OCR Text |
Show 188 B,_ O_O_K IV. _...) SEcT. XV. l)cnth, nnd culogium of king Ncza· hualwjotl. • II I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. ed in the throne by his fon Chimalpopoca, who refembled him no Iers in his bravery than his fidelity. The lofs which the Mexicans fuffcred, in r 4.70, by the death of the great Nezahualcojotl king of Acolhuacan, was f~r more a~iCt:ing .. This king was one of the moll: renowned heroes of anctent Amenca. H1s courage, which in his youth was rather fool-hardinefs, however great it appeared, was il:ill one of the lefs noble faculties of his foul. His fortitude and con!l:ancy during the thirteen years which he continued deprived of the crown and perfecuted by the ufurpcr, were truly won.derful. His integrity in the admini!l:ratiOJ~ of juftice was inflexible. To make his nation more civilized, ahd to correct the diforders in,tro~ duced into the kingdom in the time of the tyrant, he publifhed eighty laws, which were afterwards compiled oy his celebrated defcendant D. Ferdinanda D' Alba b:tlt'!xochz'tl in his manufcript, entitled, Storz~t de' Signori Cicz'mechi. He ordained that no fuit, civil or c~·iminal, ihould be prolonged more than eighty days, or four Mexican months .. Every eighty days there was a great a!Tembly in the royal palace, at which the judges and delinquents attended. Whatever caufes had been left undet:ided in the four preceding months, were infallibly determined on that day; and thofe who were convicted of any crime, immediately and without any remiffion, received puniihment proportioned to their offence, in prefence of the whole afiembly. To different crimes, different puni{hments belonged; fome were puniihed with the utmo!l: rigour, particularly adultery, fodomy, theft, homicide, drunkennefs~ and treafon to the !tate. If we are to credit the Tezcucan hi!l:orians, he put four of his own fans to death, for committing incc!l: with their mother-in-law. His clemency to the unfortunate was a)fo remarkable. It was forbid, under pain of death, throughout the kingdom, to take any thing from another's field; and fo !l:ritl was this law, that the ftealing of [even .cars .of maize was fufficient to incur the penalty. In order to prov1de, m fome meafure, for neceffitous travellers without breach of tl~is law, Nezahualcojotl commanded that both fides of the principal htghways !hould be fown with maize and other feeds with the fruits of which .thofl.! who were in want might fupply then;felves. A great part of lus revenue was fpent in relief of the poor, particularly thofe who H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. who were aged, fick, and in widowhood. To prevent the co r. _ . f. I d nmmp ~ton o t 1c woo s, he prefcri.bed limits to thofe who cut wood, and 1orbid trefpafies on them, under fevere penalties. Being defi . f k ' if 1 · HOUS 0 ·nowmg t :us prohibition was ftricl:ly obferved he went out one d:1 m. d' !i .f c • I ' y 1 g~1 e, WI~ 1 one of his brothers, and took the way to the foot of the ne1ghbourmg mountains, where the boundaries prefcribed,. comrn~ nced .. There }1e found a youth employed in gathering the fmall chtps wflJCh rcm::uned of fome wood that had been cut, and afked him why he did not go into the woods to cut fuel. Becaufe the kinrr fttid tl~e lad, h~s forbi~ the trefpailing on thefe .limits, and if we do no~'obey hm: he w1l~ pupiGl us feverely. Neither importunity nor promifes which the kmg made, were fullicient to make him willing to tranfgrefs. The compaffion excited in him by this poor youth, movect.him to enlarge the former limits he h ad fixed. He was particularly zealous in his attention to the faithful aJminiftration of j ~il:ice, and that none from their neceffi ties might plead an excufe for bemg corrupted by any of the contending parties1 he ordered the fupport of a.ll his miniil:ers and judges,. their clothing, and every ne.ceff.:1ry accordmg to the rank and quaiity of the perfon, to be fup p~ Ied out of t~e royal trcafury. So much was expended annually in his. houihold, m the fupport of his minifters and magifirates, and in relief of the poor, it would be totally incredible, nor !hould we be bold enough t~ write it, were it not certified by the original paintings, feen and exammed by the fir!l: religious m.iffionaries, who were employed in the converfion of thefe people, and confirmed by the teitimo~ y. o~ a third grandfon of this fame king, who being converted to chnfbamty was baptized by the name of Don Antonio Pimentel (f). The annual expenditure made by Nezahualcojotl reduced to Caftilian meafure, was therefore as follows : Of Maize, Of Cocoa nuts, Of Chili or common pepper and Tomate, Of Chiltecpin, or fmall pepper, 4,9oo,JOO Fanegas (g) . 2,744,ooo Fan. 3,200 Fan. 240 Fan. (f) Torqucmnda.rhe hifior~an, had 1hefc paiuting3 in his h r~nds, by his own teftimrmy. (g) The Fancga 1s a SpantCh mcnfLire for dry goods, co ntaining Hhout a llllndrcd Spanifh 11ounJs, or one hun ln;d and thirty Roman poLinJs, Of ..,, . • .. BOOK IV. I |