The general love, the general voice, have marked
Yubidthiton for King. Bare-headed, bare
Of foot, of limb, scarfed only round the loins,
The Chieftain to Mexitli's temple moved,
And knelt before the God. Tezozomoc
King over Aztlan there anointed him,
And over him, from hallowed cedar branch,
Sprinkled the holy water. Then the Priest
In a black garment robed him, figured white
With skulls and bones, a garb to emblem war,
Slaughter, and ruin, his imperial tasks.
Next in his hand the Priest a censer placed;
And while he knelt, directing to the God
The steaming incense, thus addressed the King:
Chosen by the people, by the Gods approved,
Swear to protect thy subjects, to maintain
The worship of thy fathers, to observe
Their laws, to make the Sun pursue his course,
The clouds descend in rain, the rivers hold
Their wonted channels, and the fruits of earth
To ripen in their season: Swear, O King!
And prosper, as thou holdëst good thine oath.
He raised his voice, and swore. Then on his brow
Tezozomoc the crown of Aztlan placed; And in the robe of emblemed royalty, Preceded by the golden wands of state, Yuhidthiton went forth, anointed King.
The Death of Coatel.
WHEN now the multitude beheld their King,
In gratulations of reiterate joy
They shout his name, and bid him lead them on
To vengeance. But to answer that appeal,
Tezozomoc advanced... Oh! go not forth,
Cried the Chief Paba, till the land be purged
From her offence! No God will lead ye on,
While there is guilt in Aztlan. Let the Priests
Who from the ruined city have escaped,
And all who in her temples have performed
The ennobling service of her injured Gods,
Gather together now.
He spake; the train Assembled, priests and matrons, youths and maids. Servants of Heaven! aloud the Arch-Priest began, The Gods had favoured Aztlan ; bound for death
The White King lay: our countrymen were strong
In battle, and the conquest had been ours,.
I speak not from myself, but as the Powers,
Whose voice on earth I am, impel the truth, ..
The conquest had been ours; but treason lurked
In Aztlan, treason and foul sacrilege;
And therefore were her children in the hour
Of need abandoned; therefore were her youth
Cut down, her altars therefore overthrown.
The White King, whom ye saw upon the Stone
Of Sacrifice, and whom ye held in bonds,
Stood in the foremost fight and slew
Not by a God, O Aztecas, enlarged,
Broke he his bondage! by a mortal hand,
An impious, sacrilegious, traitorous hand,
Your city was betrayed, your King was slain,
Your shrines polluted. The insulted Power,
He who is terrible, beheld the deed,
And now he calls for vengeance.
And from Mexitli's altar bade the priest
Bring forth the sacred water. In his hand
He took the vase, and held it up, and cried,
Cursed be he who did this deed! Accursed
The father who begat him, and the breast
At which he fed! Death be his portion now,
Eternal infamy his lot on earth,
His doom eternal horrors! Let his name,
From sire to son, be in the people's mouth,
Through every generation! Let a curse
Of deep and pious and effectual hate,
For ever follow the abhorrëd name;
And every curse inflict upon his soul
A stab of mortal anguish.
The vase. Drink one by one! the innocent
Boldly; on them the water hath no power.
But let the guilty tremble! it shall flow
A draught of agony and death to him,
A stream of fiery poison.
What were thy horrors when the fatal vase
Past to thy trial,.. when Tezozomoc
Fixed his keen eye on thee! A deathiness
Came over her,.. her blood ran back,.. her joints Shook like the palsy, and the dreadful cup
Dropt from her conscious hold. The Priest exclaimed, The hand of God! the avenger manifest!
|