ample commission in the king's name, to continue in force till the royal pleasure should be further known. The soldiers eagerly ratified their choice by loud acclamations. Cortes, having thus strengthened himself, resolved to advance into the country; and to this he was encouraged by the cacique of Zempoalla, a considerable town at no great distance. This prince was subject to Montezuma, but so exceedingly impatient of the yoke, that nothing could be more acceptable to him than a chance of being delivered from it. For this reason he sent ambassadors to Cortes with offers of friendship, which were gladly accepted; and Cortes soon visited Zempoalla, where he was received in the most friendly manner imaginable. The cacique informed him of many particulars relating to the character of Montezuma. He told him that he was a tyrant, haughty, cruel, and suspicious; who treated his own subjects with arrogance, and ruined the conquered provinces by his extortions. Cortes insinuated, that one great object of the Spaniards, in visiting a country so remote from their own, was to redress grievances, and to relieve the oppressed. He then continued his march to Quiabislan, the territory of another cacique, where, by the aid of the Indians, a Spanish colony was soon formed. During Cortes's residence in these parts, he so far wrought upon the minds of these caciques, that they ventured to insult the Mexican power, at the very name of which they had formerly trembled. They also acknowledged themselves vassals to the king of Spain. Their example was followed by the Totonaques, a fierce people who inhabit the mountainous parts of the country, and offered to accompany Cortes with all their forces in his march towards Mexico. But a spirit of disaffection which had appeared at different times among his troops, gave him great uneasiness. The only method he could think of to prevent conspiracies, was to destroy his fleet, and thus deprive his soldiers of every resource except that of conquest; and with this proposal he persuaded his men to comply. With universal consent, therefore, the ships were drawn ashore; and, after being stripped of their sails, rigging, iron-work, and whatever else might be of use, they were broke in pieces. Cortes having thus rendered it necessary for his troops to follow wherever he chose to lead, began his march to Zempoalla, with 500 infantry, 15 horses, and six field-pieces; the rest of his troops, consisting chiefly of such as from age or infirmity, were less fit for active service, he left as a garrison at Villa Rica, under Escalante, an officer of merit. The cacique of Zempoalla supplied him with provisions and 400 troops; and with 200 of those Indians called Tamames, whose office was to carry burdens and perform all manner of servile labour. Nothing memorable happened till the Spaniards arrived at the confines of the republic of

Tlascala. The inhabitants were warlike, fierce, and revengeful, and had made considerable progress in agriculture and some other arts. They were implacable enemies to Montezuma; and therefore Cortes hoped that it would be easy to procure their friendship. With this view, four Zempoallans of high rank, were sent as ambassadors to Tlascala, dressed with all the badges of that office usual among the Indians. The senate were divided in their opinions with regard to the proposals of Cortes; but at last Magiscatzin, one of the oldest senators, mentioned the traditions of their ancestors, and the revelations of their priests; that a race of invincible men, of divine origin, who had power over the elements, should come from the east to subdue their country. He compared the resemblance which the strangers bore, to the persons figured in the tradition; their dominion over the elements of fire, air, and water; he then declared his opinion, that it would be rashness to oppose a force apparently assisted by heaven, and men who had already proved, to the sad experience of those who had opposed them, that they were invincible. This orator was opposed by Xicotencal, who endeavoured to prove, that the Spaniards were, at best, but powerful magicians; that they had rendered themselves noxious to the gods, by pulling down their images and altars, and of consequence that they might be easily overcome, as the gods would resent such an outrage. He therefore advised the crushing of these invaders at one blow. His advice prevailed, and the ambassadors were detained; which giving Cortes the alarm, he drew nearer Tlascala. He had not advanced far beyond this pass, however, before a party of Tlascalans, with plumes, were discovered, which denoted that an army was in the field. These he drove before him by a detachment of six horse, obliged them to join another party, and then reinforcing the advanced detachment, charged the enemy with such vigour, that they began to retire; 5000 Tlascalans, whom Xicotencal had placed in ambush, then rushed out, just as the infantry came up to assist their slender body of cavalry; but they were so much disconcerted by the first discharge of the fire-arms, that they retreated in confusion, the Spaniards pursuing them with great slaughter. Cortes, however, supposing that this could not be the whole force, advanced with the utmost caution, in order of battle, to an eminence, whence he had a view of the main body of the Tlascalan army commanded by Xicotencal, consisting of 40,000 men. By these the small army of Cortes was entirely surrounded; but their arrows and spears being headed only with flint, or fish bones; their stakes hardened in the fire, and wooden swords, were easily turned aside by the Spanish bucklers. These circumstances gave the Spaniards a prodigious advantage over them; and therefore the Tlascalans, being taught

by this, how much they were inferior to the Spaniards, began to conceive them to be really a superior order of beings, against whom human power could not prevail. The priests gave their opinions, that these strangers were the offspring of the sun, procreated by his animating energy, in the regions of the east; that, by day, while cherishing with the influence of his parental beams, they were invincible; but by night, when his reviving heat was withdrawn, their vigour declined, and faded like herbs in the field, and they dwindled down into mortal men. The Tlascalans therefore ventured to attack the enemy in the nighttime, hoping to destroy them when enfeebled and surprised. But the Spanish centinels having observed some extraordinary movements among the Tlascalans, gave the alarm. Immediately the troops were under arms, and sallying out, defeated them with great slaughter, without allowing them to approach the camp. By this disaster, the Tlascalans were heartily disposed to peace; but they were at a loss to form an adequate idea of the enemies they had to deal with. They could not ascertain the nature of these surprising beings, or whether they were really of a benevolent or a malignant disposition. There were circumstances which seemed to favour each opinion. Accordingly they addressed them in the following manner; "If," said they, "you are divinities of a cruel and savage nature, we present to you five slaves, that you may drink their blood and eat their flesh. If you are mild deities, accept an offering of incense and variegated plumes. If you are men, here is meat, bread, and fruit, to nourish you." After this address, the peace was soon concluded. The Tlascalans yielded themselves as vassals to the crown of Castile, and engaged to assist Cortes in all his operations; while he took the republic under his protection, and promised to defend their persons and possessions from injury. This reconciliation took place at a seasonable juncture for the Spaniards. They were worn out with incessant toil, and destitute of necessaries. But the submission of the Tlascalans, and their own triumphant entry into the city, where they were received with the reverence due to a superior order of beings, banished at once all memory of past sufferings, and convinced them that they could not be resisted by any power in America.

Cortes left no method untried to gain the favour and confidence of the Tlascalans; which however he had almost entirely lost, by his zeal against their idols. But he was deterred from destroying them, by his chaplain Olmedo; and left the Tlascalans in the exercise of superstition, prohibiting only the practice of offering human victims. As soon as his troops were fit for service, he resolved to continue his march towards Mexico, notwithstanding the remonstrances of the Tlascalans, who looked upon his destruction as unavoidable, as if he had

put himself into the power of Montezuma. But the emperor had resolved to admit his visit; and informed Cortes that he had given orders for his friendly reception at Cholula. In this, however, he was by no means sincere. Cortes having discovered, by the information of two Tlascalans, that the Cholulans were plotting his destruction, he resolved to prevent his enemies, and to inflict on them such dreadful vengeance as might strike Montezuma and his subjects with terror. For this purpose the Spaniards and Zempoallans were drawn up in a large court, which had been allotted for their quarters, near the centre of the town; the Tlascalans had orders to advance; the magistrates and chief citizens were sent for under various pretexts, and seized. On a signal given the troops rushed out and fell upon the multitude, destitute of leaders; the Spaniards attacked them in front; the Tlascalans in the rear; the streets were filled with slaughter; the temples, which afforded a retreat to the priests and some leading men, were set on fire, and they perished in the flames. This scene of horror continued two days, during which the wretched inhabitants suffered all that the destructive rage of the Spaniards, or the implacable revenge of their Indian allies, could inflict. length the carnage ceased, after the slaughter of 6000 Cholulans, without the loss of a single Spaniard. Cortes then released the magistrates; and reproaching them bitterly for their intended treachery, declared, that, as justice was now appeased, he forgave the offence; but required them to recall the inhabitants who had fled, and re-establish order in the town, which was instantly complied with. From Cholula, Cortes advanced towards Mexico; and throughout the whole of his journey was entertained with accounts of the oppressions and cruelty of Montezuma. This gave him the greatest hopes of accomplishing his design; as he now perceived that the empire was divided. No enemy appeared to check his progress, Montezuma was quite irresolute; and Cortes was almost at the gates of the capital, before the emperor had determined whether to receive him as a friend or oppose him as an enemy. But as no sign of open hostility appeared, the Spaniards continued their march to Mexico, with great circumspection. About 1000 persons of distinction came forth to meet him, adorned with plumes, and clad in mantles of fine cotton. Each of these in his order passed by Cortes, and saluted him. They announced the approach of Montezuma himself. There appeared first 200 persons in an uniform fashion, marching two and two, in deep silence, barefooted, with their eyes fixed on the ground. These were followed by a company of higher rank, in their most showy apparel; in the midst of whom was Montezuma, in a chair or litter, richly ornamented with gold and feathers of various colours. When he drew near, Cortes dismounted,

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advanced towards him in a respectful posture. At the same time Montezuma alighted from his chair, and leaning on two of his relations, approached with a slow and stately pace. Cortes accosted him with the most profound reverence, after the European fashion. He returned the salutation, according to the custom of his country, by touching the earth with his hand, and then kissing it. This ceremony, the customary expression of reverence from inferiors towards those who are above them in rank, appeared such condescension in a proud monarch, that his subjects believed those persons, before whom he humbled himself in this manner, to be more than human. Montezuma conducted Cortes to the quarters prepared for his reception; and immediately took leave of him, with a politeness worthy of a court more refined; you are now," says he, "with your brothers, in your own house; refresh yourselves after your fatigue, and be happy until I return." The place allotted to the Spaniards for their lodging was a house built by the father of Montezuma. It was surrounded by a stone wall, with towers at proper distances, which served for defence as well as for ornament; and its apartments and courts were so large, as to accommodate both the Spaniards and their Indian allies. The first care of Cortes was to take precautions for his security, by planting the artillery so as to command the different avenues which led to it, and by appointing a large division of his troops to be always on guard. In the evening Montezuma returned to his guests with the same pomp as on their first interview; and brought presents of such value, not only to Cortes and his officers, but even to the private men, as evinced his liberality. A long conference ensued, in which Cortes learned the opinion of Montezuma with respect to the Spaniards. It was an established tradition, he told him among the Mexicans, that their ancestors came originally from a remote region, and conquered the provinces now subject to his dominion; that after they were settled there, the great captain who conducted this colony returned to his own country, promising that at some future period his descendants should visit them, assume the government, and reform their constitutions and laws; that, from what he had heard and seen of Cortes and his followers, he was convinced that they were the very persons whose appearance these prophecies taught them to expect; and accordingly, he had received them, not as strangers, but as relations of the same blood and parentage, and desired that they might consider themselves as masters in his dominions; for both himself and his subjects should be ready to comply with their will, and even to prevent their wishes. Cortes made a reply in his usual style, with respect to the dignity and power of his sovereign, and his intention in sending him into that country; artfully endeavouring so to frame his discourse, that it might coincide with the idea