuerëce as they vsed at the first, and then went they to dinner with
the other wiues, so that then the Gentlemen and Pages waited as their
course fell.
The footeplayers that played
_before Mutezuma_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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