Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/401

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IWERT
IXTLILXOCHITL
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and became one of the largest in the United States, having a list of over 300 school-books, including " Webster's School Dictionary," "Dana's Geology," "Gray's Botany," "Robinson's Mathematics," "Fasquelle's French Course," and "Wells's Scientific Series." On the retirement of Mr. Phinney in 1866, the firm-name became Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor and Co., and in 1880 Mr. Ivison retired from active participation in the business, and was succeeded by his only son, David B. Ivison.


IWERT, Sebald (e'-vert), Dutch navigator, b. in Antwerp in 1558 ; d. in Magellan in 1603. He became chief of staff to Simon de Cordes when the latter succeeded, on the death of Admiral Jacques, to the command of the Dutch South American exploring expedition of 1598. The expedition arrived in Buenos Ayres in December, and anchored in April, 1599, inside the Strait of Magellan, near the Penguin islands, in a bay that they named Mussel bay. A few days later they advanced 300 miles and entered a water which they named Green bay. After remaining here three months and suffering greatly from cold and sickness, they left at the end of August, and after various other adventures sailed for Antwerp in February, 1600. On 28 Feb., 120 miles from the continent, Iwert discovered a group of three islands which he named the Sebald islands. In 1603 he went again to Magellan, to join the expedition of Olivier de Noort, but died a few days after reaching the Penguin islands. He made a valuable chart of parts of the South American coast, and published " Relation du voyage des Amiraux Mahn et Simon de Cordes au detroit de Magellan " (Leyden, 1603, with charts).


IXTLILCUECHAHUA (isst-leel-quay-chah'-wah), Toltec king, b. about 734; d. about 825. He was the son of Chalchiuhtlanetzin, first Toltec king and founder of that monarchy. Ixtlilcuechahua ascended the throne of Tula in 771, inherited the wisdom and prudence of his father, and was beloved by his subjects. Though he did his best to maintain peace with the neighboring nations, he defended his own and enlarged his dominions by conquest of the countries that attacked Tula. He made great exertions to civilize his kingdom, establishing schools for teaching useful arts and industries, and appointed Huematzin as chronicler of the kingdom, giving him the special charge of collecting the historical paintings which his nation had preserved through all its peregrinations and which afterward formed the celebrated Teomaxtli. He reigned fifty-two years, and, according to the Toltec law, resigned in favor of his immediate heir, Huetzin, in 823.


IXTLILXOCHITL I. (isst-leel-sot-cheetle'), Texcocan king, d. in 1419. He was the son of the celebrated King Techotlalatzin who ascended the throne in 1357, and his name means black flower's face. The king of Atzcapotzalco, Tezozomoc, was his enemy, and intended to dethrone him and occupy his place. With this intention he made an arrangement with the other kings of the valley of Mexico who were tributaries of the kingdom of Texcoco, and they proclaimed a rebellion. But Ixtlilxochitl was acknowledged by several of the chiefs assembled in the city of Huexutla, and Tezozomoc, gathering a strong army, marched against Texcoco, but was defeated, and Ixtlilxochitl granted him a generous pardon. The ambitious Tezozomoc was not grateful for this act of mercy, and when he returned to his kingdom occupied himself in preparing a new expedition against Texcoco. With a powerful army he entered the kingdom again, and though Ixtlilxochitl was prepared to resist him, he was surprised in a wood where he was hunting. Immediately he and those who accompanied him were put to death, the royal insignia were carried to Atzcapotzalco, and Tezozomoc was crowned king of Texcoco. Ixtlilxochitl's son witnessed from a tree the death of his father and swore to avenge it, as he did, killing in 1531 Tezozomoc's son and successor, Maxtla.


IXTLILXOCHITL II., Texcocan king, b. about 1500; d. about 1550. He was the son of Netzahualpilli, king of Texcoco. The astrologer who cast the boy's horoscope at his birth advised his father to take the infant's life, since, if he lived to grow up, he was destined to unite with the enemies of his country and overturn its institutions and religion. But the old monarch replied, according to the chroniclers, that the time had arrived when the sons of Quetzalcoatl were to come from the east to take possession of the land; and, if the Almighty had selected his child to co-operate with them in the work, his will might be done. When he was about twelve years old the lad formed a band of followers of his own age, with whom he practised military exercises, throwing the whole city into uproar and confusion, and when some of his father's counsellors repeated the advice of the astrologers he put himself at the head of a party and, entering the houses of the counsellors, dragged them forth and put them to death. For this he was seized and brought before his father, but the latter contented himself with bestowing an admonition on the culprit. As he grew older the prince took an active part in the wars of his country, and when ho more than seventeen years old had won for himself the insignia of a victorious captain. In 1516 Netzahualpilli died, and the succession was contested by two of his sons, Cacamatzin and Ixtlilxochitl. The former was supported by Montezuma, emperor of Mexico, but the latter, appealing to the patriotic sentiment of his nation, would have persuaded them that his brother was too much in the Mexican interest to be true to his own country. A civil war ensued, and ended by a compromise, by which one half of the kingdom, with the capital, remained to Cacamatzin and the northern part to his brother. Ixtlilxochitl became from that time the enemy of Montezuma. On the arrival of the Spaniards, the young chieftain sent an embassy to Cortés while he was at Tlaxcala, offering him his services and asking his aid in return. Through the influence of Cortés, Cacamatzin was deposed and Ixtlilxochitl finally placed on the throne. He was faithful to the Spaniards, and fought with them during the time of the conquest. As years passed he became more and more the friend of the conqueror and the enemy of his country and race. His important services have been commemorated by the Spanish historians, who have given him the melancholy glory of contributing more than any other chieftain of America to enslave his countrymen. After the submission of Mexico he was baptized and took the name of Hernan Cortés, after that of the conqueror, who was his godfather on this occasion. Afterward he took great interest in the propagation of Christianity, and brought in a bag the first stones to build the church of the convent of San Francisco in the city of Mexico. He accompanied Cortés on his expedition to Hibueras in 1525.


IXTLILXOCHITL, Fernando de Alba, Mexican historian, b. in Texcoco in 1570; d. therein 1649. He was descended, through his mother, from the ancient kings of Texcoco, and, on the death of his eldest brother in 1602, he was declared by a royal decree heir to the titles and possessions of his family. The property, however, does not