HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



77 



Tezcatlipoca. Both of them rambled about the whole 

 year ; with this difference however, that the victim of 

 Tezcatlipoca was adored, but not that of Huitzilo- 

 pochtli. When the day of the feftival was arrived, 

 they dreffed the prifoner in a curious habit of painted 

 paper, and put on his head a mitre made of the feathers 

 of an eagle, with a plume upon the top of it. He car- 

 I ried upon his back a fmall net, and over it a little bag, 

 and in this drels he mingled himfelf in the dance of the 

 courtiers. The mod fingular thing refpe&ing this pri- 

 foner was, that although he was doomed to die on that 

 day, yet he had the liberty of fixing the hour of the 

 facrifice himfelf. Whenever he chofe he prefented 

 himfelf to the priefts, in whofe arms, and not upon 

 the altar, the facrificer broke his bread, and pulled out 

 his heart. When the facrifice was ended, the priefts 

 began a great dance, which continued all the remainder 

 of the day, excepting fome intervals, which they em- 

 ployed to repeat the incenfe-ofFerings. At this fame 

 feftival, the priefts made a flight cut on the breaft and 

 on the belly of all the children of both fexes which 

 were born within one preceding year. This was the 

 fign or character, by which the Mexican nation fpecially 

 acknowledged itfelf confecrated to the worfhip of its 

 protecting god ; and this is alfo the reafon why feveral 

 authors have believed, that the rite of circumcifion was 

 eftabliflied among the Mexicans (e). But if poflibly 



the 



(e) F. Acofta fays, that " i Mefficani facrijica<vano ne' lor fanciulli e P orechie 

 e 11 membro genitale nel che in qualche maniera contra ffacevano la circonci- 

 fione de' Giudei." But if this author fpeaks of the true Mexicans, that is, the 

 defcendants of the ancient Aztecas who founded the city of Mexico, whofe hif- 

 tory we write, his affertion is abfolutely falfe ; for after the moft diligent fearch 

 and enquiry, there is not the fmalleft veftige of fuch a rite to be found among 



then* 



