HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



179 



Huitzilihuitl in the feverefi: terms, with the pretended 

 outrage done to him by the marriage of Ayauhcihuatl. 

 The Mexican king with the greateft refpe^l afferted his 

 innocence, and faid, that he certainly would never have 

 folicited the princefs, nor her father have given her away 

 to him, if jfhe had been betrothed to another. But in 

 fpite of the truth of his juflification and the weight of 

 his reafons, Maxtlaton angrily replied, " I might now, 

 *^ without hearing more, put you to inftant death, and 

 fo punifli your boldnefs and avenge my own honour ; 

 but I would not have it faid that a Tepanecan prince 

 killed his enemy in a treacherous manner. Depart in 

 peace ; and time will give me an opportunity of tak- 

 ing a more honourable revenge." 

 The Mexican went from him, filled with rage and vex- 

 ation, and was not long without feeling the effeds of his 

 cruel kinfman's difpleafure. The true caufe of Maxtla- 

 ton's enmity arofe from his fear of the crown of the 

 Tepanecas one day coming to his nephew Acolnahuacatl, 

 by which event his nation would become fubjedl to the 

 Mexicans. To remove the caufe of his fear, he formed 

 the barbarous refolution of putting his nephew to death, 

 who was accordingly murdered a fhort time after by fome 

 perfons who hoped, by that aft of cruelty, to gain the 

 favour of their mafter ; no prince ever wanting, about him, 

 mercenary men, who are ready to ferve his palEons (j). 

 Tezozomoc gave no confent to the perpetration of this 

 crime, but we do not know that he flievv^ed any difappro- 



bation 



(j) There is no author who gives any account of the circumftances of this 

 murder; and it is hardly to be conceived how the Tepanecas fliould be able to 

 execute fuch a deed in Mexico; but we cannot doubt of the fa61:, as it is con- 

 firmed by all the national hiftorians; but father Acofta has committed a miftake 

 in confounding the murder of this young prince Acolnahuacatl, with the deatji 

 ©f Chimalpopoca the third king of Mexico. 



