256 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



at a certain time of the year he always obferved a 

 faft {k). 



The elevated genius of this king, actuated by the 

 great love he had to his people, conduced fo to enlighten 

 his capital, that in future times it was confidered as 

 the nurfery of the arts and the centre of cultivation. 

 Tezcuco was the city where the Mexican language was 

 fpoken in the greatefl purity and perfedion, where the 

 beft artifts were fopnd, and where poets, orators, and 

 hiftorians mofl: abounded (/J. The Mexicans and other 

 nations adopted many of their laws ; and if we may be 

 allowed the application, Tezcuco was the Athens, and 

 Nezahualcojotl the Solon of Anahuac. 



In his lafl: illnefs, having called all his fons into his 

 prefence, he declared Nezahualpilli his heir and fucceffor 

 in the kingdom of Acolhuacan, who, though the young- 

 eft of them all, was preferred to the reft, on account of 

 his having been born of the queen Matlalcihuatzin, as 

 well as of his fingular rectitude and great talents. He 

 enjoined his firft born fon Acapipioltzin to affift the new 

 king with his counfel, until he fliould learn the difficult 

 art of government. He warmly recommended to Neza- 

 liualpilli the love of his brothers, the care of his fub- 

 jefts, and a zeal for juftice. At laft, to prevent any dif- 

 Crder which the news of his death might occafion, he 

 commanded them to conceal it as much as pollible from 

 the people until Nezahualpilli fliould be fixed in quiet 

 polTeffion of the crown. The princes received with tears 

 the laft advice of their father, and having left him, and 



come 



{k) All the above mentioned anecdotes are extraded from the valuable 

 aaaanufcripts of Don Ferdinando d'Alba ; he being fourth grandfon of that king, 

 ^received, probably, many traditions from his fathers and grand-fathers. 



(/) In the hft which w^e have given of the hiftorians of that kingdom, it 

 appears many were of the royal family of Tezcuco. 



