The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1894-10-05

about his neck and unclasped the roya
cloak from his shoulders. Then with hi
own hand he put the chain about my
throat and the cloak upon my shoulders
and having humbly bent the knee before
me, as though in alteration, he cast his
arms about me and embraced me.
Hail, most blessed, he said, "divine
son of Quetzal, holder of the spirit of Tez.
cat, soul of the world, creator of the
world. What have we done that you
should honor us thus with your presence
for a season? What can we do to pay the
honor back? You created us and all this
country; behold, while you tarry with us,
it is yours, and we are nothing but your
servants! Order and your commands shall
be obeyed; think and your thought shall
be executed before it can pass your lips
o Tezcat, l, Montezuma your servant, Of
fer you my alteration and through me the
alteration of all my people" and again he
bowed the knee
"We adore you, o Tezcat" chimed in
the priests
Now remained silent and bewildered,
for Of all thisEf2olery could understand
nothing, and yvisSfssy s3sIs -.issus Montezu-
ma clapped his hands and women entered,
bearing beautiful clothing with them and
. wreath of flowers. The clothing they
put upon my body and the wreath of flow
ers on my head, worshiping me the while
and saying: "Tezcat, who died yesterday,
is come again. Be joyful; Tezcat has come
again in the body of the captive Teule."
Then l understood that was now q
god and the greatest of gods, though at
that moment within myself felt more Of
fool than had ever been before.
And now men appeared, grave and rev.
erend in appearance, bearing lutes in their
hands. l was told that these were my
tutors and with them train of royal
pages who were to be my servants. They
led me forth from the hail. making music
as they went, and before me marched q
herald, calling out that this was the god
Tezcat, soul of the world creator of the
world, who had come again to visit his
people They led me through all the courts
and endless chambers of the palace, and
went man, woman and child
bowed themselves to the earth before me
and worshiped me, Thomas Wingfeld of
in the county of Norfolk,
till l thought that must be mad
Then they placed me in q litter and car
ried me down the hill Chapoltepec and
along causeways and through streets till
we came to the great square Of the temple.
before me went heralds and priests, after
me iolioWeu pages ana MOBILES, ana ever as
we passed the multitudes Frustrated them |
selves till I began to understand how
Vearlsome thing 1t Is to be god. Next |
'hey carried me through the wall of SER
)ents and up the winding paths of the
mighty teocalli till we reached the sum-
nit, where the temples and idols stood,
md here great drum beat, and the priests
acrl1iced victim after victim in my honor,
ND grew sick with the sight of wicked
less and blood. Presently they invited me
o descend from the litter, laying rich car
tets and flowers for my feet to tread on,
nd was much afr2it, for l thought that
hey were about to sacrifice me to myself
r some other divinity. But this was not
o. They led me to the edge of the pyra-
aid, or as near as would go, for shrank
ack lest they should seize me suddenly
nd cast me over the edge And there the
Ugh priest called out my dignity to the
who were assembled beneath,
nd every one OF them bent the knee in
doration of me, the priests above and the
lultitudes below. And co 1t went on till
grew dizzy with the worship, and the
and the music, and the sights of :
cath, and very thankful was when at
st they carried me back to Chapoltepec.