FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90  
91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   >>   >|  
itnesses of the result of this excavation are still at Cholula, and the fact is mentioned in several American works; my inference from the fact is the only novelty in the matter. [12] Cortez's "Letters," Folsom's translation, p. 71. [13] This word mosques Cortez constantly makes use of, apparently to keep before the people of Spain the idea that he Was conducting a holy war. CHAPTER IX. A Ride to Popocatapetl.--The Village of Atlizco.--The old Man of Atlizco and the Inquisition.--A novel Mode of Escape.--An avenging Ghost.--The Vice-King Ravillagigedo.--The Court of the Vice-King and the Inquisition.--Ascent of Popocatapetl.--How a Party perished by Night.--The Crater and the House in it.--Descent into the Crater.--The Interior.--The Workmen in the Volcano.--The View from Popocatapetl.--The first White that climbed Popocatapetl.--The Story of Corchado.--Corchado converts the Volcano into a Sulphur-mine. One of the first objects of interest in Mexico is the volcano of Popocatapetl. A stage runs from Puebla to Atlizco, but beyond that village the visitor must travel upon horseback. Atlizco is worthy of a special notice from its situation in a most fertile valley, and its peculiar location at the base of a conical hill. This hill, like every attractive locality in Mexico, is the scene of romantic traditions of the common people. From many, I select one illustration of the state of society in the times of the vice-kings. There once was, the tradition runs in this village, an old _hidalgo_ who possessed a plantation in the immediate neighborhood of the town. His family consisted of himself and two daughters; and he was rich. Upon a certain time, one of those strolling monks, with whom the country abounds, chanced to offer an indignity to one of the daughters, and the old man chanced to return the indignity by inflicting upon the monk such a beating as never poor friar had yet received in the vice-kingdom--such a one as the feelings of an outraged father alone could justify. This was not the end of the matter; it was only the beginning of evil to the old man, as he well knew, for he had laid his hands upon one of the consecrated--one who had received the sacrament of "Holy Orders;" and, above all, he was rich enough to tempt the cupidity of the Inquisition, which always watched with jealous care over the orthodoxy of those whose estates, when confiscated, would ad
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90  
91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Popocatapetl

 

Atlizco

 

Inquisition

 
Mexico
 
daughters
 

Corchado

 
Crater
 

indignity

 

Volcano

 

people


received
 

village

 

Cortez

 

matter

 

chanced

 
country
 

society

 

abounds

 

consisted

 
illustration

select

 
tradition
 

hidalgo

 

plantation

 

possessed

 

neighborhood

 

strolling

 
family
 

cupidity

 

Orders


consecrated

 

sacrament

 

watched

 

confiscated

 

estates

 

jealous

 

orthodoxy

 

kingdom

 

feelings

 

return


inflicting

 

beating

 

outraged

 

father

 

beginning

 

justify

 
worthy
 

conducting

 

apparently

 

CHAPTER