w to exhilarate the Spirit of their Captive King,
and solace him during his Confinement with varity of diversions and
Recreations; and among the rest this was one, _viz._, Revellings and
Dances which they celebrated in all Streets and Highways, by night and
they in their Idiom term _Mirotes_, as the Islanders do _Arcytos_; to
these Masques and nocturnal Jigs they usually go with all their Riches,
Costly Vestments and Robes, together with any thing that is pretious
and glorious, being wholly addicted to this humor, nor is there any
greater token among them then this of their extraordinary exultation
and rejoycing. The Nobles in like manner, and Princes of the Blood
Royal every one according to his degree exercise these Masques and
Dances, in some place adjoyning to the House where their King and Lord
is detained Prisoner. Now there were not far from the Palace about
2000 Young Noblemen who were the issue of the greatest Potentates of
the Kingom, and indeed the flower of the whole Nobility of King
_Motencuma_, and a _Spanish_ Captain went to visit them with some
Soldiers, and sent others to the rest of the places in the City where
these Revellings were kept, under pretence only of being spectators of
the solemnity. Now the Captain had commanded, that, at a certain hour
appointed they should fall upon these Revellers, and he himself
approaching the _Indians_ very busie at their Dancing, said, _San Jago_
(that is St. _James_ it seems that was the Word) _Let us rush in upon
them_, which was no sooner heard, but they all began with their naked
Swords in hand to pierce their tender and naked Bodies, and spill their
generous and Noble blood, till not one of them was left alive on the
place, and the rest following his example in other parts, (to their
inexpressible stupefaction and grief) seized on all these Provinces.
Nor will the Inhabitants till the General conflagration ever
discontinue the Celebration of these Festivals, and the Lamentation and
Singing with certain kind of Rhythmes in their _Arcytos_, the doleful
ditty of the Calamity and Ruin of this Seminary of the antient Nobility
of the whole Kingdom, which was their frequent Pride and Glory.

The _Indians_ seeing this not to be exampled cruelty and iniquity
executed against such a number of guiltless persons, and also bearing
with incredible patience the unjust Imprisonment of their King, from
whom they had an absolute Command not to take up Arms against the
_Spania