ruin and dispersion for the proud race of the Toltecs. Meconetzin, (Son
of Maguey) ruled at first with prudence and practical wisdom, but his
habits deteriorated little by little; he became vicious, and revealed
himself to be an insupportable tyrant. The honey in the maguey had begun
to ferment.
The Toltecs thenceforth deteriorated in the most disastrous manner.
Famines and pests fell upon the land, and invasions of strange peoples.
The population was thinned, harried, scattered. Its last chieftain was
Topiltzin-Meconetzin (Son of Maguey), who, with his wife, Xochitl, was
slain in a sanguinary battle against overpowering enemies. And this was
the end of the Toltecs. This may have been in the year 1116 of our era,
after a duration of about five hundred and fifty years.
Some historians consider that the Toltecs were not a great race, but
simply a tribe of sedentary Indians, more advanced than their neighbors,
whose traditions have become with time exaggerated into the tale of a
great and powerful nation. How this may be, the tourist at Tula may
judge, according to his disposition, romantic or prosaic, by the
importance of the ruins left by the vanished race.
The excellent _compendios_ of history written by Payne and Zarate for
the use of schools in Mexico still give the dynasties of the kings of
Tula, as well as of the other early tribes, as if they were sovereigns
of a well-established monarchy, accompanied by a list of the royal
succession. According to this, the kingdom of the Toltecs lasted from
720 A.D., the date fixed for the end of their wanderings from
Huehue-Tlapallan to Tollan, until 1116 A.D., when their destruction was
accomplished and their people dispersed.
IV.
CHICHIMECS.
According to the old version of Anahuac story, the proud, brilliant
dynasty of the Toltecs shone like a jewel upon the background of the
savage tribes surrounding it, who remained during the period it
flourished in the same condition as when the Toltecs came. It was from
one of these less cultivated races that the Toltecs took their first
chief, Chalchiuhtlatonac, son of the so-called Emperor of the
Chichimecs, to whose account is attributed a line of fourteen monarchs,
and a duration of over two hundred years, but all this is very uncertain
and vague; on the other hand, Baudelier is of opinion that there was no
Chichimecan period in Mexico. The word Chichimecatl signifies
indiscriminately a savage, a good hunter, or a brave warrior. The
far-off region from which they immigrated like the other tribes upon
Anahuac, called by them Amaquemecan, like the Huehue-Tlapallan of the
Toltecs, was a fertile country of their dreams, pleasant to work in, and
free from earthly disasters.
Probably they came from the same region as the Toltecs; their language
is classed with the Nahuatl, though their dialect was their own. They
called themselves the Eagles. They not only had no culture, but scorned
it, preferring the advantages of barbarism. Their occupation was
hunting, which was fully furnished them by the game in the mountain
regions, which they found unclaimed, and took possession of. They lived
upon the flesh of wolves and pumas,--their smaller dishes were weasels,
moles, and mice, without objecting to lizards, snakes, grasshoppers, and
earthworms.
The Chichimecs seem to have wandered about completely naked, with skins
of beasts to protect them from the occasional cold of their mild
climate. Their houses were, for the most part, caves or cracks in the
rocks, but they knew how to build rude huts, roofed with palm leaves.
Gourds were their drinking vessels, and they could make a rude sort of
pottery, out of which they fashioned jugs, and also little balls used
for bullets in war, which could make dangerous wounds. They were always
at war with their neighbors, and protected their own territory from
incursions with their bows and arrows, and clubs, which they handled
with great vigor.
Each warrior of the Chichimecs wore a bone at his waist, which carried a
mark for every enemy he had killed. Competition was sure to keep these
bones well marked, as it was a distinction to bear the record of the
most victims. Their battles were bloodthirsty. Prisoners were scalped
upon the field of battle, and their heads carried in triumph back to
camp, while dances of victory were performed. They had the reputation of
eating the flesh and drinking the blood of their victims.
The several tribes of the Chichimecs acknowledged no authority, other
than obedience to the warrior they themselves selected to lead them to
battle. Their wives were their slaves; and though they limited
themselves to one wife at a time, they reserved to themselves the
liberty of changing one for another at any moment. The women prepared
the food, cut down trees, brought wood and water, and made the
pottery--bullets as well as pots and pans. The Chichimecs feared and
worshipped the sun as a supreme deity, and the spirit of the thunder and
lightning, whom they rudely depicted with bolts in his hands, like
Jupiter, and called Nixcoatl, (the Serpent of the Clouds).
These were the people who lived side by side with the Toltecs, their
better-behaved neighbors, despised as inferiors, and regarded with
disgust for their coarseness and horror for their bloody practices. By
these, the Toltecs were conquered and destroyed.
Xolotl, the leader of the Chichimecs, to use the greatly exaggerated
reports gathered from historic paintings, which depicted these things,
came to invade the realm of the Toltecs with a million warriors under
six great chiefs, and twenty thousand or so of inferior officers. He had
under his command more than three million men and women, not counting
the children who came along with their mothers. The Toltecs were much
deteriorated since their proud days. Allies whom they had oppressed had
deserted them; a religious sect which differed from the prevailing
belief had sought elsewhere a place of independent worship; the
sovereign and his favorites were delivered over to dissipation. But
even the royal family gave proof of energy and resolution when the hour
of danger came.
An old chief, named Ayaxitl, called the country to arms, inspiring them
with tales of the deeds of their ancestors. Old men and young boys took
up arms; and old Xochitl herself, the mother of the inefficient king,
led forth to battle a legion of Amazons, and was slain at their front.
But all this show of bravery came too late. The Toltecs were entirely
defeated after a prolonged conflict, which was renewed for several days.
Tollan was taken, the whole country surrendered, and its ruling race
entirely exterminated.
The Toltecs were no more, and the Chichimecs ruled in their stead. But
these people, recovering from their barbarism in a measure, took on the
advanced customs of their conquered enemies, entered into their palaces,
and enjoyed the fruits of their civilization.
Xolotl took the title of Chichimecatl Tecuhtli, the great chief of the
Chichimecs; and his descendants added to this the name Huactlatohani
(Lord of the Whole World). The territory claimed for him included a
large part of the present Mexico, the states Morelos and Puebla, a
portion of Vera Cruz, the greater part of Hidalgo, the whole of
Tlaxcalla, and the valley of Mexico. He strengthened his power by
marrying his son to a daughter of the late Toltec sovereign, saved from
the destruction of the race, and altogether showed wisdom and judgment
not to be expected from the antecedents of his people. Such conduct
inclines students of this remote period to think that these Chichimecs
were not the barbarous tribe who lived in caves and ate lizards, but a
later arrival from the mysterious north.
During the reign of Xolotl new tribes came wandering down from these
remote regions. These successive waves of emigration give the idea of a
constantly renewed struggle for supremacy far off in the unknown
Amaquemecan, resulting in the migration of the conquered side. Xolotl
received these new arrivals with benign hospitality, gave them lands to
plant, and encouraged them to settle in his realm. Among these were the
Aculhuas and Tepanecs, who founded the kingdoms, afterwards important,
of Atzcapotzalco and Tlacopan.
Xolotl had the credit of reigning from 1120 to 1232, when he died. This
would make him at least one hundred and twenty years old at his death.
And some people from this imagine that there were several Xolotls that
succeeded one another. Let us believe that he lived to this great age.
The name means "Eye of great vigilance."
For three generations his immediate successors ruled the kingdom with
firmness and judgment, compelling their people to cultivate the land,
thus protecting agriculture, which was their chief source of wealth, and
building towns to put an end to wandering habits inherited from the men
who lived in caves on the mountain side.
[Illustration: PORTICO AT KABOH.]
Quinatzin, in the beginning of the thirteenth century, established the
capital of the kingdom of the Chichimecs in Texcuco. It was during his
reign that the Aztecs, or Mexicans, whom we now hear of for the first
time, established themselves in Tenochtitlan, which was on the site of
what is now the city of Mexico, though their arrival made but little
stir in the neighborhood. The Chichimecs were troubled by quarrels with
the new kingdom of Atzcapotzalco, but for a century they maintained
their good standing, always advancing in civilization and the arts of
peace, and it was not until 1409 that one of their kings,
Ixtlilxochitl, found these rising neighbors too strong for him. The
Tepanecs and the Aztecs united, and swore together a conspiracy to
overwhelm him. He was assassinated, and his throne was usurped by
Tezozomoc, the king of Atzcapotzalco.
The Chichimecs may be said to come to an end here; for, after the return
of the legitimate line, their realm was called the kingdom of Texcuco,
where their capital was already established. This city was occupied by
the invaders, who made it their principal seat. The usurper at his death
was succeeded upon his stolen throne by his wicked son Maxtla. The
adventures of Nezahualcoyotl, the rightful heir, are told by a native
historian descended in a direct line from the sovereigns of Texcuco,
Ixtlilxochitl, whose writings, though probably not over accurate, are
more tangible evidence than the faint reports of previous legends.
V.
NEZAHUALCOYOTL, THE HUNGRY FOX.
When the city of Texcuco was seized, the young prince Nezahualcoyotl,
the heir to the crown, was but fifteen years old. He fled before the
turbulent crowd of Tepanecs as they rushed into the palace gardens, and
hid himself in the branches of a tree which most luckily happened to
come in his way. From his hiding-place among its thick leaves he saw his
father, Ixtlilxochitl, left alone for the moment, turn and face his
furious enemies. They seized and killed him on the spot, and the
frightened boy saw the bleeding body carried off, a victim, as he well
knew, for future sacrifice. Filled with horror and burning with thoughts
of vengeance, he fled from the spot, seeking safety for the moment, with
the firm resolve of turning later upon the assassins of his father and
the usurpers of his inheritance.
As the country was full of the triumphant army, in a few days the young
prince fell into the hands of his pursuers, who knew too much to leave
him at large. He was seized and imprisoned temporarily, until some
decision should be taken as to his fate. The prison was a strong place
guarded by the same governor who had held it in the previous reign, for
the new government had not yet had time to change such offices. This old
man knew the prince well, and was devoted to his line. He helped him to
escape and took his place in the dungeon cell. It was long enough before
the change was discovered for the prince to be far out of reach of
pursuit. The good old governor lost his head, but Nezahualcoyotl found
shelter in the neighboring province of Tlaxcalla, whose rulers were for
the moment friendly to his family.
This is the place which later offered to Cortés protection and aid in
his enterprise of conquest. Prescott calls it a republic in the midst of
many small monarchies, dwelling apart on a system of government wholly
independent.
Climbing by rail the ascent from Vera Cruz, the modern traveller, after
reaching the barren plateau of the cold region, and crossing a dreary,
dismal country, strikes an insensibly downward grade, which gradually
leads him to the central basin of Mexico. The Malinche presides over the
landscape, an isolated peak, which all the year conceals beds of snow in
the crevices of its summit, though unseen below, rising more than
thirteen thousand feet above the level of the sea. Less majestic than
the two great volcanoes, it yet has wonderful beauty of outline, and
from its solitary position gains importance.
This mountain was long the object of worship for the tribes who lived
around its base, among them the Tlaxcallans, whose home lies to the
northwest of it, in a deep valley surrounded by barren ridges. Their
so-called social organization and mode of government, which have given
their country the name of a kind of Mexican Switzerland, is now thought
to have differed little from those of their neighbors. Their chiefs were
elected from an hereditary house of rulers, and two of them formed the
nominal head of the tribe, while the true power lay in a council. Their
territory consisted of narrow valleys spreading into fertile fields,
where they maintained long their independence, subject to the attacks of
neighboring tribes. Tlaxcalla means "the land of bread." Its rich
products naturally were tempting to the neighboring tribes, whose limits
included land not so good for cultivation. Their next neighbors were the
Cholulans, who dwelt under the great pyramid. The Tlaxcallans had the
reputation of triumphing over their foes in battle, for they were both
bold and strong.
It was with the friendly Tlaxcallans that the wandering prince lived,
unmolested in the companionship of a brave man who followed the fortunes
of his young master. He had been the family preceptor ever since the
birth of the prince. This tutor was wise as well as learned; although he
was strongly prejudiced in favor of the legitimate family and against
the usurpation of the fierce Tepanec, he counselled restraint and
patience, and caused his pupil to lead a quiet life without attracting
attention, while he was giving him lessons in the art of governing and
training in all the qualities good for a monarch to possess.
Meanwhile, the son of the usurper grew up untrained and indulged in the
royal palace, humored but feared by all who surrounded him. Maxtla was
born of a race of no gentle attributes; he cared little for study, and
knew no discipline. He knew the rightful prince, and hated him on
account of his better claim to the throne, while he despised his reserve
and modesty, which he set down to weakness, knowing nothing of the
qualities of self-restraint and reserved force. When Tezozomoc died, he
bequeathed his empire to his son Maxtla. On the accession of the new
sovereign, all the great families hastened to do him homage, and among
them came Nezahualcoyotl, then twenty-three years old, with a present of
flowers, which he laid at the feet of the young king. Maxtla sprang up
and spurned the flowers with his foot, and then turned his back upon the
true prince, who had self-control enough to withdraw quietly, admonished
by signs from all the royal attendants, with whom he was a favorite. He
lost no time in leaving the royal palace, and hastened back to the
deserted one at Texcuco.
But Maxtla could not fail to see that the sympathies even of his own
followers were with his rival, whose manners, indeed, were those to win,
while his own repelled the affection of courtiers and inferiors. He
resolved to do away with him, and formed a plan which failed through the
vigilance of the wily old tutor. When the prince was invited to an
evening entertainment by Maxtla, the tutor was sure that more was meant
than a friendly attention. He could not permit his pupil to go, but
accepted the invitation for him, and sent in his stead a young man he
had at hand who singularly resembled Nezahualcoyotl. This youth,
perhaps, was pleased to attend a royal feast, dressed in the rich robes
which the son of a king, even if lacking a throne, might wear; but there
must have been a moment, just as he felt the deadly _iztli_ weapon at
his throat, when he perceived the game was not worth the candle; for the
guest was assassinated as he came to the table, before the substitution
could be perceived; and thus the true prince escaped. His descendant,
who tells us the story, does not let us know whether Nezahualcoyotl was
a party to the deception. We will leave the blame on the shoulders of
the wily old tutor, in order to preserve the honor of our hero
unsullied.
When Maxtla found that his rival was not dead, like a prince in a fairy
tale, he gave up secret plots, and boldly sent a band of armed soldiers
to the old palace at Texcuco, to seize the young man whose popularity he
feared. The tutor, always on the watch, arranged everything as usual,
and when the emissaries of Maxtla arrived, they found the prince playing
ball in the court of the palace. He received them courteously, as if he
thought they came on a friendly visit, and invited them to come in,
while he stepped into a room which opened on the court, as if to give
orders for refreshments for them. They seemed to be seeing him all the
time, but, by the directions of the old tutor, a censer which stood in
the passage was so fed and stirred by the servants that it threw up
clouds of incense between the guests and their host, between which
Nezahualcoyotl disappeared into a secret passage which communicated with
a great pipe made of pottery, formerly used to carry water into the
palace. He stayed there till after dark, when he could escape without
being seen, and found safety in a cottage belonging to an old subject
loyal to his father's name. A price was set upon his head, and a reward
offered to him who should take him dead or alive, in the shape of a
marriage with some lady of birth and broad possessions. This bride never
came to her wedding, for the prince was not found. Too many faithful
vassals watched over him, in spite of the temptation of such a brilliant
match; they hid him under heaps of magueys, and furnished him with every
means of escape. They turned their heads away when they saw him pass,
lest they should be forced to betray the knowledge; they put food for
him in places where he might steal forth and find it. They hid him once
in a large thing like a drum, around which they were dancing as if to
amuse themselves. In fact, no one would give him up; the whole
population connived to protect him and hide him from his half-hearted
pursuers, forced to the task by their sovereign. It was a poor sort of
life he led, and his own sufferings were increased by his tender heart
for the difficulties these caused his loyal protectors.
Most of the chiefs of the regions round about were, from policy, allied
to the usurper, but the dethroned prince had friends, and the party on
his side grew large as the tyranny of Maxtla and his oppressions caused
defections among his followers. When the time came for a general rising,
Nezahualcoyotl found himself at the head of a courageous band which
gained in size and strength, until it seemed safe to attack the regular
forces of Maxtla. In the battle which took place the tyrant was routed,
and the true prince triumphant. As soon as this was known all the chiefs
flocked to do him homage, and he entered his capital in triumph,
crossing to the sound of military music the spot where he had passed an
evening under a drum, and entering by the royal gates the palace he had
left through a water-pipe. Horses were not known in Anahuac until after
the advent of the Conquistadores. The young victor was borne in a sort
of palanquin by four of the chief nobles of the kingdom.
Thus did Nezahualcoyotl return to the throne of his fathers. The
Mexicans, who had helped his former enemies to overthrow the rule of his
father, now joined forces with him, abandoning without hesitation
Maxtla, whose oppression and exaction made him an uncomfortable ally. A
league of the other neighboring tribes, combining with the Mexicans,
under the lead of the true prince of Texcuco, utterly routed the forces
of Maxtla, and this tyrant who himself assassinated the father was slain
by the hand of the son.
Maxtla was killed in 1428. The usurpation of the throne of the
Chichimecs by Tezozomoc first, and afterwards by Maxtla, his son, had
lasted ten years. By this event the kingdom of Atzcapotzalco came to an
end, having lasted not more than two hundred and sixty years.
The kingdom which Nezahualcoyotl regained from the usurpers, whose kings
traced their lineage back to the Chichimec Xolotl (Eye of great
Vigilance), now became the kingdom of Texcuco Aculhuacan, by which it
was known when Cortés, with his conquering legions, appeared on the
plains of Anahuac.
VI.
TEXCUCO.
Now followed the Golden Age of Texcuco. The Fox, no longer hungry nor
hunted, proved himself a very Lion, a King of Beasts; he ruled his
kingdom with wisdom, as he had fought with bravery, and endured
adversity with patience.
On coming to the throne, he proclaimed a general amnesty, pardoned the
rebels, and even gave some of them posts of honor. He repaired the ruin
wrought by the usurper, and revived what was worth revival in the old
form of government. He made a code of laws well suited to the demands of
his time, which was written in blood. It was accepted by the two other
powers with whom he now entered into alliances, Mexico and Tlacopan. His
adjustment of the different departments of government was remarkable for
the time, or indeed for any time, providing councils for every
emergency; of these the most peculiar was the Council of Music, devoted
to the interests of all arts and science. Its members were selected from
the best instructed persons of the kingdom, without much reference to
their ranks. They had the supervision of all works of art, all writings,
pictorial or hieroglyphic, and had an eye on all professors to keep
them up to their work. This Council of Music had sessions when it
listened to poems and historical compositions recited by their authors,
who received prizes according to the merit of their work.
The literary men of Texcuco became celebrated throughout the country,
and its archives were preserved with the greatest care in the palace.
These records, which would have told us all we want to know of the early
story of the people of Anahuac, were, for the most part, inscribed upon
a fine fabric, made of the leaves of the American aloe, the maguey which
also gave them their favorite beverage. The sheets made from it were
something like the Egyptian papyrus, and furnished a smooth surface like
parchment, upon which the picture-writings were laid in the most
brilliant tints. These manuscripts were done up in rolls sometimes, but
were often folded like a screen, and enclosed in wooden covers, not very
unlike our books. Quantities of such manuscripts were stored up in the
country, not only by the Texcucans, but by all the inhabitants of the
different kingdoms. Probably no race has made better provision for
handing down its traditions and history than these people who wandered
from the mysterious North. All this is lost to us by the infatuation of
the Spanish Conquistadores, as we shall see later on.
As if barbarians, ignorant of types and bindings, should descend upon
the British Museum or Bibliotèque Nationale, and, perceiving therein
countless parallelograms of calf containing wicked little dots upon
countless white leaves, should order them to be destroyed, as
foolishness or blasphemy. So the first priests of the Christian religion
arriving in New Spain destroyed these playthings of the idolaters, which
they conceived to be probably precious, but at all events useless.