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Rh heir during his lifetime and at once admitted him to a share in the government. At Tlaxcala, Uexotzinco and Cholula, the heir-presumptive was overwhelmed with insults to prove his patience and then taken to a temple where he spent one, or even two, years observing a strict fast and performing penance. Finally a day was fixed for the installation ceremony, which must be an uneven number of days from the date of his birth, and his time of trial was over. 'The final ceremony included the boring of the candidate's nose for the reception of a gold ornament, the badge of his rank. A similar period of penance was endured by the heirs of Mixtec lords before their admission to office.

An interesting variety of government is presented by the constitution of the Matlatzinca district in the days before its conquest by Axayacatl. Here there were three chiefs, the Tlatauan, the Tlacochcalcatl and the Tlacatecutli, ranking in that order. At the death of the first, the second succeeded to his office, and was himself succeeded by the third. The vacant post of Tlacatecutli was then filled up by selection of the most capable son or brother of the deceased, or, if he had no relations, of a prominent noble. Each of these officers was supported by the tribute furnished by particular local clans, similar to the Mexican calpulli described below.

Each ruler confirmed the succession of his sub-chiefs, and they of their inferiors, but in these cases it was usually a son who inherited, failing sons, a brother, or failing brothers, a nephew. But a very large proportion of the office-holders were merely appointed for life, and their posts at their death became vacant and at the disposal of the king, though in actual fact a relation was often appointed as successor in such cases.

When the Mexicans first adopted settled life, they were brought face to face with a question which they had not before been forced to consider, the land