136 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



falfe, bccaufe when Cuitlahuatzin was elected, the Spa- 

 niards had only the province of the Totonacas under 

 them, and they even were rather allies than fubjects. 

 When Quauhtemotzin was elected, they had added to 

 that province five other dates, and fome fmall places in 

 that neighbourhood ; but all thofe ftates, compared with 

 the reft of the Mexican empire, were lefs to it than Bo- 

 logna is to the whole papal territory. 



To inveftigate the chronology of thefe eleven kings, 

 it is neceflary to adopt another method, beginning with 

 the laft, and continuing in a retrogade courfe to the com- 

 mencement of the monarchy. 



Quauhtemotzin. This king finiftied his reign 

 on the thirteenth of Auguft, 1521, having been made 

 prifoner by the Spaniards juft as Mexico was taken. The 

 day of his election is not known but from the accounts 

 of Cortes it is to be inferred, that he was elected in 

 October or November of the preceding year; where- 

 fore he could not have reigned more than nine or ten 

 months. 



Cuitlahuatzin. This king, fucceffor of his bro- 

 ther Montezuma, afcended the throne on the beginning 

 of July, 1520, as appears by the account given by Cor- 

 tes. Some Spanifti authors fay that he did not reign 

 above forty days ; others fay, that he reigned fixty; but 

 from that which Cortes heard faid by a Mexican officer 

 in the war of Quauhquechollan, it is to be concluded, 

 that that king was alive in October. We do not there- 

 fore doubt that his reign was at leaft three months. 



Montezuma II. It is known that he reigned feven- 

 teen years and more than nine months, and that he be- 

 gan to reign in September, 1502, and died in the latter 

 end of June, 1 520. The reafon why fome authors have 



fixed 



