The accounting of yeares.
These Mexicans had another order to recken theyr yeares, which exceded not aboue foure in number, as one, two, thrée, foure, wherewith they accounte a hundred, fiue hundred, a thousand, and as many moe as they lust. Those foure figures or names are, Tochtli, Acatlh, Tecpatlh, Calli, and do signifye, a Conny, a Caue, a Knife, and a House, saying.
| Ce Totchtli | One yeare |
| Ome Acatlh | Two yeares |
| Ei Tecpatlh | Thrée yeares |
| Naui Calli | Foure yeares |
| Macuil Tochtli | Fiue yeares |
| Cicoacen Acatlh | Sixe yeares |
| Cicome Tecpatlh | Seauen yeares |
| Chicuei Calh | Eight yeares |
| Chiconaui Tochtli | Nine yeares |
| Matlactli Acatlh | Tenne yeares |
| Matlactlioce Tecpatlh | Eleuen yeares |
| Matlactliome Calli | Twelue yeares |
| Matlactliomei Tochtli | Thirtéene yeares |
So that the reconing passeth not aboue thirtéene, whiche is one wéeke of the yeare, and endeth where he began.
Another Weeke.
| Ce Acatlh | One yeare |
| Ome Tlepatlh | Two yeares |
| Ei Calli | Thrée yeares |
| Naui Tochtli | Foure yeares |
| Macuil Acatlh | Fiue yeares |
| Chicoacen Tecpatlh | Sixe yeares |
| Chicome Calli | Seuen yeares |
| Cichuei Tochtli | Eight yeares |
| Chiconaui Acatlh | Nine yeares |
| Matlactli Tecpatlh | Tenne yeares |
| Matlactlioce Calli | Eleuen yeares |
| Matlactliome Tochtli | Twelue yeares |
| Matlactliomei Acatlh | Thirtéene yeares |
The third vveeke of yeares.
| Ce Tecpatlh | One yeare |
| Ome Calli | Two yeres |
| Ei Tochtli | Thrée yeres |
| Naui Acatlh | Foure yeres |
| Macuil Tecpatlh | Fiue yeres |
| Chicoacan Calli | Sixe yeares |
| Chicome Tochthi | Seauen yeares |
| Chicuei Acatlh | Eight yeares |
| Chiconaui Tecpatlh | Nine yeares |
| Matlactli Calli | Tenne yeares |
| Matlactliome Tochtli | Eleuen yeares |
| Matlactliome Acatlh | Twelue yeares |
| Matlactliomei Tecpatlh | Thirtéene yeares |
The fourth Weeke.
| Ce Calli | One yeare |
| Ome Tochtii | Two yeares |
| Ei Acatlh | Thrée yeares |
| Naui Tecpatlh | Foure yeares |
| Macuil Calli | Fiue yeares |
| Chicoacen Tochtli | Sixe yeares |
| Chicome Acatlh | Seauen yeares |
| Chicuei Tecpatlh | Eight yeares |
| Chiconaui Calli | Nine yeares |
| Matlactli Tochtli | Tenne yeares |
| Matlactlioce Acatlh | Eleuen yeares |
| Matlactliome Tecpatlh | Twelue yeares |
| Matlactliomei Calli | Thirtéene yeares |
Ech of these wéekes, which our men cal Indition, doth conteyne thirtéene yeares, so that all the foure wéekes make two and fiftie yeares, which is a perfit number in the reconing, and is called the yeare of grace, for from fiftie two yeres, to fiftie two yeares, they vsed to make solemne feastes, with strange Ceremonies, as hereafter shall be declared. And when fiftie two yeares are ended, then they beginne againe, by the same order before declared, vntil they come to as many moe, beginning at Ce Tochtli, and so forwarde. But alwayes they begin at the Conny figure. So that in the forme of reconing they kepe & haue in mēmorye, things of 850. yeares, and by this Cronicle they know in what yere euerye thing hapned, and how long euery king raygned: howe many children they had, and all things else that importeth to the estate of the gouernement of the lande.
The Indians beleeued that fiue ages were past, which they called Sunnes.
The Indians of Culhua did beléeue that the Gods had made ye world, but they knew not how, yet they beléeued that since the creation of the world four Sunnes were past, and that the fift and last is ye Sunne that now giueth light to the world.
They helde opinion that the firste Sunne perished by water, and at the same time all liuing creatures perished likewise.
The second Sunne (say they) fell from the heauēs, with whose fall all liuing creatures were slayne, and then (said they) were manye Giantes in that Countrey, and certayne monstrous bones, which our men found in opening of graues, by proportion whereof, some shoulde séeme to be men of twenty spannes high.
The third Sunne was consumed by fire, whiche burned day and night, so that then all liuing creatures were burned.
The fourth Sunne finished by tempest of ayre or winde, which blew downe houses, trées, yea and ye mountaynes and Rockes were blowē asunder, but the lignage of mankinde perished not, sauing that they were conuerted into Apes. And touching the fift Sunne, which now raigneth, they know not how it shall consume. But they say that when the fourth Sunne perished, all the worlde fell into darkenesse, and so remained for the space of fiue and twenty yeares continually, and at the fiftenth yeare of that fearefull darkenesse, the Gods did forme one man and a woman, who brought forth children, and at the end of the other tenne yeares, appeared the Sunne whiche was newly borne vppon the figure of the Conny day, and therfore they begin their account of yéeres at yt day, & reckoning from the yeare of oure Lorde 1552. their age or Sunne is 858. so that it appeareth that they haue vsed many yeares their writing in figures: and they had not onely this vse from Cetochtli, whiche is the beginning of their yeare, moneth, and day of their fifth Sunne, but also they hadde the same order and vse in the other foure Sunnes which were past: but they let many things slippe out of memorie, saying, that with the newe Sunne, all other things should be likewise new. They held also opinion, that thrée dayes after this last Sunne appeared, all the Gods did dye, and that in processe of time the Gods whiche nowe they haue, and worshippe, were borne. And through these false opinions, our Diuines did soone conuert them to the knowledge of the true lawes of God.
The nation of the Indians called Chichimecas.
In the lande nowe called newe Spayne, are dyuers and sundry generations of people: but they holde opinion, that the stocke of most antiquitie, is the people nowe called Chichimecas, which procéeded out of the house of Aculhuacan, which standeth beyond Xalixco, about the yeare of our Lorde .720. Many of this Generation did inhabite aboute the lake of Tenuchtitlan, but their name ended by mixture in marriage with other people. At that time they hadde no King, nor yet did builde eyther house or Towne. Their only dwellings was in caues in ye Moūtaynes. They went naked, they sowed no kind of graine, nor vsed bread of any sorte. They did mainteyne themselues with rootes, hearbes, and siluester fruites: and béeing a people cunning in shooting with the bowe, they kylled deare, hares, connyes, and other beastes and foule, which they eate also, not sodden or rosted, but rawe, and dryed in the Sunne. They eate also Snakes, Lizardes, and other filthye beastes, yea and at this day there are some of this generation that vse the same dyet. But although they liued suche a bestiall life, & being a people so barbarous, yet in their diuelish religion they were verye deuout. They worshipped the Sunne, vnto whome they vsed to offer Snakes, Lizards, & such other beasts. They likewise offered vnto their God all kinde of foule, from the degrée of an Eagle, to a little Butterflie. They vsed not sacrifice of māslaughter, nor had any Idolles, no not so muche as of the Sunne, whome they helde for the sole and only God. They married but with one woman, & in no degrée of kinred. They were a stoute and a warlike people, by reason whereof, they were Lordes of the land.