HISTORY OF MEXICO* 



171 



bute from them, the king ordered them to bring him the 

 next year another garden, with a duck and a fwan in it, 

 both fitting on their eggs ; but fo, as that on their arrival 

 at Azcapozalco, the brood might be ready to hatch. The 

 Mexicans obeyed, and took their meafures fo well, that 

 the foolifli prince had the pleafure of feeing the chickens 

 come out of the eggs. They were ordered the fucceed- 

 ing year to bring, befides a garden of this kind, a hve 

 flag : this new order was the more difficult to execute, as 

 it was necelTary to go to the mountains on the continent 

 to hunt the flag, where they were in danger of engaging 

 with their enemies ; it was, however, accompliflied, that 

 they might efcape from wrongs more oppreffive. This 

 hard fubje^ion of the Mexicans lafted not lefs than fifty 

 years. The hiftorians of Mexico affirm, that the Mexi- 

 cans in all their afflictions implored the proteflion of their 

 god, who rendered the execution of fuch orders eafy to 

 them : but we are of a different opinion. 



The poor king Acamapitzin, in addition to thefe dif- 

 gufts, experienced the fterility of his queen Ilancueitl, 

 and therefore married Tezcatlamiahuatl^ daughter of the 

 lord of Tetepanci, by whom he had feveral fons, and 

 among others Huitzilihuitl and Chimalpopoca, fucceffors 

 to him in the crown. He took this fecond wife without 

 abandoning the firft ; they both lived in fuch harmony 

 together that Ilancueitl charged herfelf with the education 

 of Huitzilihuitl. He had other wives, although not ho- 

 noured with the rank of queetis ; and among the reft, a 

 Have, who bore Itzcoatl^ one of the beft and moft renown- 

 ed among the kings of Anahuac. Acamapitzin govern- 

 ed his city in peace, for thirty-feven years ; his city, at 

 that time, comprehending the whole of his kingdom. 

 In his time population increafed, buildings of ftone were 



crc5:ed, 



