HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



191 



The Tolteca had hardly finiflied his harangue when 

 the Chechemeca began his : " I, my lord, may fpeak to 

 you with greater confidence and liberty ; as 1 am a 

 " Chechemeca, and addrefs myfelf to a prince of my own 

 nation, who is a defcendant of the great kings Xoloti, 

 Nopaltzin, and Tlotzin. You are not ignorant that 

 thofe divine Chechemecas, your anceftors, fet no value 

 on gold or precious flones. They wore no other crown 

 *^ on their heads than a garland of herbs and flowers of 

 the field, nor adorned themfelves with any other bra- 

 " celets than the flilF leather againil which beat the 

 firing of their bow in fhooting. Their food at firfl 

 was confined to raw flefh, and plain herbs, and their 

 drefs was the ildn of the flags and wild beafls which 

 they themfelves hunted. When they were taught 

 agriculture by the Toltecas, their kings themfelves 

 cultivated the land to encourage by their example their 

 fubje£ls to fatigue. The wealth and glory to which 

 fortune afterwards raifed them, did not make them 

 " more proud. As kings they certainly made ufe of 

 " their fubje^ls, but as fathers they loved them, and 

 were contented to be requited by them with thefimple 

 " gifts of the earth. I do not call to your memory thefe 

 " illuftrious examples of your anceftors, for any other 

 reafon than that I may moil humbly entreat you not 

 to demand more from us now than they did from our 

 predecefTors.'* The tyrant liftened to each harangue, 

 and although the comparifon drawn between him and the 

 ancient kings was odious, he diffemblcd his difguft, and 

 contented himfelf with giving licenfe to the orators to 

 confirm the order publiflied refpefting the nev/ tax. 



In the mean time, Nezahualcojotl went anxioufly 

 through many cities, to gain their afTedion, that he 



might 



