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.
When he went a hunting, he was carried vpon mens shoulders with eyght
or ten _Spanyards_ in his guard, and thrée thousande _Mexicans_, who
were Gentlemen, his seruants, and hunters, of whome he hadde a great
number, some to séeke the game, others to beate the couertes, and
others to marke. Some of those Hunters were only for hares and connyes,
other for all sorts of Déere, Wolues, foxes, and such like. They were
very perfite with theyr bowes, and good markemë, for he that missed
his marke at fourescore pases distant was punished. It was strange to
sée the number of people that wente with him on hunting, and to sée
the slaughter of beasts killed, with hande, staues, nettes, and bowes,
some of those beastes were tame, and other braue and fearefull, as
Lyons, Tigers, and Ounces. It is a harde thing to take a fierce Lion
in hunting as they do, being in manner a naked people, and the beast
couragious and strong, but yet the Prouerbe saith, slight and cunning
is better than strength.
It is a more straunge thyng to take any foule that flieth in the ayre
as their Fauconers doe, for after they haue once marked and set eye
vpon any foule, the Faulconers of _Mutezuma_ will vnder take to catch
him, although the foule be neuer so swifte of wing, beyng at the least
so commaunded by the King. It happened one day that _Mutezuma_ stoode
in his gallerie with his Guarde of Spanyardes, who had espied a fayre
Hauke soryng in the ayre, oh quoth they what a fayre Hauke flieth
yonder, _Mutezuma_ hearyng their talke, called vnto him certayne of
his Faulconers, commaundyng them to followe that Hauke & to bring him
vnto him. The Faulconers wente to fulfill his request, and followed
that foule with such diligence, that in shorte space they brought the
Hauke vnto him, who presented the same vnto the Spanyards, a thing
truely almoste incredible, but yet certified by worde and wrytings of
the present witnesses. Their chiefest and most pleasant pastime of
Hauking was, of Kightes, Rauens, Crowes, Pies, and other birdes of
hardie stomake and slowe in flight, greate and small of all sortes, for
the which he had Egles, Buyters, and other foule of rapyne marueylous
swifte of wing, and suche as would mounte very high in the ayre, with
the whiche they murdered Hares, Wolues, and (as some say) Hartes.
He had other foulers, that vsed Nettes, Snares, and sundry engins.
_Mutezuma_ vsed much to shoote in a tronke, and with his bow killed
many wilde beastes. His houses of pleasure as I haue before declared,
stoode sixe myles from the Citie in pleasant wooddes: and alwayes when
he went a huntyng after the tyme that he was prysoner, the same day he
would returne agayne to _Cortes_ his lodging, although he banketed &
feasted with the Spaniardes at his places of sporting and pastime, and
would alwayes at his returne to his lodgyng giue some present vnto thë,
that had accompanied him that day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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