MOXTEZUMA. 133 
the gold amounted, in value, to upward of a thousand crowns ; and he gave 
it with an affability and indifference which made him appear a truly 
magnificent prince." 
He then proceeds, after some other details, to give an account of the 
personal appearance of this sovereign, and of the style and splendor oi 
his court. 
" The great Montezuma was, at this time, aged about 40 years, of good 
stature, well proportioned, and thin. His complexion was much fairer 
than that of the Indians ; he wore his hair short, just covering his ears, 
with veiy little beard, well arranged, thin and black. His face was 
rather long, with a pleasant mien and good eyes ; gravity and good-humor 
were blended together when he spoke. He was very delicate and cleanly 
in his person, bathing himself every evening. He had a number of mis- 
tresses of the first families, and two princesses, his lawful wives ; when 
he visited them, it was with such secrecy that none could know it except 
his own servants. He was clear of all suspicions of unnatural vices. 
The clothes which he wore one day he did not put on for four days after. 
He had set two hundred of his nobility as a guard in apartments adjoining 
his own. Of these only certain persons could speak to him, and when they 
went to wait upon him, they took off" their rich mantles and put on others 
of less ornament, but clean. They entered his apartment barefooted, 
their eyes fixed on the ground, and making three inclinations of the body 
as they approached him. In addressing the king they said, "Lord — my 
lord — great lord !'"' When they had finished, he dismissed them with a 
few words, and they retired with their faces toward him and their eyes 
fixed on the ground. I also observed, that when great men came from a 
distance about business, they entered his palace harefooted, and in plain 
habit ; and also, that they did not enter the gate directly, but took a circuit 
in going toward it. 
"His cooks had upward of thirty- different ways of dressino- meats, and 
they had earthen vessels so contrived as to keep them constantly hot. 
For the table of Montezuma himself, above three hundred dishes were 
dressed, and for his guards above a thousand. Before dinner, Montezuma 
would sometimes go out and inspect the preparations, and his ofiicers would 
point out to him which were the best, and explain of what birds and flesh 
they were composed; and of those he would eat. But this was more for 
amusement than anything else. 
" It is said, that at times the Jlesh of young children was dressed for him ; 
but the ordinary meats were domestic fowls, pheasants, geese, partridges, 
quails, venison, Indian hogs, pigeons, hares and rabbits, with many other 
animals and birds peculiar to the country. This is certain — that after 
Cortez had spoken to him relative to the dressing of human flesh, it was 
not practiced in his palace. At his meals, in the cold weather, a number 
of torches of the bark of a wood which makes no smoke, and has an aro- 
matic smell, were lighted; and, that they should not throw too much heat, 
screens, ornamented with gold and painted with figures of idols; were 
nlaced before them. 
