IIS 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



During the four centuries which the monarchy of the 

 Toltecas lafled, they muhiplied confiderably, extending 

 their population every v/ay in numerous and large cities ; 

 but the direful calamities which happened to them in 

 the flrfl: years of the reign of Topiltzin, gave a fatal (hock 

 to their profperity and power. For feveral years hea-t 

 ven denied them the neceffary fliowers to their fields, 

 and the earth the fruits which fupported them. The 

 air, infe£i:ed with mortal contagion, filled daily the graves 

 with the dead, and the minds of thofe furviving with 

 conflernation, at the deilru^liion of their countrymen. 

 A great part of the nation died by famine and ficknefs. 

 Topiltzin departed life in the fecond year lecpatl^ the 

 twentieth of his reign, which was probably the year 

 1052 of the vulgar era, and with him the Toltecan mo- 

 narchy concluded. The v/retched remains of the nation, 

 willing to fave themfelves from the common calamity, 

 fought timely relief to their misfortunes, in other coun- 

 tries. Some direfled their courfe to Onohualco or Yu- 

 catan, fome to Guatemala, while fome families flopped 

 in the kingdom of Tula, and fcattered themfelves in the 

 great vale where Mexico was afterwards founded ; fome 

 in Cholula, Tlaximoloyan, and other places; and amongfl: 

 thefe were the two princes fons of king Topiltzin, whofe 

 defcendants, in courfe of time, intermarried with the royal 

 families of Mexico, Tezcuco, and Colhuacan. 



Thefe imperfect accounts of the Toltecas are all that 

 we think proper to be told here, omitting many fabulous 

 relations introduced by other hiftorians (/). We would 



require 



relation, to caution thofe, with regard to modern piiSturcs, who may in future 

 undertake the hiflory of Mexico. 



(/) Torquemada fays, that at a certain feftival-ball made by the Toltecas, the 



fad- 



