HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



129 



of gum copal and other aromatic fubflances ; and thus it 

 remained five daj^s, while the lords fum^moned to the fu- 

 neral arrived. After they were all affembled, the corpfe 

 was burnt, according to the cuftom of the Checheme- 

 cas, and the aflies gathered in an urn of the hardeft 

 ftone. This urn was kept expofed for forty days in a 

 hall of the royal manfion, where daily the nobility 

 thronged to pay their homage of tears to their deceafed 

 fovereign, and the urn was afterwards carried to a cave 

 in the neighbourhood of the city with fimiliar demon- 

 ftrations of grief. 



As foon as the funeral of Xolotl was concluded, they 

 celebrated the afcenfion of prince Nopaltzin to the 

 throne with acclamations and rejoicings for other forty 

 days. When the lords took leave of their new king to 

 return to their refpeftive flates, one of them made this 

 * fliort harangue : " Great king and lord, as your fub- 



]c£ts and fervants, we go in obedience to your com- 

 " mands, to govern the people you have committed to 



our charge, bearing in our hearts the pleafure of hav- 



ing feen you on the throne, not lefs due to your vir- 

 " tue than your birth. We acknowledge the good for- 

 " tune unequalled which we have in ferving fo illuftri- 

 " ous and powerful a lord ; and we requeft you to re- 

 " gard us with the eyes of a real father, and to protect 



us with your might, that we may reft fecure under 

 " your fliade. You are as well the water which reftores, 

 " as the fire which deftroys, and in your hands hold 



equally our life and our death.'* 



The lords having taken leave, the king remained in 

 Tenayuca, with his fifter the widow of the prince Chi- 

 conquauhtli. He was then, as far as we can conje61ure, 

 about fixty years of age, and had fons and grandfons. 

 Vol. I. R His 



