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Show 212 BOOK V. H I s T 0 lt Y 0 F M E X I C 6. chocolate and other drinks of the cocoa, were of gold, or fome beautiful fea-fuell, or naturally formed veifcls cnrioufly varnifhed, of which we fhall.fpeak hereafter. He had gold plate, but it w~s ufed ~nly on certain fefiivals, in the temple. The nllinber, and vanety of d1Ches at his table amazed the Spaniards who faw them. The conqueror Cortez, [;1ys, that they covered the floor of a .great hall, and that there were difhes of every kind of game, fiG1, frmt, and herbs of that country. Three or four hundred noble yo llths carried this ~inner ~n form; prefented it as foon as. the king fat down to table,. and 1mmed1ately ~e-. tired; and that it might not grow cold, every d1G1 was. accompan1:d with its chafing-difh. The king marked with a rod, whtch ~e ~ad m his hand~ the meats which he chafe, and the refl: were dtfl:nbuted among the nobles who were in the anti-cham~er. Before he fat do~n, four of the mofi beautiful women of his feraglto, prefented water to hun to wa{h his hands, and continued fl:anding all the time of his dinner, together with fix of his principal minifters, and his carver·. As fooll as the king fat down to table, the carver !hut the door of the hall, that none of the other nobles might fee him eat. The miniil:ers fl:ood at a diil:ance, and kept· a profound filence, unlefs when they made anfwer to what the king faid. The carver and the four women ferved. the dillies to him, befides two others. who brought him bread made o£ maize baked with eggs. He frequently heard mufic,. during the time of his meal, and was entertained with the humorous fayings 0f fome· deformed men whom he kept out of mere ftate. He fhewed much fatisfaetion in hearing. them, and obferved that amongft their jefis, they frequently pronounced fome important truth. When his dinner was over he took tobacco mixed with liquid amber, in a pipe, or reed beau~ tifully varnifhed~ aad with the fmoke of it put himfelf to flcep .. After having flept a little, upon the fame low chair he gave audi:- ' · ence, and liftened attentively to all. that was communiCated to him; encouraged thofe who, from embarraifment,. were unable to fpeak to him, and anfwered every one by his miniftcrs or fecretaries. After giving audience, he was entertained with mufic, being much deligf1ted with hearing the glorious aCtions of his anceftors fung. At other times he amufed himfelf with feeing various games played, of which we iliaU [peak. hereafter~ When he went abroad,, he was carried on the iliouMers HISTORY O· F MEXICO·~ fhoulders of the ~obles in a litter covered with a rich canopy, attended by a numerou~ retmu.e of courtiers j and wherever he paifed, every perfon il:opped w1th theu· eyes !hut, :;ts if they feared to be dazzled with ~he fplendor of majefiy. When he alighted from the litter to walk on. foot, they fpread carpets, that he might not touch the earth with his feet. The grandeur and magnificence of his palac~s, houfes of pleafure, '":oods, and gardens, were correfpondent to this majefi:y. The palace of h1s ufual re.fidence was a vail: edifice of il:one and lime, which had twent~ doors to the public fquare and il:reets; three great c0 urts, in one cf wluch was a beautiful fountain, feveral halls, and more than ::t hundred chambers. Some of the apartments had walls of marble and other valuable kinds of ftonc. The beams were'of cedar, cyprefs, and other excellent woods, well finifhed and carved. Among the halls· th.ere was one f? large, .that, acc~rding to the tefi:imony of an eyeWttnefs. of veractty (f), 1t could contain three thoufand people. Befides .th1s palace, he had others, both within and without the capital. In ~~1co,. befides the feraglio for his wives, there was lodging for all his mm1fters and counfellors, and all the officers of his houiliold and cou~t; and alfo accommodation for foreign lords who arrived there,. and particularly for the two allied king,s. Two houfes in Mexico he appropriated to animals . the one for: 'birds, which did n.ot live by prey; the other for thofe ~f prey, quadrupeds,. and rept1.les. There were feveral chambers belonging to' the firil:, an~ gallenes fupported on pillars of marble, all of one piece .. Thefe gallenes looked towards a garden, where, in the midfl: of fome fhrubbery,. ten fifh-ponds w~re formed1 fame of them of frefh water for the aquatic birds o£ rivers,. and others of f:.llt-water for thofe of the fea. In other parts of the houfe were all forts of birds, in fuch number and variety, as to il:rike the Spaniard~ with wonder, who could not be .. lieve there ;tas a~y fpecies in the world wanting to the collection. They ~ere fup~he~ With the fame food which they fed upon while they enJoyed the1r hberty,, whether feeds, fruits, or infects. For thofe birds (!)The anonymous conqm:ror, in his valuable relation or narrative. He fays ~tro th~t lie< 've-nt fol 11· dI· fr~ rent tu· nes· m· to .dlat g1:ear nnlace, and ranged over it till he was fa·t igu' ed · but could not Cce 1t all. ' wh.icli BOOK v. '--v--" s 1:: c T nr. Magnificence of the pnlnccsnnd royal h(!)ufcs. |