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Show x86 BOOK IV. ~ SEcT. XIV. Axajacutl, fixth king of Mexico, , H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C' 0. d the Won1en and the children, inviting them to return without fear age ' ' · ·d · d 1 · to their native country; nor content w1th that only, he 01 ete liS troops to traverfc the mountains, to call b.ack the wanderers who had fled from man to find !hclter among the wtld beafts, and woods. Many returned, who were difrributed in Amaqucmeca~, Tlal~nanalco, and other places; but many rcfigncd thcmfelves to then· f~te 111 tl~e rnoun nins, from diftrufr of the pardon, or the excefs of the1r dcfpatr. One art of the country of Chalco was divided by Montezuma among the ~Hicers who had the moil: difl:ingui!hed themfclves in the war. After this expedition the Mexicans conquered Tamazollan, Piaztlan, Xilot~pec, Acatlan, and other places. By (u<:h rapid conqucfis M ntezuma fo enlarged his domi1=1ions, that in the eait he extended them as far as the gulf of J\'icxico; in the fouth-eaff, to the centre of the country of the Mixtccas; in the fouth, as far as Chila~an and fomethi. ng beyond it; in the weft, to the valley of ~oluca ; 11~ the northweft, to the centre of the country of the Otom1es; and m the north,, as far as the termination of the vale of Mexico. But while fo attentive to war, this famous king negleCted tiot what concerned internal polity and religion. He publiilied new laws, added to the fplendor of his court, and introduced there many ceremonials not known to his prcdeceffors. He ereCted a large temple to the god of war, ordained many new religious rites, and increafed the number of the priefts. The interpreter of Mendoza's colletl:ion adds, that Montezuma was himfelf fober, and ~emarkably rigorous in puniiliing drunkennefs ;. and that by his jufiicc and prudence, and the propriety of his aCtions, he made his fubjeets fear and love him. At hft, after a very glorious reign of twenty-eight years and fome months, in I 464 he died, univer!ally regretted. His funeral was celebrated with mOJ;e than ordinary folemnity, in proportion to the increafed magnificence of the court, and the power of the nation. Before his death he affembled the chief nobility of his court, and exhorted them to agree among themfelves, and prayed of the eleCtors that they would, after his death, chufe Axayacatl, whom he thought the fitte11: perfon to promote the glory of the Mexicans. Whether it was from deference to the opinion of a king who had gait1ed fo much defert from his nation, or becaufe they knew the merit of Axayacatl, the • H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. ~ the eleCtors chofe him in preference to his elder brother. He was the fon of Tezozomoc, who had been the brother of the three kings who preceded Monte~uma, .and a fon,.as w 11 as they, Gf king Acamapitzin. . After the _feihval of the eleCtiOn, the new king, after the example of ·hls predecefior , went to war, to colleCt viCtims for a facrifice at his .coronation. He made his expedition againfl: the province of Tecuantepec, utuated on the coaft of the Pacific Ocean, four hundred miles to the fouth ·-eafl:, from Mexico. The people of Tecuantepec were well prepared, and in confederacy with their neighbours, to oppofe the attempts of the Mexicans. In the keen battle which took place, Axaya~ atl, who COI~manded as genc1:al, pretended flight, to lead the enemy It~to an ambu{cade. They puducd the Mexicans, triumphing in their VICtory, when fuddenly they found themfelves att:\cked behind by <>ne part of the Mexican army which came from their ambu(h, and attacked in fi·on~ by thofe who were flying and had now faced about uport them; harraficd thus on both fides, they were foon totally defeated. The enemy,. who were able to ~:.tve themfelves by flight, were purfued by the Mexl~ans as far as the Clty of Tccuantepec, to which they fct fire, and takmg advantage of the confuiion and confternation of the people, they extended their conquefts as. far as Coatulco, a maritime place, the port of which was much frequented by the vefiCls of the Spaniards, in the next century. From this expedition Axayacatl r~turned e.nriched with fpoil s, ancl was crowned with the greateft pomp. there bemg a procefiion of the tribute-bearers, and a facrifice made of the prifoners. In the. fidl: .years of his reign, following the ftcps of his predeceifor, he appbed h1mfdf to the extenfion of his conquc.:il:s. In i 467 .he re-conquered Cotafl:aandTochtepec. In I468, .heobtainedacomplcte viCtory over the Huexotzincas and Atlixcas; :md ~n his return to Mcxi ·o, he undertook the building of a temple, which he called Coat/ an . The cnatclolcos erected another in rivaliliip, which they called Co~.\·olotl; 1 y which the difcord between thcfe two kings was revived, wluch turnc:d ou t, as we 1}tall fee hereafter, fatal to the Tlatelolcos. In 1469, Totoquihuatzi~l, the firfi: king of Tacuba, died, who, for up~ w~rds of .fiJrty year~, while he held that finall ki11gdom, wa confrantly f,.uthful to the king of Mexico, and ferved him jn almofr all the wars which be undertook ag:1in.f1 the enemies of the il:at~. lie was fuccecd - B b 2 cd |