88 HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



and, probably, fome prifoners alfo. When they arriv- 

 ed at the temple, they placed the flatue of Painalton, 

 and the ftandard, upon the altar of Huitzilopochtli ; the 

 king offered incenfe to the two ftatues of feeds, and 

 then ordered another proceffion to be made round the 

 temple, at the conclufion of which they facrificed the 

 reft of the prifoners and flaves. Thefe facrifices were 

 made at the clofe of day. That night the priefts kept 

 watch, and the next morning they carried the ftatue in 

 pafte of Huitzilopochtli to a great hall, which was with- 

 in the precincts of the temple, and there in the pre- 

 fence only of the king, four principal priefts, and four 

 fuperiors of the feminaries, the prieft Quetzalcoatl, who 

 was the chief of the Tlamacazqui, or penance-doers, 

 threw a dart at the ftatue, which pierced it through and 

 through. They then faid, that their god was dead. 

 One of the principal priefts cut out the heart of the 

 ftatue, and gave it to the king to eat. The body was 

 divided into two parts ; one of which was given to the 

 people of Tlatelolco, and the other to the Mexicans. 

 The ftiare was again divided into four parts, for the 

 four quarters of the city, and each of thefe four parts 

 into as many minute particles as there were men in 

 each quarter. This ceremony they expreffed by the 

 word Teocualo, which fignifies, the god to be eaten. The 

 women never tafted this facred pafte, probably, becaufe 

 they had no concern with the profeffion of arms. We 

 are ignorant, whether or not they made the fame ufe of 

 the ftatue of Tlacahuepan. The Mexicans gave to this 

 month the name of Panquetzaliztli, which ftgnifies, the 

 railing of the ftandard, alluding to the one which they 

 carried in the above proceffion. In this month they 



employed 



