stavan malos de bubas o humores, les dolieron los
muslas de baxar!" bubas I have everywhere translated by the general term
of swellings in the groin, though it is quite evident, from the 68th
letter of Petrus Martyr ab Angleria, (De Rebus Oceanicis el Novo orbe
decades tres) that this disease was the syphilis, which was then
spreading so dreadfully. (p. 241.)

[65] The best-informed writers agree with Bernal Diaz as to the vast
extent of this temple. It was so extensive, says Torquemada, that an
arrow shot from a crossbow would not reach the length of one of its
sides. A few lines lower he says, that each of these sides was three
hundred and sixty feet long! The wall which surrounded this huge temple
was entirely built of hewn stone. (p. 241.)

[66] Bernal Diaz is here speaking of the Mexican picture writing or
hieroglyphics. (p. 242.)

CHAPTER XCIII.

_How we erect a chapel and altar in our quarters with a cross on the
outside; discover the treasure of Motecusuma's father; and determine
to seize the monarch's person and imprison him in our quarters._

Our general and father Olmedo readily perceived that Motecusuma would
never give his consent to our erecting a cross on his chief temple, nor
that we should build a chapel there. We had, upon our arrival in Mexico,
fitted up some tables as an altar; but we were not satisfied with this,
and therefore begged of Motecusuma's house-steward to order his masons
to build us a church in our quarters, who referred us to the monarch
himself, upon which Cortes sent him with our interpretress and the page
Orteguilla to Motecusuma, who immediately gave his consent and issued
orders accordingly.[67]

In three days our church was finished, and a cross planted in front of
our quarters. Mass was now regularly said every day as long as our wine
lasted, which indeed was very short, as Cortes and father Olmedo, during
their illness in Tlascalla, had used the wine destined for the mass.
Nevertheless we went daily to church and prayed on our knees in front of
the altar and before the holy images; because it was our Christian duty,
and that Motecusuma and his grandees might notice it, and become
accustomed to these holy things, from seeing us kneel down in devotion
before them, particularly when we repeated the Ave Maria.

Wherever we went it was our custom to examine everything about us, and
consequently we searched every corner and nook in our quarters; and so
it h