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Show • BOOK !IT. "---v---' SECT. I. Acamapitzin, firft king cf Mqicl), [ 126 ] .. B 0 0 l( I II~ Foundation of the Mext'can Monarchy: Events of the Me~icam under their four jir.fl Kings, until the D efeat of the 'I'epamcas and the Conqucfl of A zcapoza!co. 'the Bravery and illujlrious Aclions of Monte. zuma J/huicamina. 'the Government and D eath of 'l'echot(alla, the fifth Chechemecan King. Revolutions in the Kt'ngdom if Acolbuacan. ' Death of King Ixtlilxochi'tl, and the 'l'yrants 'I'ezozomoc and Maxtlaton. U NTIL the year I 352, the Mexican government was ariil:ocratical, the whole nation paying obedience to a certain body, compofed of perfons the moft refped:able for their nobility and wifdom. The number of thofe who governed at the foundation of Mexico was twenty ( r) ; among whom the chief in authority was TmodJ, as appears from their paintings. The very humble t'l:ate in which they felt themfelves, the inconveniencies they fuffered from their neighbours, and the example of the Chechemecas, the Tepanecas, and the Colhuas, incited them to ereCt their little ftate into a monarchy, not doubing, that the royal authority would throw fame fplendor on the whole body of the nation; and flattering themfelves that in their new chief they would have a father who would watch over the ftate, and a good generul who would defend them from the infults of their enemies. The .eleCtion fell, by common confent, on Acamapitzin, either from the ac. clamations of the people, or the votes of fome electors, to whofe judgment all were fubmiffive ; as was their mode afterwards. Acamapitzin was one of the moft famous and prudent perfons then living amongft them. He was the fon of Opochtli, a very noble Azr (r' The twenty lords who then governed the nation were named Cfimocb, Atziu, Amcit!r, .Ahucxotl or Ahutiotl, Oalopan, Xamimitl, X iuiJcac, A J.·olobua, Nn11ncntzin, f:!..!1m lzi11, 'Tialaln, 'Tzout!iyn;•nuh, Coza11l, Ttzmt/ 'l'ochpa11, Mi'mi<·h, 'l'ctrpa111 9"ezacatl1 At'ohatl, ;~nd A,.JJitomecat/, teca, H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. teca (s), and Atozoztli, a princefs of the royal fim1ily of Colhuacan (t). 'on the father's fide, he took his defcent front Tochpanecatl, that lord of Zumpanco, who fo kindly received the Mexicans when they ar. rived at that city. He was yet unmarried; on which accoun t they foon determined to demand a virgin of one of the fi rft families of Anahuac, and for that purpofe fent fucce!Eve embaffies to the lord of Tacuba, and the king of Azcapozalco; but by both their pretcnfions were rejected with difdain. Without defpairing rom [o difgraceful arefufal, they made the fame demand from Acolmiz tli, lord of CoatliclJ.m, and a defcendant of one of the three Acolhuan princes, requefi:ing him to give them one of his daughters for their queen. Acolmiztli complied with their requefi:, and gave them his daughter Ilancueitl, whom . the Mexicans conducted triumphantly away and celebrated the nuptials with the utmGft rejoicings. The Tlatelolcos who, from being neighbours and rivals, were conftantly obferving what was done in Tenochtitlan, that they might vie with it. in glory, and prevent their being in future oppreffed by that power, alfo created themf.. . lves a king: but not efi:eeming it advantageous that he fhould be one of their own nation, they demanded of Azcapozalco, king of the Tepaneca nation, to which lord the fite of Tlatelolco, as well as Mexico was fubjeCl:, one of his fons, that he might rule over them as their monarch, and that they might obey him as vaffals. The king gave them his fon ff<!_-taquauhpitz.ahuac, who was immediately crowned .firft king of Tlatelolco in I 3 53. It is to be fufpected that the Tlatelolcos, when they made fuch a demand from that king, had, with a view to flatter and incenfe him againll: their· rivals, exaggerated the infoience of the Mexicans in creating a king without his permiffion; as in a few days after Azcapozalco aifem- , (s) Some hi!lorians report, that Acamapitzin whom they fuppofe to have been born while m flavery at Colhuacan, 'w:•s the fon of old Huitzilihuid; but this is not probable, as Huitzilih\ titl, born while the Mexicans were in Tizayuca, was not lefa than ninety years of age when tht: Mexicans were made flavea; wherefore, Huitzilihuitl was not fat her, but certainly grandfather of Acamapitzin. Torquemada makes this king fon ?f Cohuatzontli ; bu t we adhere to the opinion of Siguenz:t, who has invcfiigated the genealogy of the Mexican kings wit& more criticifin and diligence than Torqucmada • (t) 1~ is 1~uch to be wondered at that Opochtli fuould marry a virgin fo illu!hiouF, at It time when. h1s nat1on was fo reduced and degraded by flavery ; but this marriage is afcertained by the p1C\urea of the Mexicans and Colbuaa, feen by the learned Siguenza. ' bled 127 BOOK IIT. '--V"--J SEc T. n~ ~• aq u a uh. p itzahuac I . king of Tla.telolco. |