HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



167 



BOOK III. 



Foundation of the Mexican Monarchy: Events of the 

 Mexicans under their four first Kings , until the De-^ 

 feat of the Tepanecas and the Conquest of Azcapo^ 

 zalco. The Bravery and illustrious Adions of Monte^ 

 %uma llhuicamina* The Government and Death of Te-^ 

 chotlalla^ the fifth Chechemecan King, Revolutions in 

 the Kingdom of Acolhuacan, Death of King Ixtlilxo* 

 chitly and the Tyrants Tezozomoc and Maxtlaton, 



UNTIL the year 1352, the Mexican governtnent 

 was ariftocratical, the whole nation paying obedi^ 

 ence to a certain body, compofed of perfons the mofl re- 

 fpe6lable for their nobility and wifdom. The number 

 of thofe who governed at the foundation of Mexico was 

 twenty (r) ; among whom the chief in authority was 

 1 enochy as appears from their paintings. The very hum- 

 ble ftate in which they felt themfelves, the inconvenien- 

 cies they fufFered from their neighbours, and the exam- 

 ple of the Chechemecas, the Tepanecas, and the Col- 

 huas, incited them to ereft their little ftate into a mo- 

 narchy, not doubting, that the royal authority would 

 throw fome fplendor on the whole body of the nation ; 

 and flattering themfelves that in their new chief they 

 would have a father who would watch over the ftate, 

 and a good general who would defend them from the 



infults 



(r) The twenty lords who then governed the nation were named Tenoch, At- 

 ziriy Acacith, Ahuexotl or Alme'iotly Ocelopan, Xomimltl, Xiuhcac, Axolohua, Nanacat-- 

 tin, ^cntzin, Tlalala, TzontUyayauh, Cozfdll, Te^catl Tochpan^ M'lmkh^ 'Tetej>any 

 Tezacatly Aiohatl, and Achitomscatl, 



