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Show BOOK VI. - ·-v--1 • H I S T 0 R Y 0 · M E X I ' 0. not limited, but always proportionc l either to the munber of prifoners which were made in war, to the necdlitics of th0 il:ate, or the nature f the fdl:ivals , as appears from the dedication of the greater temple of Mexico, on which occa!ion the cruelty of the Mexicans exceeded all bounds of belief. It is not, however, to be doubted, that the 1acrifices were v ry numerous; the conqucfl:s of the Mexicans having be 11 extremely rapid, and as their aim in war was not fo much to kill as to make prifoners of the enemy for this purpofc. If to thefe victims we add the finves which were purchafcd for the .G.une end, and many criminals who were condemned to expiate their rimes by the fltcrificc of their lives, we {hall find the number greatly exceed that computed by Las Caias, who was too anxious to exculpate the A.mericans of all the excdfes of which they were accufed by the Spamarcls (q). The facrifices multiplied in Divine year~, and ftiU more in Sl'cu!ar years. The Mexicans were accufl:omed at their fefi:ivals to clothe the vic-tim in the fame drcfs and badges in which they dre[ed that god to whom the fc1crificc was made ; thus habited, the viCtim went round the city demanding alms for the temple, accompanied with a guard of foldiers. If any one accidentally made his efcape, the corporal of the guard was fubftituted in his fl:ead as a punifhment for his carelcfl: nefs. They ufed alfo to feed and fatten the viCtims, as they did (l:veral animals for the table. The relicrion of the Mexicans was not confined to thcfe f.1c rifi ces ; 0 off~rings were made of various kinds of animals. They fltcrificcd quails and fctlcons to their god Huitzilopochtli, and hares, rabbits, deer, and coyotes to their god Mixcoatl. They daily made an offering of quails to the fun. Every day as the fun was about to ifc, fc- 'veml priefts, ftanding on the upr er area of the temple, with their [aces towards the eaft, each with a quail in his hand, fi1lnted that luminary's appearance with mufic, and made an offering of the quails after cutting off their heads. T his facrificc was fucceeded by the burning of incenfc, with a loud accompaniment of mu!ical inll:ruments. (q) v'Vc cannot aCCO\lllt why Las Cafaa, who, in his writings m:tl<cs urc of the tcOimony of Zurnarrap;a, nnd other churchmen , againft the conqltCro rs, fhould :\ftcrwards ro openly COlltr~ llic them rcfpe,"\ing the number of the facrificcs~ In • II I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X .I C 0 . In acknowled~rmcnt of the power of th~.:ir gods, they alfo made offerings of various kinds of plants, flowers , jew~ L, gum , and oth·~ r inanimate fub{bnccs. To their gods Tlaloc and Coatlicu<.: they offe r<.:(l ~he fidl:-blown fl.owcrs; and to C~n tcot l, the firil maiz<.: of cvcry year. fhey made oblatiOns of bread, v:1nous pafl:cs, and rc.1dy drcfl{;d victnal: in fnch abundance, as to be fu tlicicnt to fupply all the rninifl:crs of tlw ten ple. Every morning were fccn at the fo t 0f the altar innumerabk difhes and porringers of boiling foo I, that the (teams arifing from them might rca h the noftrils of the idols, and nuurin1 their it mortal gods. T he 1~oft frequent ~bl.ation, however, wa•; tltat of cop d. All d, ily burned 111cenfc to thcu· 1dols ; no houft: was without cenfcrs. The pri~fi:s ~n the temple, fathers of families in their houfcs, and judg ill thctr tnbunals, whenever they pronounced fentence in an im portant ca.ufe, wheth~r c:ivil or cri.minal, oftcrecJ incenit to the four prin ip:d wmds. But mcenfc-offermg among the Mexicans, and other nations of Anahuac, was not only an a.Cl: of relit,ion towards their gods, but alfo a piece of civil courtefy to lords and ~unbaa:tdo rs . The fupcdl:ition and cruelties of the Mexicans were imit.1tcd byall the n~tion s whid~ :hey conquered, or that were contiguou · to the empire, Without any ddtercncl!, except th:lt the num bcr of f:tcl'ificcs amongll thof~.: 11ations was lcCs, and that particulat· circum{htnces fomctimcs att~.:n dcd them. The Thfcalans, at one of their fefl:ivals, fixed a prii( ner to a l1igh crof..<>, and !hot arrow at him; and upon another occnfion, they tied a prifoner to a low crofs, and killed him by the bafl:inado. The f::tcrifices celebrated every fomth ye:1r by th ~auhtitlans in honour of the god of fire, were inhnman and dr adful. A day before the fj ival, they planted fix very lofty trc~s in the under prca of the temple, facrificed two .flavcs, il:rippcd their {l ins oft~ and took out the bones of the.ir thighs. The n xt day two eminent pricfl:s, clothed themfclves in the bloody Jkins, took the bones in their hand , and defcendeo with folcmn fl:cps and difmal howlings, d6wn the fl:airs of the temple. The people who were aat:mblcd in crouds below, called out in a lQud voice, "Behold there come our gods." As foon as they reached the lower area, they began a dance to the found of muiical inftrumcnts, which lafl:cd the greatefl: p:1rt of the clay. In the meanwhile, the people facrificed an incre lible quantity of quails, the num- 0 o 2 her nooK v r. ~ Sr. c1·. x r. Inh\11n:u1 Ja. Cl ilii:CR in Q!_tauhtitlau. |