HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



313 



words in the royal palace. One of the princes his fons, 

 who was named Huexotzincalzon, to whom he bore more 

 afFe<5lion than to any of the reft, not lefs on account of 

 his difpofition, and the virtues which fhone out even in 

 his youth, than of his having been the firft-born of his 

 fons by his favourite Xocotzin, violated this law ; but the 

 words made ufe of by the prince were rather the efFe6t 

 of youthful indifcretion than of any culpable intention. 

 The king was informed of it by one of his miftrelTes to 

 whom the words had been addreffed. He enquired of 

 her if they had been fpoke before any other perfons, and 

 finding that the prince's tutors had been prefent, he re- 

 tired to an apartment of his palace, deftined for occalions 

 of mourning and grief. There he fen t for the tutors to 

 examine them. They being afraid of meeting with fe- 

 vere punifliment if they concealed the truth, confelTed it 

 openly, but at the fame time endeavoured to exculpate 

 the prince, by faying, that he neither knew the perfon to 

 whom he fpoke, nor that the words were obfcene. But 

 notwithftanding their reprefentations, he ordered the 

 prince to be immediately arrefted, and the fame day pro- 

 nounced fentence of death upon him. The whole court 

 was aftoniflied at fo rigorous a judgment, the nobles 

 pleaded with prayers and tears in his behalf, and the mo- 

 ther of the prince herfelf, relying on the king's particular 

 afFeftion for her, prefented herfelf as a plaintiff before 

 him, and in order to move him to compaffion, led all her 

 children along with her. But neither reafoning, prayers, 

 nor tears, could bend the king. " My fon," he faid, 

 has violated the law. If I pardon him, it will be faid, 

 the laws are not binding upon every one. I will let 

 my fubje£i:s know that no one will be pardoned a tranf- 

 greffion, as L do not even pardon the fon whom I 

 Vol. L R r " dearly 



