In every town they had an idol or demon whom they considered chiefly as their mediator, and called him such, and they honored and adorned him with jewels and garments, and the best they could find they offered him, each town as it was (able to), and more so in the capitals of provinces. These principal idols I mention, as soon as the city of Mexico was taken by the Spaniards, with their jewels and wealth the Indians hid in the most secret place they could find; a large part of the gold that was on (or with) the idols and in the temples they gave as tribute to the Spaniards under whose patronage they belonged; for they could not do otherwise because in the beginning the tributes were so excessive that all the Indians could scrape together or search for, nor what the lords and chiefs had, would suffice; besides, they were forced (to pay tributes) with such iniquity that they also gave the gold they had in the temples of the demons (idols), and even when this was exhausted they paid tribute in slaves, and many times not having slaves in order to comply (with the taxes), they gave free (Indians) as slaves. These principal idols, with the insignia and ornaments or garments belonging to the demons, the Indians hid, some in the earth, others in caves, and still others in the woods. Later, when the Indians became converted and were baptized, they unearthed many (of them), and they brought them to the courtyards of the churches to burn them publicly. Others rotted in the earth, because after the Indians had received (or accepted) the Faith, they were ashamed to take out those they had hidden, and would rather let them rot than that anyone should know that they hid them. And when they were importuned to tell (talk) about their principal idols and their vestments, they took them out, all decayed, of which I am a witness, for I have seen it (done) many times. The excuse they gave was good, for they said, “When we hid it, we did not know God, and we thought the Spaniards would soon return to their (own) country, and after we came to understand (about) God, we left it to rot, because we were afraid and ashamed to take it out.” In other towns these principal idols with their vestments were in the care of the lords or of the principal priests of the demons, and those kept them so secretly that hardly anyone knew about them except two or three people who guarded them, and of these (idols) they also brought a very large number to the monasteries to burn them. In many other remote villages, far away from Mexico, when the monks went there to preach, they told them in their sermons and before christening them that the first thing they had to do was to bring all the idols they had and all the insignias of the demons to burn (them): and in this manner they also gave and brought a large quantity which was publicly done in many parts (of the country): because wherever the doctrine