HISTORY OF MEXICO. 113 



about forty miles towards the weft, where, along the 

 banks of a river, they founded the city of Tollan or Tula, 

 after the name of their native country. That city, the 

 oldeft, as far as we know, in Anahuac, is one of the 

 moft celebrated in the hiftory of Mexico, and was the 

 capital of the Toltecan kingdom, and the court of their 

 kings. Their monarchy began in the year 8. Acatl^ 

 that is in the year 607 of the Chriftian era, and lafted 

 three hundred and eighty-four years. I have fubjoined 

 the feries of their kings with the year of the Chriftian 

 era in which they began to reign (/). 



Chalchiutlanetzin^ in the 667 



htlilcuechahuac, in the 719 



Huetzin^ in the 771 



lotepeuh^ in the 823 



Nacaxoc, in the 875 



M///, in the 927 



Xiutzaltzin^ Queen, in the 979 

 Topiltziriy in the 1031 



It might appear extraordinary that juft eight monarchs 

 fliould reign in the courfe of four centuries, if it were not 

 explained by a lingular law of that people, according to 

 which, no king was fuffered to reign either longer or 

 fliorter than a Toltecan age ; which, as we fliall mention 

 in another place, confifted of fifty-two years. If a king 

 completed the age, upon the throne, he immediately re- 

 figned the government, and another was put in his place : 

 and if the king happened to die before the age was ex- 

 pired, the nobles alTumed the adminiftration, and, in the 

 name of the deceafed king, governed the kingdom for 

 Vol. I. P the 



(/) have pointed out the year in which the Toltecan monarchs began 

 their reigns, by taking for granted the epoch of their leaving Huehuetlapallan, 

 which however, is very uncertain. 



