The Gods of _Mexico_ (as the _Indians_ reported to the first _Spaniards_) were two thousand in number; the chiefest were _Vitzilopuchtli_, and _Tezcatlipuca_, whose Images stood highest in the Temple upon the Altars. They were made of stone in full proportion as bigge as a Gyant. They were covered with a lawne called _Nacar_; they were beset with pearles, pretious stones, and peeces of gold, wrought like birds, beasts, fishes, and flowers, adorned with Emeralds, Turquies, Chalcedons, and other little fine stones, so that when the lawne was taken away, the Images seemed very beautifull and glorious to behold. But must I find out _Rome_ still among these heathens? and will the Papists bee angry if I tell them plainly that what I mislike in these Idolatrous _Mexicans_, I mislike in them? for doe not they deck and adorne their Idol Saints, as the heathens did _Vitzilopuchtli_ and _Tezcatlipuca_? Doe not they cover their woodden and stony statues of Saints, and of the Virgin _Mary_ with fine lawne shirts, and hide them with curtaines of cloth of Gold, and crowne them with Crowns of Silver and Gold, and enrich them with costly and pretious jewels and Diamonds; not considering that they are the workes of their owne hands? _Ad quid perditio hæc? poterant enim venundari, & dari pauperibus?_ These two _Indian_ Idols had for a girdle great snakes of gold, and for collars or chaines about their necks ten hearts of men made of gold; and each of them had a counterfeit Visor with eies of glasse, and in their necks Death painted. These two Gods were brethren, for _Tezcatlipuca_ was the God of Providence, and _Vitzilopuchtli_, God of the Warres; who was worshipped and feared more then all the rest. There was another God, who had a great Image placed upon the top of the chappell of Idols, and hee was esteemed for a speciall and singular God above all the rest. This God was made of all kind of seeds that grow in that Countrey, which being ground, they made a certain paste tempered with childrens blood and Virgins sacrificed, who were opened with rasors in their brests, and their hearts taken out, to offer as first fruits unto the Idoll. The Preists consecrated this Idoll with great pompe and many Ceremonies. All the _Comarcans_ and Citizens were present at the Consecration with great triumph and incredible devotion. After the Consecration many devout persons came and sticked in the dowy Image pretious stones, wedges of gold, and other Jewels. And after all this pompe ended, no secular man might touch that holy Image; no nor yet come into his Chappel; nay scarcely religious persons, except they were _Tlamacaztli_, who were Preists of Order. They did renew this Image many times with new dough, taking away the old. And then (like againe unto the Papists who think themselves happy with their Saints reliques, though ragges or bones) blessed was hee that could get one peece of the old ragges, or a peece of the old dough, for the which there was most earnest suites made by the Souldiers, who thought themselves sure therewith in the Warres. Also at the Consecration of this Idoll, a certaine vessell of water was blessed with many words and ceremonies (peradventure from this heathenish Ceremonie came the superstitious holy water to _Rome_) and that water was preserved very religiously at the foot of the Altar, for to consecrate the King when hee should bee crowned, and also to blesse any Captaine Generall, when hee should be elected for the Wars, with onely giving him a draught of that water. And as the _Romish_ Church makes much of their dead mens skulles and rotten bones, laying them up in their Churchyards under some arches made for that purpose in the Churchwalls, even so was it here in _Mexico_; for without this Temple, and over against the principall doore thereof, a stones cast distant stood a Charnell house onely of dead mens heads, Prisoners in Warres and sacrificed with the knife. This monument was made like unto a Theatre, more large then broad, wrought of lime and stone, with ascending steps; in the walls whereof was graffed betwixt stone and stone a skull with the teeth outwards. At the foot and head of this Theatre, were two towers made onely of lime and skulles, the teeth outward, which having no other stuffe in the wall seemed a strange sight. At and upon the top of the Theatre were threescore and ten poles, standing the one from the other foure or five foot distant, and each of them was full of staves from the foot to the top. Each of these staves had others made fast unto them, and every one of them had five skulles broched through the temples.