106 



HISTORY OF MEXICO 



was publiflied in great form, and all the lords who re- 

 fided at court, and alfo thofe who were but a little dis- 

 tant from it were informed of the event, in order that 

 they might be prefent at the funeral. In the mean 

 time they laid the royal corpfe upon beautiful curioufly 

 wrought mats, which was attended and watched by his 

 domeftics. Upon the fourth or fifth day after, when 

 the lords were arrived, who brought with them rich 

 drefies, beautiful feathers, and Haves to be prefented, 

 to add to the pomp of the funeral, they clothed the 

 corpfe in fifteen, or more, very fine habits of cotton 

 of various colours, ornamented it with gold, filver, and 

 gems, hung an emerald at the under lip, which was 

 to ferve in place of a heart, covered the face with a 

 malk, and over the habits were placed the enfigns of 

 that god, in whofe temple or area the afhes were to be 

 buried. They cut off fome of the hair, which, toge- 

 ther with fome more which had been cut off in the 

 infancy of the king, they preferved in a little box, in 

 order to perpetuate, as they faid, the memory of the 

 deceafed. Upon the box they laid an image of the de- 

 ceafed,. made of wood, or of ftone. Then they killed 

 the flave who was his chaplain, who had had the care 

 of his oratory, and all that belonged to the private 

 worftiip of his gods, in order that he might ferve him 

 in the fame office in the other world. 



The funeral procefiion came next, accompanied by all 

 the relations of the deceafed, the whole of the nobility, 

 and the wives of the late king, who teftified their for- 

 row by tears and other demonftrations of grief. The 

 nobles carried a great flandard of paper, and the royal 

 arms and enfigns. The priefts continued finging, but 

 without any mufical inftrument. Upon their arrival at 



the 



