tory, as the fanatical zeal of
Cortez and his companions destroyed whatever historical data the temple
may have contained. Cholula was visited by Cortez in 1519 during his
eventful march inland to Montezuma's capital, Tenochtitlan, when he
treacherously massacred its inhabitants and pillaged the city,
pretending to distrust the hospitable inhabitants. Cortez estimated that
the town then had 20,000 habitations, and its suburbs as many more, but
this was undoubtedly a deliberate exaggeration. The Cholulans were of
Nahuatl origin and were semi-independent, yielding only a nominal
allegiance to Montezuma. They were a trading people, holding fairs, and
exchanging their manufactures of textiles and pottery for other produce.
The pyramid is believed to have been built by a people occupying this
region before the Cholulans.

CHOPIN, FREDERIC FRANCOIS (1810-1849), Polish musical composer and
pianist, was born at Zelazowa-Wola, near Warsaw, on the 22nd of February
1810 (_not_ the 1st of March 1809). His father, of French origin, born
at Nancy in 1770, had married a Polish lady, Justine Krzyzanowska.
Frederic was their third child. His first musical education he received
from Adalbert Ziwny, a Czech musician, who is said to have been a
passionate admirer of J.S. Bach. He also received a good general
education at one of the first colleges of Warsaw, where he was supported
by Prince Antoine Radziwill, a generous protector of artistic talent and
himself well known as the composer of music to Goethe's _Faust_ and
other works. His musical genius opened to Chopin the best circles of
Polish society, at that time unrivalled in Europe for its ease of
intercourse, the beauty and grace of its women, and its liberal
appreciation of artistic gifts. These early impressions were of lasting
influence on Chopin's development. While at college he received thorough
instruction in the theory of his art from Joseph Elsner, a learned
musician and director of the conservatoire at Warsaw. When in 1829 he
left his native town for Vienna, where his _debut_ as a pianist took
place, he was in all respects a perfectly formed and developed artist.
There is in his compositions little of that gradual progress which, for
instance, in Beethoven necessitates a classification of his works
according to different periods. Chopin's individuality and his style
were distinctly pronounced in that set of variations on "La ci darem"
which excited the wondering enthusi