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.
Theyr swordes are of woodde, and the edge thereof is flint stone,
inclosed or ioyned into a staffe, with a certaine kynde of glew whiche
is made of a roote called _Zacole_ and _Teuxalli_, whiche is a kinde
of strong sande, whereof they make a mixture, and after kneade it
with bloud of Battes or Rearemice and other foule, which doth glewe
maruelous strong, and lightly neuer vncleaueth: of this stuffe they
make nayles, pearcers, & ogars, wherwith they bore timber & stone:
with theyr swordes they cut speares, yea and a horse necke at a blowe,
and make dentes into iron, whiche séemeth a thing vnpossible and
incredible. In the Citie no man may weare weapon, but onely in warres,
huntyng, and among the kings Guarde.
The Gardens of Mutezuma.
Besides the foresayde houses hée had many others for hys onely
recreation and passetyme, with excellent fayre gardens of medicinall
hearbes, swéete floures, and trées of delectable sauour, whiche were
many, and a thing to gyue prayse to God the maker and creator of all.
In that Garden were a thousande personages, made and wrought
artificially of leaues and flowers. _Mutezuma_ woulde not permitte that
in this Garden shoulde be any kynde of potte Hearbes, or thyngs to be
solde, saying, that it dyd not appertayne to Kings to haue thyngs of
profite among theyr delytes and pleasures, for suche thyngs (sayde hée)
dyd appertayne to Merchants.
Yet notwithstanding he had Orchards with many and sundry fruites,
but they stoode farre from the Cittie, and whyther seldome times hee
wente: he had likewise out of _Mexico_ pleasaunte houses in wooddes
and forrestes, of greate compasse, enuyroned with water, in the which
he hadde fountaynes, riuers, pondes with fishe, warrantes of Conneys,
rockes & couert where were Harts, Buckes, Hares, Foxes, Wolues, and
such like, with wildernesse for euery sort.
To these places the Lords of _Mexico_, vsed to goe and sporte
themselues, suche and so manye were the houses of _Mutezuma_, wherein
fewe Kings were equall with him.
The court and Guarde of
_Mutezuma_.
He had dayly attending vppon hym in hys priuye garde sixe hundred noble
men and gentlemen, and eche of them thrée or foure seruants, and some
hadde twenty seruaunts or moe, according to his estate: and in this
maner he had thrée thousand men attendant in his court, and some affirm
more, al the which were fed in his house of the meate that came from
his table.
The seruing men alwayes abode belowe in the court all the daye, and
wente not from thence tyll after Supper.
It is to be thought that his Guard was the greater, bycause the
straungers were there, although in effecte of troth it is most
certayne, that all the Lords that are vnder the _Mexicall_ Empire (as
they say) are thirtie persons of high estate, who are able to make each
of them a hundred thousand men. There are thrée thousand Lordes of
Townes, who haue many vassals.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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