The Solemne pompe vvherevvith Cortez was receyued into Mexico.

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From Iztacpalapan to Mexico is twoo leagues all vpon a fayre calsey, vpon the which eight horsemē may passe on rāke, and so directly straight as though it had bene made by line. And who soeuer hath good eiesight might discerne the gates of Mexico from thence. Coyoacan is a towne of sixe thousande dwellers, Vizilopuchtli is of fiue thousand. These townes are planted in the lake, and are adorned with many temples, whiche haue many fayre towers, that doe beautifie excedingly the lake. There is great contractatiō of Salte, which is made there, and from thence is carried abrode to fayres and markets, whiche thing was a greate rente to Mutezuma. Vpon this Calsey are many drawebridges buylt vpon fayre arches that the water passeth through.

Cortes passed this calsey with .400. Spaniardes, & .6000. Indians his friends: theyr passage was with much ado, by reason of the great multitude of Indians which came to sée him, & cōming neare the citie, there adioyned another calsey with a broder passage, where standeth a strong bulwark of stone of the heigth of .ij. fadom, with two towers on eche side, and two gates very strong. Here at this forte came thrée thousande Courtiers and Citizens to receyue him, & euery of them touched the grounde with his right hand and kissed it, and passed forwards in the order as they came. These salutatiōs endured an houre & more. From the bulwark the calsey lieth directly, and before the entraunce into the streate there is an other drawe bridge made of timber ten paces broade, vnder the which the water passeth too and fro. At this bridge came Mutezuma to receyue Cortes vnder a Canapie of gréene feathers & golde with much argentery hangyng thereat, whiche Canapie foure noble men did carry. And the two princes Cuetlauac, and Cacama his neuewes, did leade him by eache arme: all thrée were riche appareled & al of one fashion, except Mutezuma, whiche had a payre of shoes of golde besette with pretious stones, and the soles were tied to the vpper part with latchets, as is paynted of the Antikes. His Gentlemen wente by two and two laying downe and taking vp mantels and couerlets vpon the ground, bicause his féete should not touche the same: then followed him as in procession .200. noble men barefooted, with garments of a richer liuery then the first thrée thousand. Mutezuma came in the middest of the streate, and the others came behinde him as nigh the wal as they mought, their faces towards the grounde, for it was a great offence to looke him in the face. Cortes alighted from his horse, and according to our vse went to embrace him, but the Princes who led him by the armes would not suffer him to come so nigh, for they held it for sin to touch him, but yet saluted ech one y^e other.

Cortes put about Mutezuma his necke a coller of Margarites, Diamondes, & other stones al of glasse. Mutezuma receyued it thankfully, & wente before with one of the princes his Neuewes, & cōmaunded the other to lead Cortes by the hand next after him in the middest of the streat: and procéeding forwarde in this order, then came the Gētlemen in the richest liuery to welcome him one by one, touchyng the ground with their handes, & after returned to their standyng. And if the Citizens had come as they requested, all y^e day would not haue serued for salutatiōs. The coller of glasse pleased well Mutezuma, and bycause he woulde not take without giuyng a better thing as a great prince, he commaunded to be brought twoo collers of redde prawnes, which there are muche estéemed, and at euery one of them hanged eight shrimpes of gold of excellent workemanship, & of a finger length euery one, he put these collers with the owne hands about Cortes his necke, the which was estéemed a most great fauour, yea and the Indians marueled at it. At this time they were come to the streate ende, whiche was almost a mile long, broade, straight and very fayre and full of houses on eche side, in whose dores, windowes and tops was such a multitude of Indians to beholde the strangers, that I knowe not who wondered most, our men to sée such a number of them, or else they to sée our men, their ordinance & horses, a thing so straunge vnto them. They were brought vnto a great court or house of idols, which was y^e lodging of Axaiaca, at the dore where of Mutezuma tooke Cortes by the hande and brought him into a fayre hall, and placed him vpon a riche carpet, saying vnto him, Sir nowe are you in your owne house, eate and take your rest & pleasure, for I wil shortly come and visite you againe. Such (as you heare) was the receiuing of Hernando Cortes by Mutezuma a most mightie King, into his great and famous Citie of Mexico, the eight day of Nouember .1519.