2'84 HISTORY OF MEXICO-. 



after. When he went abroad, he was carried on the 

 flioulders of the nobles in a litter covered with a rich ca* 

 oopy, attended by a numerous retinue of courtiers ; and 

 wherever he paffed, every perfon topped with their 

 eyes fliut, as if they feared to be dazzled with the 

 fplendor of raajefty. When he alighted from the litter 

 to walk on foot, they fpread carpets, that he might not 

 touch the earth with his feet. 



The grandeur and magnificence of his palaces, houfes 

 of pleafure, woods, and gardens, were correfpondent to 

 this majefty.. The palace of his ufual refidence was a 

 vaft edifice of flone and lime, which had twenty doors to 

 the public fquare and ftreets ; three great courts, in one 

 of which was a beautiful fountain,, feveral halls, a^id more 

 than a hundred chambers. Some of the apartments had 

 walls of marble and other valuable kinds of ftone. The 

 beams were of cedar, cyprefs, and other excellent woods, 

 well finillied and carved. Among the halls there was 

 one fo large, that, according to the teftimony of an eye- 

 witnefs of veracity (/), it could contain three thoufand 

 people. Befides this palace, he had others, both within 

 and without the capital. In Mexico, befides the ferag- 

 lio for his wives, there was lodging for all his minifters 

 and counfellors, and all the officers of his houfliold and 

 court ; and alfo accommodation for foreign lords who ar- 

 rived there, and particularly for the two allied kings. 



Two houfes in Mexico he appropriated to animals ; 

 the one for birds, which did not live by prey ; the other 

 for thofe of prey, quadrupeds, and reptiles. There 

 were feveral chambers belonging to the firjflj and galle- 

 ries 



(f) The anonymous conqueror, m his valuable relation or narrative. He 

 fays alfo, that he went four different times into that great palace, and i;angc<t 

 •ver it till he was fatigued, but could not fee it all. 



