HISTORY OF MEXICO. 79 



gets whom they met in their way, plundering them of 

 every thing they had about them, and fometimes even 

 (tripping them quite naked, and beating them if they 

 made any refiftance. With fuch impunity were thefe 

 priefts, turned aflaiTms, favoured, that they not only rob- 

 bed the common people, but even carried off the royal 

 tributes from the collectors of them, if they chanced to 

 meet with them, no private perfons being allowed to make 

 complaint againft them, nor the king to punifh them for 

 fuch enormities. On the day of the feftival, they all eat a 

 certain kind of gruel which they called Etzalli, from 

 which the month took the name of Etzalqualiztli. They 

 carried to the temple a vaft quantity of painted paper 

 and elaftic gum, with which they befmeared the paper 

 and the cheeks of the idol. After this ridiculous cere- 

 mony, they facrifieed feveral prifoners who were clothed 

 in habits the fame with that of the god Tlaloc, and his 

 companions, and in order to complete the fcene of their 

 cruelty, the priefts, attended by a great croud of people, 

 went in veiTels to a certain place of the lake, where in 

 former times there was a whirlpool, and there facrifieed 

 two children of both fexes, by drowning them, along 

 with the hearts of the prifoners who had been facrifieed 

 at this feftival, in order to obtain from their gods the 

 necelfary rains for their fields. Upon this occafion, 

 thofe minifters of the temple, who, in the courfe of that 

 year, had either been negligent in office, or convi&ed of 

 fome high mifdemeanor which was not, however, defend- 

 ing of capital puniftiment, were ftripped of their prieft- 

 hood, and received a chaftifement fimilar to the trick 

 which is pra&ifed on feamen the firft time they pafs the 

 line, but more fevere, as by being repeatedly ducked in 

 the water they were at laft fo exhaufted, it became necef- 

 fary to carry them home to their houfes to be recovered. 



