HISTORY OF THE SPANISH CONQUEST OF YUCATAN AND OF THE ITZAS

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A Baptism Performed. "Having breakfasted this first day on warm
_posole_, we began for the third time to speak about the spiritual
lecture of the day before, ... and having heard for the third time this
lecture, anxious to receive the said baptism, although suspicious of
what it was, since they thought that there was some shedding of blood
or circumcision or cutting of some part of their body, they said that
they wished to see in one case how that was done, and at this time the
King, taking hold of one child of the many of his family which he had
concealed behind the temple for the said purpose, said to me,--'Do that
which you speak of to this child and I will see whether it is good or
not.' To which I replied,--'And if it should seem to be good, will you
permit me to do just the same with the rest of your children?' To which
the King replied, before all the people who stood around listening,
that he would. Then taking the child which the King offered me, and one
of the Indian singers who went with us holding him, I sprinkled on him
the baptismal water. Then, seeing that this was such an easy thing and
without the harm which they had expected, they asked me to do the same