South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1836-11-26

1
TWO more !
MEXICO.
/ rs ii s0as ia The days of Montezunsa.
When Fernando Cortez conquered
Mexico in 151s-19 the city of Mexi-
CO contained population of upwards
of 10000 families, 1t was divided into
two distinct parts,in one OF which lived
the nobility, and in the other the lower
castles. The public edifces and the
dwellings OF the court 81 nobility were
built of stone. The temples were mag
niGeent. The one dedicated to Wiz
pu'zli, the god Of war, and the most
worshipped of all their deities, Yves the
most spacious. Besides the dwellings
of the priests erected en- the inside, d
the great number Of squares it contain
ed for other inferior dei.ies, to which
the people had to pay homage on their
entrance-this great ediGce would ae-
commodate more than 10000 persons
who came to dance at their regular fes-
rivals. One of the squares was set out
with trees, at regular distaness,t through
which iron bars we're passed, wherein
we're suspended the heads of victims
whe had been sacrificed to the gods.
In another department, was large
stone terminating in an acute angle,up-
on which the priest suspended the VIC
tim TO be sacrificed, cut open his breast
and took out his heart. A splendid
chapel contained the Grand idol. 1t
was the figure OF a man sitting upon a
high altar. His head was crowned with
a helmet of FURNISHED gold. In the
right hand il held serpent, and ia the
left shield Of four arrows.-The
countenance was most horrifc. The
priests slowly withdrew the curtains,
when they permitted the people to pay
their alteration to this deity of their
worship. On the left W as another idol
of a similar display and characteristics,
pretending to be his brother, & equally
an object OF profound alteration.
The city contained eight temples of
a similar description. The chapels in
these edifces amounted to not far from
1000, dedicated to two different deities.
They were constructed in great mag.
nificence, and their appendages and
uappings were OF ines,imable value.
No one could approach the royal
presence, except being barefoot, with
profound awe, and my "great awe"ut'
tered in suppressed tone. When ne
dined in public, which was frequent he
sat by himself at a superb table f; being
first helped from his choice of two or
three hundred dishes, and then leaving
the rest to the nobility. He drank sew
eral kinds of liquors from richly orna-
mented cans. The herd were kept
Oh, by rail. They could look on and
see the royal gormandizing lin the dis
tance.' Buffoons displayed themselves
10 amuse the royal eyes, and all sorts
Of music saluled the royal ear.--And
then the people went to the squares to
wrestle, shoot and run, to please his
grace.
The vast mines contributed much TO
Montezumas prodigious wealth; be-
sides he drew by usage about one third
of the whole productive wealth OF his
subjects. The nobility were compelled
to make him vast annual presents in
person. The Emperor was the law in
all things, and the slightest disrespecl
towards him cost the life OF subject.
Every town in the Empire had reg
ular militia and il is even stated that
Montezuma had upwards oftbirty vas
sails, from each Of which he could have
brought into the field 100, 900 men.
A commercial traveller left an arti-
Gle of his wardrobe at an inn 10 Devi-
yes, and wrote TO the chambermaid to
forward it to him by the coach. He
received the following answer
II hope, dear sir, you'll not feel hurt,
III frankly tell you all about it
I've made sbift Of your old shirt,
| And scuu must make shift without it,"