The Charnell house or place of dead mens sculles for remembrance of death.

TOC

Without the temple, and ouer againste the principall dore thereof, a stones cast distant, standeth the Charnell house onely of dead mens heads prisoners in warres and sacrifised with the knife.

This monument was made like vnto a Theatre, more larger than broade, wrought of lyme and stone, with ascending steppes, in the walles whereof was graffed betwixt stone and stone a skul with the téeth outwards.

At the foote and head of this Theatre, were two Towers, made only of lime and skulles, the téeth outwarde, and this wall hauing no other stuffe, séemed a straunge sight. At and vppon the toppe of the Theatre, were 70. polles, standing the one from the other foure or fiue foote distant, and eache of them was full of staues from the foote to the toppe. Each of these staues had others made fast vnto them, so that euery of them had fiue skulles broched through the temples. Andrewe de Tapia did certifie me, that he and Gonsalo de Vmbria dyd recken them in one daye, and founde a hundred thirtie and sixe thousande skulles on the polles, staues, and steppes. The other Towers were replenished out of number, a most cruell custome, being only mens heads slaine in sacrifice, although it hath a shewe of humanitie for the remembrance there placed of death. There are also men appoynted, that when one skull falleth, to set vp another in his place, so that the number may neuer want.