HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



27 



the door to the weft. They made vows for their chil- 

 dren as well as for themfelves, and frequently dedicated 

 them to the fervice of their gods in fome temple or mo- 

 naftery. Thofe who happened to be in danger from 

 {tumbling or Hipping, upon a journey, made vows to vi- 

 fit the temple of the god Omacatl, and to offer up in- 

 cenfe and paper. They made frequent ufe of the name 

 of God to confirm the truth ; and their oaths were in 

 this form ; Cuix a mo nechitta in Toteotzin ? Does not our 

 gpd fee me now ? Then naming the principal god, or any 

 other they particularly reverenced, they kiffed their 

 hand, after having touched the earth with it. Great 

 faith was put in oaths of this kind by way of purgation 

 when any one was accufed of a crime ; for they thought 

 no man could be fo rafh as to venture to abufe the name 

 of God, at the evident riik of being moft feverely pu- 

 niflied by heaven. 



Metamorphofes, or transformations, were not want- 

 ing to the mythology of the Mexicans. Among others 

 they related one of a man named Jappan^ who having 

 undertaken to do penance upon a mountain, yielded to 

 the temptations of a woman, and fell into the fin of adul- 

 tery. He was immediately beheaded by Jaotl, to whom 

 the gods had given the charge of watching over his con- 

 duct, and by the gods themfelves was transformed into 

 a black fcorpion. Jaotl, not fatisfied with that punifli- 

 ment, executed it likewife upon Tlahuitzin, the wife of 

 Jappan, who was transformed into a white fcorpion, 

 while Jaotl himfeif, for having exceeded the bounds of 

 his commiffion, was turned into a Jocuft. They faid it 

 was from the fhame of that crime that fcorpions fliun the 

 light, and hide themfelves under ftones. 



The Mexicans, and other nations of Anahuac, like all 

 civilized nations, had temples or places allotted for the 



purpofes 



