146 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



purely civil, there was no appeal from that court ; but 

 if the caufe was of a criminal nature, an appeal lay ta 

 the Cihuacoatl. The fentence was publifhed by the 

 TepojotI, or public cryer, and was executed by the Quauh- 

 nochtli, who, as we have already mentioned, was one of 

 the three judges. The public cryer, as well as the ex- 

 ecutive minifter of juftice, was held in high efteem 

 amongft the Mexicans, becaufe they were coniidered to 

 be the reprefentatives of the king. 



In every diflridT: of the city refided a Teuftli, who was 

 deputy of the tribunal of Tlacatecatl, and was elected 

 annually by the commons of that diftrich He took 

 cognizance, in the firft inftance, of the caufes within his 

 diftrict, and daily waited upon the Cihuacoatl, or the 

 Tlacatecatl, to report to him every thing which occur- 

 red, and to receive his orders. Befides thefe Teuclli, 

 there were in every diftricT: certain commifTaries, elected 

 in the fame manner by the commons of the diftridt, and 

 named Centefllapixque ; but they, from what appears to 

 us, were not judges, but only guardians, charged to ob- 

 ferve the conduct of a certain number of families com- 

 mitted to their care, and to acquaint the magiftrates with 

 every thing that palfed. Next to the Teu&li were the 

 Taquitlatoque, or the runners, who carried the notifica- 

 tions of the magiftrates, and fummoned guilty perfons, 

 and the Topilli or the officers who apprehended and 

 made prifoners. 



In the kingdom of Acolhuacan, the judicial power was 

 divided amongft: feven principal cities. The judges re- 

 mained in their tribunals from fun-rife until evening* 

 Their meals were brought to them in the tribunal-hall, 

 and that they might not be taken off from their employ- 

 ment, by giving attendance upon their families, nor have 



any 



