The Tennis play in Mexico.

TOC

Sometimes Mutezuma went to the Tennis Courte. Their ball is called Villamaliztli, and is made of the gumme which commeth from a trée called Vlli. This trée groweth in a hote Countrey. The gumme being kneded togither, and so made roūd, is as blacke as pitch, and somewhat heauie, and very harde for the hande, but yet good and light to rebound, and better than our windballes. They play not at chases, but at bādie, or at check, that is, if the ball touch the wall, it loseth. They maye strike the ball with any part of their body, but there is alwayes a penaltie if they only strike not with the buttoke or side, whiche is the finest play: wherefore they vse a skynne vpon eache buttocke. They play so many to so many for a packe of mantels, or according to the abilitie of the players. Also they play for golde and feathers, and sometime for their owne bodyes, as they vse at Patolli, which is there permitted & lawfull. The Tennis Court is called Tlachco, and is a Hall long and narrow, but wyder vpwards, than downewardes, and higher on the sides than at y^e ends, which is an industrie for their play. The house is always white and smooth in the side walles: they haue certain stones like vnto mylstones, w^t a little hole in the middest that passeth through the stone, the hole is so small, that scarcely the ball maye passe through, but hée that chanceth to strike the ball into the hole, whiche seldome happeneth, winneth the game, and by an auntiente lawe and custome among Tennis players, he ought to haue the clokes of all those that stande and beholde the play, on that side that the ball went in, and in some Tennis Courtes, the halfe of the garmentes of them that stande lookyng on. The winner is then bounde to make certayne sacrifice to the God of the Tennis play, and to the stone where the ball entred. The beholders of the play woulde saye, that suche a wynner should be a thiefe and an adulterer, or else that he shoulde dye quickly.

They vsed in the Temple of the Tennis play two Images of the God of the ball, which stoode vpon the two lower walles. Their Sacrifice was celebrated at midnighte, with many Ceremonies and Witchcraftes, and songs for that purpose. Then came a Prieste from the Cathedrall Churche, wyth other Religious persons to blesse the Sacrifice, saying certayne diuelishe prayers, and throwing the ball four tymes in the Tennis Court. In thys order was the Tennis play consecrated, and after thys consecration it was lawfull to play, or else not, for this dilligence was firste to be done when any Tennis Court or play was newly built.

The owner of the Tennis Courte also woulde neuer suffer any to play, vntill he had first offered something to the Idoll, theyr superstition was so great.

Mutezuma broughte the Spanyardes to behold this pastyme, and gaue thē to vnderstande, y^t he delyghted much in thys game, and also to sée our men play at Cardes and Dyce.