282 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



greateft lords, excepting the neareft relations of the king, 

 ftripped themfelves of the rich drefs which they wore, or 

 at lead covered it with one more ordinary, to fliew their 

 humility before him. All perfons on entering the hall 

 of audience, and before fpeaking to the king, made three 

 bows, faying at the firft, lord ; at the fecond, my lord ; 

 and at the third, great lord (e). They fpoke low, and 

 with the head inclined, and received the anfwer which 

 the king gave them by means of his fecretaries, as atten- 

 tively and humbly as if it had been the voice of an oracle. 

 In taking leave, no perfon ever turned his back upon 

 the throne. 



The audience hall ferved alfo for his dining room. 

 The table was a large pillow, and his feat a low chair. 

 The table cloth, napkins, and towels were of cotton, but 

 very fine, white, and always perfe61:ly clean. The kit- 

 chen utenfils were of the earthen ware of Cholula ; but 

 none of thefe things ever ferved him more than once, 

 as immediately after he gave them to one of his nobles. 

 The cups in which they prepared his chocolate, and other 

 drinks of the cocoa, were of gold, or fome beautiful fea- 

 fliell, or naturally formed vefTels curioufly varnifhed, of 

 which we fliall fpeak hereafter. He had gold plate, but 

 it was ufed only on certain feftivals, in the temple. The 

 number, and variety of diflies at his table amazed the 

 Spaniards who faw them. The conqueror Cortez fays, 

 that they covered the floor of a great hall, and that there 

 were diflies of every kind of game, fifli, fruit, and herbs 

 of that country. Three or four hundred noble youths 

 carried this dinner in form ; prefented it as foon as the 

 king fat down to table, and immediately retired ; and 



that 



{e) The Mexican words are, Tlatoanif lord ; Notlatocatxi»i my lord ; and 

 HuHlatoanij great lord. 



