the ancient idiom, and inserting a spiritual sermon
... and all this was explained to them with some eagerness, mixing in
some words of their prophecies, which were at that time to the point.
They heard it gladly, because they understood it all.... They answered
in these words, '_cato vale_,' which is as if they said 'We will think
of it first, for there is time for answering. Wait.'"

The Curiosity of the Itzas. "With this, as it was already almost
night-fall, we set out with the same crowd for another temple, which
stands about three-eighths of a league from the house of the petty
King, where was our abode. Although we stopped there, the continuation
of their wonderment did not stop on their part, since, with this as an
excuse, they did not leave us a moment alone by day or night, since if
any, satisfied with having seen us by day, went away to their houses at
night, double the number of them came by night to see us and to sleep
there, besides those who came first, and even those who had gone away
satisfied with seeing us, did not fail to come back. In this way we
lived with the annoyance which can be imagined, since we were not able
to attend to our needs, without their following us; and neither the
prohibition of the King nor our own scolding were sufficient to hinder
their excessive curiosity, the only attention which they paid to either
being that they all laughed at it. Their tediousness was such, that if
we sat down, they all sat down next to us, surrounding us; and then
some on one side and others on the other would touch us from top to
toe, not excepting (if we gave them the chance) the most hidden parts
of a man; if we stopped or walked on, it was all the same, so that, in
order to be able to carry on the divine service without that annoyance,
we contrived the plan that they should seat themselves in a row around
the said temple on the benches of stone and lime which were there, and
we, walking up and down in the middle, carried on the divine service,
it all being a matter of amusement for them,--not only the movement of
our lips speaking things they did not understand, but also the gestures
and crosses which we made over ourselves as we prayed; and, although we
got through with our prayers, we kept walking all the while so as to
enjoy the relief for so much longer time.

"The King was present at all this, since he never left us by day or
night.... I asked them what it was that they had decided to reply to