did not forbid conviviality at nuptials and other festive occasions." Deut. xxi. 20. "He who told a lie to the prejudice of another, had a part of his lip cut off." Levit. vi. 2. "He who maliciously contrived to sow discord between states was tied to a tree and burned.' Prov. vi. 19. "In the legislature of Acolhuan, if a nobleman was intoxicated to the losing of his senses, he was thrown into a river or lake; if a plebian, for the first offence, he lost his liberty, for the second his life. And when the legislator was asked why the law was more severe upon nobles than others, he answered that the crime of drunkenness was less pardonable in them, as they were bound in duty to set a good example. The same king prescribed the punishment of death to those Historians who should introduce lies into their paintings." "Sons were stoned to death if declared by their parents to be refractory and rebellious." Deut. xxi. 18, &c. "The senate even prescribed death for such as were wanting in duty and respect." "Incontinence was rigorously punished. The punishment of the tree fork, or gallows, was the most ignominious. That of banishment was also deemed infamous, as it is supposed the guilty person possessed of infectious vice." * * * "Each of the three chief ranks in the army had its distinctive order; one was the chief man-another the eagleand the third the buffalo. Those belonging to the prince, or chief, or man order, were the highest. To this order, Montezuma the second belonged." Numb. i. 53. "In first going out to war, even princes of the royal household were required to give some proofs of their courage before they were permitted to change the plain coarse white habit assigned them for another more costly." They used shields and breast-plates, and wore on their heads plumes of the most beautiful feathers in battle. The common soldiers were nearly naked, but they coloured their bodies to counterfeit dress. The offensive arms of the Mexicans were arrows, slings, spears, pikes or javelins, swords and darts. Some of their bows required more than five feet of string. They had also standards and musical instruments proper for war. Their standards were staves from eight to ten feet long, on which they bore the ensigns of the state, made of gold, feathers and gems. The armorial ensign of the Mexican empire was an eagle in the act of darting on a tiger; that of Tlascala the republic, was an eagle with expanded wings." "Those standards were so firmly attached to the person of the bearers, that they could not be seized without cutting him to pieces. The Mexicans placed their standard in the centre of the army. The Tlascalans placed their's in the van, but in times of war in the rear. They made use of various kinds of entrenchments." "The Spaniards unanimously praise the beauty and extent of the many gardens. Cortez, in his letter to Charles V. of May, 1522, told him that the garden of Huaxtepec was the most extensive, and beautiful, and delightful which he had ever beheld. Bernal Dias, in chap. 142 of his History, says, "that the gardens were most wonderful, and worthy of a great prince." Hernandez the naturalist frequently eulogises them in his valuable work. Every kind of medical herb1 was cultivated in these admirable gardens, some of which were hanging gardens, and on the lake.”— 1 See Appendix. ARTS AND SCIENCES. In order to convey some idea of the markets, or rather fairs of Mexico, and the other principal cities, so much celebrated by the historians, it will be sufficient to notice that held in the capital. Cortez described this as twice as large as that of Salamanca (one of the most famous in Spain) and surrounded by porticos for the convenience of the merchants. Every sort of merchandise had a particular place allotted to it by the judges of commerce; the number of merchants who daily assembled there according to the affirmation of Cortez exceeded fifty thousand. Clavegero says, that every five days this number collected, that there were every day assembled from twenty to twenty-five thousand, but at these great markets fifty thousand.' (See b., 7. p. 385.) He adds of the historians who attempt to describe them, that ' after a tedious enumeration, they conclude by saying it is impossible to express them all.' All the productions of the empire and adjacent countries were brought to be sold or exchanged in that vast square-all that could serve for the necessaries of life, the conveniences, the luxury, the vanity, the curiosity of man, were there; innumerable species of animals dead and alive, every sort of eatable, all the metals and gems, medical drugs, simples, gums, oils, minerals, prepared medicines, beverages, ointments, electaries, and every sort of manufacture, embroidery, &c. The potters, goldsmiths, jewellers, painters, stone-cutters, hunters, fishers, the fruiterers of hot countries, mat-weavers, chair-makers, and florests of Xochimlico, all assembled there.' Certain commissioners were continually traversing the market to observe what happened, and prevent disorder. At the market of Tlascala, Cortez states that above three thousand assembled, of merchants and others. Motolina mentions that forty years after the conquest, when commerce had greatly declined, at the fifth day market, there were not less than eight thousand European hens sold, and that as many were sold at the market of Acaplayocan.' The gem most esteemed by the Mexicans was the emerald,1 and they were so common that no lord or noble wanted them, and none of them died without having one placed on his body as his heart. An immensely large and valuable one, which the pious zeal of the first bishop induced him to reduce to powder, was called the HEART of the people.' It will be recollected that the stone of Aaron's breastplate, which represented Judah, was the emerald. Acosta says, that "when Cortez entered Mexico, it contained 60,000 houses, in each of which there are two, three, and in some ten persons, by reason of which the city is wonderfully replenished with people." "The market-place, 1 Gomara affirms "that amongst other inestimable gems which Cortez took with him on his first return to Spain, he had five emeralds valued at 100,000 ducats, and for one of them a Genevese merchant offered 40,000, in order to sell it again to the Grand Signor. This was formed into a cup with a foot and four little golden chains, which were united by a large pearl in the form of a button; he had also two emerald vases valued at 300,000 ducats, which vases were lost by shipwreck. At present no such gems are wrought, indeed the mine is now unknown whence they were brought.' After enumerating a list of valuable and exquisitely formed gems, metals, and manufactures, Gomara says, "All these were more valuable for the workmanship, than even the materials. Their works of cast metal are not to be comprehended by our goldsmiths. This which was part of one of the many presents Montezuma made to Cortez, was sent by him to Charles v. in July 1519." • The splendour of the market is to be seen where articles of gold and feathers jointly wrought, are sold. They make butterflies, wild beasts, trees, flowers, roses, herbs in so natural a manner, that it is marvellous to behold; and workmen will turn a feather in the sun to find out its proper shade and position with a wonderful patience, &c. The goldsmiths cast in moulds or engrave with tools made of flint. They will cast a platter with eight corners, some of which are gold without any soldering also fish, each alternate scale on the back, being of gold or silver. They cast an ape in a mould, with the hands and feet moveable, holding a spindle in his hand, seeming to spin, and an apple as if to eat.' The Spaniards were surprised to find their goldsmiths were not to be compared with those of Mexico.' See Clavegero, b. 7, Scct. 80. : Cortez in his letters to the king of Spain, greatly extols the Mexican workmanship in gold, numerous specimens of which he transmitted to Spain. "What was sent to Spain, however exquisite the workmanship, was melted by order of the government; for from the earliest period, to the last day of her possessing power in Mexico, Spain studiously kept from the rest of the world all information relative to her foreign dominions, and more particularly of New Spain." Antiq. Mex. p. 332. every fourth day is sometimes attended by 100,000 persons who came to barter their commodities from all parts of the kingdom." THE LAW OF SLAVES. The laws of the Indians respecting slaves were patriarchal ; Of these,' observes Clavegero, there were three kinds, the first were prisoners of war; the second those who were bought for a valuable consideration; the third were malefactors who were deprived of liberty in punishment of their crimes.' 'Among the Mexicans a slave was allowed to have cattle, to acquire property, and to have other slaves to serve him; nor could his owner hinder him, nor have service from such slaves; for slavery was only an obligation of personal service, and even that was under certain restrictions. Nor was slavery entailed on the descendants of slaves. Owners could not sell their slaves without their consent: unless they were those who had become such for the punishment of their crimes. Runaway, rebellious, or vicious slaves, had two or three warnings given them by their owners, which they gave for their justification in the presence of some witnesses; if, in spite of these admonitions, the slaves did not mend their conduct, a wooden collar was put about their necks, and then it was lawful to sell them at market. If a slave, collared in this manner, happened to escape from his place of confinement, and took refuge in the royal palace, he remained free; and the person who attempted to prevent his gaining this asylum, forfeited his liberty for the attempt, except it were the owner, or one of his children, who had a right to seize him. Slavery among the Mexicans was not hard to be borne; their labour was T |