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BOOK incumbered either with baggage or artillery. But as he dreaded extremely the impreffion which the enemy might make with their cavalry, he had provided against this danger with the forefight and fagacity which diftinguish a great commander. Having obferved that the Indians in the province of Chinantla ufed fpears of extraordinary length and force, he armed his foldiers with these, and accustomed them to that deep and compact arrangement which the use of this formidable weapon, the best perhaps that ever was invented for defence, enabled them to affume.

Continues to negociate as he advanced.

WITH this fmall but firm battalion, Cortes advanced towards Zempoalla, of which Narvaez had taken poffeffion. During his march, he made repeated attempts towards fome accommodation with his opponent. But Narvaez requiring that Cortes and his followers fhould inftantly recognize his title to be governor of New Spain, in virtue of the powers which he derived from Velafquez; and Cortes refufing to fubmit to any authority which was not founded on a commiffion from the emperor himself, under whofe immediate protection he and his adherents had placed their infant colony; all these attempts proved fruitlefs. The intercourse, however, which this occafioned between the two parties,

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proved of no fmall advantage to Cortes, as BOOK it afforded him an opportunity of gaining fome of Narvaez's officers by liberal prefents, of softening others by a femblance of moderation, and of dazzling all by the appearance of wealth among his troops, most of his foldiers having converted their fhare of the Mexican gold into chains, bracelets, and other ornaments, which they difplayed with military oftentation. Narvaez and a little junto of his creatures excepted, all the army leaned towards an accommodation with their countrymen. This discovery of their inclination irritated his violent temper almoft to madness. In a tranfport of rage, he fet a price upon the head of Cortes, and of his principal officers; and having learned that he was now advanced within a league of Zempoalla with his small body of men, he confidered this as an infult which merited immediate chastisement, and marched out with all his troops to offer him battle.

Narvaez in

the night,

BUT Cortes was a leader of greater abilities Attacks and experience than, on equal ground, to fight an enemy fo far fuperior in number, and fo much better appointed. Having taken his station on the opposite bank of the river de Canoas, where he knew that he could not be attacked, he beheld the approach of the enemy without concern, and difregarded this vain bravade. It was

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BOOK then the beginning of the wet feafon', and the rain had poured down, during a great part of the day, with the violence peculiar to the torrid zone. The followers of Narvaez, unaccustomed to the hardships of military fervice, murmured fo much at being thus fruitlefsly expofed, that, from their unfoldier-like impatience, as well as his own contempt of his adverfary, their general permitted them to retire to Zempoalla. The very circumftance which induced them to quit the field, encouraged Cortes to form a fcheme, by which he hoped at once to terminate the war. He obferved, that his hardy veterans, though ftanding under the torrents, which continued to fall, without a fingle tent or any shelter whatsoever to cover them, were fo far from repining at hardships which were become familiar to them, that they were still fresh and alert for fervice. He forefaw that the enemy would naturally give themselves up to repofe after their fatigue, and that, judging of the conduct of others by their own effeminacy, they would deem themselves perfectly fecure at a season fo unfit for action. He refolved, therefore, to fall upon them in the dead of night, when the furprise and terror of this unexpected attack might more than compenfate the inferiority of his numbers.

b Hackluyt, vol. iii, 467. De Laet Defcr. Ind. Occid. 221.

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His foldiers, fenfible that no refource remained BOOK but in fome desperate effort of courage, approved of the measure with fuch warmth, that Cortes, in a military oration which he addreffed to them before they began their march, was more folicitous to temper than to inflame their ardour. He divided them into three parties. At the head of the first he placed Sandoval; entrusting this gallant officer with the most dangerous and important fervice, that of feizing the enemy's artillery, which was planted before the principal tower of the temple, where Narvaez had fixed his head-quarters. Chriftoval de Olid com

manded the second, with orders to affault the tower, and lay hold on the general. Cortes himself conducted the third and fmalleft divifion, which was to act as a body of referve, and to fupport the other two as there fhould be occafion. Having paffed the river de Canoas, which was much fwelled with the rains, not without difficulty, the water reaching almost to their chins, they advanced in profound filence, without beat of drum, or found of any warlike inftrument; each man armed with his fword, his dagger, and his Chinantlan spear. Narvaez, remifs in proportion to his fecurity, had pofted only two centinels to watch the motions of an enemy whom he had fuch good cause to dread. One of these was feized by the advanced guard

of

BOOK of Cortes's troops, the other made his escape,

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and overcomes him.

and hurrying to the town with all the precipitation of fear and zeal, gave fuch timely notice of the enemy's approach, that there was full leisure to have prepared for their reception. But, through the arrogance and infatuation of Narvaez, this important interval was loft. He imputed this alarm to the cowardice of the centinel, and treated with derifion the idea of being attacked by forces fo unequal to his own. The fhouts of Cortes's foldiers, rufhing on to the affault, convinced him at last, that the danger which he defpifed was real. The rapidity with which they advanced was fuch, that only one cannon could be fired, before Sandoval's party closed with the enemy, drove them from their guns, and began to force their way up the steps of the tower. Narvaez, no lefs brave in action than prefumptuous in conduct, armed himself in haste, and by his voice and example animated his men to the combat. Olid advanced to fuftain his companions; and Cortes himself rufhing to the front, conducted and added new vigour to the attack. The compact order in which this small body preffed on, and the impenetrable front which they presented with their long fpears, bore down all oppofition before it. They had now reached the gate, and were struggling to burst it open, when a foldier having fet