fat cacique and six other chiefs and priests,
exclaiming that we would put them all instantly to death, if any
resistance or outrage was attempted. The cacique then ordered his warriors
to desist, and the tumult being appeased, Cortes made them a long harangue
on the subject of religion. He then gave orders that the fragments of the
broken idols should be burnt; on which eight priests, who were accustomed
to take care of them, brought all their fragments into the temple, where
they were consumed to ashes. These priests were dressed in long black
mantles like sheets, hanging down to the ground, with hoods hanging on
their shoulders like our cannons, and other smaller hoods resembling those
of our Dominican friars. Their long hair was matted together with clotted
blood, some of them having it so long as to hang down to their feet, and
others only to the waist. Their ears were all torn and cut, and they smelt
horribly of putrid flesh. These priests were said to be all of noble
families.

When all this was ended, Cortes made a harangue to the people, saying,
That we were now really brothers, and that Montezuma should not oppress
them any more, for he would place them under the protection of the Mother
of God, whom we adored; and he added many good and holy arguments
exceedingly well expressed, to all of which the people listened most
attentively. He then had the walls of the temple cleared of blood and new
plastered, employing a number of Indian masons for this purpose, using
lime which the place afforded in plenty. After having thus cleaned and
purified the temple, he ordered a new altar to be erected, which he hung
all round with rich mantles, and adorned it with wreaths of odoriferous
flowers; and ordering four native priests to cut off their hair and to put
on white garments, he committed the altar to their care, on which he
planted the holy cross, before which our chaplain Olmedo celebrated the
mass. He also instructed the natives to make wax candles, and enjoined the
four priests to keep some of these always burning before the altar. All
these things being arranged, he placed a lame old soldier named Juan de
Torres, to reside in the temple as a hermit, and to keep the native
priests to their new duty. In this first Christian church of New Spain,
the principal persons of the surrounding districts attended divine service,
and the eight native ladies, already mentioned, having been previously
instucted in our holy faith,