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Show 272 :BOOK VI. ~ SECT· XV. The employmenu, drets, and life of the pricfis. H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X 1 C 0. duties of fo extenfive an appointment, he was allowed two curates OJ' deputies, the one named the Hut'tznahuateohuatrzin, the other the T epamohuatzin. The Mext.coteohuatz in was the fu perior-gencral of all the fcminaries; his chief badge of diftinCtion was a little bag of copal, which he alwny carried along with him. . The :flatquimiloltt!utlli managed the reconomy of the ~mCtu:tries , the Omctocht/i was the chief compofer of the hymns which were fung at feftiv.lls; the Epcoac!tiltzin ( /), the maO:er of the ceremonies ; the Tlapixcatzin the tnaficr of the chapel, who not only appointed the n1:ufic, but fupcrintcnded the finging and correCted the fingers. Others, wl}ofe names we omit, to avoid growing tedious to our readers, were the immediate fuperiors of the colleges of the pricO:s which were confecrated to differenr gods (m). Tl1e name 'leopi'xqui was alfo given to the prieO:s, which means the guard or minifier of God. To every diviiion of the capital, and probably, of every other great city, belonged a prieft of fu perior rank, who aCted in the quality of retl:or to that diftriCl:, and appointed every aCt of religion which WflS to be performed within the bounds of his jurifdietion. All thefe rectors were fubjeCl: to the authority of the Mexicoteohuatzin. All the offices of religion were divided among the priefis. Some were the facrificers, others the diviners ; feme were the compofers of hymns, others thofe who fung. Amongfl: the fingers fome fung at certain hours of the dil.y, others fung at certain hours of the night. Some priells had the charge of keeping the temple clean, fome took care of the ornaments of the altars ; to others belonged the infiruCting of youth, the correCting of the calendar, the ordering of feO:ivals, and the care of the mythological paintings. Four times a day they offered incenfe to the idols, namely, at daybreak, at mid-day, at fun-fet, and at mid-night. The laft offering was made by the prieft whofe turn it was to do fo, and the moil: refpeCtablc oA1cers of the temple attended at it. To the fun they made daily new offerings, four times during the day, and .five times during (I) Torqucm_ada calls this pricfi EP'Jualiztli, and Hernandez Epon'lunw iliz tli; but both of of them are mdiakcn. (m) Whoever .i~ delirous of knowing the other offices and names of the prie(l s, may confult the 8th Look of I or<luem;~da, nnd the account given by Hernandez which Nieremberg in· ferted in hia Katuml Hiftory. ' the |