acrifices for which ancient Mexico
became infamous to the whole civilized world.

One instance of a sacrifice differing from the ordinary sort is thus
given by a Spanish historian:

A captive of distinction was sometimes furnished with arms for
single combat against a number of Mexicans in succession. If he
defeated them all, as did occasionally happen, he was allowed to
escape. If vanquished he was dragged to the block and sacrificed in
the usual manner. The combat was fought on a huge circular stone
before the population of the capital.

Women captives were occasionally sacrificed before those bloodthirsty
gods, and in a season of drought even children were sometimes
slaughtered to propitiate Tlaloc, the god of rain.

Borne along in open litters, dressed in their festal robes and
decked with the fresh blossoms of spring, they moved the hardest
hearts to pity, though their cries were drowned in the wild chant
of the priests who read in their tears a favorable augury for the
rain prayer.

One Spanish historian informs us that these innocent victims of this
repulsive religion were generally bought by the priests from parents who
were poor.

We may now resume the traditional settlement of the ancient Mexicans on
the region called Anahuac, including all the fertile plateau and
extending south to the lake of Nicaragua. The chief tribes of the race
were said to have come from California, and after being subject to the
Colhua people asserted their independence about A. D. 1325. Soon
afterward, their first capital, Tenochtitlan, was built on the site of
Mexico, their permanent center. For several generations they lived, like
their remote ancestors, the Red Men of the Woods, as hunters, fishers,
and trappers, but at last their prince or chief cazique was powerful
enough to be called king. The rule of this Aztec prince, beginning A. D.
1440, marked the beginning of their greatness as a race. It became a
rule of their kingdom that every new king must gain a victory before
being crowned; and thus by the conquest of a new nation furnish a supply
of captives to gratify their tutelary deity by the necessary human
sacrifices. In 1502 the younger Montezuma ascended the throne. He is
better known to us than the previous kings, because it was in his reign
that the Spanish conquerors appeared on the scene. From the time of
Cortes the history of the Aztecs becomes part of that o