HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



95 



Lovely child, the gods Ometeu&li and Omecihuatl have 

 created thee in the highest place of heaven , in order to fend 

 thee into the world ; but know that the life on which thou 

 art entering is fad, painful, and full of uneafinefs and mi- 

 feries : nor wilt thou be able to eat thy bread without la- 

 bour : May God ajfist thee in the many adverfities which 

 await thee. This ceremony was concluded with congra- 

 tulations to the parents and relations of the child. If it 

 was the fon of the king, or of any great lord, the chief 

 of his fubje&s came to congratulate the father, and to 

 wifli the highefl profperity to his child (£). 



When the firft bathing was done, the diviners were 

 confulted concerning the fortune of the child, for which 

 purpofe they were informed of the day and hour of its 

 birth. They confidered the nature of the fign of that 

 day, and the ruling fign of that period of thirteen days 

 to which it belonged, and if it was born at midnight, 

 two figns concurred, that is, the fign of the day which 

 was juft concluding, and that of the day which was juft 

 beginning. After having made their obfervations, they 

 pronounced the good or bad fortune of the child. If it 

 was bad, and if the fifth day after its birth-day, on which 

 the fecond bathing was ufually performed, was one of 

 the dies infausti, the ceremony was poftponed until a more 



favourable 



(k) In Guatemala, and other furrounding provinces, the births of male chil- 

 dren were celebrated with much folemnity and fuperftition. As foon as the 

 fon was born a turkey was facrificed. The bathing was performed in fomc 

 fountain, or river, where they made oblations of copal, and facriflces of parrots. 

 The navel ftring was cut upon an ear of maize, and with a new knife, which 

 was immediately after caft into the river. They fowed the feeds of that ear, 

 and attended to its growth with the utmoft care, as if it had been a facred 

 thing. What was reaped from this feed was divided into three parts ; one of 

 which was given to the diviner ; of another part they made pap for the child, 

 and the reft was preferved until the fame, child fliould be old.enough to be able 

 to fow it. 



