Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-12-01
SELECTIONS.
NiEXlCO.
As IT Vas IN raE DAYS OF MosrszrMA

AS IT WAS IN ruE DAYS OF hofrszrMA-
When fernando Coriez conquered Mexico, in
1919, the city of Mexico containeds population Of
upwards Of sixt, thousands families. asdiviied
into two distinct parts, in one OF which lived the
nobility, and in the other the lower castles. The
public cdifces and the dwellings OF the court and
nobility were built Of stone The temples
magnificent. The one dedicated TO Vilzpur,z
the god of war. and the most worshipped Of all
their deit,.s. WIS the most spacious. Besides the
dwelling of the priests erected on the inside, and
thu great number Of >quues. ii contained many for
other inferior driies. 10 whici, the people had 10
paw homage their entrancc--lhis great cdi6ce
would accommodate more than ten thousand per-
sons who came In dance nj the regular festivals,
One of the squares ~asset out with trees, At euar
distances, through which iron bars WEIR passed,
whereon were suspended the heads Of victims who
had been sacrificed 10 the gods. In a,oticr d..
partment WAS large stone, terminating IN acute
angle. upon which the priest suspended the vic.
Tim 10 be sacrificed. open his breast and took out
his heart. A splendid chapel contained the Idol.
I, was tho figure Of n man sitting upon II high al.
.nr. His head was crowned y th helmet Of bur
nishcd gold. In the rich, hand lie held n Scr.
pent, and IN the lrfi n shield Of four nrrows. The
couuicnance most horr6c. The priest slow
~ Withdrew the curtains when they permitted Tho
people to pay their alteration To this deity of their
worship On the left was another OIL ri similar
display and characteristics, pretending to be hi.
brother, and equally an object of profound ado-
ration.
The city contained eight temples of similar
description. The ohapes in those cdihcrs n
mounted to moi far from two thousand. dedicated
10 different d.,es They were constructed in
great magniticence and their appendices and trap.
pings were of ncstmablc value.
No one could approach the ROYAL presence, e..
eept being barefoot with prond awe, and my
great lord uttered IN suppressed tone. When
he dined in public (which was frcqucn,), he sat by
himself at a superb able--hcing first helped from
his choice OF Two three hundred dishes and lea,
ing the rest TO the nobility. lie drank several
kinds of liquors from richly ornancntrd cans
The herd were kept ont bs a rail. They could
look on and see the royal eormandzins in IN. d,x
lance Builonns displayed themselves 10 aun.e
the royal ear. And the people went To the squares,
10 wreulc shoot and run, 10 please hi. grace
The vast mines contributed much 10 Non,e,u-
MAJ Prodie'ous wealth. Besides, h. drew bv u,ap,
about one third Of the whole productive wealth of
his subjects. The nobility were compe He'd f.. NAL,
him vast annual present. in person. The Empcror
was the law IN all things and the slightest disrrsprc
towards him cost the life Of subject ryrrv
town in tho Empire had regular mnia-and !,
Is even stated that Mnnczum. had UPWARDS of ,h;,.
~ vassals, fromeach Of which he could have brougb,
into the field one hundred thousand men.