^HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



281 



All the fervants of his palace confided of perfons of 

 Tank. Befides thofe who conflantly lived in it, every 

 morning fix hundred feudatory lords and nobles came to 

 pay court to him. They palTed the whole day in the 

 anti-chamber, where none of their fervants were per- 

 mitted to enter, converfmg in a low voice, and waiting 

 the orders of their fovereign. The fervants who accom- 

 panied thofe lords, were fo numerous as to occupy three 

 fmall courts of the palace, and many waited in the ftreets. 

 The women about the court were not iefs in number, 

 including thofe of rank, fervants, and flaves. All this 

 numerous female tribe, lived fliut up in a kind of feraglio, 

 under the care of fome noble matrons, who watched over 

 their condu£l: ; as thefe kings were extremely jealous,, 

 and every piece of mifconduft v/hich happened in the 

 palace, however flight, was feverely puniflied. Of thefe 

 women the king retained thofe who pleafed him (d) ; 

 the others he gave away, as a recompenfe for the fer- 

 vices of his vaffals. All the feudatories of the crown 

 were obliged to refide for fome months of the year, at 

 the court ; and at their return to their flates, to leave 

 their fons or brothers behind them, as hoftages, which 

 the king demanded as a fecurity for their fidelity ; on 

 which account they required to keep houfes in Mexico. 



The forms and ceremonials introduced at court, were 

 another cScd: of the defpotifm of Montezuma. No one 

 could enter the palace, either to ferve the king, or to con- 

 fer with him on any bufinefs, without pulling off his fhoes 

 and ftockings at the gate. No perfon was allowed to 

 appear before the king in any pompous drefs, as it was 

 deemed a want of refpedl: to majefty ; confequently the 

 Vol. I. N n greateft 



(d ) Some hlftorians affirm that Montezuma had a hundred and fifty of hk 

 wives pregnant at once 3 but it is certainly not very cr£clible. 



