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Show HOOK VIH. ~ SEC T, XX\'l. Enti')' of the , paniards into Cholula. li I S T 0 R y 0 F M 1~ X 1 C 0. w hkh was confid red as a manifcfi demon !l:ration of di Ci·cfpcC.l:. Cones bei n ~ advcrtifcd of it by the T lafcabns fl:nt four of the Ch:.:mp Jal ld\ to tell the Choltdans that, the ~.;mba f(y of a monar ·h fo gn;at :ls the kin O' of p.1in, ought not to luve bet:n cn trufleLi to fn ch low llH.:f1(.: 11- gcrs, nor w ·re they th<.!mit:lvcs worthy to hc.tr it; to let th (.;m l' n w, that tlv.: Catholic kiqg was th<.: tru<.: lod of ;~11 tl1:1t cottntry, and th:1t in his name he C.1 1r.c to dcu t:llld hotm ~;c or tho!c J cop lc; tlrtt thole who {]1ould fnhtnit l hi .n vo uld ])(.: lwnoutc 1, ;tnd t h ~; rl'bcl · JHl!dhc,J arco rding to thei r Jdcrt; th.u thcrdorc they {bould m, kc th ir appearan c wi thin tht\;C d. 1. ys in Tb(..: ..l l.t, to give obedience to their f(>Vcrcign, otbcrwift: they wou!J b.e treated a Cllcmics. The holub.tl S, although it is to be fLlppofed th ey treated fo arrogant an cmbaffy with bnrlefque, in ord er to l!J ffcmb le the ir mnli ious intention, prefcntcd themfclvcs the nex t day to Cortc.:s, requcfting him to ex ufe their mifGon, o ·cafioncd by the enmity of the T laCcabns, dec laring th ·mfclvcs not on ly the fricn Is of the ' 'paniarcls, but ali(> the vaDitls of the king of 'p:1i n. }lavin-g determined hi s rou te throu-2'h Cholula, Cortes f<.:t out with all his pcopl , and a conlldcmble JJumbcr of T lafcalan troops (d), all which he [oon cli!charged, except fix thou(and men, whom he chofe to accompany him. A little w1y befo re they nrriv d at holula, the principal lords and pri cfts, with ccn!crs in their h:-mds and mu(ic.:al inll:rumcnts, came out to tn\:Ct him, and after hav ing paid the uCual ercmonics of r fj)cct, they told the general, th:tt he migh t nter with a11 hi people and the Totonacas ; but they could not admit th eir enemies the Tlafcalans. To this ortcs co ni~n t<.:d through complailancc, and the Tlafcalans remained encamped without the ity, imitating in the difpofition of their camp, the order of their centincls, and other things, the military diiciplin e of tile Spnniards. At th.e entry of the Spani01 army into holula, a Gmilar croud of people was collcct~d, and the ftme cremonies, acclamations, and rdpec1, were obfer,ved, though not with the f:1mc fin cerity, as in Tlafcala. (d) . ortc' fa ys, that this army of the Ttnfcalans confi(tcd of more than one htrndred and fc;rty-lllllC .thou fane\ men. R rna! Dia1. a!linns, as an und:H1btcd fntl', which wns wt·ll known to hun, that Jt con fill ed only of fifty thouf:tnd men. 'This number aj>pcnrs the molt probable. · Cholub H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. Cholula was then a populous city, eighteen miles diO:ant from Tlafcala towards the fouth, and about fixty from Mexico towards the eaft, and not lefs celebrated for the commerce of its inhabitants than its religion. It was fituated, as it is at prefcnt, in a beautiful plain, and at a fmall dift::mce from that group of mountains which furround the valley of Mexico towards the ea!l:. Its population at that time, as Cortes affirms, occupied about forty thoufand houfes, and there were as many in the circumjacent villages which were in the nature of fuburbs to it. Its commerce confifted in manufactures of cotton, gems, and plates of clay, and it was much famed for its jewellers and potters. W'ith refpetl: to religion, it may be faid, that Cholula was the Rome of Anahuac. The celebrated ~etzalcoa tl having palfed fo many years in that city, and {hewn fo much affection to his fubjects, was the caufe that after his apot,heofis, it was confecrated by the moil: particular worlhip. The furprifing multitude of temples which were there, and in particular the greater temple, erected upon an artificial mountain, which is !l:ill exi!l:ing, drew innumerable pilgrims, not only from the neighbouring cities, but likewife from the r~1o.O: di!l:ant provinces, to perform their devotions at that imagined holy fpot. Cortes was lodged, with all his troops, in fome large buildings, :where, during the two fir{l: days, they were abundantly fupplied with provifions ; but very foon they began to grow fcanty, until at Jail: there was nothing furni!hed by the city but wood and water. This was not the only proof of their fecret machinations and intentions; for every moment they difcovered new indications of the treachery ·which they meditated. The Champoallefe allies obferved, that they had made holes and dug pits in the ftreets of the city, in which they had fixed Jharp ftakes, and covered them with earth, which it appeared was done for no other purpofe than to wound and dif..1ble the horfes. Eight men, who came from the camp of the Tlafcalans, apprifed them that they had feen cr~uds of women and children comi~g out of the city; a certain fign among thofe nations of fome impending commotion. l3efides, it 'was found out, that in fome of the ftreets they had formed entrenchments, and collected great heaps of .O:ones upon the tops of the houfes. Lafi:ly, a Cholulan woman of rank, who had become enamoured of the beauty, the fpirit, and difcretion of Marina,' in treated her to i~lVe ' . . . VoL. II. H herfelf 49 B..O._O_K_ V._II.,I . |