game, and Montezuma disconsolate at the loss and the confirmation of so fatal a prognostic: he was willing, however, to try other methods, hoping to find some more favourable interpretation which might counterbalance that of the king of Acolhuacan, and the disgrace he had suffered at play : he consulted therefore a very famous astrologer who was much versed in the art of divination, by which he had rendered his name so celebrated in that land, and acquired so great a respect, that without ever stirring abroad from his house he was considered and consulted by the kings themselves as an oracle. He knowing, without doubt, what had happened between the two kings, instead of returning a propitious answer to his sovereign, or at least one which was equivocal, as such prognosticators generally do, confirmed the fatal prophecy of the Tezcucan. Montezuma was so enraged at the answer. that in return he made his house be pulled to pieces, leaving the unhappy diviner buried amidst the ruins of his sanctuary.

These and other similar presages of the fall of that empire appear represented in the paintings of the Americans, and are related in the histories of the Spaniards. We are far from thinking that all which has been written on this subject is deserving of credit; but neither can we doubt of the tradition which prevailed among the Americans, that a new people totally different from the native inhabitants, were to arrive at that kingdom and make themselves masters of that country. There has not been in the country of Anahuac any nation more or less polished which has not confirmed this tradition either by verbal testimony or their own histories.

It is impossible to guess at the origin of a tradition so universal as this; but the event which I am going to relate, is said to have been public, and to have made a considerable noise; to have happened also in the presence of the two kings and the Mexican nobility. It is represented in some of the paintings of those nations, and a legal attestation of it even was sent to the court of Madrid.* Though in compliance with the duty of a historian, we give a place to many of the memorable traditions of those nations; on these, however, we leave our readers to form their own judgment and comments.

Papantzin, a Mexican princess, and sister of Montezuma, was married to the governor of Tlatelolco, and after his death lived in his palace until the year 1509, when she likewise died of old Her funeral was celebrated with magnificence suitable to her exalted birth, the king her brother, and all the nobility o. Mexico and Tlatelolco being present. Her body was buried

age.

*See Torquemada, lib. ii. cap. 91, and Betencourt, Part iii. Trat. i. cap. 8.

in a subterraneous cavern, in the garden of the same palace, near to a fountain where she had used to bathe, and the mouth of the cave was shut with a stone. The day following, a child of five or six years of age happened to pass from her mother's apartment to that of the major-domo of the deceased princess, which was on the other side of the garden; and in passing saw the princess sitting upon the steps of the fountain, and heard herself called by her, by the word Cocoton,† which is a word of tenderness used to children The little child not being capable, on account of its age, of reflecting on the death of the princess, and thinking that she was going to bathe as usual, approached without fear, upon which she sent the child to call the wife of her major-domo; the child went to call her, but the woman smiling and caressing her, told her, "My little girl, "Papantzin is dead, and was buried yesterday;" but as the child insisted, and pulled her by her gown, she, more to please, than from belief of what was told her, followed her ; but hardly come in sight of the princess, when she was seized with such borror that she fell fainting to the earth. The little girl ran to acquaint her mother, who, with two other companions came out to give assistance; but on seeing the princess they were so affected with fear that they would have swooned away if the princess herself had not endeavoured to comfort them, assuring them she was still alive. She made them call her major-domo, and charged him to go and bear the news to the king her brother; but he durst not undertake it, as he dreaded that the king would consider the account as a fable, and would punish him with his usual severity for being a liar, without examining into the matter. Go then to Tezcuco, said the princess, and intreat the king Nezahualpilli, in my name, to come here and see me. The major-domo obeyed, and the king having received the information, set out immediately for Tlatelolco. When he arrived there, the princess was in a chamber of the palace; though full of astonishment, the king saluted her, when she requested him to go to Mexico, to tell the king her brother that she was alive, and had occasion to see him, to communicate some things to h m of the utmost importance. The king set out for Mexico to execute her commission; but Montezuma would hardly give credit to what was told him. However, that he might not do injustice to so respectable an ambassador, he went along with him, and many of the Mexican nobility to Tlatelolco, and having entered the hall where the princess was, he demanded of her if she was his sister. "I am, indeed, sir," answered the princess," your sister Papantzin, whom you + Cocoton means little girl, only that it is an expression of more tenderness,

"buried yesterday; I am truly alive, and wish to relate to you "what I have seen, as it deeply concerns you." Upon this the two kings sat down, while all the other nobles continued standing full of admiration at what they saw.

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The princess then began to speak as follows: " After I was "dead, or if you will not believe that I have been dead, after "I remained bereft of motion and of sense, I found myself sud"denly placed upon an extensive plain, to which there appeared 66 no boundaries. In the middle of it I observed a road which "I afterwards saw was divided into a variety of paths, and on one side ran a great river whose waters made a frightful noise. "As I was going to throw myself into the river to swim to the "opposite bank, I saw before me a beautiful youth of handsome "stature, clothed in a long habit, white as snow, and dazzling "like the sun; he had wings of beautiful feathers, and upon "his forehead, this mark," (in saying this the princess made the sign of the cross with her two fore fingers, " and laying hold of my hand, said to me, Stop, for it is not yet time to pass this 66 river. God loves thee, though thou knowest it not.

He then "led me along by the river-side, upon the borders of which I 66 saw a great number of human skulls and bones, and heard "most lamentable groans that waked my utmost pity. Turning

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my eyes afterwards upon the river, I saw some large vessels "upon it filled with men of a complexion and dress quite dif"ferent from ours. They were fair and bearded, and carried "standards in their hands, and helmets on their heads. The "youth then said to me, It is the will of God that thou shalt live "to be a witness of the revolutions which are to happen to these kingdoms. The groans which thou hast heard among these "bones, are from the souls of your ancestors, which are ever and "will be tormented for their crimes. The men whom you see "coming in these ressels, are those who by their arms will make "themselves masters of all these kingdoms, and with them will be "introduced the knowledge of the true God, the creator of heaven "and earth. As soon as the war shall be at an end, and the bath "published and made known which will wash away sin, be thou "the first to receive it, and guide by thy example the natives of "thy country. Having spoke this the youth disappeared, and "I found myself recalled to be; I rose from the place where "I lay, raised up the stone of my sepulchre, and came out to "the garden where I was found by my domestics."

Montezuma was struck with astonishment at the recital of so strange an adventure, and feeling his mind distracted with a variety of apprehensions, rose and retired to one of his palaces which was destined for occasions of grief, without taking leave of his sister, the king of Tacuba or any one of those who ac

companied him, although some of his flatterers, in order to console him, endeavoured to persuade him that the illness which the princess had suffered, had turned her brain. He avoided for ever after returning to see her, that he might not again hear the melancholy presages of the ruin of his empire. The princess, it is said, lived many years in great retirement and abstinence. She was the first who, in the year 1524, received the sacred baptism in Tlatelolco, and was called from that time, Donna Maria Papantzin.

Among the memorable events, in 1510, there happened without any apparent cause, a sudden and furious burning of the turrets of the greater temple of Mexico, in a calm, serene night; and in the succeeding year, so violent and extraordinary an agitation of the waters of the lake, that many houses of the city were destroyed, there being at the same time no wind, earthquake, nor any other natural cause to which the accident could be ascribed. It is said also, that in 1511, the figures of armed men appeared in the air, who fought and slew each other. These and other similar phenomena, recounted by Acosta, Torquemada and others, are found very exactly described in the Mexican and Acolhuan histories.

That God in his providence, has, in former ages, afforded to the nations of the earth at various periods, as it pleased him, supernatural tokens or presages of future events, disastrous to the affairs of men, is evident. To believe this, requires no superstitious stretch of credulity, since history of the best authority, abundantly testify the facts. But to disbelieve it, requires a stretch of scepticism, bordering hard upon infidelity. There are many persons, who, notwithstanding their belief in supernatural existences, yet are slow to subscribe to the idea of supernatural communications to men. Let such remember, that God is an omniscient spirit, and also controls all the beings of the natural and supernatural state. And that it is perfectly consistent with his general providence, goodness, and power, to give to poor grovelling man, frequent tokens of his presence, as well to his mind, as sight and hearing. For further communications upon this subject, see pages 38. 46. 384. 546, 547, and 572, of this work.

A remarkable dream, its interpretation and fulfilment taken from the journal of Tho. Chalkley an eminent quaker minister, a native of London, but spent the greater part of his life in America who relates the following as being an eye witness of the fact, I give the account verbatim.

This great and good man being on his homeward bound passage from America to England, relates the following of the

physician of the ship, and says he dreamed while sleeping, himself relating it to me. He thought that he went on shore at a great and spacious town, the buildings whereof were high, and the streets broad; and as he went up the street he saw a large sign, on which was written in great golden letters, SHAME. At the door of the house, to which the sign belonged, stood a woman with a Can in her hand, who said unto him, Doctor, will you drink?' He replied, With all my heart; I have aot drunk any thing but water a great while;' (our wine and cider were all spent, as we had had a long passage,) and he drank a harty draught, which he said made him merry: so he went up the street reeling to and fro, when a grim fellow coming behind him, clapped him on the shoulder, and said, that he arrested him i the name of the Governor of the place. He asked him for what? and said, 'What have I done?' He answered, 'For stealing the woman's Can:' the Can he had ind ed, and so he was taken before the Governor, which was a mighty black dog, the biggest and grimest that he had ever seen in his life; and evidence was brought against him by an old companion of his, and he was found guilty; and his sentence was to go to prison, and there to lie for ever. He told me this dream so punctually, and with such an emphasis, that it affected me with serious sadness and caused my heart to move within me, for to me the dream seemed true, and the interpretation sure. I then told him he was an ingenious man, and might clearly see the interpretation of that dream, which exactly answered to his state and condition: And I thus interpreted it to him :-This great and spacious place, whereof the buildings were high, and the streets broad, is thy great and high profession: the sign, on which was written SHAME, and the woman at the door, with the Can in her hand, truly represent that great, crying, and shameful sin of drunkenness, which thou knowest to be thy great weakness: the grim fellow which arrested thee, in the devil's territories is Death, who will assuredly arrest all mortals: the Governor which thou sawest under the form of a great black dog, is certainly the Devil, who, after his servants have served him to the utmost, will torment them eternally in hell! So he got up, as it were, in haste, and said, God forbid! It is nothing but a dream.' But I told him it was a very significant one, and a warning to him from the Almighty, who sometimes speaks to men in dreams."

But three days only were elapsed before we meeting with a Dutch vessel in Lime bay, hailed her and she us. They said, they came from Lisbon and were bound for Holland. She was loaded with wine, brandy, fruit, and such like commodities; and we, therefore, having little but water to drink, (because our pas sage had been longer than we expected) sent our boat to them,