HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



137 



fixed the beginning of his reign in 1503 was, becaufe 

 they knew that he had reigned feventeen years, and 

 made no account of the nine months after them. 



Ahuitzotl. Acofta allows this king eleven years 

 of reign. Martinez, twelve ; Siguenza, fixteen ; and 

 Torquemada, eighteen. I believe we can trace back the 

 years of his reign, and the time of his exaltation, from 

 the epoch of the dedication of the greater temple. This 

 happened, without doubt, in i486, as feveral authors 

 agree. On the other hand, it appears, that king Tizoc 

 having hardly begun this building, Ahuitzotl continued 

 and finifhed it, which he could not do in the fame year 

 in which he began it, nor in two or three years, it hav- 

 ing been fo vaft an edifice as we know it was. Neither 

 could he, in fo fhort a time, have made the war which 

 he did in countries fo diftant from each other, and pro- 

 cure that furprifing number of victims which were facri- 

 ficed on that great feftival. We believe, therefore, that 

 the commencement of his reign cannot be fixed after 

 1482, and neither can it be anticipated without con- 

 founding the epochs of his predeceiTors, as we fhall pre- 

 fently fee. Having begun therefore to reign in 1482, 

 and finifhed in 1502, we ought to allow him nineteen 

 years fome months, or about twenty years of reign. 



Tizoc. No perfon doubts that the reign of this mo- 

 narch was extremely fhort, and no author gives him 

 more than four years and a half of life upon the throne. 

 We could refolve the time of his reign, and that alfo of 

 his predeceffor, from that of Nezahualpilli, king of 

 Acolhuacan; for that king having been fo celebrated, 

 and had fo many hiftorians at his court, we have cer- 

 tain accounts of his reign. Nezahualpilli died in 15 16, 

 after having reigned in Acolhuacan forty-five years and 



Vol. III. T fome 



