Whensoever Any Spaniards Pass By This
Church, Although They Be On Horseback, They Will Alight And Come Into
The Church,
And kneel before this image, and pray to Our Lady to defend
them from all evil; so that whether he
Be horseman or footman he will
not pass by, but first go into the church and pray as aforesaid, which
if they do not, they think and believe that they shall never prosper,
which image they call in the Spanish tongue Nostra Signora de
Guadaloupe. At this place there are certain cold baths, which arise,
springing up as though the water did seethe, the water whereof is
somewhat brackish in taste, but very good for any that have any sore or
wound to wash themselves therewith, for as they say, it healeth many;
and every year once upon Our Lady Day, the people used to repair
thither to offer and to pray in that church before the image, and they
say that Our Lady of Guadaloupe doth work a number of miracles. About
this church there is not any town of Spaniards that is inhabited, but
certain Indians do dwell there in houses of their own country building.
Here we were met by a great number of Spaniards on horseback, which
came from Mexico to see us, both gentlemen and men of occupations, and
they came as people to see a wonder; we were still called upon to march
on, and so about four of the clock in the afternoon of the said day, we
entered into the city of Mexico by the way or street called La Calia
Sancta Catherina; and we stayed not in any place till we came to the
house or palace of the Viceroy, Don Martin Henriques, which standeth in
the middest of the city, hard by the market place called La Placa dell
Marquese. We had not stayed any long time at this place, but there was
brought us by the Spaniards from the market place great store of meat,
sufficient to have satisfied five times so many as we were; some also
gave us hats, and some gave us money; in which place we stayed for the
space of two hours, and from thence we were conveyed by water into
large canoas to a hospital, where certain of our men were lodged, which
were taken before the fight at St. John de Ullua. We should have gone
to Our Lady's Hospital, but that there were also so many of our men
taken before at that fight that there was no room for us. After our
coming thither, many of the company that came with me from Panuco died
within the space of fourteen days; soon after which time we were taken
forth from that place and put all together into Our Lady's Hospital, in
which place we were courteously used, and visited oftentimes by
virtuous gentlemen and gentlewomen of the city, who brought us divers
things to comfort us withal, as succats and marmalades and such other
things, and would also many times give us many things, and that very
liberally.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 63 of 79
Words from 33110 to 33627
of 42569
