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Show H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. 399 whole day. This was unqu ftionably the art in which ~he Mexicans BOOK VII. were leail: fuccefsfnl. .. ' However imperfect: they were in mufic, their d~mces in which they exercifed themfelves from childhood, under the direction of the priefts, were moll: graceful. They were of various kinds, and were differently named, according to the nature of the dance, or the circumCI:ances of the fefl:ival on which they were made. They danced fometimes in a circle, and fomctimcs in ranl s. At fame dances on ly men, and at others, only women danced. On fuch occalions, the nobles put on their mo!l: pompous dreifcs, adorned themfelves with bracelets, earrings, and v::trious pendants of gold, jewel s, and fine feathers,. and carried in one hand a ihield covered with the mofl: beautiful plumes, or a fan made of feathers ; and in the other an .Ajacaxtli, which is a certain little veffeJ, which we !hall mention hereafter, refembling a hel.:.. met, round or oval in a1apc, having many little holes, and containing a number of Ii ttle ftones which they {hook together, accompanying the found, which is not dilagreeable, with their mu1ical infl:ruments. The populace difguifed them(elves,.under various figures of animals, in drcfles made of paper, of feathers,, or fkin s. The little dance, which was made in the pabccs for the amnlcmcnt of the lords, or in the temples, as a p.1rticular aC.!: of devotion, or in private houfe~, when they celebrated nuptials, or made any other domeftic rejoicing, confifted of but a few dancers, who formed themfelves in two parc11lel lines, dancing fometimes with their faces turned to the one, fometirnes towards the other extremity of their lines; fometimcs the p.erfon of one line fac.ed thofe correlpondent to them in the other, e::tch line occafionally. croOing. and intermingling with the other, and femetimes one of each line detacbing them(elvcs from tl1e reft, danced in the fpace between both, while the others flood ftill. The great dance, , which was made in large open fi~:1ces of ground, or in the area of the greater temple, differed from the other in the order, form, and numuer of the dancers. This d:mce w:1s [o nnmerous that fame hundreds of people ufed to join in it. The mufic was placed in the middle of the area or fp1ce; near to it the lords danced, forming t,wo, three, or more circles, according to the number of them which w.as pr~fcn t .. At .a little diftancc fi·om them were formed other circles of dttnccrs SECT. XLV. D:lOCCS, |