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Show 166 BOOK III. ~ SI' CT. XX fl. Conquetl of .i\ ,~;c a poz.a l co, :md death of the tyrant Maxt· laton, H I S T 0 R Y 0 F N1 E X I C 0. been tributary to the Tepanecas, if they remained viC\:ors, would com.- pel the Tepanecas to pay a trib~te to them ( .b'). . . The day at length arrived wh1ch was to dec1de t~1e fate of thtce lungs. Doth armies took the field, and began battle w1th uncommon fury, which continued with much fiercencfs and heat till mid -day. The Mexicans bcingl emboldened from the a?vanta~es obtained the pn>_ ceding day, as well as from a firm bchef wluch poffeffed them of coming off viCl:orious, made fuch havock of the enemy, that .they !hewed the field with dea-d bodies, defeated them, put them to fhght, and purfued them into the city of Azcapozalc~,. fpreading de<~th an.d terror in every qnarter. The Tepanecas, percetvmg that even m the1r houfes they could not efcape from the fury of the viCtors, fled to the mountains whi h lie from. ten to twelve miles diil:ance from Azcapo- ' . ' zalco. The proud Maxtlaton, who, until that day, had looked With s:ontempt upon his enemies, and conceived himfelf fuperior to all :{hokes of fortune, feeing the Mexicans had entered his court, and hearing the cries of the vanq uiG1ed, unable to make any refifl:ance, and fearing to be overtaken if he attempted to fly, hid himfelf in a ~~~naz. calli, or ciil:us ; but as the conquerors fought for him every where, they at laft found him: no prayers nor tears · with whiah he implored their mercy could prevail ; they beat him to death with flicks and jl:ones, and threw his body out into the· fi.elcls 'to feed the birds of prey. Such was the tragic end of Maxtlaton before he •had completed three years of his tyranny. Thus did they put a fiop to his injufiice, his cruelty, his ambition, and treachery, 'and the heavy wrongs done by him to the lawful heir of the kingdom of .A'colhuacan, to his brother Ta}atzin, and to the kings of Mexico. His 'memory is odious and execrable among the annals o' f thofe nations. This memorable event \\thich totally alter'ed the fyftem of thofe kingdoms, fignalized the' year I 42 5, of the vulgar era, precifely one century after the foundation ·of 'Mexico. m From thefc cllpreffions of the tyrant it is to be .inrerred, 1hat when ho made himfelf mafier of the crown of Azcapozalco, by the :1fi"affination of his brotl1er Tajat:r.in, he rcfumccl .rhe impofition of th:lt tribute·on' the Mexicans, which 'had been rest:~itt.eu then\ by hb father 'fe;ZOZOF!lOC, J The l!lS'tORY OF ME X l 0 0. r67 J The. next night th~ viCl:Qrs ~ere employe~ in .facl}in~ *e city, in BOOK.lUdeftroymg tho houfes, a.nd burnmg the temples, leaving· that one~ fo · • -... • cele?rated court .in a frate of defolation pot to. ~e repa~n:Q. iq manx ye~·~~ ~hile the Mextcans and Acolht.J<l:& w~re g<J.thering the fruit~ q( the~r v~tl:ory, the detach~1ent of Tlafcal'tln& and Hu~1Cqtzencas too~ t~e a,q- Clent court of Tena.~uca by a.tfault,. ~mq the q~y ,fteJ: join,ed t4e armx to take the city of Cuetlacht~per;, The fugitive Tepantcas, findil)g th.qmfclv~ r~ducecl tq the· utrpo{t diil:r:e~s in the mountains, ao,d af~~~c;i Qf being perfccute~ HCD ·th~'re ~Y t.he Ylctors,. at lafi thoug~t of furrendering thell)fel.ves and jmgloring me:cy;. ~nd that they m.1ght be more certain of obtaining it., fent off an 11lu~nou·s perfon~ge , 111 company with other nobles· of the Tepanecan nation, to the kmg of Mexi o. This ambaffador humbly demanded pardon of the king in the name of his countrymen, offered obedience to· him, and promifed that all the Tcp:mecas would acknowledO'e· him as their lawful lord, and wou.ld ferve him as vafials. He congr~-· tulated them on their good fortune in the m~dft of the terrible fhock which their nation had fuftered of being fubjected. to fo amiable a prince, who· was endued with fo many excellent qualities, and at lafi conclud~ ed his addrefs with an earneft prayer, that they might be granted the· favour of life, and liberty to return to· their habitations. Itzcoatl received them with the utmoil: complacency, granted them all they aikcd,. profeffcd himfelf ready to recei.ve them, not only as his fubj.eets but as his children, and to difcharge all the offices of a true father to them ; but at the fame time threatened them with total extirpation if they violated the fidelity which they £wore to him. Their demand being granted, the fugitives returned to rebuild their habitations and attend to· their families ; and from that time continued always fubject to the king of M~x~c~, affording in their difail:er another example of thofe changes and VlClfhtudes common to all human affairs. But the whole of the Te~anecan nation was not reduced under obedience to the conqueror: Cojohuacan, a tonfiderable ftate and city of that people,.. continued for: fome time refraCtory in their conduct as will afterwards appear. The king Itzcoatl, after this famous conqueft, ordered a ratifica tion . of the compaCt entered into between the nobility and the populace; by which the lai1: were bou.nd to perpetual fervices, which they ren d~ tcd |