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Show noo c vr. ~ II I S T 0 R Y 0 P M E X I C 0. rigorous penance during a whole year. They conducted. the heir. with a nm1crous attendance to a momd1:cry, wh re they il:nppc 1 ofl } 1is ~arl11cnts , and lot 1 d him in rags daubed ov.::r with o/li, or el: (tic gum, rubbed hi face, ldly, and back., with fl:inking herbs, and delivered a ii11all bncc of itztli to him, that he might draw his own blood. They rdl::ricl:cd him to a very abftemious diet, fubjcCled him to the harckfi: hbours, and puni!hcd him fcvcrcly for any fnilure in duty. At the end of the ye.u, artcr being wafhcd and c1c:1nfcd by four girls, with f veet [cent d \Vater, he was reconclutl: d to his houic with great pomp and mufic. In the principal temple ofT ohuacan, four pricfl:s confl:ant1y rcfiJcd, who were famous for the auO.crity of their lives . Their dr fs was th~..: fame with that of the comn1on people; their diet was limited to a loaf of maize of about two ounces in weight, and a up of atolli, or gruel, made of the fame grain. Every night two of them kept watch, employing their time in ilnging hymns to their gods, in oftcring incenfe, whi h they did four tirnes during the night, and in lhedding their bloo 1 upon the fl::ones of the temple. Their fafl:ing was continual dming the four years which they perfevered in that life, except upon days of fcftival, one of ,.vhich happened every month, when they were at li!Jt:rt'y to eat as much as they pleafed; but in prepal'ation for every f~..:fl:ival, they praCtiCed the ufual aufl::ere rules, boring their cars with the fpincs of the aloe, and paffing little pieces of cane through the holes to the number of !ixty, all of which differ d in thickncfs in the manner above men tioncd. At the end of four year , other four pridl:s were introduced to lead the .fume kind of life; and if bcfor~ the completion of that term :my one of them ·happened to die, another wa5 fubil:itutcd in his place, t!1at the nt\mber might never be incomplete. 1 helc prieJl: were fo high in refpeCl: and efh:cm as to be held in veneration· even by the kings of Mexico: but woe unto him who violated his cha!l:ity; for, if arter a ihiet ex;-.:nination the crime was proved, he was killed by bafl:inados·, his body was burned, and his a!hes fcatt<.:r~,;d to the winds. Upon occalion of any public calamity, the Mexican higb-priefl: nlways obfcrvcd n mofr extraordinary fafi . l'or this purpo!c he retired ,to a wood, vvherc be COIL meted a hnt for himfelf, covered with branches, H I S T 0 R Y 0 P M E X I C 0. branches, which were always fre01 and green; as whenever the firft became dry, new ones were fpread in their place. Shut up in this hut he pa!l'ed nine or ten months in confl::.ant prayer and frequent c.fFuflons of blood, d privcd of all comqlllnication wi~h men, and withottt any other food than raw maize :1.nd water. This f:l.fl: was not indifpcnfibl~, · nor did all the high-pri.cfl:s obfcrve it; nor did thofe who attempted i.t ever do it more than once in their lives; nnd certainly it is not probable, that thofc who furvivcd fo rigorous and long atl abfl:inenc , were ever able to repeat it. . The fafi obfcrvcd by the Tlafcalans every divine year, at which pcnod they made a moll: fo lemn fcfl:ivnl in honour of their god Camaxtlt', was likewife very fingular. When the time of comm ncing it w~ts ar·rived, all the 'flczmacarzqu.t"s were aOcmblcd by their chief Ar·c/.u:aui.Jt!i, who made them a ferious and grave exhort~nion to penitence, and forewamed them if any one of them fhould find that he was incapable of perfo ming it, that he il ould declare fo within five day ; for that if, after that . fpace of time was elapfcd, and the fafl: wa once begun, he fhould happen to fail and renounce the attempt, he would be deemed unworthy of the company of the gods, his pridlhood would be taken from him, and his efl:ate fequefl:cred. At the expiration of the five days, which was allowed for the purpofe of deliberation, the chief, attended. by all thofc who had courage to attempt this penitential duty, the number of whom uf! a ·tO exce~d two hundred, afccnded the very lofty mountain MatlalC'lleje, on the top ,of which was a fmftuary, confecrated to the goJdefs of water. The ArhcaubtH mounted to the top to make his ob-lation of gems, precious featl1er , and copal, while the others waited. in the middle of the afcent, praying their goddefs to give them fir ngth and courage to go through their penance. They afterwJrds defcendcd from the mountain, and caured a number of little knives of itzli, and a great quantity of {mall rods of different thicknefies to be made. The labourers upon thofe infl:ruments fafl:cd five days before they beg,tn their work, and if any little knife or rod happened to break, it was accounted a bad omen, and the workman was confidered to have broke the fa{l:. The Tlamacazqui then began their fafl::, which did not !aft lefs than one hundred and iixty c!:tys. The .fidl: day they bored holes .in thc:ir tongues, through which they drew the little rod§, and notw.i.th- 8 ·• il.anding s I! c ..,., xxm. Rcma1 kilhle arts of pe )l j_ ten ·c of the Tl:aC~alam .. |