HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



307 



a chamber of the palace ; though full of aftonifliment, the 

 king faluted her, when fhe requefted him to go to Mexico, 

 to tell the king her brother that ftie v/as alive, and had 

 occafion to fee him, to communicate fome things to him 

 of the utmofl importance. The king fet out for Mexico 

 to execute her commiffion ; but Montezuma would hardly 

 give credit to what was told him. However, that he 

 might not do injuftice to fo refpedable an ambaffador, he 

 went along with him, and many of the Mexican nobility 

 to Tlatelolco, and having entered the hall where the 

 princefs was, he demanded of her if flie was his fifter. 

 " I am, indeed, lir," anfwered the princefs, " your fifter 

 " Papantzin, whom you buried yefterday ; I am truly 



alive, and wifli to relate to you what I have feen, as 



it deeply concerns you." Upon this the two kings 

 fat down, while all the other nobles continued ftanding 

 full of admiration at what they faw. 



The princefs then began to fpeak as follows : " After 

 " I was dead, or if you will not believe that I have been 



dead, after I remained bereft of motion and of fenfe, 

 " I found myfelf fuddenly placed upon an extenfive plain, 

 *^ to which there appeared no boundaries. In the mid- 



die of it I obferved a road which I afterwards faw was 

 " divided into a variety of paths, and on one fide ran a 

 " great river whofe waters made a frightful noife. As I 

 " was going to throw myfelf into the river to fwim to the 



oppofite bank, I faw before me a beautiful youth of 

 " handfome llature, clothed in a long habit, white as 



fnow, and dazzling like the fun ; he had wings of 

 ^' beautiful feathers, and upon his forehead, this mark,'* 

 (in faying this the princefs made the fign of the crofs 

 with her two fore fingers, " and laying hold of my hand, 



faid to me, Stop ^ for it is not yet time to pafs this river, 



" God 



