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ROYAL STYLE IN TENOCHTITLAN. 



" Of these," says Diaz, " only certain persons could speak to 

 him, and when they entered, they took off their rich mantles and put 

 on others of less ornament, but clean. They approached his apart- 

 ment barefooted, their eyes fixed on the ground and making three 

 inclinations of the body as they approached him. In addressing 

 the king they said, " Lord — my lord — great lord ! " When they 

 had finished, he dismissed them with a few words, and they retired 

 with their faces toward him and their eyes fixed on the ground. I 

 also observed, that when great men came from a distance about 

 business, they entered his palace barefooted, and in plain habit; 

 and also, that they did not come in by the gate directly, but took 

 a circuit in going toward it. 



" His cooks had upward of thirty different ways of dressing 

 meats, and they had earthen vessels so contrived as to keep them 

 constantly hot. For the table of Montezuma himself, above three 

 hundred dishes were dressed, and for his guards above a thousand. 

 Before dinner, Montezuma would sometimes go out and inspect 

 the preparations, and his officers would point out to him which 

 were the best, and explain of what birds and flesh they were 

 composed; and of those he would eat. But this was more for 

 amusement than anything else. 



"It is said, that at times the flesh of young children was dressed 

 for him ; but the ordinary meats were domestic fowls, pheasants, 

 geese, partridges, quails, venison, Indian hogs, pigeons, hares and 

 rabbits, with many other animals and birds peculiar to the country. 

 This is certain — that after Cortez had spoken to him relative to 

 the dressing of human flesh, it was not practised in his palace. 

 At his meals, in the cold weather, a number of torches of the bark 

 of a wood which makes no smoke, and has an aromatic smell, 

 were lighted; and, that they should not throw too much heat, 

 screens, ornamented with gold and painted with figures of idols, 

 were placed before them. 



"Montezuma was seated on a low throne or chair, at a table 

 proportioned to the height of his seat. The table was covered 

 with white cloths and napkins, and four beautiful women presented 

 him with water for his hands, in vessels which they call xicales, 

 with other vessels under them, like plates, to catch the water. 

 They also presented him with towels. 



" Then two other women brought small cakes of bread, and, 

 when the king began to eat, a large screen of gilded wood was 

 placed before him, so that during that period people should not 

 behold him. The women having retired to a little distance, four 



