V. 1521. new fyftem of attack. army, BOOK every flight impreffion, that in a fhort time after fuch a general defection of his confederates, Cortes faw himself, if we may believe his own account, at the head of a hundred and fifty and adopts a thousand Indians. Even with fuch a numerous he found it neceffary to adopt a new and more wary system of operation. Inftead of renewing his attempts to become master of the city at once, by fuch bold but dangerous efforts of valour as he had already tried, he made his advances gradually, and with every poffible precaution against expofing his men to any calamity fimilar to that which they still bewailed. As the Spaniards pufhed forward, the Indians regularly repaired the causeways behind them. As foon as they got poffeffion of any part of the town, the houses were instantly levelled with the ground.. Day by day, the Mexicans, forced to retire as their enemies gained ground, were hemmed in within more narrow limits. Guatimozin, though unable to stop the career of the enemy, continued to defend his capital with obftinate refolution, and difputed every inch of ground. The Spaniards not only varied their mode of attack, but, by orders of Cortes, changed the weapons with which they fought. They were again armed with the long Chinantlan fpears, which they had employed with fuch fuccefs against Narvaez; and, by the firm array V. 1521, in which this enabled them to range themselves, BOOK they repelled, with little danger, the loofe affault of the Mexicans: incredible numbers of them fell in the conflicts which they renewed every day. While war wafted without, famine began to confume them within, the city. The Spanish brigantines, having the entire command of the lake, rendered it almost impoffible to convey to the befieged any fupply of provifions by water. The immenfe number of his Indian auxiliaries enabled Cortes to fhut up the avenues to the city by land. The ftores which Guatimozin had laid up were exhausted by the multitudes which had crowded into the capital to defend their fovereign and the temples of their gods. Not only the people, but perfons of the highest rank, felt the utmost diftreffes of famine. they fuffered, brought on infectious and mortal diftempers, the laft calamity that vifits befieged cities, and which filled up the measure of their woes. What conftancy of zin. BUT, under the preffure of fo many and fuch Courage and various evils, the fpirit of Guatimozin remained Guatimofirm and unfubdued. He rejected, with fcorn, every overture of peace from Cortes; and, • Cortes Relat. p. 275. C. 276. F. B. Diaz. c. 153. P Cortes Relat. 276. E. 277. F. B. Diaz. 155. Gomara Cron. c. 141. V. 1521. July 27. BOOK difdaining the idea of fubmitting to the oppreffors of his country, determined not to survive its ruin. The Spaniards continued their progress. At length all the three divifions penetrated into the great square in the centre of the city, and made a fecure lodgment there. Three-fourths of the city were now reduced, and laid in ruins. The remaining quarter was fo clofely preffed, that it could not long withstand affailants, who attacked it from their new station with fuperior advantage, and more affured expectation of fuccefs. The Mexican nobles, folicitous to fave the life of a monarch whom they revered, prevailed on Guatimozin to retire from a place where refiftance was now vain, that he might roufe the more distant provinces of the empire to arms, and maintain there a more fuccefsful struggle with the public enemy. In order to facilitate the execution of this measure, they endeavoured to amufe Cortes with overtures of fubmiffion, that, while his attention was employed in adjusting the articles of pacification, Guatimozin might escape unperceived. But they made this attempt upon. a leader of greater fagacity and difcernment than to be deceived by their arts., Cortes fufpecting their intention, and aware of what moment it was to defeat it, appointed Sandoval, the officer on whofe vigilance he could most perfectly rely, to take the command of the brigantines, with V. 1521 prifoner. ftrict injunctions to watch every motion of the BOOK enemy. Sandoval, attentive to the charge, obferving fome large canoes crowded with people rowing across the lake with extraordinary rapidity, inftantly gave the fignal to chace. Garcia Holguin, who commanded the fwifteft-failing brigantine, foon overtook them, and was preParing to fire on the foremost canoe, which feemed to carry fome perfon whom all the reft followed and obeyed. At once the rowers dropt He is taken their oars, and all on board, throwing down. their arms, conjured him with cries and tears to forbear, as the emperor was there. Holguin eagerly feized his prize, and Guatimozin, with a dignified compofure, gave himself up into his hands, requesting only that no infult might be offered to the emprefs or his children. When conducted to Cortes, he appeared neither with the fullen fiercenefs of a barbarian, nor with the dejection of a fupplicant. "I have done," faid he, addreffing himfelf to the Spanish general, "what became a monarch. I have defended my people to the last extremity. Nothing now remains but to die. Take this dagger," laying his hand on one which Cortes wore," plant it in my breast, and put an end to a life which can no longer be of ufe"." 9 Cortes Relat. 279. B. Diaz. c. 156. Gomara Cron. c. 142. Herrera, dec. 3. lib. ii. c. 7. BOOK V. 1521. Aug. 13. The city. As foon as the fate of their fovereign was known, the resistance of the Mexicans ceased; and Cortes took poffeffion of that fmall part of the capital which yet remained undestroyed, Thus terminated the fiege of Mexico, the most memorable event in the conqueft of America, It continued feventy-five days, hardly one of which paffed without fome extraordinary effort of one party in the attack, or of the other in the defence of a city, on the fate of which both knew that the fortune of the empire depended. As the ftruggle here was more obftinate, it was likewife more equal, than any between the inhabitants of the Old and New Worlds. The great abilities of Guatimozin, the number of his troops, the peculiar fituation of his capital, fo far counterbalanced the fuperiority of the Spaniards in arms and difcipline,. that they muft have relinquifhed the enterprife, if they had trufted for fuccefs to themfelves alone. But Mexico was overturned by the jealoufy of neighbours who dreaded its power, and by the revolt of fubjects impatient to fhake off its yoke. By their effectual aid, Cortes was enabled to accomplifh what, without fuch fupport, he would hardly have ventured to attempt. How much foever this account of the reduction of Mexico may detract, on the one hand, from the marvellous relations of fome Spanish writers, by afcribing that to fimple and obvious caufes which they attribute |