HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



251 



was far more afflicting. This king was one of the moft 

 renowned heroes of ancient America. His courage, 

 which in his youth was rather fool-hardinefs, however 

 great it appeared, was dill one of the lefs noble faculties 

 of his foul. His fortitude and conftancy during the thir- 

 teen years which he continued deprived of the crown and 

 perfecuted by the ufurper, were truly wonderful. His 

 integrity in the adminiflration of juftice was inflexible. 

 To make his nation more civilized, and to correct the 

 diforders introduced into the kingdom in the time of the 

 tyrant, he publiflied eighty laws, which were afterwards 

 compiled by his celebrated defcendant D. Ferdinando 

 D'Alba Ixtlilxochitl in his nianufcript, entitled, Storia de^ 

 Signori Cicimechi. He ordained that no fuit, civil or cri- 

 minal, fliould be prolonged more than eighty days, or 

 four Mexican months. Every eighty days there was a 

 great aflfembly in the royal palace, at which the judges 

 and delinquents attended. Whatever caufes had been 

 left undecided in the four preceding months, were infal- 

 libly determined on that day ; and thofe who v/ere con- 

 victed of any crime, immediately and without any remif- 

 fion, received punifliment proportioned to their offence, 

 in prefence of the whole alfembly. To diiTerent crimes, 

 different punifliments belonged ; fome were puniflied 

 with the utmoft rigour, particularly adultery, fodomy, 

 theft, homicide, drunkennefs, and treafon to the ftate. 

 If we are to credit the Tezcucan hiftorians, he put four 

 of his own fons to death, for committing incefl with their 

 mother-in-law. 



His clemency to the unfortunate was alfo remarkable. 

 It was forbid, under pain of death, throughout the king- 

 dom, to take any thing from another^s field ; and fo 

 itriCi was this law, that the ftealing of feven ears of 



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