The laws which they made were very severe. Almost all crimes were punished with death. Young persons who were guilty of getting drunk were put to death; but the nobles in a much more cruel manner than the common people; for they said the former sinned more in not setting a good example. But old men, after they had arrived at the age of seventy years, were allowed to drink as much as they pleased; for they said that it was a pity to deprive them of this pleasure, when it could do them no harm. Slanderers were punished by having a part of their lip cut off, and sometimes also of their ears, to show the danger of speaking or listening to evil. We have before said that the Mexicans were a nation of warriors. They believed that all who died in battle enjoyed the greatest happiness hereafter, and therefore the prospect of such a death had nothing terrible in it. The armor which the soldiers wore to defend themselves from the weapons of the enemy, consisted of a thick coat of cotton, which covered the body and part of the legs and arms; a helmet or headpiece, made to imitate the head of a tiger, in order to inspire terror into their enemies; and a shield made of strong canes interwoven with thick cotton threads. [Illustration] The weapons of attack were bows and arrows, slings, spears, and swords. All these, except the last, were very much like those used in our armies at the present day. The sword of the Mexicans was very different from that used by the soldiers of our modern times. The standards of the Mexicans were formed of gold and beautiful feathers; each company had its particular standard, which they preserved with great care. But the grand ensign of the empire was an object of especial veneration; when this was lost, all hope of victory was given up, and the soldiers threw down their arms and fled. We have already told how Cortez took advantage of this feeling in the natives, and thus saved his little army.