M E X 
fcf its tutelar god, fignifies “ Place of Mexitli, or Huit- 
zilopochtli,” as he had both thefe names. The foun¬ 
dation of this city was laid in the year 1325 of the vul¬ 
gar era. 
Until the year 1352, the Mexican government was ari'fi- 
tocratical; the whole nation paying obedience to a cer¬ 
tain body, compofed of perlons the moft refpeffable for 
their nobility and wifdom ; but at this time they imitated 
the example of their neighbours, and, for greater fecurity 
from their enemies, formed their little ftate into a mo¬ 
narchy 5 and the election. fell, by common confent, on 
Acamapitzin, who was one of the moll: famous and pru¬ 
dent perlons then living amongft them. This monarch 
governed the city, which comprehended at that time the 
whole of his kingdom, in peace for thirty-feven years. In 
his time the population increafed, buildings of ftone were 
conftrufted, and thofe canals, which lerved as well for the 
ornament of th’e city as for the convenience of its inha¬ 
bitants, were begun. At his death, the monarchy, which 
was elective, was transferred to his fon,- Huitzilihuitl. 
After a reign of twenty years, he was fucceeded by his 
brother Chimalpopoca, whofe premature death made way 
for the election of Itzcoatl, brother to the two preceding 
kings, and natural fon of Acamapitzin by a Have. His 
government was conducted with prudence ; he fubdued 
many neighbouring provinces ; and he ereCted two tem¬ 
ples, one to the goddefs Cihuacoatl, and fome time after¬ 
wards another to Huitzilopochtli, the chief Mexican di¬ 
vinity. After a profperous reign of thirteen years, he 
was fucceeded by one of his grandfons, Montezuma, who 
was elected with general applaule, not lefs on account of 
his perfonal virtues, than the important fervices which 
he had performed for his country. 
Montezuma, as foon as he was fixed on the throne, 
ereCted a famous temple in - that part of the city which 
was called Huitznabuac ; and, in rearing this magnificent 
ItruCture, he was aflifted with materials and workmen by 
the neighbouring kings, with whom he was in alliance. 
He then profecuted the conquelts which he had com¬ 
menced in the time of his predecefl’or, and added to the 
Mexican empire feveral diftri&s and villages. In the 
tenth year of his reign, correfponding to the year 144.6 of 
the vulgar era, the city of Mexico was much damaged by 
an inundation from the adjacent lake : and, in order to 
prevent a limilar calamity, he caufed to be conllru&ed a 
large dyke, nine miles in length, and eleven cubits in 
breadth, compofed of two parallel palifades, the fpace be¬ 
tween which was entirely filled up with ftone and mud. 
The inundation was foon followed by a famine, which 
was owing to a failure of the harveft of maize. When the 
city had recovered itfelf from the effeCts of this calamity, 
Montezuma renewed his conquelts ; and, after a diftin- 
guifhed reign of twenty-nine years, the throne was va¬ 
cated by his death in 1464, and Axayacatl was chofen to 
fucceed him. This king, having obtained a fignal victory 
over the inhabitants of a neighbouring province, in 1468, 
undertook the building of a temple, which he called 
Coatlan. - The progrels of his conquelts was interrupted 
by his death, in the 13th year of his reign, A. D. 1477. 
Tizoc, his elder brother and general of the army, was 
elected for his fucceflbr $ but his reign was fliort and un- 
diftinguilhed by any considerable military exploits. In 
the 5th year of his fovereignty he was poifoned by fome of 
his feudatory fubjeCts, A. D. 1482. 
During his time, the power and wealth of the crown 
had arrived to fuch a height, that he undertook to con- 
ItruCt a temple to the tutelary god of the nation, which 
was to have furpafled in magnificence all the temples of 
that country ; he had prepared a vaft quantity of mate¬ 
rials for this purpofe, and had actually begun the ftruc- 
ture, when death interrupted his projects. Ahuitzotl, 
the brother of the two preceding kings, a general of the 
army, was chofen to fucceed him. "The firft object to 
■which his attention was directed was the completion of 
the temple, which had been defigned and begun by his 
Vol. XV. No. 1042. 
I C O. 281 
predeccffor. This work was diligently profecuted for 
four years ; and on occalion of his confecration he is laid 
to have facrificed, as fome fay, 72,344, and, according to 
others, 64,060, prifoners. This-event happened in i486. 
In the year 1498, this king projected to lupply the lake 
with water from a fountain at fome diftance 5 and, in fpite 
of remonftrances from thofe who dreaded an inundation, 
he perfiited in the execution of his plan. The appre¬ 
hended event occurred, and the city was deluged with 
the overflowing water. This deluge was fucceeded by a 
famine. The lait years of Ahuitzotl were palled in con- 
itant wars; till at length, in the year 1502, after a reign 
of about twenty years, he died. At the time of his 
death, the Mexicans were in polfeflion of nearly all which 
they had at the arrival of the Spaniards. He was cele¬ 
brated among his countrymen for magnificence and li¬ 
berality. Having difcovered in the Vale of Mexico a 
quarry of ftones, called tetzoutli, he embelliflied the city 
with fo many new and magnificent buildings, that it was 
already become the firft city of the new world. 
Upon the death of Ahuitzotl, Montezuma II. was. 
elected as the 9th fovereign of Mexico. Befides the va¬ 
lour which he had difplayed in feveral battles, as general, 
he was likewife a prieft, and much venerated for his gra¬ 
vity, circumfpeftion, and religion. In order to obtain 
victims to be facrificed at his coronation, he entered into 
a war with fome neighbouring revolters ; and the cere¬ 
monies exhibited on this occafion were Angularly fplendid 
and magnificent. Notwithftanding a lolemn agreement 
concerted between the nobility and plebeians in a former 
reign forchoofing the officers of ftate, Montezumadifplaced 
the latter, and required that all the fervants of his palace 
fliould be perfons of rank. Thefe were very numerous, 
and very fervile and obfequious. The women who attended 
him were alfo perfons of rank; and they lived immured in 
a kind of feraglio, where their conduft was vigilantly re¬ 
garded. The forms and ceremonials introduced at court 
were additional indications of the defpotifm of Montezuma. 
The grandeur and magnificence of his palaces, houfes 
of pleafure, woods and gardens, correfponded to every 
other circumftance that lerved to difplay the fplendour 
of his royal dignity. In Mexico, befides the feraglio for 
his wives, there was lodging for all his minifters and coun¬ 
cilors, and all the officers of his houfehold and court, and 
accommodation for all foreign lords and kings who ar¬ 
rived hither for bufinefs or pleafure. He had two houfes 
in the city appropriated for animals, one for birds that 
did not live upon prey, and another for thofe of prey, 
quadrupeds, and reptiles. The care of the birds was 
committed to three hundred men, befides their phyficians, 
who adminiftered remedies to their diftempers. For the 
fupport of the birds of prey, five hundred turkeys were 
killed daily ; and the wild beafts were fed upon deer, rab¬ 
bits, hares. &c. and the inteftines of human facrifices. 
Montezuma’s palaces were furrounded with pleafant gar¬ 
dens, in which was every kind of beautiful flower, odori¬ 
ferous herb, and medicinal plant. It had likewife woods 
enclofed with walls, and furnilhed with variety of game, 
in which he frequently fported. In one of the royal 
buildings was an armoury, filled with all kinds of offen- 
five and defenfive arms j and he employed a number of 
artificers in manufacturing thefe, and allb artifts, fuch as 
goldiiniths, mofaic-worktnen, fculptors, painters, and 
others. One whole diftriCt confifted folely of dancing- 
mailers, who were trained up to entertain him. His zeal 
for religion was no lefs confpicuous than his munificence. 
He built feveral temples to his gods, and made frequent 
facrifices to them, obferving with punctuality the elta- 
blilhed rites and ceremonies. However, his mind was 
totally debafed by the vain fear of the auguries and pre¬ 
tended oracles of the falfe divinities to whom he dedi¬ 
cated temples. He was inexorable in punilhing thofe 
who refilled his orders, or tranfgrelfed the laws of the 
kingdom ; and he often put the integrity of his magif- 
trates to the tell by fecret prefents, and, if he found them 
4 C guilty. 
