Chap. IX Of Our Journey From St. John de Ulhua to Mexico; and of the Most Remarkeable Townes and Villages in the Way
Upon the 14 day of September we left the Town and Port of S. John de Ulhua, entring into the rode to Mexico, which we found the first three or four leagues to bee very sandy, as wide and open as is our rode from London to S. Albans. The first Indians we met with, was at the old Vera Crux, a Towne seated by the sea side, which the Spaniards that first conquered that countrey thought to have made their chief Harbour: but afterwards by reason of the small shelter they found in it for their ships against the North winds, they left it, and removed to S. John de Ulhua. Here we began to discover the power of the Preists and Fryers over the poore Indians, and their subjection and obedience unto them. The Prior of S. John de Ulhua had writ a letter unto them the day before of our passing that way, charging them to meet us in the way, and to welcome us into those parts; which was by the poor Indians gallantly performed; for two miles before we came to the Towne, there met us on Horse-back some twenty of the chiefe of the Towne, presenting unto every one of us a nosegay of flowers; who rid before us a bow shot, till we met with more company on foot, to wit, the Trumpeters, the Waits; (who sounded pleasantly all the way before us) the Officers of the Church, such as here we call Church-wardens, though more in number, according to the many sodalities or confraternities of Saints whom they serve, these likewise presented to each of us a nosegay; next met us the singing men and boyes, all the Quiristers, who softly and leisurely walked before us singing, Te Deum laudamus, till we came to the midst of the Towne, where were two great Elme trees, the chiefe Market place; there was set up one long arbour with green bowes, and a table ready furnished with boxes of conserves, and other sweet meates, and diet-bread, to prepare our stomacks for a cup of Chocolatte, which while it was seasoning with the hot water and Sugar, the chiefe Indians and Officers of the Towne made a speech unto us, having first kneeled downe and kissed our hands one by one; they welcomed us into their Countrey, calling us the Apostles of Jesus Christ, thanked us for that we had left our own Countrey, our friends, our fathers and mothers for to save their soules; they told us they honoured us as Gods upon earth; and many such complements they used till our Chocolatte was brought. We refreshed ourselves for the space of one hour, and gave hearty thanks to the Indians for their kind respects unto us, assuring them that nothing was more deare unto us in this world then their souls, which that we might save, wee regarded not sea, nor land dangers, nor the unhumane cruelties of barbarous and savage Indians, (who as yet had no knowledge of the true God) no nor our owne lives.
And thus we took our leaves, giving unto the chief of them some Beads, some medals, some Crosses of brasse, some Agnus Dei, some reliques brought from Spain, and to every one of the Town an Indulgence of fourty years, (which the Pope had granted unto us, to bestow where, and upon whom, and as often as wee would) wherewith we began to blind that simple people with ignorant, erroneous, and Popish principles. As we went out of the Arbour to take our Mules, behold the Market place was full of Indian men and women; who as they saw us ready to depart, kneeled upon the ground as adoring us for a blessing, which as we rid along, we bestowed upon them with lifted up hands on high, making over them the signe of the Crosse. And this submission of the poor Indians unto the Preists in those parts; this vain-glory in admitting such ceremonious entertainment and publike worship from them, did so puffe up some of our young Fryers hearts, that already they thought themselves better then the best Bishops in Spain, who though proud enough, yet never travail there with such publike acclamations as we did. The Waits and Trumpets sounded againe before us, and the chiefe of the Town conducted us a mile forward, and so tooke their leaves. The first two daies we lodged but in poore small Indian Townes, among whom we still found kind entertainment, and good store of provision, especially of Hens, Capons, Turkeys, and severall sorts of fruits. The third day at night we came to a great Towne consisting of neere two thousand inhabitants, some Spaniards, some Indians, called Xalappa de la Vera Crux. This Towne in the yeare 1634. was made a new Bishops Sea (the Bishoprick of the City, called La Puebla de los Angeles being divided into two) and this being not above the third part of it, is thought to be worth ten thousand duckats a yeer. It stands in a very fertile soile for Indian wheat called Maiz, and some Spanish wheat. There are many Townes about it of Indians; but what makes it rich, are the many farmes of Sugar, and some which they call Estantia’s, rich farmes for breeding of Mules, and cattell; and likewise some Farmes of Cochinil. In this Towne there is but one great Church and an inferiour Chappell, both belonging to a Cloister of Franciscan Friers, wherein we were lodged that night and the next day, being the Lords day. Though the revenues of this Cloister be great, yet it maintaines not above halfe a dozen Fryers, where twenty might be plentifully maintained, that so those few lubbers might be more abundantly, and like Epicures fed and nourished. The Superiour or Guardian of this Cloister was no lesse vaine then the Prior of S. John de Ulhua; and though he were not of our profession, yet he welcomed us with stately entertainment. Here and wheresoever further we travailed, we still found in the Preists and Fryers loosenesse of life, and their waies and proceedings contrary to the waies of their profession, sworne to by a solemne Vow and Covenant. This Order especially of the mendicant Franciscan Fryers voweth (besides chastity and obedience) poverty more strictly to be observed, then any other Order of the Romish Church; for their Clothing ought to be corse sackcloth, their girdles made of hemp should be no finer then strong halters, their shirts should be but woollen, their legs should know no stockings, their feet no shoes, but at the most and best either wooden clogs, or sandals of hemp, their hands and fingers should not so much as touch any money, nor they have the use or possession or propriety of any, nor their journeys be made easy with the help of Horses to carry them, but painfully they ought to travaile on foot; and the breach of any of these they acknowledge to be a deadly and mortall sinne, with the guilt of a high soul-damning and soul-cursing excommunication. Yet for all these bonds and obligations, those wretched Impes live in those parts as though they had never vowed unto the Lord, shewing in their lives that they have vowed what they are not able to performe. It was to us a strange and scandalous sight to see here in Xalappa a Fryer of the Cloister riding in with his lackey boy by his side, upon a goodly gelding, (having gone but to the Townes end, as we were informed, to heare a dying mans confession) with his long habit tucked up to his girdle, making shew of a fine silke orange colour stockin upon his legs, and a neate Cordovan shoe upon his foot, with a fine Holland paire of drawers, with a lace three inches broad at knee. This sight made us willing to pry further into this and the other Fryers carriages, under whose broad sleeves we could perceive their dublets quilted with silke, and at their wrists the laces of their Holland shirts. In their talke we could discerne no mortification, but meer vanity and worldlinesse. After supper some of them began to talk of carding and dicing; they challenged us, that were but new comers to those parts, to a Primera; which though most of ours refused, some for want of money, some for ignorance of that game, yet at last with much ado they got two of our Fryers to joyn with two of theirs; so the cards were handsomely shuffled, the vies and revies were doubled, losse made some hot & blind with passion, gain made others eager and covetous; and thus was that religious Cloister made all night a gaming house, and sworne religious poverty turned into profane and worldly covetousnesse. We that beheld some part of the night the game, found enough to observe, for the more the sport increased, scandalls to the sport were added, both by drinking and swearing that common oath Voio a Christo, Voio a Dios, and also by scoffing and jearing at the religious vowes of poverty which they had vowed; for one of the Franciscans though formerly he had touched money, and with his fingers had laid it to the Stake on the table; yet sometimes to make the company laugh, if he had chanced to winne a double vie (and sometimes the vies and revies went round of twenty patacons) then would he take the end of one sleeve of his habit, and open wide the other broad sleeve, and so with his sleeve sweep the money into his other sleeve, saying, I have vowed not to touch money, nor to keep any, I meaned then a naturall contact of it; but my sleeve may touch it, and my sleeve may keep it: shewing with scoffes and jests of his lips, what religion was in his heart. My eares tingled with hearing such oathes, my tongue would have uttered some words of reproofe, but that I considered my self a guest and stranger in a strange house, and that if any thing I should say, it would doe no good; so silently I departed to my rest, leaving the Gamesters, who continued til Sun-rising, and in the morning I was informed that the jesting Fryer, that rather roaring Boy then religious Franciscan, fitter for Sardanapalus or Epicurus his Schoole, then to live in a Cloister, had lost fourescore and odde Patacons, his sleeve (it seemes) refusing to keep for him what hee had vowed never to possesse. Here I began to find out by experience of these Franciscans, that liberty and loosnesse of life it was that brought yeerly so many Fryers and Jesuites from Spain to those parts, rather then zeale of Preaching the Gospel and Converting Soules to Christ, which indeed being an act of highest Charity, they make a speciall badge of the truth of their Religion: But the loosnesse of their lives sheweth evidently that the love of money, of vain-glory, of Power and Authority over the poore Indians, is their end and aime more then any love of God. From Xalappa we went to a place called by the Spaniards, La Rinconada, which is no Towne nor Village, and therefore not worth mentioning in such a Rode as now I am in; yet as famous in two things, it must not bee omitted amongst greater places. This place stands so far from any other Town, that Travellers can scarce make their journeys without either baiting there at noone, or lying there at night, or declining three or foure miles out of the Rode to some Indian Town. It is no more then one house, which the Spaniards call, Venta, or as our English, Innes, seated in the corner of a low Valley, which is the hottest place from St. John de Ulhua to Mexico; about it are the best Springs and Fountaines in all the Rode, and the water though warme with the heat of the Sun, yet as sweet as any Milk. The Inne-keepers knowing wel the Spaniards heat, that it seeks coole and refreshing drink, have speciall care so to lay in water in great earthen Vessels, which they set upon a moist and waterish Sand, that it is so cold that it maketh the teeth to chatter. This sweetnesse and this coolnesse together of that water in so hot and scorching a Countrey, was to us a wonder, who could find no other refreshment from that extraordinary heat. Besides our Provision here of Beefe, Mutton, Kid, Hens, Turkeys, Rabbets, Fowles, and especially Quailes, was so plentifull and cheape, that wee were astonished at it. The Valley and Countrey about it is very rich and fertile, full of Spanish Farmes of Sugar, and Cochinil, Spanish and Indian Wheate. But what maketh mee more especially remember this Venta, or Inne, is, for that though Art and experience of man have found a way to provide for Travellers in so hot a place coole and refreshing water, and God have given it the sweetnesse of Milk, and to the place such abundance of Provision; yet all this in the day onely is comfortable and pleasant; but in the night the Spaniards call it, Cumfites en infierno, that is to say, Cumfits in hell, for not onely the heat is so extraordinary, that it is impossible to bee feeding without wiping away the continuall sweat of the Face, whose drops from the Browes are alwayes ready to blind our eyes and to fill with sauce our dishes, but the swarmes of Gnats are such that waking and sleeping no device of man is able to keep them off. True it is, most of us had our Pavilions which wee carried with us to hang about and over our beds, but these could not defend us from that piercing and stinging Vermine, which like Egypts Plague of Frogs would be sure to be in every place, and through our Curtaines to come upon our very Beds. Yet in the day they are not; but just at Sun setting they begin to swarme about, and at Sun rising away they goe. After a most tedious and troublesome night, when wee found the rising of the Sun had dispersed and banished them away, wee thought it best for us to flie away from that place with them; and so from thence earely wee departed to a Towne as pleasant and fertill and abounding with Provision as this Rinconada, and free from such busie guests and individuall Mates and Companions as the night before had intruded themselves upon us. The next night wee got to a Towne called Segura, inhabited both by Indians and Spaniards, consisting of about a thousand Inhabitants; here again without any charges we were stately entertained by Franciscan Fryers, as light and vain glorious as those of Xalappa. This Town had its first beginning and foundation from Hernando Cortez, and is called Segura de la Frontera, being built up by him for a Frontier Town to secure the Spaniards that came from St. John de Ulhua to Mexico, against the Culhuacans and people of Tepeacac, who were allied to the Mexicans, and so much annoyed the Spaniards. But what most incensed Cortez was, that after his first repulse from Mexico, the Indians insulting over him and the rest of his Company, whom they heard had beene dangerously wounded, and were retired to Tlaxcallan to recover and strengthen themselves; the two Townes, Culhua and Tepeacac, then in League with the Mexicans against Cortez and the Town of Tlaxcallan, lying in wait for the Spaniards, took twelve of them, and sacrificed them alive to their Idols and eat their flesh. Whereupon Cortez desired Maxixca, a chief Captain of Tlaxcallan, and divers other Gentlemen of that Towne to goe with him and to help him to bee avenged of the people of Tepeacac for the cruelty used to twelve of his Spaniards, and for the daily and great hurt they also did to the Inhabitants of Tlaxcallan with the helpe of their allied friends the Culhuacans and Mexicans. Maxixca and the chief of Tlaxcallan forthwith entred into counsell with the States and and Communalty of the Town, and there determined with generall consent to give unto him forty thousand fighting Men, besides many Tamemez, who are Foot Carriers, to beare the Baggage, Victuall, and other things. With this number of Tlaxcalteca’s, his owne men, and horses, Cortez went to Tepeacac, requiring them in satisfaction of the death of the twelve Christians, that they should now yeeld themselves to the obedience of the Emperour and King of Spain his Master, and hereafter never more to receive any Mexican into their Town or houses, neither yet any of the Province of Culhua. The Tepeacacs answered that they had slain the Spaniards for good and just cause, which was that being time of Warre, they presumed to passe through their Countrey by force without their will and License. And also that the Mexicans and Culhuacans were their friends and Lords, whom alwayes they would friendly entertaine within their Towne and houses, refusing utterly their offer and request, protesting to give no obedience to whom they knew not, wishing them therefore to return incontinent to Tlaxcallan, except they had desire to end their weary days, and to be sacrificed and eaten up as their twelve friends had been. Cortez yet invited them many times with peace; and seeing it prevailed not, he began his Wars in earnest. The Tepeacacs with the favour of the Culhuacans were brave and lusty, and began to stop and defend the Spaniards entrance into their Town. And being many in number with divers valiant men among them, began to skirmish sundry times; but at the end they were overthrown and many slain without killing any Spaniard, although many Tlaxcalteca’s were killed that day. The Lords and principall persons of Tepeacac seeing their overthrow, and that their strength could not prevaile, yeelded themselves unto Cortez for Vassals of the Emperour with condition to banish for ever their allied friends of Culhua; and that hee should punish and correct at his will and pleasure all those which were occasion of the death of the twelve Spaniards. For which causes and obstinacy, at the first Cortez judged by his sentence that all the Townes which had been privy to the murther, should for ever remain Captives and slaves; others affirm that he overcame them without any condition, and corrected them for their disobedience, being Sodomites, Idolaters and eaters of mans flesh, and chiefly for example of all others. And in conclusion, they were condemned for slaves, and within twenty daies that these Wars lasted, hee pacified all that Province, which is very great, hee drave from thence the Culhuacans, hee threw down the Idols, and the chiefest persons obeyed him. And for more assurance he built there this Town, naming it Segura De la Frontera, appointing all Officers for the purpose, whereby the Christians and strangers might passe without danger from Vera Crux to Mexico. This Town likewise, as all the rest from St. John de Ulhua to Mexico, is very plentifull of provision, and many sorts of fruits, namely Plantins, Sapottes, and Chicosapottes, which have within a great black kernell as big as our horse Plums, the fruit it self is as red within as Scarlet, as sweet as Honey; but the Chicosapotte, is lesse and some of them red, some browne coloured, and so juicy that at the eating the juyce like drops of Honey fall from them, and the smell is like unto a baked Peare. Here likewise were presented unto us Clusters of Grapes as faire as any in Spain, which were welcome unto us, for that wee had seen none since we came from Spain, and wee saw by them that the Countrey thereabouts would be very fit for Vineyards, if the King of Spain would grant the planting of Vines in those parts; which often hee hath refused to doe, lest the Vineyards there should hinder the Trading and Trafique between Spain and those parts, which certainly had they but Wine, needed not any commerce with Spain. This Towne is of a more temperate Climate then any other from Vera Crux to Mexico, and the people who formerly had been eaters of Mans flesh, now as civill and politick, as loving and curteous as any in the rode. From whence we declined a little out of our way more Westward (the rode being North-Westward) only to see that famous Towne of Tlaxcallan, whose inhabitants joyned with Cortez, and wee may say were the chiefe instruments of that great and unparalleld Conquest.