HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



63 



mination the crime was proved, he was killed by bafti- 

 nados, his body was burned, and his allies fcattered to 

 the winds. 



Upon occafion of any public calamity, the Mexican 

 high-prieft always obferved a moft extraordinary fad. 

 For this purpofe he retired to a wood, where he con- 

 ftru&ed a hut for himfelf, covered with branches, 

 which were always frelh and green; as whenever the 

 firft became dry, new ones were fpread in their place. 

 Shut up in this hut he paffed nine or ten months in 

 conftanfc prayer and frequent effullons of blood, de- 

 prived of all communication with men, and without any 

 other food than raw maize and water. This faft was 

 not indifpenfible, nor did all the high-priefts obferve it ; 

 nor did thofe who attempted it ever do it more than 

 once in their lives ; and certainly it is not probable, 

 that thofe who furvived fo rigorous and long an abfti- 

 nence, were ever able to repeat it. * 



The fafi: obferved by the Tlafcalans every divine 

 year, at which period they made a moft folemn feftival 

 in honour of their god Camaxtle, was likewife very An- 

 gular. When the time of commencing it was arrived, 

 all the Tlamacazquis were affembled by their chief Arch- 

 cauhtli, who made them a ferious and grave exhortation 

 to penitence, and forewarned them if any one of them 

 fliould find that he was incapable of performing it, 

 that he mould declare fo within five days ; for that if, 

 after that fpace of time was elapfed, and the fafi: was 

 once begun, he fliould happen to fail and renounce the 

 attempt, he would be deemed unworthy of the company 

 of the gods, his prieflhood would be taken from him, H 

 and his eftate fequeftered. At the expiration of the 

 five days, which was allowed for the purpofe of delibe- 

 ration, 



