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Show BOOK III. .. H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C .0 . " lets than the .fi:iff leather againfi which beat the firing of their bow H jn {hooting. Their food at firll: was confined to raw. fle[h, and pl~in '' herbs and their drefs was the fkin of the fiags and wild bea.fi:s w h1ch t< they ~hemfelves hunted. When the~ were taught agriculture by the " Toltecas, their kings themfelves culttvated the land to encourage by " their example their fubjetl:s to fatigue. The wealth and glory to a which fortune afterwards raifed them, did not make them more " proud. As kings they certainly made ufe of their fubjetts, but as "father~ they loved them, and were contented tb be requited by thetn " with the fimple gifts of the earth. I do not call to your memory " thefe illufl:rious examples of your anceftors, for any other reafon than " that I may mofl: humbly entreat you not to demand more from us " now than they did from our predecefiors." The tyrant lifiened to each harangue, and although the comparifon drawn between him and the ancient kings was odious, he diffembled his difguft, and contented himfelf with giving licence to the orators to confirm the order pub .. lifhed refpetl:ing the new tax. In the mean time, Nezahualcojotl _went anxioully through many cities, to gain their affecti?n, that he might replace hi~felf on the. thro1~e. But although his fubjec:ts loved him, and were deflrous of feemg htm in poifeffion of the kingdom, 'they durft not openly favour his party from their fear of the tyrant. Among the fubjects who were the nearefb related to him, and had abandoned him, were the lord of Chimalpan his uncle, and :fecpane,atl the brother of his fecol'ld wife Nezahualxochitl, of the royal line of Mexico. Perfevering in fuch negotiations, he arrived one evenipg at a village of the previ:nee of Chalco, belonging to a lady and widow named :fziltomiauh. He obferved that there was a plantation of aloes, from which the widow extraa!ed wine, not only for the ufe of her family, but alfo for fale, which was il:ricrly forbid by the Chechemecan code. He was fo fired, with zeat for the laws of his fathers, that he felt no refttaint from the adverfi·ty of his fortune, nor any other confiderat1on, but with. his own l11and put the delinquent to death. An aCtion moll inconfiderate and reprcthenfible, in which prudence had a far lefs fhat-e than the intemperate ar-dour of youth. This dee<} raifed .a great rumour in tliat province, and the lor.d pf Chalco, who ~s his enemy, ~nd . had l)een an aecempJi'ce in the ' death HISTORY 0 F ME X I C 0. ' death of h~s father, ufed the utmoft diligence to have him in his power; but the prmce, who forefaw the confequences of his atl:, had already placed himfelf in fecurity. ~ig.ht years were .now clapfed, during which Tezozqmoc had poffeiled 1? peace the kmgdom of.Acolhuacan, claimed in vain by Nezahu~ lcojotl, when fatal dreams threw the tyrant into extreme perturbation. ! e dreamed that Nezahualcojotl transformed into an eagle, ~pened. hts ~reaft a~d eat his heart ; and at another time, changed mto a l10n, lrckcd hts body, and fucked his blopd. He was fo intimidated wit.h thefe.o~in~us vifions, which were formed by the confcioufn. efs of ~1s ~wn lnjuil:~cc ~nd tyranny, that he called together his three fons 'l'o;atzm, 'IeuClzmtlz, and Max/aton, imparted to them his dreams, U!ld ~h~rged them to pu~ Nezahua1cojotl to death as fpeedily as pofiible, provtded t~ey could do rt fo fecrctly that no perfon .£hould fufpcCt the author of 1t. He hardly fi1rvived his dreams a year. He was now become fo. old, he ,:vas no more able to keep himfelf in neccifary warmth, !1or ereCt m a charr, but was obliged to be wholly covered up in cotton, 111 a great bafket made of willowt in the form of a cradle . but fi·o h . . ~ I m t . rs. cradle, or ratl.ler fepulchre, he tyrannifed over the kingdom of A-colhuaca. n, and delivered oracles of inju!l:ice. A little before his death . he d~cbred his fon Taja~2in his fucce!Tor in the kingdom, and repeat~ c~ hts ~~mmand refpect~ng the. ~eath of Nezahualcojotl, preferving to hrs expmng moments h1s malicious defigns. In 1422 this mo 1t f b. · , nuer o a~ rtron, treacl:ery, and injuftice, ended his life, after having ty-rannifed over the km?dom of Acolhuacan for nine years, and po.lfe!Ted for a confiderable penod the il:ate of Azcapozalco ( u). Although the giving proper orders for the funeral of his father belonged to Tajatzin, as fucce!Tor to the crown, neverthelefs his brother u: ,( II)1 ·T O1I 'ChJ LICmada m·a kes · Tc?.ozomoc an immedia' te ucfccnd•a nt of tlte fir11 Acoll . n tuan p1·mcc ; ~ w tiC 1 ~- mak..:s h1s rc1gn on ~ huudred and fi xty, or ouc:: hundred and eight cars' : bu t ~~ 0 11~ ~~c hnl;tng uc mapt: bf the ~h.t:chemecan or:nor, it is evident, that Tczoz!zr?oc was del..: e~t ~ ot ~olotl N~p~ lt z.lll and I lotzin. The lifler of Nopaltzin married the' prince AcoJ. ,'~·t.tz 1 n.• w t~nce theu·. chJldrcn were coutins of Tlotzin, tltc fon of Nopaltzin. lrl all this ~~qucmad:.~ ag rees wah us. Whoever th en could be called ·the defccndant of his coufin ; . n oc~cr rc.Hl~ the genealogr of the Chech cmecnn kin gs in the IVOI:kS of Torquc'm'ad•J will ~~ ~11 Y pcr~ctvc the millakc~ made by thia author. There m:iy have been two or th.rc~ 'lnrd ll f . ~c~poz:~lco lllnt.('d rr.~OZII!IIOt', but the tyrant of Acolhuac:m was . a.t moil fTJ'C:It-grandJon •O p11ncc Acolhu:tt z1u. <> Vor, l. u Max- 145 BOOK Ill. ... , SEcT. XIIr. Death of the tyrant T~ozomoc. |