Mutezuma went alwayes very net and fine in hys attire. He bathed him in his hotehouse foure times euerye day. He went seldome out of his Chamber, but when hée went to his meate. He eate alwayes alone, but solemnelye and with great abundance. His table was a pillowe, or else a couple of coulloured skynnes. His Chayre was a fourefooted stole made of one péece, and hollowe in the middest, well wroughte and paynted. His table clothes, napkins and towels were made of Cotten woll, verye white and newe, for he was neuer serued but once wyth that naperie. Foure hundred Pages broughte in hys meate, all sonnes of greate Lordes, and placed it vppon a table in his greate Hall. The meate béeyng broughte in, then came Mutezuma to beholde the dishes, and appoynted those dishes that liked him best, and chafing dishes were prepared to kéepe that meate warme, and seldome would eate of any other dish, except the Lord Stewarde or Controller should highly commende any other dishe.
Before he sate downe, came twentie of his wiues of the fayrest and best estéemed, or else those that serued wéekely by turne, broughte in the bason and ewer, wyth greate humblenesse. This done, he sate him downe, and then came the Lord Steward, and drewe a wodden nette before him, bycause none shoulde come nigh his table. And this noble man alone placed the dishes, and also tooke them away, for the Pages who broughte in the meate came not néere the table, nor yet spake any word, nor no man else.
While the Lord Mutezuma was at his meate, excepte some Iester, they al serued him barefooted. There assisted alwayes somewhat a farre off, sixe auntiente and noble men, vnto whome he vsed to giue of the dish that best lyked him, who receyued the same at his hande with greate reuerence, and eate it incontinent, without loking in his face, whiche was the greatest humilitie that they coulde vse before him. He had musike of Fiddle, Flute, and of a Snayle shell, and a Caudron couered with a skinne, and suche other strange instrumentes. They hadde very euill voyces to sing. Always at dinner time he had Dwarfes, crookebackes, and other deformed counterfets, all for maiestie and to laugh at, who hadde their meate in the Hall among the Iesters and Idyots, whiche were fedde with parte of the meate that came from Mutezuma hys table, all the rest of the meate was giuen to thrée thousand of the Guard, who attended ordinarily in the yarde or court, and therefore they say that there was broughte for his table thrée thousande dishes, and as manye pottes of wine, suche as they vse, and that continually the buttrey and Pantrey stoode open, whiche was a wonder to sée what was in them. The platters, dishes, and cuppes, were al of earth, whereof the King was serued but once, and so frō meale to meale new. He had likewise his seruice of golde and plate verye riche, but he vsed not to bée serued with it, (they say) bycause he woulde not be serued twice therewith, the whiche he thoughte a base thing. Some affirme, that yong children were slayne and dressed in diuers kind of dishes for Mutezuma his table, but it was not so, only of mans flesh sacrifised he fedde nowe and then. The table being taken vp, then came againe the Gentlewomen to bring water for his hands, with the like reuerēce as they vsed at the first, and then went they to dinner with the other wiues, so that then the Gentlemen and Pages waited as their course fell.
The footeplayers that played before Mutezuma.
When his table was taken vp, and his seruitors gone to meate, Mutezuma sate stil: then came in the suiters that hadde any affayres to deale with him, barefoted, for all the persons did vse that reuerence, excepte some Princes his kinsmen, as the Lordes of Tescuco, and Tlacopan, and a fewe others: and béeing colde weather, they vsed to weare olde ragged clothes vppon theyr riche garmentes. Al suiters vsed to make thrée or foure curtesies, not loking toward his face, and speaking vnto him their heads downewardes, and in that order retyred backe agayne. Mutezuma aunswered his suiters very grauely, with lowe voyce, and in fewe words, and not to al suiters, for others his secretaries or counsellers that stoode by, answered for him, and hauyng their aunswere, they returned backewardes, not turning their tayles to the prince. After these businesses done, hée vsed some recreation, hearing Iesters or songs, wherein he delighted much, or else to looke vpon the players, who play with their féete, as we doe with oure handes. These haue a cudgell like vnto a pastlers rowler, whiche they tosse high and lowe, as it were a bal in the ayre, straunge to beholde. They vse other playes to passe the tyme, in such an order, that it séemed maruellous to the lookers on. Cortez broughte into Spayne some of these players. Also they vse Matachines, in suche sorte they do play, that they stand each vppon others shoulders, and he that standeth highest, sheweth many feates. Sometime Mutezuma did beholde the players, who played at a game called Patoliztli, whiche is muche like oure Tables, and they play with beanes, squared like dice, which they call Patolli, and throw them out of both their hands vpon a matte, or else vpon the ground, where are made certaine strikes, vpon which they set downe the chance that is throwen: and at this game they play all that they haue, and many tymes they valew theyr owne bodyes, and play that into captiuitie, and to remayne a slaue, I meane such as are common gamesters of small estate.
The Tennis play in Mexico.
