A Prince of Anahuac: A Histori-traditional Story Antedating the Aztec Empire
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CHAPTER XXXV.
The object of the coalition against Maxtla having been achieved, andTezcuco once more in position to defend herself, the league wasdissolved. The foreign armies quietly withdrew from the city, andreturned to their respective capitals--the hunter-guard having earlygone back to their mountain homes.
The parting between the old warrior chieftain, Ix, and his friendTezcot, was expressive of a deep and lasting regard. The latterpromised, at leaving--to please his hermit friend--that, providing hisaffairs at home would admit of it, he would return to witness theprince's coronation, which event was then paramount to everything elsein the minds of the disenthralled and happy people, who were bent onmaking it a memorable occasion--a day on which not only the crowning oftheir new king should take place, but a grand celebration, also, inhonor of Tezcuco's independence and their liberation from an enforcedvassalage.
It was customary, when an event not down on their calendar was to beobserved, to select one of their festal days on which to celebrate it,of which they had a great number, every deity having one especially setapart for its service. One of the most prominent on their calendar was,accordingly, chosen for the occasion--prominent because of the latitudewhich would be afforded the priesthood, in it, to exercise its peculiarfunctions, not omitting the revolting ceremony of human sacrifice, inwhich its members seemed to delight. Not since the subversion of theirgovernment had a festival so impressive in character been celebrated inTezcuco, and the priests, awake to the importance of an occasion whichwould restore to them privileges so long withheld, were active in itspromotion, and a great number of victims--chiefly prisoners ofwar--were selected for sacrifice.
Hualcoyotl was greatly averse to the shocking scenes of blood andagony, which always attended the sacrificial ceremony, but had nopower--not even as a king--to stop it, for the authority of thepriesthood in such matters was supreme.
We have it from fairly reliable sources--mostly traditional, to besure, yet worthy of credence--that he made it an especial effort of hislong and prosperous reign to have the inhuman practice abolished, andbring his people to worship according to the belief which he had earlyconceived to be the correct one--which, in the light of hissurroundings, was truly remarkable. He believed in "One unseen Cause ofCauses"--"One all-powerful God"--a unity, to whom appeals should bemade direct. In this particular he showed a high order of intelligence,for it is an established opinion, if not a fact, that the simplicity ofthe idea of one God, who has no need of inferior representatives toexecute his will, is too vast for the conception of narrowedunderstandings, and, as a consequence, resort to a multiplicity ofdeities follows.
The great Tezcucan was only partially successful in his efforts,because of the vitiating influence of his Aztec neighbors, who exceededall the other races of Anahuac in barbaric practices, between whom andhis people there existed the closest political relations, almost fromthe day of his coronation up to the time of the conquest.
The prince's failure to establish his belief in "One SupremeIntelligence" did not abate in the least his personal convictions onthe subject, but as the years went by he became more firmly fixed inhis faith, which, if not a Christian faith, was so near to it that thedifference could only be found in the fact that he was a barbarian,having no knowledge of the Christ; and, yet, who shall say, when waysand means for the acquiring of religious knowledge are considered, thatHualcoyotl's religion was not as acceptable to "Him by whom we live" aswas that of the shepherd king?
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Itlza and her mother were in due time transferred to the Tezcucanpalace, and no royal host was ever more considerate of the wants andcomforts of his guests than was he of their's. The mother was elated toa degree which almost made her forget her affliction. In the transferthe first step leading to high honors for her daughter was taken, asufficient cause for the excitement of a more enlightened intelligencethan her's. Itlza, on the other hand, between love for Cacami andsorrow for her lost brother, took no account of the significance whichwas to be attached to the transfer of her residence from Zelmonco toTezcuco, and entered upon the change with no suspicion of what itportended.
The prince, in making his proposal to Teochma that she and Itlza shouldtake up their residence in the palace, had put it as near in the formof a command as he could without making it direct. He pressed it uponher as an honor which should not be treated lightly, and beingambitious of her child's advancement she readily complied. As anobedient daughter, who really had no choice in the matter, Itlzaacquiesced, and, amid the bustle and confusion with which the city andpalace were filled, found the change from quiet Zelmonco veryagreeable.
The prince took advantage of the first opportunity offered, after thetransfer was made, to have a talk with Teochma regarding Itlza, and hisintentions with reference to her. She gave him to understand that hiswill was her pleasure, but did not deem it politic to make any show ofthe satisfaction she experienced at having her divinations verified. Hedirected that the matter should remain a secret between them for thepresent, as he desired, before revealing to Itlza his purposes, toestablish himself in her favor. Thus the matter was left to rest, theprince, the while, using every possible means at his command to gainthe affections of his intended queen. Itlza treated him most kindly,accepting his attentions as a matter of course, which encouraged him topersevere.
While seated with Teochma in his family apartments one day, talking ina confidential way, Hualcoyotl was informed by his personal attendantthat a strange messenger awaited his pleasure.
"You will ascertain if his business is of a private nature, Oza, andreport to me at once," he said, and then turned to resume hisconversation with Teochma.
Notwithstanding Oza was a free man, the prince having made good hispromise that he should have his freedom, he was still in the latter'sservice. Their experience together on the mountains had given rise to awarm, mutual attachment between the master and his servant, whichresulted in Oza's retention as a special and favored attendant.
The faithful servitor withdrew, and in a few minutes returned, bearinga written message, which he placed in the prince's hand. The latter,after dismissing his man with the injunction to remain near by,proceeded to peruse the writing. On glancing over it he suddenly turnedto Teochma, his face beaming with an expression of joyful surprise, andexclaimed:
"Rejoice, O mother of Euetzin, your son lives, and is among friends!"
Teochma was dazed and speechless for a moment, from the sudden andunexpected announcement. Recovering herself, she, in turn, exclaimed:
"My son, my Euet alive, and among friends! O Prince, do not unsaythat!"
"I shall not unsay it, Teochma; for it is Itzalmo who writes--Itzalmo,Teochma, who is truth itself," returned he, with a glad emphasis.
"Itzalmo, Prince; is he, too, alive and with my son?"
"Yes, he is with the tzin, but does not explain. It is enough to know,O Teochma, that they are not prisoners. Now, indeed, may we rejoice!"returned the now joyful prince.
The communication was the one sent by the old preceptor, to whichallusion was made in the last chapter.
The good news quickly spread, and the cloud of sorrow which had hunglike a pall over the friends of the tzin and the old tutor was lifted,and general rejoicing succeeded.
Hualcoyotl immediately sent a summons to Cacami, who was at his home inthe country, to come to him at once. The young warrior came promptly,in obedience to the summons, and was not less joyful than the prince atthe surprising intelligence. He was ordered to take a sufficient numberof men and go to the little town for the purpose of bringing thewounded tzin and his aged companion to the city. The duty, under thecircumstances, was a most agreeable one to Cacami, who stood not uponthe order of his going, but set off at once to perform it.
From a house of sorrow and mourning the palace was changed to one ofjoy and gladness by the joyful news. Its halls and corridors rang withthe music of happy voices, impressing the royal household as th
einhabitant of the winter frozen north is impressed by the glad notes ofspring, heard in the songs of the returning forest minstrels, after along and dreary season of storm and cold--incomparable waking ofecstatic emotions.