190 HISTORY OF MEXICO* 



flaughter he had committed, the tyrant was defirous of 

 gratifying his avarice by laying new taxes on his fub- 

 ']cS:s. Befides the tribute which they had hitherto paid 

 their king of provilions, and a robe to array him, he en- 

 joined them to pay him another tribute of gold and pre- 

 cious ftones, without adverting how much fuch burdens 

 would tend to exafperate the minds of his fubje^ls, which 

 he fhould rather have endeavoured to gain by moderation 

 and lenity, to give himfelf more fecurity in the poireffion 

 of a throne founded on cruelty and injuftice. The Tol- 

 tecan and Chechemecan nobles anfwered the proclama- 

 tion by defu'ing to prefent themfelves in perfon before 

 the king, to be heard on the fubjedi:. The arrogance of 

 the tyrant appeared to them unbounded, and his conduct 

 widely different from the moderation of the ancient kings 

 of whom he was defcended. They agreed to fend to him 

 two eloquent deputies the moll learned among them, 

 one a Tolteca, the other a Chechemeca, that each in the 

 name of his nation might remonftrate with energy and 

 force. They both went to Azcapozaico, v/hen being ad- 

 mitted to an audience of the tyrant, the Toltecan orator 

 in refpecl to the greater antiquity of his nation in that 

 country began firft, and reprefented to him the humble 

 beginning of the Toltecas, the neceffitics they endured 

 before they rofe to that fplendour and glory which they 

 had for fome time enjoyed, and the mifery to which they 

 were reduced lince their revolution ; he defcribed the 

 deplorable difperfion in which they were found by Xo- 

 lotl, when he firft arrived in that country, and taking a 

 review of the two laft centuries, he made a pathetic enu- 

 meration of the hardlhips they had fulFered, to move the 

 tyrant to compaffion, and get his nation exempted from 

 the new grievances. 



The 



