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Show 172 BOOK IV. ~-v---J S £c·r IV. Judicious rc· gulations of king Nezn. hualcojotl, H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. ' :.::ahualcojotl likcwife was put in polfeffion o~ the .thro~e of Acolhuac~~,, on condition of his giving afiifl:ance to the Mex1cans 111 war, for which he was affigned a third part of the plunder, after deduCting the {)~arc of the king of Tacub:t, the other two tl~ird to be refervcd for ~h.c :(~~~ ~f M ext·c o. (b) Bcfidcs thi~ ' both the kwgs were cre.1tcd honot ..11 y e1l e-tOI· s of the kings of Mexico; which honour was fimply confined to t 1e ratt-fyit~ g the eleCtion made by four Mex_ican nobles, who were ~he re~-tl el~ctors. The king of Mexico was rcclprocally bound to a_ffot~ fuccout to each of the two kings wherever occafion demanded. Thts alltance of the three kings which remained firm at~d inviolate for the fpace of a century, , was the cau!e of the rapid conqueil:s which the Mexicans made I:ereafter. But this was not the only mafl:e rly il:roke in politics of the kwg ltzcoatl · he munificently rewarded all thofe who had difl:ingui{hed themfelve: in the ~ars, not paying fo much regard to their birth or the !lations which they occupied, as to the courage which they {h~wed and the fervices they performed. Thus it was the hope of reward ammated them to the moft heroic enterprifes, being convinced, that the glory and the advantages to bed riv.ed from them would not depend on any accidents of fortune, but on the merit of their a~tions themfclves. By fucceeding kings the fame policy was praCl:ifed with infinite fervice. to the fi~te .. Having formed this important alliance ltzcoatl fet out wtth the km~ Nezahualcojotl for Tezcuco, to crown him with his own hand. Thts ceremony was performed with all poffible folemnity in 1426. From thence the king of Mexico returned to his refidence, while the other began with the utmofl: diligence to make reformations in the court of Tezcuco. The kingdom of Acolhuacan was not then in fuch good order and regulation as Techotlala had left it. The dominion of the Tepanecas, and the revolutions which had happened in the lafi twenty years had changed the government of the people, weakened the force of the laws, and cauf~:d a number of their cufl:oms. to fall into difufe. Nezahualcojotl, who, befides the attachment which he had to his nation was gifted with uncommon prudence, made fu h regulations and changes (b) Severn! Hillorians have believed that the kings of Tezcuco ar.d' Tacuba were real electors, but the contrary appears evident from l;ill:ory; no occufion ever occurred where they in• tcrfercd or were 11rcfent <lt an eleCtion, aa we !halllhcw hcreaftcl', in H I 'S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. in the il:ate, that in a little time it became more flouria1iog than jt hnd ever been under any of his predcceifors. He g:we a new form to the councils which had b ~en ci1:abli01cd by his grandfather. lie conferred offices on pcrfons the fittefl: for them. One council determined caufes purely civil, in which, among others, f1ve lords who had proved conil: antly faithful to him in his adverfity, aHifl:ed. Another coun il judged of criminal caufcs, at which the two princes his brothers, men of high integrity, prcfi'dcd. The council of war was campo~ d of the moil: diftinguirhcd military charaCters, among whom Icotihuacan, fanin- law to the king and alfo one of the thirteen nobles of the kingdom, l1ad the fidl: rank. The treafury-board coniiftcd of the king's majordomos, and the firfi merchants of the court. The principal majordomos who took charge of the tributes and other parts of the royal income, were tl11'~e in number. Societies fimilar to academies were inftituted for poetry, a.O:ronomy, mufic, painting, hi.fiory, and the art of divination, and he invited the moll celebrated profeifors of his kingdom to his court, who met on certain days to communic;lte their di.f< overies and inventions; and for each of thefe arts and fciences, although little advanced, fchools were appropriated. To accommodate the me banic branches, ~11e divided the city of Tezcuco into th_irty odd divifions, and to every branch affigned a di.O:riCl:; fo that the goldfmiths inhabited one divifion, the fculptors another, the weavers anot.her, &c. To cheriili. rcli,.)on he raifed new temples, created miniil:ers for the worOlip of ~heir gods, gave them houfes, and appointed them revenues for their fupport, and the expences whi h were neceifary at fefl:ivttls and facrifices. To augment the fplendor of his court he confl:rutl:ed noble edifices both within and without the city, and planted new gardens and woods, which were in prefervation many years after the conq ueft, and thew il:ill fame tr:tces of former magnificence. 173 BOOK IV. ~ While the king of Acolhuacan was occupied in new reguhtions of SEer. V. his court, the Xochimilcas, afraid lefi the Mexicans in future might be defirous of making themfelves alfo mafiers of their fl:ate~ as well as of the Tcpanecas, afiembled a council to deliberate on the mcafurcs they D1ould take to prevent fuch a difgrace. Some were of opinion they il10ulJ voluntarily fubrnit themfelves to the dominion of the Mexican~ ... Conqucl1 of Xochi 111 ilco, of Cuitlahu~ c, and other cities. as at all events in time they would be obliged to fLtccumb to that power: the I |
