The Romantic Story Of The Prince Of Tezcuco


About a hundred years before the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, there

reigned over the kingdom of Tezcuco, in the valley of Mexico, a monarch

whose history is as interesting and romantic as any that can be found in

the annals of Europe. His story was preserved by his descendants, and its

principal events are as follows:






FLOATING GARDENS ON THE CHENAMPAS.


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The city of Tezcuco, the capital of the Acolhuans, stood on the eastern

borders of the lake on whose opposite side was Mexico, the Aztec capital.

About the year 1418 the Acolhuans were attacked by a kindred race, the

Tepanecs, who, after a desperate struggle, captured their city, killed

their monarch, and subjugated their kingdom. The heir to the crown, the

young Prince Nezahualcoyotl, concealed himself in the foliage of a tree

when the triumphant foe broke into the palace, and from his hiding-place

saw his father killed before his eyes. This was the opening event in a

history as full of deeds of daring and perilous escapes as that of the

"Young Chevalier of English history."



The young prince did not long remain at liberty. Soon after his flight

from the city he fell into the hands of his foes, and was brought back and

thrown into a dungeon. This led to the first romantic incident in his

career. The governor of the fortress prison was an old servant of the

royal family of Tezcuco, and aided the little captive to escape in

disguise, taking his place in the dungeon. He paid for his loyalty with

his life, but he willingly gave it in exchange for the liberty of the heir

to the throne.



The royal boy had friends in the Mexican capital. He was, in fact, closely

related to the Aztec monarch, and through his good offices he was at

length permitted to reside in that city. Afterwards he was allowed to

return to Tezcuco, where for eight years he dwelt in privacy, studying

under the teachers of his early youth, and unheeded by the party in power.

Thus the boy grew to manhood, cherishing in his soul ardent hopes of

regaining the throne of his ancestors.



A change came when the Tepanec conqueror died and his son, Maxtla,

succeeded to the throne. The new king was of a suspicious disposition, and

when Nezahualcoyotl sought his capital to render him homage on his

accession, Maxtla treated with disdain the little gift of flowers which

the young prince laid at his feet, and turned his back on him in the

presence of his chieftains. Evidently the palace was no place of safety

for the Tezcucan prince, and, warned by a friend among the courtiers, he

hastened to withdraw from the court and seek a refuge in his native city

of Tezcuco. Here the tyrant dared not proceed openly against him. His

popular manners had won him many friends, and the ancient subjects of his

family looked upon him as a coming leader who might win back for them

their lost liberty. The prince had given evidence of the possession of

talent and energy, and Maxtla, fearful of his growing popularity, resolved

to make away with him by stratagem. He accordingly invited him to an

evening's entertainment, where he had assassins ready to murder him.

Fortunately, the tutor of the prince suspected the plot, and contrived to

replace the youth by a person who strongly resembled him, and who became

the victim of the fate intended for him.



Maxtla, baffled in his murderous stratagem, now resolved to kill him

openly, and sent a party of soldiers to the city, who were instructed to

enter the palace, seize the prince, and slay him on the spot. Again the

watchfulness of his old teacher saved him. Warned of his danger, and

advised to flee, the prince refused to do so, but boldly awaited the

assassins.



When they reached the palace in which he resided, they found him playing

at ball in the court-yard. He received them courteously, showing no

suspicion of their errand, and invited them in to take some refreshment

after their journey. While they were thus engaged, he strolled carelessly

into an adjoining saloon; but the doors being open and the soldiers able

to see through both apartments, his movements gave them no concern. It was

the custom, however, when any one entered the presence of a great lord,

for the servants to throw aromatics into a burning censer. This the

prince's attendants did, and such clouds of incense arose as to hide him

from the unsuspecting soldiers. Thus obscured, he entered a secret passage

which led to a large earthen pipe, formerly employed to bring water to the

palace. In this he concealed himself until nightfall, and then made his

way into the suburbs, where he found shelter in the house of one of his

father's former vassals.



Maxtla, enraged to find that his proposed victim had twice escaped him,

grew more determined on his death, and ordered immediate and thorough

pursuit, promising to reward whoever should take him, dead or alive, with

the hand of a noble lady and an ample domain. Troops of armed men scoured

the country in every direction, searching all suspected places, and some

of them entered the cottage in which he had taken refuge. Here there was a

heap of the maguey fibres used in the manufacture of cloth, and hid

beneath this the fugitive escaped capture. But the chase soon grew so hot

that he left this place for the wooded hill country between his state and

the neighboring one of Tlascala, hoping to find safety in its thickets and

caverns.



The royal fugitive now led a wretched life, wandering from place to place,

exposed to all the inclemencies of the weather, remaining concealed by

day, and stealing out at night in search of food. His pursuers, eager to

win the enticing reward, kept up an active search, more than once coming

dangerously near to his retreat.



Very interesting stories are told of his adventures in this period of

peril. The high rewards offered did not suffice to wean from him the

attachment of the people, and more than once he owed his safety to their

loyalty. Some of them submitted to torture, and even to loss of life,

rather than betray his place of retreat to his enemies. Even many of the

soldiers were his friends, and once, when hotly pursued, he took refuge

among a small party of these, who were dancing around a large drum. To

conceal him from his enemies they placed him in the drum and continued

their dance around it.



At another time the pursuers were so close to him that he just succeeded

in turning the crest of a hill when they began to climb it on the other

side. Here he fortunately found a girl who was reaping chia, a plant

whose seeds were used in making palatable drinks. Telling her who he was

and of his great danger, he got her to cover him up with a heap of the

plants she had cut, and when the pursuers came up and asked if she had

seen him, the faithful girl coolly replied that she had, and pointed out a

path which she said he had taken.



None of the natives showed any inclination to betray him, despite the

richness of the promised rewards.



"Would you not deliver up the prince if he came in your way?" he asked of

a peasant who did not recognize him.



"Not I," was the reply.



"What! not for a fair lady's hand, and a rich domain as dowry?"



The peasant shook his head decisively and laughed in disdain.



But, in spite of the loyalty of the people, the prince was in constant

danger, and his situation, in the rough fastnesses of the hills and

forests, became very distressing.



"Leave me," he said to the faithful few who kept with him in his

wanderings and shared his sufferings. "Leave me to my fate. Why should you

throw away your lives for one whom fortune steadily persecutes?"



But they clung to his fortunes still, despite their danger and the fact

that most of the great nobles of the land had sought safety and reward by

an adhesion to the usurper.



Meanwhile, events were working in favor of the fugitive. Maxtla had shown

himself an oppressor, and his ambition and military successes had caused

much alarm in the surrounding states, where his tyranny was contrasted

with the mild rule of the former monarchs of Tezcuco. The friends of the

young prince took advantage of this feeling, and succeeded in forming a

coalition against his enemy. A day was fixed for a general rising, and on

the date appointed Nezahualcoyotl found himself at the head of an army

strong enough to face that of Maxtla and the Tepanecs.



The two armies soon met and victory rested on the banner of the young

prince, the forces of Maxtla being badly beaten. No longer a hunted

fugitive, but at the head of a victorious army, he marched in triumph to

the capital which he had left with a price on his head, his joyful

subjects crowding to the route of march to render homage to their rightful

sovereign. The Mexicans, who were angry at the tyrannic conduct of Maxtla,

readily allied themselves with the young victor, and a series of bloody

battles followed, the usurper being at length defeated under the walls of

his own capital. He was dragged from the baths, to which he had fled for

concealment, and sacrificed to the cruel gods of the Aztecs; his royal

city was razed to the ground, and its site was reserved as the great

slave-market of the surrounding nations.



Thus it was that Nezahualcoyotl came to the throne of his ancestors, where

he was to prove himself the greatest monarch of whom we have any record in

the American annals. The story of his reign is far too full of detail for

the space we can give to it, but is of such interest that we may venture

on a concise account of it, as an example of the career of the most

illustrious of the ancient American sovereigns.



The first thing the new monarch did was to proclaim a general amnesty. He

not only pardoned the rebel nobles, but raised some of them to posts of

honor and confidence. This was not only politic but just, since their

offences were mainly due to fear of the usurper. Under the circumstances

he could safely treat them with magnanimity.



He next remodelled the government of the kingdom, and framed a code of

laws which seemed so wise that it was adopted by his allies, the Aztecs

and Tlacopans. Councils of war, of finance, and of justice were

established, and also a council of state, whose members acted as the

immediate advisers of the king, and aided him in the despatch of business.

But the most remarkable of these new departments was the "council of

music," which was devoted to the encouragement of science and art, and

served as a general board of education for the country. Historical

compositions and poems were recited before it, and altogether it indicated

a degree of civilization which we would scarcely look for in any part of

ancient America. Its historians, orators, and poets became celebrated

throughout the country, the allied monarchs presided over its

deliberations, and among its chief bards was the king himself, who entered

into impartial competition with his subjects for the prizes given for the

best poems. Many of his odes were long preserved, and may perhaps still

rest in the dusty archives of Mexico or Spain.



The far-seeing monarch did not content himself with writing poetry, or

encouraging historians,--who wrote subject to the penalty that any one who

wilfully lied should be punished with death,--but he sought to develop all

the arts. Agriculture was greatly encouraged, the population rapidly

increased, new towns and cities sprang up, and the borders of the nation

were extended by successful wars. He made his capital the most stately

city of the land. Special edifices were built for his nobles, whom he

wished to reside at the court. There were more than four hundred of these

palatial mansions, but far exceeding them in magnificence was the grand

palace he built for himself. This covered a space of three thousand seven

hundred feet in length and nearly three thousand feet in width. A wall

surrounded it, enclosing an outer court which formed the great

market-place of the city, and an inner one surrounded by the council

chambers and halls of justice. There were apartments for ambassadors from

other states, and a spacious saloon in which the poets and men of science

met to study and converse. Here also were kept the public archives.



The royal apartments adjoined this inner court, and rivalled in beauty

those of Oriental lands. Alabaster or stucco of rich tints covered some of

the walls, while others were hung with tapestries of the gorgeous Indian

feather-work. Long arcades and winding pathways bordered with verdure led

to gardens where were baths and sparkling fountains shadowed by lofty

trees. Fish of various kinds stocked the basins, and in rich aviaries were

birds of glowing tropical plumage. Many birds and animals were reproduced

in gold and silver with wonderful fidelity to nature. In the inner

apartments dwelt the wives and children of the monarch, who were as

numerous as those of an Eastern sultan. Such was the famous palace, in

which were three hundred apartments, some of them fifty yards square. It

is said that two hundred thousand workmen were employed in building it. In

this splendid residence dwelt a monarch who in his youthful days had been

glad to share with wild animals a shelter in the thickets and caverns of

the mountains.



Nezahualcoyotl did not confine his love for magnificence to this palatial

residence. Beautiful villas were built in various picturesque localities

and adorned with all the requisites of pleasure and comfort. His favorite

retreat from the cares of office was built on a rounded hill about six

miles from the city. Here were terraced gardens reached by a stairway of

five hundred and twenty steps, many of them hewn in the native rock. In

the summit garden was a reservoir kept filled with water by an aqueduct

carried on masonry buttresses for several miles over hill and valley. In

its centre was a large rock, on which were carved in hieroglyphics the

principal events of each year of the king's reign.



Lower down were other reservoirs, adorned with statuary, and yielding

water to channels that ran through the gardens or to cascades that tumbled

riotously over the rocks. Here were marble porticoes and pavilions, and

baths cut in the solid rock, which the natives still show to visitors

under the title of the "Baths of Montezuma." Near the base of the hill,

amid lofty groves of cedar, rose the royal villa, with its light arcades

and airy halls, affording a delightful relief to the monarch from the

duties of the court. Relics of this villa and garden still remain to

attest their former beauty, and indicate that this Indian king lived in a

magnificence resembling that of the far-famed court of the caliph

Haroun-al-Raschid.



He was like the celebrated caliph of the "Arabian Nights" in another way,

for it was his custom to wander about the streets, conversing with the

humblest of his people and learning their condition and needs from their

own words. Many anecdotes are told of this kind, in which it was his

delight to reward merit and relieve distress. Some of these may be read

with interest.



On one occasion he met a boy who was gathering sticks in a field for fuel,

and asked him why he did not go into the neighboring forest, where he

would find plenty of them.



"I dare not do that," said the boy. "It's the king's wood, and he would

punish me with death if I took sticks from there."



"What kind of man is your king?"



"He is a very hard man," answered the boy, "for he takes from his people

what God has given them."



The boy was right; the forest laws in Tezcuco were as severe as those of

Norman England. The king advised the boy not to heed such cruel laws but

to help himself in the forest, for there was no one who would betray him.

But the lad sturdily refused, and told his tempter that he was a traitor

who wished to bring him into trouble.



The next day the boy and his parents were sent for to come to the palace.

They obeyed with wonder and dread, and the boy was filled with terror on

seeing the king and recognizing him as the man with whom he had talked so

freely. But the good-natured monarch bade him not to fear, and thanked him

for the lesson he had given his king, praising his respect for the laws

and commending his parents for bringing up their son so wisely. He

dismissed them with liberal presents, and afterwards gave orders that any

one might gather fallen wood in the forest, if they did not interfere with

the standing timber.



Another adventure was with a poor woodman and his wife. The man, as he

stood in the marketplace with his little store, complained bitterly of his

lot, as compared with that of those who lived idly amid luxuries in the

palace. The wife bade him be careful, as he might be overheard in his

complaints. The king, looking down on the market from a latticed window,

and amusing himself with the chatter of the market people, heard the words

of the couple, and ordered them to be brought into his presence.



He asked the frightened pair what they had said, and was pleased to find

that they answered him truly. Then he bade them reflect that if he had

great wealth, he had great demands upon it; that he who had a nation to

govern could not lead an idle life; and told them "to be more cautious in

future, as walls had ears." He then dismissed them, after giving them a

quantity of cloth and a good supply of cacao,--the coin of the country.

"Go," he said; "with the little you now have, you will be rich; while,

with all my riches, I shall still be poor."



Of all the stories told of this famous monarch, there is only one not to

his credit, and of this we may speak in passing, as it bears a remarkable

resemblance to that told in the Bible of David and Uriah. He fell in love

with a beautiful maiden, who was betrothed to an old lord of his kingdom,

and to obtain her hand he bade the old man take command of a warlike

expedition against the Tlascalans. Two chiefs were bidden to keep near him

and bring him into the thick of the fight, that he might lose his life,

which the king said he had forfeited by a great crime. The old man

suspected what was meant, and said so in a farewell entertainment to his

friends. He was correct in his prophecy; like Uriah, he soon fell in

battle, and the royal lover's path was clear.



The king now secretly offered his hand and heart to the maiden, who was by

no means inconsolable for the loss of her old lover, and willingly

accepted. To prevent any suspicion of what he had done, he had the maiden

brought to his villa to witness some ceremony there. Standing on a balcony

of the palace, the king pretended to be struck with her beauty, and asked,

"Who is the lovely young woman, yonder in the garden?" Some of those

present soon learned her name and rank, which was that of a princess of

the royal house of Mexico. She was asked to enter the palace and receive

the attention due to her station, and the king was not long in publicly

declaring his love. The marriage soon after took place, in the presence of

his brother monarchs of Mexico and Tlacopan, and with great pomp and

ceremony.



Such was the one blot in the history of this famous monarch. Aside from

this act of treachery, it is remarkable to find so great and high-minded a

monarch in the early annals of the nations of Mexico, and one whose

history is so full of romantic adventure.



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