En el comer, le tenian sus cozineros, sobre treynta maneras de guisados, hechos a su manera E vsança y tenianlos puestos En braseros de barro chicos debaxo porq̃ no se Enfriasen, E de aquello quel gran montezuma avia de comer, guisavan mas de trezientos platos, sin mas de mill, para la gente de guarda, y quando avia de comer, saliase El montezuma algunas vezes con sus prinçipales, E mayordomos, y le señalavan qual guisado Era mejor, E de que aves, E cosas estava guisado, y de lo que le dezian de aquello avia de comer, E quando salia a lo ver, eran pocas vezes, E como por pasatienpo. oy dezir que le solyan guisar carnes de muchachos de poca hedad, y como tenia tantas diversidades de guisados, y de tantas Cosas, no lo hechavamos de ver si hera de carne vmana o de otras cosas porque cotidianamente le guisavan gallinas, gallos de papada, faysanes, perdizes de la tierra, codornizes, patos manzos E bravos, benado, puerco de la trra, pajaritos de caña, e palomas, y liebres, y conexos, y muchas maneras de aves, E cosas que se crian En estas tierras, que son tantas, que no las acabare de nonbrar tan presto, E ansi no miramos En ello, mas se que çiertamente, desque nro capitan le rreprehendia el sacrifiçio, y comer de carne vmana, que desde Entonçes mando que no le guisasen tal manjar dexemos de hablar En esto, y bolvamos a la manera que tenia En su serviçio, al tienpo del comer y es desta manera, que si hazia frio, tenianle hecho mucha lunbre de asquas de vna leña de cortezas de arboles, que no hazian humo, el olor de las cortezas de que hazian aquellos adquas, muy oloroso, y porque no le diesen mas calor de lo quel queria ponian delante, vna como tabla labrada con oro E otras figuras de ydolos, y el sentado En vn asentadero baxo, rrico E blando, y la mesa tanbien baja, fecha de la misma mañera de los sentaderos, e alli le ponian sus manteles, de mantas blancas, E vnos pañyzuelos, algo largos, de lo mismo, y quatro mugeres muy hermosas, E linpias, le davan agua a manos, En vnos como a manera de aguamaniles hondos, que llaman xicales, ponian debajo, para rrecoger el agua, otros a manera de platos y le daban sus tobajas, E otras dos mugeres le trayan el pan de tortillas E ya que Encomençava A comer hechavanle delante vna como puerta de madera muy pintada de oro porque no le viesen Comer y estavan apartadas las quatro mugeres Aparte E alli se le ponian a sus lados quatro grandes señores biejos e de edad En pie con quien el monteçuma de quando En quando praticava, E preguntava cosas y por mucho fabor dava a cada vno destos viejos vn plato de lo quel mas le sabia, E dezian que aquellos viejos heran sus debdos muy çercanos E consejeros y juezes de pleytos, y el plato y manjar que les dava el montezuma comian en pie E con mucho acato, y todo sin miralle a la cara. serviase con barro de cholula, de vno colorado, E otro prieto, mientras que comia, ni por pensamiento avian de hazer alboroto, ni hablar alto los de su guarda, questavan En las salas çerca de la del montezuma trayanle fruta de todas quantas abia en la tierra, mas no comia sino muy poca de quando En quando. trayan En vnas como a manera de copas de oro fino con çierta bevida hecha del mismo cacao dezian q̃ era para tener açeso con mugeres y entonçes no miravamos En ello, mas lo que yo vi, que trayan sobre çinquenta jarros grandes hechos de buen cacao, Con su espuma, y de aquello bevia y las mugeres le servian al bever, con gran acato y algunas vezes al tienpo de comer, estavan vnos yndios corcobados, muy feos, porque [era]n chicos de cuerpo, E quebrados por medio los cuerpos, [E]ntre Ellos heran chocarreros, y otros yndios que de[vian] ser truhanes, que le dezian graçias, E otros que le [c]antavan y baylavan, porquel montezuma hera afiçionado a plazeres y cantares, E aquellos mandava dar los rrelieves y jarros del cacao y las mismas quatro mugeres, alçavan los manteles, y le tornavan a dar aguamanos, E con mucho acato que le hazian E hablava el montezuma aq̃llos quatro prinçipales viejos, En cosas que le convenian y se despedian del con gran rreverençia que le tenian y el se quedava rreposando, y mas digo, que se me avia olvidado, que Es bien tornallo a rreçitar, y es, que le servian al monteçuma, estando a la mesa quãdo comia como dicho tengo, otras dos mugeres muy agraçiadas, de traer tortillas amasadas con huevos y otras Cosas sustançiosas, y heran muy blancas las tortillas y trayanselas en vnos platos cobijado con sus paños linpios, y tanbien le trayan otra manera de pan, que son como bollos largos hechos y amasados Con otra manera de cosas sustançiales, y pan pachol que en esta trra asi se dize, ques a manera de vnas obleas tanbien le ponian en la mesa, tres cañutos, muy pintados y dorados, y dentro tenian liquidanbar, rrebuelto con vnas yervas, que se dize tabaco, E quando acabava de comer despues que le avian baylado, y cantado, y alçado la mesa, tomava el humo de vno de aquellos cañutos y muy poco, y con ello se adormia. y desque llegamos a la gran plaça, que se dize El tatelulco, Como no aviamos visto tal cosa, quedamos admirados de la multitud de gente y mercaderias que En ella avia, y del gran conçierto y rregimiento, que en todo tenian y los prinçipales que yvan con nosotros, nos lo yvan mostrando, cada genero de mercaderias estavan por si, y tenian situados y señalados sus asientos, començemos por los mercaderes de oro y plata, y piedras rricas y plumas y mantas, y cosas labradas y otras mercaderias de yndios esclavos, y esclavas, digo que trayan tantos dellos a vender aq̃lla gran plaça, como traen los portugueses los negros de guinea, e trayanlos atados En vnas varas largas Con colleras a los pescueços, porque no se les huyesen y otros dexavan sueltos. luego estavan otros mercaderes que vendian rropa mas basta y algodon, E cosas de hilo torçido y cacahuateros que vendian cacao, y desta manera estavan quantos generos de mercaderias ay en toda la nueva españa, puesto por su conçierto de la manera que ay En mi tierra, ques medina del canpo, donde se hazen las ferias, que En cada calle estan sus mercaderias por si, ansi estavan En esta gran plaça pasemos adelante y digamos de los que vendian frisoles y chia, y otras legunbres, E yervas, a otra parte, vamos a los que vendian gallinas, gallos de papada, conexos liebres benados y anadones perrillos y otras cosas deste arte, a su parte de la plaça. digamos de las fruteras, de las que vendian cosas cozidas, maça morreras y malcoçinado, tanbien a su parte, pues todo genero de loça, hecha de mill maneras, desde tinajas grandes, y xarrillos chicos questavan por si, aparte y tanbien los q̃ vendian miel y melcochas, y otras golosinas que hazian como nuegados, pues los q̃ vendian madera, tablas, cunas, E vigas E tajos y vancos, y todo por si. pã que gasto yo tantas palabras, de lo q̃ vendian En aquella gran plaça porques para no acavar tan presto de contar por menudo todas las cosas, sino que papel, que En esta trra llaman amal, y vnos cañutos de olores, con liquidanbar, llenos de tabaco, y otros vnguentos amarillos y cosas deste arte, vendian por si, e vendian mucha grana debajo los portales, que Estavan En aquella gran plaça, avia muchos erbolarios y mercaderias de otra manera y tenian alli sus casas a donde juzgavan tres juezes, y otros como alguaziles, Esecutores, que miravan las mercaderias. y fuymos al gran Cu, E ya que yvamos çerca de sus grandes patios, E antes de salir de la misma plaça, Estavan otros muchos mercaderes, que segun dixeron heran de los que trayan a vender oro En granos Como lo sacan de las minas metido El oro En vnos canutillos delgados de los de ansarones de la tierra, E ansi blancos porque se paresçiese el oro por de fuera, y por el largor y gordor de los canutillos tenian Entre ellos su quenta, que tantas mantas, o que xiquipiles de cacao valia, o que esclavos o otra cualquiera cosa a que lo trocavan E viamos En aquella gran laguna, tanta multitud de canoas vnas venian con bastimentos E otras que boluian con cargas y mercaderias E viamos que cada casa de aquella gran çibdad y de todas las mas çibdades, questavan pobladas En el agua, de casa a casa, no se pasaba sino por vnas puentes levadizas que tenian hechas de madera, o En canoas y viamos, En aquellas çibdades, Cues y adoratorios, a manera de torres, E fortalezas, y todas blanqueando, que hera cosa de admiraçion y las casas de açoteas E en las calçadas otras torrezillas, E adoratorios que heran como fortalezas, y despues de bien mirado y considerado todo lo que aviamos visto, tornamos a ver la gran plaça y la multitud de gente que En ella abia, vnos conprando, e otros vendiendo, que solamente el rremor y zumbido de las bozes y palabras que alli avia, sonava mas que de vna legua, e Entre nosotros vvo soldados que avian estado En muchas partes del mundo, E en costantinopla E en toda ytalia, y rroma y dixeron que plaça tan bien conpasada, y con tanto conçierto, y tamaña, E llena de tanta gente, no la avian visto

For his meals, his cooks made more than thirty kinds of dishes, prepared in their own way and style. They set them on small clay braziers so that they would not get cold. Of the food the great Montezuma was to eat, they cooked more than three hundred plates, besides more than a thousand for the men of his guard. When it was time to eat, Montezuma sometimes went out with his chief men and stewards. They showed him which dish was best, and what birds and other things it was made of, and he ate what they advised. But he went out to look at the food only rarely, and as a kind of pastime. I heard it said that they used to cook him the flesh of young boys. But he had so many different dishes, made of so many things, that we could not tell whether it was human flesh or something else. For every day they cooked him hens, turkeys, pheasants, native partridges, quail, tame and wild ducks, venison, wild pig, little reed birds, pigeons, hares, rabbits, and many kinds of birds and other creatures raised in these lands. There are so many that I could not finish naming them quickly. So we did not look into it. But I know for certain that after our captain rebuked him for the sacrifices and for eating human flesh, he ordered that such food no longer be cooked for him. Let us stop talking about this and return to the way he was served at mealtimes. It was like this. If it was cold, they made him a large fire of glowing coals from a tree bark that gave off no smoke, and the bark had a very sweet smell. So that it would not give him more heat than he wanted, they set in front of it a kind of screen worked with gold and with figures of idols. He sat on a low seat, rich and soft, and the table was low too, made in the same style as the seats. On it they laid his tablecloths of white cloth and some rather long napkins of the same. Four very beautiful, clean women brought him water for his hands in deep bowls like washbasins, which they call xicales. Underneath they held other vessels like plates to catch the water, and they gave him his towels. Two other women brought him tortilla bread. Once he began to eat, they set before him a kind of wooden screen, painted all over with gold, so that no one would see him eating. The four women stood off to one side. Then four great lords, old men, came and stood at his sides. Montezuma talked with them now and then and asked them questions. As a great favor, he would give each of these old men a plate of whatever he liked best. They said these old men were his close relatives, his counselors, and judges of lawsuits. They ate the food Montezuma gave them standing up, with great respect, and all without looking at his face. He was served on pottery from Cholula, some red and some black. While he ate, the men of his guard in the halls next to his would not dream of making a noise or speaking loudly. They brought him fruit of every kind the land produced, but he ate only a little now and then. From time to time they brought him, in cups of fine gold, a drink made from cacao itself. They said it was for visiting his women. At the time we paid no attention to that. But what I did see was that they brought more than fifty large jugs of good cacao, with its froth, and he drank of it. The women served him his drink with great respect. Sometimes at mealtimes there were hunchbacked Indians, very ugly, for they were small and bent nearly double. Among them they served as jesters. Other Indians, who must have been clowns, told him witty sayings, and others sang and danced for him, for Montezuma was fond of pleasures and songs. He ordered the leftovers and the jugs of cacao given to them. Then the same four women took away the tablecloths and brought him water for his hands again, with great respect. Montezuma talked with those four old chief men about matters that concerned him. They took leave of him with the great reverence they had for him, and he stayed to rest. And I must add something I had forgotten, which it is right to go back and tell. While Montezuma sat at table eating, as I have described, two other very graceful women served him. They brought tortillas kneaded with eggs and other nourishing things. These tortillas were very white, and they brought them on plates covered with clean cloths. They also brought him another kind of bread, like long rolls, kneaded with other nourishing things, and pan pachol, as it is called in this land, which is like wafers. They also set on the table three tubes, much painted and gilded, which held liquidambar mixed with some herbs they call tobacco. When he had finished eating, and they had danced and sung for him and cleared the table, he drew in the smoke from one of those tubes, only a little, and with that he fell asleep. When we reached the great square called Tatelulco, we were amazed, for we had never seen such a thing. We marveled at the crowds of people and the goods in it, and at the good order and control kept in everything. The chief men who came with us pointed it all out to us. Each kind of goods was kept by itself and had its own fixed place. Let us begin with the dealers in gold and silver, precious stones, feathers, cloth, and embroidered goods. Then there were other goods: Indian slaves, men and women. I say they brought as many of them to sell in that great square as the Portuguese bring Blacks from Guinea. They brought them tied to long poles, with collars around their necks so that they could not run away, though others they left loose. Next there were other merchants who sold coarser cloth and cotton, and things of twisted thread, and cacao dealers who sold cacao. In this way every kind of goods found in all New Spain was there, set out in order. It was like my own home town, Medina del Campo, where the fairs are held and each street has its own goods. That is how it was in this great square. Let us go on and speak of those who sold beans, chia, and other vegetables and herbs, in another part. Let us go to those who sold hens, turkeys, rabbits, hares, deer, ducks, little dogs, and other such things, in their part of the square. Let us speak of the women who sold fruit, and the women who sold cooked food, porridge and tripe, also in their own part. Then there was every kind of pottery, made in a thousand shapes, from great jars to little jugs, set apart by itself. There were also those who sold honey, honey paste, and other sweets they made, like nougat. And there were those who sold wood, boards, cradles, beams, chopping blocks, and benches, each by itself. But why do I spend so many words on what they sold in that great square? I would never finish if I told every thing in detail. I will say only that paper, which in this land they call amal, and reed tubes of perfume with liquidambar, filled with tobacco, and yellow ointments and such things, were sold by themselves. Much cochineal was sold under the arcades of that great square. There were many sellers of healing herbs, and goods of other kinds. And they had buildings there where three judges sat in judgment, and others like constables, who inspected the goods. Then we went to the great cu. As we came near its great courtyards, before we had left the square, there were many more merchants. They were, so we were told, the ones who brought gold to sell in grains, just as it is taken from the mines. The gold was put into thin quills of the geese of the country, white ones, so that the gold showed through. By the length and thickness of the quills they reckoned among themselves how many cloths it was worth, or how many xiquipiles of cacao, or how many slaves, or whatever else they traded it for. On that great lake we saw a multitude of canoes, some coming in with food and others going back with cargoes and goods. We saw that in that great city, and in all the other cities built in the water, one could pass from house to house only by wooden drawbridges, or by canoe. In those cities we saw cues and shrines like towers and fortresses, all gleaming white, a wonderful thing to see. We saw the houses with flat roofs, and on the causeways other little towers and shrines like fortresses. After we had looked well at everything and thought about it, we turned to look at the great square again, and at the crowd of people in it, some buying and others selling. The murmur and hum of their voices and talk alone could be heard more than a league away. Among us there were soldiers who had been in many parts of the world, in Constantinople, all over Italy, and Rome. They said they had never seen a square so well laid out, so orderly, so large, and so full of people.

For each meal, over thirty different dishes were prepared by his cooks according to their ways and usage, and they placed small pottery brasiers beneath the dishes so that they should not get cold. They prepared more than three hundred plates of the food that Montezuma was going to eat, and more than a thousand for the guard. When he was going to eat, Montezuma would sometimes go out with his chiefs and stewards, and they would point out to him which dish was best, and of what birds and other things it was composed, and as they advised him, so he would eat, but it was not often that he would go out to see the food, and then merely as a pastime. I have heard it said that they were wont to cook for him the flesh of young boys, but as he had such a variety of dishes, made of so many things, we could not succeed in seeing if they were of human flesh or of other things, for they daily cooked fowls, turkeys, pheasants, native partridges, quail, tame and wild ducks, venison, wild boar, reed birds, pigeons, hares and rabbits, and many sorts of birds and other things which are bred in this country, and they are so numerous that I cannot finish naming them in a hurry ; so we had no insight into it, but I know for certain that after our Captain censured the sacrifice of human beings, and the eating of their flesh, he ordered that such food should not be prepared for him thenceforth. Let us cease speaking of this and return to the way things were served to him at meal times. It was in this way: if it was cold they made up a large fire of live coals of a firewood made from the bark of trees which did not give off any smoke, and the scent of the bark from which the fire was made was very fragrant, and so that it should not give off more heat than he required, they placed in front of it a sort of screen adorned with figures of idols worked in gold. He was seated on a low stool, soft and richly worked, and the table, which was also low, was made in the same style as the seats, and on it they placed the table cloths of white cloth and some rather long napkins of the same material. Four very beautiful cleanly women brought water for his hands in a sort of deep basin which they call “xicales,” and they held others like plates below to catch the water, and they brought him towels. And two other women brought him tortilla bread, and as soon as he began to eat they placed before him a sort of wooden screen painted over with gold, so that no one should watch him eating. Then the four women stood aside, and four great chieftains who were old men came and stood beside them, and with these Montezuma now and then conversed, and asked them questions, and as a great favour he would give to each of these elders a dish of what to him tasted best. They say that these elders were his near relations, and were his counsellors and judges of law suits, and the dishes and food which Montezuma gave them they ate standing up with much reverence and without looking at his face. He was served on Cholula earthenware either red or black. While he was at his meal the men of his guard who were in the rooms near to that of Montezuma, never dreamed of making any noise or speaking aloud. They brought him fruit of all the different kinds that the land produced, but he ate very little of it. From time to time they brought him, in cup-shaped vessels of pure gold, a certain drink made from cacao which they said he took when he was going to visit his wives, and at the time he took no heed of it, but what I did see was that they brought over fifty great jugs of good cacao frothed up, and he drank of that, and the women served this drink to him with great reverence. Sometimes at meal-times there were present some very ugly humpbacks, very small of stature and their bodies almost broken in half, who are their jesters, and other Indians, who must have been buffoons, who told him witty sayings, and others who sang and danced, for Montezuma was fond of pleasure and song, and to these he ordered to be given what was left of the food and the jugs of cacao. Then the same four women removed the table cloths, and with much ceremony they brought water for his hands. And Montezuma talked with those four old chieftains about things that interested him, and they took leave of him with the great reverence in which they held him, and he remained to repose. but I must add what I had forgotten, for it is as well to go back and relate it, and that is, that while Montezuma was at table eating as I have described, there were waiting on him two other graceful women to bring him tortillas, kneaded with eggs and other sustaining ingredients, and these tortillas were very white, and they were brought on plates covered with clean napkins, and they also brought him another kind of bread, like long balls kneaded with other kinds of sustaining food, and “pan pachol” for so they call it in this country, which is a sort of wafer. There were also placed on the table three tubes much painted and gilded, which held liquidambar mixed with certain herbs which they call tabaco, and when he had finished eating, after they had danced before him and sung and the table was removed, he inhaled the smoke from one of those tubes, but he took very little of it and with that he fell asleep. When we arrived at the great market place, called Tlaltelolco, we were astounded at the number of people and the quantity of merchandise that it contained, and at the good order and control that was maintained, for we had never seen such a thing before. The chieftains who accompanied us acted as guides. Each kind of merchandise was kept by itself and had its fixed place marked out. Let us begin with the dealers in gold, silver, and precious stones, feathers, mantles, and embroidered goods. Then there were other wares consisting of Indian slaves both men and women; and I say that they bring as many of them to that great market for sale as the Portuguese bring negroes from Guinea; and they brought them along tied to long poles, with collars round their necks so that they could not escape, and others they left free. Next there were other traders who sold great pieces of cloth and cotton, and articles of twisted thread, and there were cacahuateros who sold cacao. In this way one could see every sort of merchandise that is to be found in the whole of New Spain, placed in arrangement in the same manner as they do in my own country, which is Medina del Campo, where they hold the fairs, where each line of booths has its particular kind of merchandise, and so it is in this great market. Let us go on and speak of those who sold beans and sage and other vegetables and herbs in another part, and to those who sold fowls, cocks with wattles, rabbits, hares, deer, mallards, young dogs and other things of that sort in their part of the market, and let us also mention the fruiterers, and the women who sold cooked food, dough and tripe in their own part of the market; then every sort of pottery made in a thousand different forms from great water jars to little jugs, these also had a place to themselves ; then those who sold honey and honey paste and other dainties like nut paste, and those who sold lumber, boards, cradles, beams, blocks and benches, each article by itself, But why do I waste so many words in recounting what they sell in that great market, for I shall never finish if I tell it all in detail. Paper, which in this country is called Amal, and reeds scented with liquidambar, and full of tobacco, and yellow ointments and things of that sort are sold by themselves, and much cochineal is sold under the arcades which are in that great market place, and there are many vendors of herbs and other sorts of trades. There are also buildings where three magistrates sit in judgment, and there are executive officers like Alguaciles who inspect the merchandise. Then we went to the great Cue, and when we were already approaching its great courts, before leaving the market place itself, there were many more merchants, who, as I was told, brought gold for sale in grains, just as it is taken from the mines. The gold is placed in thin quills of the geese of the country, white quills, so that the gold can be seen through, and according to the length and thickness of the quills they arrange their accounts with one another, how much so many mantles or so many gourds full of cacao were worth, or how many slaves, or whatever other thing they were exchanging. and we beheld on that great lake a great multitude of canoes, some coming with supplies of food and others returning loaded with cargoes of merchandise; and we saw that from every house of that great city and of all the other cities that were built in the water it was impossible to pass from house to house, except by drawbridges which were made of wood or in canoes; and we saw in those cities Cues and oratories like towers and fortresses and all gleaming white, and it was a wonderful thing to behold ; then the houses with flat roofs, and on the causeways other small towers and oratories which were like fortresses. After having examined and considered all that we had seen we turned to look at the great market place and the crowds of people that were in it, some buying and others selling, so that the murmur and hum of their voices and words that they used could be heard more than a league off. Some of the soldiers among us who had been in many parts of the world, in Constantinople, and all over Italy, and in Rome, said that so large a market place and so full of people, and so well regulated and arranged, they had never beheld before.