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Show SteT. XVII. Diflcrcnt religious orders, II I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. zealoufly attended to than the -chaflity of thefe virgins. Any trefpafs of this nature was unpardonable; if it remained an entire fecret, the female culprit endeavoured to appeafc the anger of the gods by fafiing and aufl rity of life i for {he dreaded that in puniiliment of her crime her flc{h would rot. W hen a virgin, ddl:ined from her infancy to the wor01ip of the gods, arrived at the age of fixteen or eighteen , at wbich years they were ufually married, her parents fought for a hufband to her, and after they found one, prefented to the Tepanteol~u a t zin a certain number of quails in plates curiouOy varniilied, and a certain quaiJtity of copal, of flowers and provifions, accompanied with a fiu died addrefs, in which they thanked him for the care and attention he had iliewn in the education of their daughter, and demanded his permifl ion to fettle her in marriage. The Tcpanteohuatzin granted the rcquefi, in a reply to the addrefs, exhorting his pupil to a perfeverance in virtue, and the fulfillment of all the duties of the married fl:ate. ' Amongfl: the different orders or congregations both of men and women, who dedicated themfelves to the woriliip of [orne particular gods, that of ~etzalcoatl is worthy to be mentioned. The life led in the colleges or mona11:eries of either fex, which were devoted to this imaginary god, was uncommonly rigid and aufl:ere. The drefs of the order was extremely decent; they bathed regularly at midnight, and ~atched until about two hours before day, finging hymns to their god, and obferving many rules of an au11:ere life. They were at liberty to go to the mountains at any hour of the day ot· night, to fpill t11eir blood; this was permitted them from a ref peel: to the virtue which they were all thought to poffefs. The fuperiors of the monafteries bore alfo the name. of Qgetzalcoatl, and were perfons of fuch high authority, that they vifited none but tj1e king when it was neceffary. The members of this religious order were deftined to it from their infancy. The parents of the child invited the fuperior to an entertainment, who ufually deputed one of his fubjeCl:s. The deputy brought the child to him, upon which he took the boy in his arms, and offered. him with a prayer to ~etzalcoatl, and put a collar about hi's neck, which was to be worn until he was [even years old. When the boy completed his f~::cond year, th<? fuperior made a [mall incifion in his brcafl:, which, like the collar, was another mark of his defl:ination. As foon Il I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I c o. {oo~ as the boy attained hi~ fqvent.~ y~ar, h~ ~ntered into .the monall:.~ry, BOOK Vl. havt.ng fir~ heard a long dtf:ourfe from his parents,. in which they ad- ~ vertlfed h.an of the yo~ whtch t~ey had made to ~etzalcoatl, and ex ~ hatted hun to fulfil It, to behave well, to fubmit himfelf to his pre~ate, and to pray to the gods for his ,parents and the whole nation. This order wns called Tlamacazcajotl, aJ..)d the. members of it Tlama-cazque. Another o. rder .w hich was called :feir. Pochtliztlt', or t1·1e .y o u th s, on flCCount of 1ts bcmg compofcd of youths and boys, was confecrated to Tezcatlipoca. This was alfo a defl:ination 'from infancy, attended with almo~ the f.1mc c.crcmonics as that of ~etzalcoatl; however, thc;y did not hv.e together m one community, but each individual had his own l10me. In every difl:riet of the city they had a fuperior, who governeJ them, ~nd a lwu~e where they a!Iembled at fun-fet to dance a11d fing the pra1fcs of therr god. Both [exes met at this dance, but without c.o1~1mitting the. fmallc~ difor~er, owin~ to the vigilance of th fu penOJ s, and the n gour w1th whiCh all m1fdemeanors were punifhed . Among the Totonacas was an order of monks devoted to their o-odde(s Centc~tl. They lived in great retirement and auil:erity, and th; ir life ~xcepttng their fuperfl:ition and vanity, was perfeCl:ly unimpeachable: None but men above .fixty years of age who were widowers, efl:ranged from all commerce wlth women, and of virtuous life were admitted into this monafl:cry. Their number was fix ed, and wJ1en any one died another was received in his fl:ead. Thefe monks were [o much efteem~ d.' that they were not only confulted by the common people, but likewife by the firfl: nobility and the high-priefl:. They liftened to confultat. ions fittin~ upon their heels, with their eyes fixed upon the ground, .and thctr anfwers were received like oracles even hy the kings of .Mex1co. They were employed in making hifl:orical paintings, Which they gave to the high-priefl: that he might exhibit them to t~c people. But the mofl: important duty of the priell:hood, and the chief cere-f l 1 $ E C T, I mony. o t 1e re igion of the Mexicans, confifl:ed in the facrifices which X VIII. tbey madt: occa.fionally to obtain any favour from h~aven, or in grati- ;f~~~1 ~~ 1~::,-. ~ude for thofe favours which they had already received. This is a fllb- man viCl:itnH. J~Cl: which we would wiJlingly pafs over, if the Jaws of hifiory per- . ' mitt<.:J, • |