MEXICAN CODE OF MORAL PRECEPTS

(Sixteenth century.)

SOME forty years after the conquest of Mexico by Cortés, Judge Alonzo de Zurita, a Spanish official in the country, wrote a memoir on the natives, relating especially to their customs and laws, which is greatly esteemed. Among other things, he preserved some collections of rules of conduct, which he represents as being examples of instructions given by fathers to their sons, and mothers to their daughters. Two of these are quoted in Chevalier's "Mexico, Ancient and Modern," and as given below are taken from the English translation of that work (v. i. ch. 6). According to Zurita, they embody the advice of parents of the middle class inhabitants of towns, tradesmen and artisans. "It is," says M. Chevalier, "at once a collection of moral precepts and an abridged code of what is called, in familiar language, 'polite manners for young people.'

Prescott, in the appendix to his "History of the Conquest of Mexico," gives a similar collection of precepts addressed by a mother to her daughter, translated from Sahagun's "Historia de Nueva España."

A FATHER'S COUNSEL TO HIS SON.

(From Chevalier's "Mexico, Ancient and Modern.")

O my beloved son, created by the will of God, under the eyes of thy father and mother, and of thy relatives, like a chicken that leaves its shell and essays to fly, thou makest thy essay with difficulty. We know not till what time God will permit us to enjoy thee. Supplicate Him, my son, to protect thee, for He created thee; He is thy Father; He loves thee better than I.

Address to Him

thy wishes night and day; let Him be the object of thy thoughts; serve Him with love; He will be merciful to thee, and will deliver thee from all danger. Respect the image of God, and whatever is connected with Him. Pray to Him devotedly; observe the religious festivals. He who offends God will die miserable, and it will be his own. fault.

Honour and salute old men. Console the poor and afflicted by thy words and thy good works.

Revere, love, and serve thy father and mother; obey them, for the son who does not so conduct himself will repent it.

Love and honour all the world, and thou wilt live in peace.

Imitate not the fools who respect neither father nor mother, and who, like the animals, listen to the counsel of

no one.

Be careful, my son, not to mock the old, the infirm, the maimed, or the sinner. Be not haughty towards them; do not hate them, but humble thyself before the Lord, and tremble lest you be as unfortunate as they.

Poison no one, for thou wilt wound God in his creature; thy crime will be discovered, thou wilt suffer the punishment of it, and thou wilt die the same death.

Be upright, polite, and cause pain to no one.

Meddle not with affairs in which thou art not concerned, from the fear of displeasing and of being counted indiscreet.

Injure no one. Eschew adultery and luxury: it is a base vice, which causes the ruin of him who gives himself up to it, and offends God.

Set not bad examples.

Be modest in thy discourse; interrupt not people who are speaking; disturb them not; if they express them

selves badly, if they make mistakes, content thyself with not imitating them. Keep silence when it is not thy turn to speak; and if a question is put to thee, reply with openness, without heat or falsehood. Interfere not with the interests of others, and men will pay respect to thy words. If thou keepest clear, my son, of carrying tales, of repeating jests, thou wilt keep clear of lying and of sowing discord, which is a source of confusion to him who does it.

Be not a lounger on the pavement, haunt not the streets, lose not thy time in the markets or the baths, lest the demon tempt thee and make thee his victim.

Be not affected or too studied in thy dress, for it is the mark of a little mind.

In whatever place thou mayest be, let thy looks be modest; make no grimaces; indulge not in indecent gestures thou wilt pass for a libertine, and such things are snares of the demon. Seize no one by the hand or the clothes, for it is the mark of an indiscreet mind. Pay attention, when thou walkest, not to stop the way of any

one soever.

If thou art begged to undertake a matter, and it be to tempt thee, civilly excuse thyself, though thou mightest get some advantage from it, and thou wilt be held a wise and prudent man.

Enter not nor go out before thy superiors; be careful not to take precedence of them; always leave them the place of honour, and seek not to lift thyself above any one, unless thou art raised in rank, for thou wilt be looked upon as a rude fellow. Be modest; humility merits the favour of God and the great.

Be not in a hurry in eating or drinking; and if thou art at table, offer to him who may present himself before thee, wanting to take part in thy repast; thou shalt be

recompensed for it. If thou eatest in company, let it be without eagerness or gluttony; thou wilt pass for a greedy fellow. Take thy repasts with thy head bent down, and so as not to finish before the others, for fear of offending them.

If a present be made thee, however small it may be, disdain it not, and think not thou deservest more, for thou wilt not gain thereby before God or man.

Trust thyself entirely to the Lord; 't is from Him that good will come to thee, and thou knowest not when thou mayest die.

I take on myself to procure thee what is proper for thee; bear and wait patiently. If thou wishest to marry, tell me; and since thou art our child, undertake not to do it before speaking to us on the matter.

Be neither gambler nor thief, for one of those faults is the occasion of the other, and it is disgraceful. If thou keepest clear of them, thou wilt not be evil spoken of in the public squares and markets.

Take always the good part, O my son. Sow, and thou shalt reap; thou wilt live by thy labour, and consequently thou wilt be satisfied, and cherished of thy parents.

We live not in this world without much labour, we procure not easily what is necessary. I have had much trouble to rear thee, and yet I have never abandoned thee, and I have done nothing for which thou canst blush.

If thou desirest to live in tranquillity, keep clear of evilspeaking, for evil-speaking occasions quarrels.

Keep secret what thou hearest. Let it be learned from others rather than from thee; and if thou canst not avoid telling it, speak frankly, without hiding anything, even though thou believest it were well to do so.

Repeat not that of which thou hast been the witness. Be discreet, for to be a tattler is a mean vice, and if thou

liest thou will certainly be punished. Keep silence; nothing is gained by talking.

If thou art sent with a message to some one that receives thee roughly, and speaks ill of him who sent thee, report not the reply given in bad temper, and let not what has been done to thee be known. If thou art asked how thou wast received, reply calmly, in mild words: conceal the ill words that were said to thee, for fear of irritating both parties, that there may be neither bloodshed nor loss of life, and that thou mayest not later have to say in sadness, "Ah, if I had never said it!" But it will be too late, and thou wilt pass for a mischief-maker and be without excuse.

Life is

Have no relations with the wife of another; live chastely, for we exist not twice in this world. short and difficult, and everything has an end.

Offend no person nor attack his honour. Make thyself worthy of the rewards God giveth to everyone as it pleases Him; receive what He shall give thee; return thanks, and if it be much, be not puffed up. Humble thyself; thy merit will be the greater, and others will have no occasion to murmur; but, on the contrary, if thou attributest to thyself what does not belong to thee, thou wilt meet with affronts and wilt offend God.

When thou art spoken to, keep thy hands and thy feet still, look not to the left or right; avoid rising, or sitting down if thou art standing; thou wilt pass for a giddy-pate or a clown.

If thou art in the service of any one, take care with zeal to render thyself useful, and to be agreeable to him; thou wilt not want necessaries, and thou wilt be everywhere well treated; if thou dost the contrary, thou wilt not be able to remain with any one.

My son, if thou refusest to hearken to the counsels of