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V.

1521.

BOOK head of that community, under pretext of fome defect in his title, and fubftituted in his place a person whom a faction of the nobles pointed out as the right heir of that dignity. Attached to him by this benefit, the new cazique and his adherents served the Spaniards with inviolable fidelity *.

His opera tions flow and cau

&ious.

As the preparations for conftructing the brigantines advanced flowly under the unskilful hands of foldiers and Indians, whom Cortes was obliged to employ in affifting three or four carpenters who happened fortunately to be in his service, and as he had not yet received the reinforcement which he expected from Hifpaniola, he was not in a condition to turn his arms directly against the capital. To have attacked, at this period, a city fo populous, fo well prepared for defence, and in a fituation of fuch ресиliar ftrength, must have expofed his troops to inevitable destruction. Three months elapfed before the materials for the brigantines were finished, and before he heard any thing with refpect to the fuccefs of the officer whom he had fent to Hifpaniola. This, however, was not a feafon of inaction to Cortes. He attacked fuc

B. Diaz. c. 137.

* Cortes Relat. 256, &c.
Cron. c. 121. Herrera, dec. 3. c. I.

Gomara

ceffively

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ceffively feveral of the towns fituated around the B 0.0 K lake; and though all the Mexican power was exerted to obstruct his operations, he either compelled them to fubmit to the Spanish crown, or reduced them to ruins. The inhabitants of other towns he endeavoured to conciliate by more gentle means, and though he could not hold any intercourse with them but by the intervention of interpreters, yet, under all the difadvantage of that tedious and imperfect mode of communication he had acquired fuch thorough knowledge of the state of the country, as well as of the difpofitions of the people, that he conducted his negociations and intrigues with astonishing dexterity and fuccefs. Most of the cities adjacent to Mexico were originally the capitals of small independent ftates; and fome of them having been but lately annexed to the Mexican empire, ftill retained the remembrance of their ancient liberty, and bore with impatience the rigorous yoke of their new masters. Cortes having early obferved fymptons of their difaffection, availed himself of this knowledge to gain their confidence and friendship. By offering, with confidence, to deliver them from the odious dominion of the Mexicans, and by liberal promises of more indulgent treatment, if they would unite with him against their oppreffors, he prevailed on the people of feveral confiderable districts,

VOL. III.

E

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BOOK diftricts, not only to acknowledge the king of Caftile as their fovereign, but to supply the Spanish camp with provisions, and to ftrengthen his army with auxiliary troops. Guatimozin, on the first appearance of defection among his fubjects, exerted himself with vigour to prevent or to punish their revolt; but in fpite of his efforts, the spirit continued to fpread. The Spaniards gradually acquired new allies, and with deep concern he beheld Cortes arming against his empire those very hands which ought to have been active in its defence; and ready to advance against the capital at the head of a numerous body of his own fubjects".

WHILE, by thofe various methods, Cortes was gradually circumfcribing the Mexican power in fuch a manner that his profpect of overturning it seemed neither to be uncertain nor remote, all' his schemes were well nigh defeated, by a confpiracy no lefs unexpected than dangerous. The foldiers of Narvaez had never united perfectly with the original companions of Cortes, nor did they enter into his measures with the fame cordial zeal. Upon every occafion that required any extraordinary effort of courage or of patience,

y Cortes Relat. 256-260. B. Diaz, c. 137-140. Gomara Cron. c. 122, 123. Herrera, dec. 3. lib. i. c. 1, 2.

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their spirits were apt to fink; and now, on a в OOK near view of what they had to encounter, in attempting to reduce a city fo inacceffible as Mexico, and defended by a numerous army, the resolution even of those among them who had adhered to Cortes when he was deferted by their affociates, begáin to fail. Their fears led them to prefumptuous and unfoldier-like difcuffions concerning the propriety of their general's meafures, and the improbability of their fuccefs. From there they proceeded to cenfure and invectives, and at last began to deliberate how they might provide for their own fafety, of which they deemed their commander to be totally negligent. Antonio Villefagna, a private foldier, but bold, intriguing, and strongly attached to Velasquez, artfully fomented this growing fpirit of dif affection. His quarters became the rendezvous of the malcontents, where, after many confultations, they could discover no method of checking Cortes in his career, but by affaffinating him and his moft confiderable officers, and conferring the command upon fome perfon who would relinquifh his wild plans, and adopt measures more confiftent with the general fecurity. Despair infpired them with courage. The hour for perpetrating the crime, the perfons whom they destined as victims, the officers to fucceed them in command, were all named; and the con

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BOOK fpirators figned an affociation, by which they

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bound themfelves with moft folemn oaths to mutual fidelity. But on the evening before the appointed day, one of Cortes's ancient followers, who had been feduced into the confpiracy, touched with compunction at the imminent danger of a man whom he had long been accustomed to revere, or ftruck with horror at his own treachery, went privately to his general, and revealed to him all that he knew Cortes, though deeply alarmed, difcerned at once. what conduct was proper in a fituation fo critical. He repaired inftantly to Villefagna's quarters, accompanied by fome of his most trusty officers. The astonishment and confufion of the man at this unexpected vifit anticipated the confeffion of his guilt. Cortes, while his attendants feized the traitor, fnatched from his bofom a paper containing the affociation, figned by the confpirators. Impatient to know how far the defection extended, he retired to read it, and found there names which filled him with surprise and forrow. But, aware how dangerous a strict scrutiny might prove at fuch a juncture, he confined his judicial enquiries to Villefagna alone. As the proofs of his guilt were manifeft, he was condemned after a fhort trial, and next morning he was seen hanging before the door of the house in which he had lodged. Cortes called his troops

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