The history of Mexico : Collected from Spanish and Mexican historians, from manuscripts and ancient paintings of the Indians. Illustrated by Charts and other copper plates. To which are added, critical dissertations on the land, the animals, and inhabitants of Mexico: Volume 1

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H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. Chimalpopoca being acquainted of the arrival of ~he yrin~e who was his coufin, at court, fent to reque!1: a vifit from lum 1n pnfon. !he prince having fidl: obtained the penniffi~n of ~axtlaton, went to h1m, and upon his entering the prifon, embraced lum, and bot~l of them fl1ewed mu h tendernefs in their looks and expreffions. Chunalpopoca related to him the feries of infults and wrongs which he had fufl:ercd, and convinced h im of the malevolent defigns of the ty rant againft them both and entreated him not to return again to the court; as their cruel enc1~y would infallibly contrive his death, and the Acolhu~n .nati?n would be utterly abandoned. At la!1: he faid, " As my death lS mevi t­" able, I bcfeech you moll: earne!l:ly take care of my poor Mexicans, be " to them a true friend and father. In tok.en of the love which I bear " you, accept of this pendant which I had from my brothe: H.uitzili­" huitl ;" upon which he tbok a pendant of gold from h1s hp, and prefented it with car-rings and fome other jewels which he had preferved in prifon; and to a fervant of the prince he gave a few other thing . They then affectionately took leave of each other, that they might not excite fufpicion by a longer conference. Nezahualcojotl, ufing the advice which was given him, left the court without delay, aud ne~ ver after prefented himfelf before the tyrant. lie went to Tlatelolco, where he took a ve!fel with good rowers, and got fpcedily to T ezcuco. ' Chimalpopoc.1 remained in comfortlefs folitud~ brooding over his misfortunes. Imprifonmcnt became daily more infupportable to him; he had not the fmallefl: hope of recovering his liberty, nor of bei ng of ~t ny fervice to bis nation dllring the little time he had to live. " lf at " ]aft," he f.1id, u I am to die here, will it not be preferable, and more " gloriolls to die by my own than by the hands of a cruel and perfidious H tyrant? If I can have no other revenge, I !hall at lc.!ll: deprive him of " the plcafure which he would t.1ke in appointing the time and mode " of death which muft finia1 my unhappy days . I {hall be the difpofcr " of my own life, chuie the time. and manner of my de~tth, as it will " be attended with fo much the lefs ignominy, the lefs the will of my IC enemy !hall influence and dir a it (x)> In this refolution, which was entirely conformable to the ideas of thofe nation s, he hanged him- .~~·) "':'hcfc hfi word~ of Chimnlpopoca, handed down by the hifforians of Mcxi o1 were ~I)O.I'Il from the dc)?ofinonn of t h \~ "'llarJa who furrounJcd the c:wc or prifon. 9 o · felf H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M l! X I C 0. felf upon a finall beam of the cage or prifon, making ufe, moil: p1·oba~ bly, of his girdle for that purpofe. T~us tragic an end had the llnfortunate life of the third king of Mex1co. We h ave no more particular accounts of his characcer, or the progrefs the nation made during his r ign, which bfl:ed about thirteen years, being condlldcd in I 42 , about a year after the death of Tezo­zomoc. We know o:1ly that in the eleventh year of his reign, he or­dered a great fl:one to be brought to Me, ico, to fervc as an altar for the ordi.nary 1~tcrifice. of prifi ners, and a larger round one, for gladiatorian facnficcs,, of wluc.h we a1all fpe~k hereafter. In the fourth painting of Mendoza s collccbon, are reprelentcd the different viCl:orics which the Mexicans obtained during the reign of Chimalpopoca, the cities of C~1alco, and T quizquiac, and the naval engagement which they hatl w1th the halchcfc, with the ]ofs of their people, and the v Dcls ov r­fet by the enemy. The interpreter of that collcccion adds, that Chi­malp poca left many childr n whom he had by his concubines. ~~ foon as M:txtlaton knew of the death of his noble prifoncr, he roic m wrath nt the diC.1ppointmcn t of his projeCl:s; and lcfl: that Ne­zahualcojo_ tl might alfo elude his revenge, he determined to anticipate death to hun by whatever means he collld, which he would have done before, could he have accornpliihed it in the manner enjoined by his :fil._ th.er, or h~d he not bee~ intimidated, as fome hill:orians affirm, by ccr­t: un augunc of the pneils j but his paHion now furmountcd all re­firaints of religion; he ordered four of his moil: nble captains to go in queft of the 1;rincc, and take his life, without remiiJion, wherever they fhould find hun. The Tcpanecan captains fet out whh a finall party only, that rumour might not prevent their coming up with their fpoi1, ancl procc~c.lcd directly to Tc::'.cuco, where, as they arrived, Nezahual­cojutl was divert ing himfelf at foot-ball with one of his familiars, named )cdotl . \tVhcr ver the prince went to gain adhere nts to his par­ty, he fpent e-rcat part of his time at balls, games, and other amu[e­ments, th:lt the rr vemors of thofe pbccs, who wat bed his conduct h~ orJer .of the tyr.111t, ;md obfervcd :1l1 his fl:eps, feeing him taken up Wtth pafhmcs, might be p rfuaded that he had dropt all thoughts .of the cro~n, an~ gradually ~lcgJ cCl: to attcad to him. By thefe means he ·.PlFted on hts ncgociations withou t cr :tting the flightd1: fufj.)it:ion . On v 0 L • I.. X thi ' •, 153 BOOK ur. '--"v---1 S.llcT. XV 1. lmpri ron­lnCllt and death of ' hi· malp poCil·