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Show HISTORY OF ME X I C 0. l'k · r. anlong all the nations of that empire, or who were neighbour- BOOK vr. 1 ewue h · ·o d 1 "-'""""'-' · · · 0 the laft night of their century, t ey extmglll 1e t 1e .. 111g to 1t. n . ~ h fire of all the temple and houfcs, and broke their ve~els , .eart en pots, . an d :tl l ot1le r k1.t c 11 e n utenfils , preparing themfclves lf1 th1s manner fot· the end of the worl \, which at the termination of each ce1:tury they ex-petl: ed with terror. The priefts, clothed in various drefics ~nd enfigns of their gods, and accompanied by a va~ croud of people,, 1ffued fro~ , I 1 t Of the city diretl:ing their way to.wards the mountam t te tern p e ou ~ . . . . Huixachtla, near to the city of Iztapalap:1n, upwards ~f i~x m1les di-ftant from the capital. They regulated their journ e~ m 1om_e mcafure.. b obfervation of the ftars, in order that they Imght arnve at the ~ountain a little before midnight, on the top of whi~h th~ new fire was . to be kindled. In the mean while, the people remamcd m the utmofl: fufpence and [olicitude, hoping on ~he one han~ to find fr~m t~c . n~:w fire a ne century granted to mankmd, and feanng ~n _the _othet hand, the total deftrutl:ion of mankind, if the fire, by d1vme mterference,. fuould not be permitted to kindle. Huibands cov.cred.the faces ~f their pregnant. wiv s with the leaves .of the aloe, and fhut them up m ~ra- . narie.s ; becaufe they were afraid that they would be converted mto . wild beafts and wo'l:lld devour them. They alfo covered the faces of children in that way,. and did not allow them to fieep, to prl!vent their being transformed into mice. All thofe who did ~ot go out. with the. priefts, mounted upon terrJces, to obferve from then~e the event of the ceremony. The office of kind) ing the fire on thts occafion belonged cxclufively to a prieft of Copolco, . one of the diftriets of the city. The i.nftn\ments for this purpofe were, as we have already mentioned, two. pieces of wood, and the place on which the fire was produce.d from them, was the breafi: of fome brave prifoner whom . they. facn-: ficed. As. foon a.s the fit·e was kinuled, they all at ,once excb·imed .. with joy; and a great fire was made an the mountain . t~at_ it might be feen from afar, in which thc.y afterwards burned the v1Cl:un whom. they had tlcrificed. Imme.diatcly th(Zy tool\. up portions of the fdcred fire, and ftrove with each other who 1b0uld carry it moll: fp{..'Cdily to their houfcs. The priefts carried it to the greater temple of Mexico, from whence all the iuhabitants . of that c~pital were fuppl icd with it. During the thirteen days which followed the renewal of the fi re, w.hich. . . H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C O. which were the intercalary days, interpofed between the pall: and enfu .. ing centmy to adjuft the year with the courfe of the iim, they employed th~mfclvcs in repairing and whitening the public and private buildings, and in furni{hing tbemfdves with new drefies and domcfi:ic utenfils, in order that every thing might be new, or at lcafi: appear to be fo, upon the commeocemcnt of the new century. On the firfl: day of that year, and of that century, which as we have already mentioned, corn.:iponded to the 26th of February, for no perfon was it lawful to taftc water ·before mid-day. At that hour the facrifices began, the number of which was fuited to the grandeur of the feitival. Every place refounded with the voice of gladnefs and mutual congratulations on account of the new century which heaven had granted to them. The illuminations made during the firft nights were extremely magnificent; their ornaments of drefs, their entertainments, dances, and public games, were fuper.iorly folemn. Amongft th 1 t, amidft an immenfc concourfc of people, and the moft lively demonftrations of joy, the game of the flyers, which we fball defcribe in another place, was exhibited; in which the number of flyers wet·e four, and the number of turns which each made in his flight, thirteen, which fignificd the four periods of thirteen years, of which the century was compofed. What we have hitherto related concerning the feftivals of the Mexican s, clearly evinces their fuperftitious charaCl:er; but it will appear il:ill more evident from the account we are now to give of the ritC'~ wh.ich they obferved upon the bit·th of children, at their marriages, and at funerals. · 315 BOOK VI, ~ s I! c XXXVII. As foon as a child was born, the midwife, after cutting the navelfiring, and burying the fecundine, bathed it, faying thefe words; Receive t!Je water; for t!Je goddt:Ji Chalchiuhcueje ts thy mother·. May this bath cleanje the )pots ·which thou belmjl from the 'womb of thy mother, purify thy heart and give tbee a good and perjeEf !fie. Then ~ddrcffing her prayer to that goddefs, {he demanded in fimilar w0rds the fame favour from her; and taking up the water again with her tight hand, fhe blew upon it, and wet the mouth, head, an~ brea.il: •of the child with it) and after bathing the whole ·of its body, fhe fc'rid : May the invijible God defi:end upon this 'water, m'td clea1~{e thee qf every fin Rites obfcrv cd t• pon the l>irrh of chi!. drcn, S s 2 and .. |