12 HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



he offered him a beverage, which Jguetzalcoatl readily 

 accepted, in hopes of obtaining that immortality after 

 which he afpired. He had no fooner drank it than he 

 felt himfelf fo ftrongly inclined to go to Tlapalla, that 

 he fet out immediately, accompanied by many of his fub- 

 je&s, who, on the way, entertained him with mufic. 

 Near the city of guauhtitlan he felled a tree with (tones, 

 which remained fixed in the trunk : and near Jlalne- 

 pantla he laid his hand upon a (lone and left an impref- 

 fion, which the Mexicans fhewed the Spaniards after the 

 conquefl. Upon his arrival at Cholula, the citizens de- 

 tained him, and made him take upon him the govern- 

 ment of their city. Befides the decency and fweetnefs 

 of his manners, the averfion he ftiewed to all kinds of 

 cruelty, infomuch that he could not bear to hear the very 

 mention of war, added much to the affection entertained 

 for him by the inhabitants of Cholula. To him they 

 faid they owed their knowledge of melting metals, their 

 laws by which they were ever afterwards governed, the 

 rites and ceremonies of their religion, and even, as fome 

 affirmed, the arrangement of their feafons and calendar. 



After being twenty years in Cholula, he refolved to 

 purfue his journey to the imaginary kingdom of Tlapalla, 

 carrying along with him four noble and virtuous youths. 

 In the maritime province of Coatzacoalco, he difmifled 

 them, and defired them to aflure the Cholulans that he 

 would return to comfort and direct them. The Cholulans 

 out of refpect to their beloved J^uetzalcoatl, put the reins 

 of government into the hands of thofe young men. Some 

 people faid that he fuddenly difappeared, others that he 

 died upon that coaft ; but, however it might be, S$uet- 

 zalcoatl was confecrated as a god by the Toltecas of Cho- 

 lulan, and made chief guardian of their city, in the 



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