The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-04-23
HOW MONTEZUMA DINED,

DIR. Doran in his Table Traits, gives
the following interesting account Of the
magnitcence of Mon,ezuma's palace and
table, at the time when Cortez invaded
Mexico.
On the terraced roof OF his palace, th;r
ty knights could tilt at each other, without
complaining of want Of space. Ills armo.
rles were filled with weapons almost as
destructive as any to be found in any OF
the arscnals Of civilized Christian kings.
His granaries were furnished with pro.
visions paid by tributaries; three hundred
servants tended the beautiful birds of his
avries; his monagcries were the wonder
and terror of beholders and his dwarfs
were more bileous, and his ladies more
dazzling than potenta,e had ever before
looked upon with contempt or admira.
ton. His palace within and without was
marvel Of Aztec art. II was su, rounded
by gardens, glad with fountains and gay
flowers. One thousand ladies shared the
retirement of the splendid local,y, with a
master more gliltering than anything 10y
which he was environed who changed
his apparel four times daily, never putting
on again garment he had once worn,
and who, eating cf and drinking from!
gold Except on state occasions, when his
table was covered with services Of Chou
Ian porce!ain) never used second time,
the vessels which had once ministered ia
the indulgence of his appetite.
1t is said enthusiastically Of his cooks, tha,
they had thirty ditferen, ways Of prcpar
ing meat,-a poor boast perhaps compar.
ed with that Of the Parisian chiefs who
have SIX hundred and eighty. five WAYS ,c
dress eggs! Three hundred dishes were
daily st before the monarch, and such as
were required to be kept hot at table were
IN heated earthcn stands made for the pur.
pose. And il is even asserted, that this
autocrat occasionally killed time before
diaper by watching the cooking of his Vi
ands, a practice in which according to Pe.
ter Pindar, that honest old English king
used to indulge Who dined off boiled nut.
ton at two, and TO whom the funnies,
sight in the world was the clown in the
pan,om'ne swallowing carrots.
The ordinary dishes Of Mon,ezuma con
sisted Of very daiu,y fare; namely dumes.
TIC iowIs, geese, par,gidges, quails, vcnison
Indian hogs, pigeops. hares, rabbits, and
other productions Of bis country including
1t Is alleged by some and then again
denied 10y o,hcrs-very choice dairy fed
babies, when this choice article happened
to DC in season! In cold weather enor
nous torches, that flung forth, no, only
light, but warmth and aromatic odors,
lent additional splendor to the scene, and
to temper at once the glare and the heat
screens with dslicious!y dyoll devices upon
Them, framed in gold, were placed before
the brilliant flames.
The sovereign sat, like his links, also
protected by a screen. lie was not Sc
, barbarous rs mos: Of the Christian kings
Of France, who fed in public; nor was he
personally attended like them by awk.
ward Ganymedes of a middle age. -Four
llebes stood ty the lower ,hrope aud IA.
ble OF their master, and these poured wa
ter on his hands, and offered him the nan.
Kin, white as driven snow, or as the clotl,
on which the four hundred dishes stood
waiting his attention. Women as fair
presented him with bread; but even these
fair ministers retired few steps, when his
sacred 'narsty addressed hilpself to the
common Process of eating. Then a num-
Der of ancient but sprighlly mobiles took
their place. With these Montezuna con.
versed, aud when lie was particularly
pleased with a sage observation or a
spnghtly remark, plate Of pudding be
slowed 10y the royal hand male one iudi.
vidual happy and alt hi. fellows bitterly
Jealous. The pudding. or wba,ever The
dish wight I've, was eaten in silent rever.
ence; anc lille the Aztec Emperor was
at meat, no one in the palace dared, at
the peril of his life, speak above his breath.
Montezuma is described as being but
moderate eater, but fond Of fruit, and ~
dulging, with constraint upon his appe-
tite, in certain drinks which were Of a
stimulating quality, such as are found in
counties where civilization aud luxury
are at their highest.
"one thing forgot. and DO wonder
says Bernal Dix, ",o mention in its
place, and that is, during the time Mon
tozunla was ut dinner. two very beautiful
women were busily employed making
small cakes, with eggs and other things
mixed therein. These were delica,ely
white, and wbea made they preseated
them 10 him on plates covered with nap
kins. Also, another kind Of bead Was
brought him on long leaves and rlates of
cakes resembling waters. After he had
dined, they presented to him three little
canes, highly ornamen,ed, containing Il.
quid amber mixed with an herb they call
tobacco; and when he had sufficiently
viewed and heard the singers, dancers and
buffoons he took little OF the smoke Of
one Of these canes, npd then laid down to
sleep. The meal Of the monarch ended,
all his guards and attepdauts sat down to
dinner, and as pear as ] could Judge,
about thousand plates Of those catables
that I mentioned wara l.;J baf... ,Lu,,,