History of the Conquest of Mexico; vol. 4/4Prescott, William Hickling
History
History of the Conquest of Mexico; vol. 4/4
Prescott, William Hickling
Cortés, Hernán, 1485-1547; Mexico -- History -- Conquest, 1519-1540
partes, que hacian una armonia, y canto, que no se oian las Gentes.
Fuera de las florestas, que las dividia, una Pared entraba la
Montaña, en que havia muchos venados, conejos, y liebres, que si de
cada cosa muy particular se describiese, y de los demas Bosques de
este Reyno, era menester hacer Historia muy particular.
No. IV.--See vol. i. p. 215
TRANSLATIONS FROM IXTLILXOCHITL’S “HISTORIA CHICHIMECA,” MS., CAP. LXIV
OF THE EXTRAORDINARY SEVERITY WITH WHICH THE KING NEZAHUALPILLI
PUNISHED THE MEXICAN QUEEN FOR HER ADULTERY AND TREASON
When Axaiacatzin, king of Mexico, and other lords, sent their
daughters to king Nezahualpilli, for him to choose one to be his
queen and lawful wife, whose son might succeed to the inheritance,
she who had highest claims among them, from nobility of birth and
rank, was Chachiuhnenetzin, daughter of the Mexican king. But,
being at that time very young, she was brought up by the monarch in
a separate palace, with great pomp and numerous attendants, as
became the daughter of so great a king. The number of servants
attached to her household exceeded two thousand. Young as she was,
she was yet exceedingly artful and vicious; so that, finding
herself alone, and seeing that her people feared her, on account of
her rank and importance, she began to give way to the unlimited
indulgence of her lust. Whenever she saw a young man who pleased
her fancy, she gave secret orders to have him brought to her, and,
having satisfied her desires, caused him to be put to death. She
then ordered a statue or effigy of his person to be made, and
adorning it with rich clothing, gold, and jewelry, had it placed in
the apartment in which she lived. The number of statues of those
whom she thus put to death was so great as almost to fill the
apartment. When the king came to visit her, and inquired respecting
these statues, she answered that they were her gods; and he,
knowing how strict the Mexicans were in the worship of their false
deities, believed her. But as no iniquity can be long committed
with entire secrecy, she was finally found out in this manner.
Three of the young men, for some reason or other, she had left
alive. Their names were Chicuhcoatl, Huitzilimitzin, and Maxtla,
one of whom was lord of Tesoyucan, and one of the grandees of the
kingdom; and the other two, nobles of high rank. It happened that
one day the king recognized on one of these a very precious jewel,
which he had given to the queen; and, although he had no fear of
treason on her part, it gave him some uneasiness. Proceeding to
visit her that night, her attendants told him that she was asleep,
supposing that the king would then return, as he had done at other
times. But the affair of the jewel made him insist on entering the
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