ANALYSIS. three small courts of the palace, and many waited in the .. The women of the court. 2. Forms and ceremonials presence of streets. 25. The women about the court were not less in number, including those of rank, servants, and slaves. All this numerous female tribe lived shut up in a kind of seraglio, under the care of some noble matrons, who watched over their conduct; as these kings were ex tremely jealous, and every piece of misconduct which happened in the palace, however slight, was severely punished. Of these women, the king retained those who pleased him; the others he gave away, as a recompense for the services of his vassals. 26. The forms and ceremonials introduced at court observed in were another effect of the despotism of Montezuma. No Montezuma one would enter the palace, either to serve the king, or to confer with him on any business, without pulling off his shoes and stockings at the gate. No person was allowed to appear before the king in any pompous dress, as it was deemed a want of respect to majesty; consequently the greatest lords, excepting the nearest relations of the king, stripped themselves of the rich dress which they wore, or at least covered it with one more ordinary, to show their humility before him. 3. Manner of addressing receiving his answers. 6 27. All persons, on entering the hall of audience, the king, and and before speaking to the king, made three bows; saying, at the first, Lord;' at the second, my Lord;' and at the third, 'great Lord.' They spoke low, and with the head inclined, and received the answer which the king gave them, by means of his secretaries, as attentively and humbly as if it had been the voice of an oracle. In taking leave, no person ever turned his back upon the throne. 4 The diningroom, furni ture, utensils, &c. 28. room. The audience-hall served also for the diningThe table of the monarch was a large pillow, and his seat a low chair. The table-cloth, napkins, and towels were of cotton, but very fine, white, and always perfectly clean. The kitchen utensils were of the earthenware of a See p. 73, Cholula," but none of these things ever served the monarch more than once; as, immediately after, he gave them to one of his nobles. The cups in which his chocolate and other drinks were prepared, were of gold, or some beautiful sea-shell, or naturally formed vessels curiously varnished. also Map, p. 569. ber and 5. The num- 29. "The number and variety of dishes at his table variety of amazed the Spaniards who saw them. Cortez says that dishes. they covered the floor of a great hall, and that there were 6. The king's dishes of every kind of game, fish, fruit, and herbs of table. that country. Three or four hundred noble youths waiters at carried this dinner in form; presented it as soon as the 1520. king sat down at table, and immediately retired; and, that it might not grow cold, every dish was accompanied with its chafing-dish. 166 observed at table, &.c. 30. The king marked, with a rod which he had in 1. Ceremonies his hand, the meats which he chose, and the rest were distributed among the nobles who were in the ante-chamber. Before he sat down, four of the most beautiful women of his seraglio presented water to him to wash his hands, and continued standing all the time of his dinner, together with six of his principal ministers, and his carver. "He frequently heard music during the time of 2. The king's his meal, and was entertained with the humorous sayings of some deformed men whom he kept out of mere state. He showed much satisfaction in hearing them, and observed that, among their jests, they frequently pronounced some important truth. 31. When he went abroad he was carried on the shoulders of the nobles, in a litter covered with a rich canopy, attended by a numerous retinue of courtiers: and wherever he passed, all persons stopped with their eyes shut, as if they feared to be dazzled by the splendors of royalty. When he alighted from the litter, to walk on foot, carpets were spread before him that he might not touch the earth with his feet." buffoons, or jesters. 3. The king's appearance 4. in public. Prosperity of the Mexi can people. despotism. 32 'In closing this glowing description by Clavigero, it should be remarked that we ought not to judge of the prosperity of the ancient inhabitants of Mexico by what has been said of its emperor, its court, and its capital. 'Despotism had there produced those fatal effects which it 5 Effects of produces every where. The whole state was sacrificed to the capricious pleasures and magnificence of a small number of people. And although the particulars which have been mentioned exhibit the Mexicans as a people considerably refined, yet other circumstances show that their character, and many of their institutions, did not differ greatly from those of other inhabitants of America. Character tions of the and institu Mexicans. 7. Their wars. of prisoners. 33. Like the rude tribes around them, the Mexicans were almost constantly engaged in war, which they carried on to gratify their vengeance by shedding the blood of their enemies. All the prisoners taken in battle were 8. Treatment sacrificed without mercy, and their flesh was devoured with the same barbarous joy as among the fiercest savages. Sometimes their principal warriors dressed themselves in the skins of their unhappy victims, and danced about the streets, boasting of their own valor, and exulting over their enemies. 34. 'It is supposed that neither the Toltecs nor the Chi 9. Human sacrifices,-by whom instt tuted victims. Clavigero. ANALYSIS. chemecas permitted human sacrifices; and that it was reserved to the Aztec race to institute the abominable 1. Number of practice. 'Of the number of victims annually destroyed in this way, we have different and contradictory accounts. 2. Opinion of Clavigero inclines to the opinion that it was not less than twenty thousand, while other writers make it much more. Zumaraga, the first bishop of Mexico, supposes that, in that capital alone, more than twenty thousand victims were annually sacrificed. "Some authors, quoted by Gomara, say that fifty thousand were annually sacrificed in differAcosta's ent parts of the empire. 'Acosta says that there was a certain day of the year on which they sacrificed five thousand victims, and another on which they sacrificed twenty thousand. 3. Of Zuma raga. 4. Authors quoted by Gomara. statement. 6. The consecration of the of the Mexi cans. 35. In the consecration of the great temple of the great temple Mexicans, dedicated to the sun, which, it is related, took place under the reign of the predecessor of Montezuma, it is asserted by numerous historians, that its walls and stairways, its altars and shrines, were consecrated with the blood of more than sixty thousand victims; and that 7. Conclusion six millions of people attended at the sacrifice. "These from these accounts are probably greatly exaggerated; but sufficient is known, with certainty, to prove that some thousands of immortal beings were annually immolated to a blind and bloody idolatry. arrived at accounts. CHAPTER II. COLONIAL HISTORY OF MEXICO.* of Mexico by the Span iards. a. See p. 114. 1. A brief account of the conquest of Mexico by the 1. Conquest Spaniards, in the early part of the sixteenth century, has already been given. The conquest vested the sovereignty of the country in the crown of Spain, which guarantied that, on no account should it be separated, wholly or in part, from the Spanish monarchy. The whole extent of MEXICO is equal to nearly one-fourth of Europe, or to two-thirds of the United States and their territories, and is embraced between the 15th and 42d degrees of north latitude. Although the difference of latitude alone would naturally have the effect of producing considerable changes in the temperature of the more distant points, yet it is not to this circumstance, so much as to the peculiarity of its geological structure, that Mexico owes that singular variety of climate by which it is distinguished from most other countries of the world. The Andes Mountains, after traversing the whole of South America and the Isthmus of Panama, on entering the northern continent separate into two branches, which, diverging to the east and west, but still preserving their direction towards the north, leave in the centre an immense platform or table-land, intersected by the higher points and ridges of the great mountain chain by which it is supported, but raised, in the more central parts, to the height of 7000 feet above the level of the sea. In a valley of this table-land, at an elevation of 7000 feet, is situated the city of Mexico. (See Map.) Upon the whole of this table-land the effect of geographical position is neutralized by the extreme rarefaction of the air; while, upon the eastern and western declivities, it resumes its natural influence as it approaches the level of the sea. On the ascent from Vera Cruz, the changing climates rapidly succeed each other, and the traveller passes in review, in the course of two days, the whole scale of vegetation. The plants of the Tropics are exchanged, at an early period, for the evergreen oak; and the deadly atmosphere of Vera Cruz for the sweet mild air of Jalapa. A little farther, the oak gives place to the fir; the air becomes more piercing; the sun, though it scorches, has no longer the same deleterious effect upon the human frame; and nature assumes a new and peculiar aspect. With a cloudless sky, and a brilliantly pure atmosphere, there is a great want of moisture, and little luxuriancy of vegetation: vast plains follow each other in endless succession, each separated from the rest by a little ridge of ANALYSIS. lic religion 2. 'The Catholic religion, introduced into the country by the Spanish invaders, was the only religion that was 1. The Catho- tolerated in Mexico during the whole period of its colo introduced nial existence. In a few years after the conquest, four 2. The native millions of the natives were induced, by fraud and force, Christianity to embrace Christianity. But although they changed converts to 3. Slavery of the natives. 4. Sight ame lioration of dition. their con their profession, their faith has remained essentially the same. They know little of religion but its exterior forms of worship, and many of them are believed still to retain a secret veneration for their ancient idols. 3. "The establishment of a colonial government was followed by the bondage of the natives, who were reduced to the most cruel and humiliating form of slavery. though by the labors and influence of the worthy Las Casas they were finally invested with a few recognized Al hills, which appear to have formed, at some distant period, the basins of an immense chain of lakes. Such, with some slight variations, is the general character of the table-lands of the interior. Wherever there is water there is fertility; but the rivers are few and insignificant in comparison with the majestic rivers of the United States; and in the intervals the sun parches, in lea of enriching the soil. High and barren plains of sand, from which isolated mountains rise to the regions of perpetual snow, occupy a large portion of the interior of Northern Mexico; nor does nature recover her wonted vigor, until the streams which filter from the Andes are suñciently formed to dispense moisture on their passage to the ocean. As the eastern branch of the Andes gradually disappears, the space fertilized by these streams becomes more extensive, until, in Texas, a low but well wooded country, rich in beautiful rivers, takes the place of the dreary steppes of the interior. Almost all the fruits of Europe succeed well on the tablelands, while, bordering on the coast of the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico, tropical fruits are found in abundance. The whole eastern coast, extending back to that point in the slope of the mountains at which tropical fruits cease to thrive, is susceptible of the highest cultivation. The mineral wealth of Mexico is greater than that of any other country on the globe. Peru, indeed, offers gold in greater abundance, but Mexico has produced more silver than all the rest of the world united. The number of the silver mines which have been worked, or are stil worked, is supposed to exceed three thousand; some of which are very productive, but the profits of others are uncertain. The most remarkable mine was that of Valenciana, undertaken by a poor man, who, after a fruitless trial of eleven years, came at length upon a great vein, which, for more than thirty years, yielded more than two millions of dollars annually. Immediately previous to the Mexican revolution, the annual produce of the silver mines of Mexico was estimated at about twenty millions of dollars; but since the revolution the annual average has been only about twelve millions. As there are no canals, and few navigable rivers in the populous portions of Mexico, the means of communication are at present very defective. The roads are miserable, wheel carriages are scarcely known, and the produce of the country is conveyed almost wholly on the backs of mules. For most of the country there is no home market, and therefore there is little encouragement for industry, beyond the production of the mere necessaries of life. It is probable that Mexico will not soon become much of a manufacturing country, and a great maritime power she cannot be, for her ports on the Atlantic side are barely sufficient for the purposes of commerce. The opening of good roads, and other means of communication, seems to be the wisest course of policy pointed out to Mexico by the natural peculiarities of her situ ation. This would make her mineral wealth, particularly in iron and the coarser metals, more productive, and would doubtless, in the end, render her one of the richest agricultural nations in the world. Bartholomew de las Casas, so famous in the annals of the New World, was born at Seville, of a noble family, in the year 1474; and at the age of nineteen accompanied his father in the first voyage made by Columbus. The mildness and simplicity of the Indians affected him deeply, and, on his return to Spain, he embraced the ecclesiastical profession, that he might labor as a missionary in the western hemisphere. But he soon began to feel less for the superstitions of the natives than for the cruelties practised upon them by his remorseless countrymen; and twelve times he crossed the ocean to plead at the foot of the Spanish throne the cause of the wretched Indians. In the hope of striking awe by a character revered among the Spaniards, he accepted the bishopric of Chiapa in Mexico; but, convinced at length that his dignity was an insufficient barrier against the cruelty and avarice which he designed to check, he resigned his see in 1551, and returned to his native country. It was then that this courageous, firm, disinterested man, accused his country before the tribunal of the whole universe. In his account of the tyranny of the Spaniards in America, he accuses them of having destroyed fif |