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.
_Cortes_ procured to knowe the principall cause of the insurrection
of the _Mexican Indians_, and hauing a generall daye of hearyng, the
charge béeyng layde against them, some sayd, that it was through the
letters and persuasion of _Naruaez_: Others aunswered, their desire and
meaning was, to expell the straungers, according to agréemente made,
for in theyr skirmishes they cryed nothing but gette you hence, get you
hence: Other sayde, that they pretended the libertie of _Mutezuma_, for
in theyr Combates they woulde saye, lette goe oure God and Kyng, if you
list not to bée slayne. Others sayde, that they were Théeues, and hadde
robbed theyr golde and plate from them, whyche was in valewe more than
seauen hundred thousande duckettes: Others cryed, héere shall you leaue
the golde that you haue taken from vs. Others sayde, that they coulde
not abyde the syghte of the _Tlaxcaltecas_, and other theyr mortall
enimies. Manye beléeued that the mutinye was for throwyng downe theyr
Goddes and Idolles: each of these causes were sufficient to rebell,
how muche more altogither.
But the chiefest and most principall cause was, that after the
departure of _Cortes_ towarde _Naruaez_, happened a solemne holiday,
whiche the _Mexicans_ were wont to celebrate, and desiring to obserue
the same, as they were wont to do, they came and besoughte Captayne
_Aluarado_ to graunt them licence, & not to ymagine that they were
ioyned togither to kill the Spanyardes. _Aluarado_ gaue them licence,
with such conditions, that in their Sacrifice shoulde no mans bloude be
spilte, nor yet to weare anye weapon.
At this feast, sixe hundred Gentlemen and principall persons ioyned
togither in the greate temple: some doe saye, that they were more than
a thousande persons of greate estate, but that nighte they made a
maruellous great noyse, with cornets, shels, clouen bones, wherewith
they made a straunge musicke: they celebrated the feast, their naked
bodyes couered with telc, made and wrought with precious stones,
collers, girdels, bracelettes, and many other iewels of golde, siluer,
and aliofar, with gallant tuffes of feathers on their heads. They
daunced a daunce called _Mazeualiztli_, which is to say, deserte wyth
payne, and so they call _Mazauali_ a husbandman. Thys daunce is like
_Netoraliztli_, which is another daunce. The manner is, that they lay
mattes in the Temple yarde, and with the sounde of their Drummes,
called _Atabals_, they daunce a round, hande in hande, some singing,
and others answere, which songs were in y^e honor and prayse of the God
or Saincte, whose feast it is, hoping for thys seruice to haue rayne,
corne, healthe, victory, peace, chyldren, or anye other thing that they
maye wishe for, or desire.
[Sidenote: A couetous desire and a vile.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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