160 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



dom. Thofe who died for the fake of their country, 

 with their arms in their hands, were imagined to be the 

 happieft fouls in another life. From the great efteem 

 in which the profelfion of arms was held amongfl them, 

 they were at much pains to make their children cou- 

 rageous, and to inure them from the earliefl: infancy 

 to the hardlhips of war. It was this elevated notion of 

 the glory of arms, which formed thofe heroes, whofe 

 illuflrious a&ions we have already related : which made 

 them make oif the yoke of the Tepanecas, and ere& 

 on fo humble a foundation, fo famous and celebrated a 

 monarchy : and laftly, which produced the extenfion of 

 their dominions from the banks of the lake to the 

 ftiores of the two oppofite feas. 



The higheft military dignity was that of general of 

 the army ; but there were four different ranks of gene- 

 rals, of which the moft refpe&able was that of Tla- 

 cochcalcatl (%), and each rank had its particular badges 

 of diftin&ion. We are uncertain in what degree the 

 other three ranks were fubordinate to the firfl ; nor 

 can we even tell their names, on account of the differ- 

 ent opinions of authors on this head (a). Next to the 

 generals were the captains, each of whom commanded 

 a certain number of foldiers. 



In 



(z) Some authors fay that Tlacochcalcatl, fignifies prince of the darts: but 

 unqueftionably it means only, inhabitant of the arfenal, or houfe of the darts. 



(a) The interpreter of Mendoza's Collection fays, that the names of the 

 four ranks of generals, were Tlacochcalcatl, Atempanecatl, Ezhuacatecatl> and 77//- 

 lancalqui. Acofta, inftead of Atempanecatl, fays Tlacatecatl, and inftead of Ez- 

 huacatecatU Ezhuahuacatl ; and adds, that thefe were the names of the four elec- 

 tors. Torquemada adopts the name of Tlacatecatl, but fometimes he makes his 

 rank inferior to the Tlacochcalcatl,. and at other times he confounds them to- 

 gether. 



