They sell such things in that market, as héere we vse, & al thing vnto them néedeful to eate, and cloth for themselues, and necessaries for building.
They haue all kinde of good policie in the Citie: there are Goldsmithes, fetherdressers, Barbors, hotehouses, and potters, who make as good earthen vessel, as is made in Spayne. The earth is fat and fruitefull for corne, fruite, and pasture, for among the pine trées groweth so muche grasse, that our men féede their cattell there, whiche in Spayne they can not do.
Within two leagues of that Citie standeth a rounde hill of sixe miles of heigth, and fiue and fortie myles in compasse, and is now called Saint Bartholmewes hill, where the snow fréeseth. In times past they called that hill Matealcucie, who was their God for water. They had also a God for wyne, who was named Ometochtli, for the great dronkennesse whiche they vsed. They chiefest God was called Camaxtlo, and by another name Mixcouatl, whose Temple stoode in the stréete of Ocotelulco, in the whiche temple there was sacrifised some yeares aboue eyghte hundred persons. In Tlaxcallan they spake thrée languages, that is to saye, Nahualh, whiche is the courtly spéech, and chiefest in all the land of Mexico: an other is called Otomir, which is most commonly vsed in the Villages: There is one onely stréete that spake Pinomer, which is the grosest speache. There was also in that Citie a common Iayle, where fellons lye in yrons, and all things which they held for sinne, was there corrected.
Correctiō.
It chanced at that time a Townesman to steale from a Spanyard a little golde, whereof Cortes complayned to Maxixca, who incōtinent made such enquirie, yt the offender was found in Chololla, whiche is another Citie fyue leagues from thence: they brought the prisoner with the golde, and deliuered him to Cortez, to doe with him hys pleasure: Cortes woulde not accepte him, but gaue hym thankes for his diligence: then was he carried wyth a Cryer before hym, manifestyng hys offence, and in the Market place vppon a skaffolde they brake hys ioyntes with a cudgell: our men maruelled to sée suche straunge Iustice.
The aunsvvere of the Tlaxcaltecas touching the leauing of their Idolles.
A godly persvvasiō.
When Cortez saw that these people executed Iustice, and liued in Religion after theyr manner, although abhominable and diuelish: and alwayes when he desired them to leaue off from their Idolatrie and that cruell vanitie, in killing and eating men sacrifised, considering that none among them how holly soeuer he were, would willingly be slayne & eaten, required them to beléeue in the most true God of the Chrystians, who was the maker of Heauen and earth, the giuer of rayne, and creator of all things that the earthe produceth only for the vse and profite of mortall man.