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.
An other stréete was scituate on the hill side towarde the Riuer,
bycause at the building thereof, there were many pyne trées: they named
it _Ocotelulco_, which is to say, a pine apple plot. This stréete was
beautifull, and firste inhabited of all the Citie, and there was the
chiefest Market place, where all the buying and selling was vsed, and
that place they called _Tianquiztli_: in that stréete was the dwelling
house of _Maxixca_. Along the Riuer side in the playne standeth another
stréete called _Tizatlan_, bycause there is muche lyme and chalke. In
this stréete dwelled _Xicotencatl_, Captayne generall of the common
weale. There is another stréete named by reason of the brackish water,
_Quiahuiztlan_, but since the Spanyardes came thither, all those
buildings are almost altered, after a better fashion, and built with
stone. In the plaine by the riuer side, standeth the Towne house, and
other offices, as in the Citie of _Venice_. This _Tlaxcallan_ was
gouerned by noble and riche men: they vse not that one alone should
rule, but rather flye from that order, as from tyrannie.
In their warres (as I haue sayde before) they haue foure Captaynes,
whiche gouerneth eache one stréete, of the whiche foure, they do
elect a Captayne generall. Also there are other Gentlemen that are
vndercaptaynes, but a small number. In the warres they vse their
standerde to be carried behynde the army, but when the battayle is to
be fought, they place the standerde where all the hoste may sée it, and
he that commeth not incontinent to hys auntient, payeth a penaltie.
Their standerd hathe two crossebowe arrowes set thereon, whiche they
estéeme as the relikes of their auncetors. Thys standerd two olde
souldiers and valiant menne, being of the chiefest Captaynes, haue the
charge to carrie, in the which standerde an abusion of southsaying,
eyther of losse or victory is noted. In this order they shote one of
these arrowes against the first enimies that they méete, and if with
that arrow they doe eyther kill or hurte, it is a token that they shall
haue the victorie, and if it neyther kill nor hurt, then they assuredly
beléeue that they shall lose the field.
[Sidenote: A strange contractation.]
This prouince or Lordship of _Tlaxcallan_, hath .28. Villages and
townes, wherein is conteyned 150000. householdes. They are men well
made, and good warriors, the lyke are not among the _Indians_. They
are very poore, and haue no other riches, but only the grayne or corne
called _Centli_, and with the gayne and profite thereof, they doe
both cloth themselues, and paye their tributes, and prouide all other
necessaries. They haue many market places, but the greatest and most
vsed dayly, standeth in the stréete of _Ocotelulco_, whiche is so
famous, that 30000. persons come thither in one day to buy and sell,
whyche is to say, changing one thing for another, for they know not
what money meaneth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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