80 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



In the feventh month, which began upon the 26th 

 of June, the feftival of Huixtocihuatl, the goddefs of 

 fait, was celebrated. A day before the feftival there 

 was a great dance of women, who danced in a circle, 

 joined to each other by firings or cords of different 

 flowers, and wearing garlands of wormwood on their 

 heads. A female prifoner, clothed in the habit of the 

 idol of that goddefs, was placed in the centre of the 

 circle. The dancing was accompanied with finging, in 

 both of which two old refpe&able priefts took the lead. 

 This dance continued the whole night, and in the morn- 

 ing after, the dance of the priefts began, and lafted the 

 whole day, without any other interruption than the fa- 

 crifice of prifoners. The priefts wore decent garments, 

 and held in their hands thofe beautiful yellow flowers 

 which the Mexicans called Cempoalxocbitl, and many 

 Europeans Indian Carnations ; at fun-fet they made the 

 facrifice of the female prifoner, and concluded the fefti- 

 val with fumptuous banquets. 



During the whole of this month the Mexicans made 

 great rejoicings. They wore their beft drefTes ; dances 

 and amufements in their gardens were frequent ; the 

 poems which they fang were all on love, or fome other 

 equally pleafing fubjecl:. The populace went a hunt- 

 ing in the mountains, and the nobles ufed warlike ex- 

 ercifes in the field, and fometimes in veffels upon the 

 lake. Thefe rejoicings of the nobility procured to this 

 month the name of Tecuilhuitl, the feftival of the lords, 

 or of lecuilhuitontliy the fmall feftival of the lords, as it 

 was truly fo, in comparifon of the feftival of the follow- 

 ing month. 



In the eighth month, which began upon the 16th 

 day of July, they made a folemn feftival to the goddefs 



CenieotU 



