254 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



ployed to carry on their backs the fuel which was con- 

 fumed in the royal palace, in amazing quantities (^h). 



The progrefs made by this celebrated king, in the arts 

 and fciences, was fuch as is to be expeded from a great 

 genius who is without books to ftudy, or maflers to in- 

 ftrudhim. He excelled in the poetry of thefe nations, 

 and produced many compofitions which met with univer- 

 fal applaufe. In the fixteenth century, his fixty hymns, 

 compofed in honour of the Creator of Heaven, were cele- 

 brated even among the Spaniards. Two of his odes or 

 fongs, tranflated into Spanifli verfe by his defcendant 

 Don Ferdinando d'Alba Ixtlilxochitl, have been pre- 

 •'fcrved unto our time (/). One of thefe was written fome 

 time after the ruin of Azcapozalco. The fubje^l of it 

 •was fimilar to the other which we already mentioned ; 

 it lamented the inconflancy of human greatnefs, in the 

 perfon of the tyrant Tezozomoc, whom he compared to 

 a large and ftately tree which had extended its roots 

 through many countries, and fpread the fliade of its green 

 branches over all the lands of the empire ; but at laft, 

 worm-eaten and wafted, fell to the earth, never to re- 

 fume its youthful verdure. 



Nothing, however, gave fo much delight to Nezahu- 

 alcojotl, as the ftudy of nature. He acquired fome 

 ideas of aftronomy, by the frequent obfervations which 

 he made of the courfe of the ftars. He applied himfelf 



befides 



(h) The fourteen cities charged with furnifhing provifions for the fir ft half 

 year were Tezeuco, Huexotla, Coatlichan, Atenco, Chiauhtla, Tezonjocan, Pa- 

 palotla, Tepetlaoztoc, Acolman, Tepechpan, Xaltocan, Chimalhuacan, Iztapalo- 

 can, and Coatepec. The other fifteen were Otompan, Aztaquemecan, Teoti- 

 huacan, Cempoallan, Axapochco, Tlalanapan, Tepepolco, Tizajocan, Ahuate- 

 pec, Oztoticpac, Quauhtlatzinco, Cojoac, Oztotlatlauhcan, Achichillacachocan, 

 and Tetliztacac. 



(i) Cav. Boturini had two odes compofed by Nezahualcojotl; we wilhed 

 much for them to publifli them in this hiftory. 



