HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



145 



were unable to pay the tributes demanded from them 

 mud fink under the weight of their mifery, while the 

 royal beneficence did not reach them ? To oppreiTive 

 taxes were added the greatefl rigour in collecting them. 

 Whoever did not pay the tribute prefcribed was fold 

 for a flave, in order to purchafe with his liberty what 

 he could not gain by his induflry. 



For the adminiflration of jufiice, the Mexicans had 

 various tribunals and judges. At court, and in the more 

 confiderable places of the kingdom, there was a fupreme 

 magiflrate named Cihuacoatl, whofe authority was fo great 

 that from the fen tences pronounced by him, either in 

 civil or criminal caufes, no appeal could be made to any 

 other tribunal, not even to majefly. He had the appoint- 

 ment of the inferior judges, and the receivers of the 

 royal revenues within his diflricl:, rendered in their ac- 

 counts to him. Any one who either made ufe of his 

 enfigns, or ufurped his authority, was puni fixed with 

 death. 



The tribunal of the Tlacatecafl, though inferior to the 

 firft, was extremely refpeclable, and compofed of three 

 judges, namely of the Placate cat I, who was the chief, 

 and from whom the tribunal took its name, and of two 

 others who were called Quaiihnochtli and llanotlac. 

 They took cognizance of civil and criminal caufes in the 

 firfl and fecond in [lance, although fentence was pro- 

 nounced in the name only of the Tlacatecatl. They 

 met daily in a hall of the houfe of the public, which was 

 called TIafzontecojan, that is, the place where judgment 

 is given, to which belonged porters and other officers of 

 juflice. There they liflened with the utmofl attention 

 to litigations, diligently examined into caufes, and pro- 

 nounced fentence according to the laws. If a caufe was 



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