272 



HISTORY OF MEXICO* 



fupported them ; another party oppofed their violence, 

 and a war kindled between the two faifiions, which, like 

 all other civil wars, brought on the greateft evils. Tol- 

 tecati weary of governing a people fo untra6i:able, or 

 afraid of perifhing in the florm, removed from the city 

 with fome other nobles, and paffing the mountains ar- 

 rived at Tlaimanalco. The governor of that city gave 

 fpeedy advice of them to the king of Mexico, who in- 

 ftantly put all the fugitives to death in punifliment of their 

 rebellion, and fent their dead bodies to Huexotzinco to 

 intimidate the rebels. 



In the year 1498, it appearing to the king of Mex- 

 ico, that the navigation of the lake was become difficult 

 from the fcarcity of water, he was defirous of increafmg 

 it from the fountain of Huitzilopochco which fupplied 

 the Cojoacancfc, and called on Tzotzomatzin, lord of 

 Cojoacan, to give his orders for that purpofe. Tzot- 

 zomatzin reprefented to him that that fpring was not 

 conflant ; that fometimes it was dry, and at other times 

 ran in fuch abundance, that it might caufe fome difafler 

 to his court. Ahuitzotl im.agining that thefe reafons 

 were mere pretences to be excufed from doing what he 

 was commanded, repeated his firfl: order, but hearing 

 the difficulty firft mentioned infifted on, difmlffed him 

 in anger, and made him be put to death. Such is too 

 often the recompenfe of good eounfel when princes are 

 obflinate in their caprices, and negle<5i: to attend to the 

 fincere remonftrances of their faithful fubje^ls. Ahuit- 

 zotl being unwilling on any account to abandon his 

 projects, caufed a large and fpacious aquedu(51: to be 

 formed (/) from Cojoacan to Mexico, by .v/hich the water 



was 



(t) This aqi]edu61: was entirely deftroyed by Ahuitzotl himfelf, or his fucr- 

 ceffor, for on the arrival of the Spaniards nothing remained of it. 



