soiled. The monarch and his supporters were similarly dressed, in blue tilmatlis which, bordered with gold and richly embroidered and bejewelled, hung in Ioose folds from the neck, where they were secured by a knot. On their heads were mitred crowns of gold with quetzal plumes, and sandals with golden soles adorned their feet, fastenings embossed with gold and precious stones.[1]
Montezuma was about forty years of age, of good stature, with a thin though well-proportioned body, somewhat fairer than the average hue of his dusky The rather long face, with its fine eyes, bore an expression of majestic gravity, tinged with a certain benignity which at times deepened into tenderness. Round it fell the hair in a straight fringe covering the ears, and met by a slight growth of black beard.[2]
With a step full of dignity he advanced toward Cortés, who had dismounted to meet him. As they saluted,[3] Montezuma tendered a bouquet which he had brought in token of welcome, while the Spaniard took from his own person and placed round the neck of the emperor a showy necklace of glass, in
- ↑ For dress, see Native Races, ii. 178 et seq. Cortés gives sandals only to Montezuma, but it appears that persons of royal blood were allowed to retain them before the emperor, as Ixtlilxochitl also affirms. Hist. Chich., 295; Oviedo, iii. 500; Purchas, His Pilgrimes, iv. 1121.
- ↑ Cenzeño. . . .y el rostro algo largo, è alegre.' Bernal Diaz, Hist. Verdad., 67. 'Motecçuma quiere dezir hõbre sañudo y graue.' Gomara, Hist. Mex., 103; Acosta, Hist. Ind., 502-3. It is from this, probably, that so nmany describe him as serious in expression. A number of portraits have been given of the monarch, differing greatly from one another. The best known is Prescott's, taken from the painting for a long time owned by the Condes de Miravalle, the descendants of Montezuma; but this lacks the Indian type, and partakes too much of the ideal. Clavigero's, Storia Mess., iii. 8, appears more like him, though it is too small and too roughly sketched to covey a clear outline. Far better is the half-size representation prefixed to Linati Costumes, which indeed corresponds very well with the text description. The face in Armin, Alte Mex., 104, indicates a coarse Aztec warrior, and that in Montanus, Nieuwe Weereld, 244-5, an African prince, while the native picture, as given in Carbajal Espinosa, Hist. Mex., ii. 6, is purely conventional. The text description, based chiefly on Bernal Diaz, is not inappropriate to the weak, vacillating character of the monarch. Clavigero makes him nearly 54 years old, and Brasseur de Bourbourg 51; but 40, as Bernal Diaz calls him, appears to be more correct.
- ↑ Ellos y él ficieron asimismo ceremonia de besar la tierra.' Cortés, Cartas, 85.
