HISTORY OF MEXICO. 127 



cfl: period of his reign, had exercifed great clemency in 

 his government, had found himfelf, in the lafl: years of 

 his life, conftrained to ufe fevere meafures, to check the 

 reftlefs difpofition of fome rebels, occafionally depriving 

 them of their offices, or puniftiing the moft criminal 

 with death. Thefe juft chaftifements, inftead of inti- 

 midating, exafperated them fo much, that they formed 

 the atrocious defign of taking the king's life, for the 

 execution of which an occafion fpeedily prefented itfelf. 

 A little time previous to this the king had expreffed a 

 wifli to increafe the waters of his gardens where he was 

 accuftomed to take recreation, and frequently alfo re- 

 lieved his burden of years with fleep, to which he was 

 invited by the coolnefs and charms of the place. Being 

 acquainted with this, the rebels dammed up the Httle 

 river which crolTed the city, and opened a ditch to con- 

 du£i: the waters to the gardens 5 waited the time at 

 which the king was accuftomed to go to fleep, then 

 raifmg the dam let all the v/ater at once into the gar- 

 dens, and fuddenly overflowed them. They flattered 

 themfelves that their vicious aim would never be deteft- 

 ed ; as the difafler of the king might be imputed to an 

 accident, or to ill conduced meafures by his fubje£ls, 

 who flncerely defired to ferve their fovereign : but 

 they deceived themfelves, and their attempt proved 

 abortive ; as the king had fecret intelligence of their 

 confpiracy; but diflembiing his knowledge of it, he 

 retired at his ufual time into the garden, and went ta 

 fleep on an elevated fpot, where he was expofed to no 

 danger. When he afterwards fav/ the water enter, 

 although the treafon was now apparent, he continued 

 his diflimulation to ridicule his enemies : he then faid, 

 I was perfuadcd that my fubje^ls loved me, but now 



"I fee 



