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Show 6o BOOK VIII. ~ H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0 ·. retinue of Mexican and Tezcucan nobility. As foon as he came in. fight of the Spanifh general, he alighted from the litte.r and ~egan walking on foot, preceded by fome of his fervants: who l.ndulb~JOufly removed out of his way every thing which could e1ther offend Ius .feet or his fight. The Spaniards were afionifhed at this pomp, and fr~m thence began to form conjeCtures of the parad~ and grandeu~ wluch mufi attend the king of Mexico. Cortes went to the door of h.1s dwelling to meet him, and faluted him with a pro~ound. bo:V, wluch was returned by the king in touching the earth wtth h1s nght hand ancl then lifting it to his mouth. He entered with an air of lordlinefs and majefty into one of the halls, f1t himfelf down, congratulated the ge·neral and his officers on their happy arrival, and fignified the particular pleafure his uncle the king of Mexico had in forming a friend0'1ip and correfpondence with the monarch of the Eail, by whom they were fent into that country; but at the fame time, he exaggerated the difficulties necefiary to be overcome in order to go to court, and requefted Cortes to change his refolution if he defired to plcafe the king. Cortes anfwered, that if he returned back without delivering his embaffy he would fail in his duty, and would give the utmoft difpleafure to h.is fovereign who had fe!lt him, and particularly when he had found himfelf ·fo near to the court after having fur~nounted the dangers of fo long a journey. If it z's fo, faid the king, 'We will fee each other at court; upon which taking polite leave, after being prefented with fome European toys, he left behind him a part of the nobility,, that they might attend Cortes on his journey. From Ajotzinc:o the Spaniards marched to Cuitlahuac, a city found ed upon a little ifiand in the· lake of Chalco, which, though fmall, was, accounted by Cortes the mofi beautiful he had hitherto feen. This city communicated with the main bnd by means of two large commodious roads, confiruCled on the lc~ ke; the one to the fouth, , which was two miles in length; the other to the north, which was . more than two miles inleng~h. The Spaniards paficd .along, delighted to fee the multitude and beauty of the cities fituated on the lake, the temples and· towers which rofe above the other buildings, the tr.ees and !hrubbery which beautified the inhabited places, th.c fields and . floating H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. floating gardens of the lake, and the innumerable little veffels plying upon it; but. flt the fune time, not a l it tle timor,ms at feeing themfelves furrounded by an immenfi.: crowd of people, which colletl:ed there .frotn all places to obi( rve them; on whid1 account Cortes com.:. manded his people to proceed in good order and to be prepared for accidents ' and . c,turioned the Indians not to obfi:rutl: the way nor come too near the ranks, unlefs they chofe to be treated as enemies. In Cuitlahuac they were well accommodated and entertained. The lord. of that city complained in fecret to Cortes of the tyranny of the king of Mexico, e1~tered into a confederacy with him, and informed him of the moll: convenient way to go t'o the court, and the confiernation into which the oracles of the gods, the phenomena in the heavens, and the fuccefs of the Spanifh, arms, had thrown Montezuma .. From Cuitb.huac they proceeded by the other road of the Jake towards Iztapalaran, but in the way Cortes was entertained with a new piece of good fortune. The prince IxlilxDchitl finding that Cortes was not to make his journey through alpolalpan, where he was waiting fo1~ him, refolved to meet him on the road to lztapalap:m,: he marched with a C011fiderable number of troops, and paff~d . clofe to Tezcuco: this having been known to the prince Coanacotzin,. his brother, who,. fince the rupture which, as we have alr:eady mentioned, happened· three years before betwe_n them, had been · totally alienated from him, either moved by fraternal affection, or led on by the hopes. of the greater advantages to. be deriv.ed from. the union of both their intereils,. came alfo to meet with him upon this ruad.: here they mutually exchanged fentiments, were reconciled, and united together in order ·to make· a e::onfederacy with the Spaniards. They travclkd together until they came· to Iztapalatenco, where they joined the ll:c.'l.ngcrs. Cortes, upon flieing fo many armed t·roops, was a little uneafy,. but ·being informed of the rank of the perfons who were come to find him, nnd the motive of their comi~1g, he went out to meet them, :md the ufual compliments having pafl~d between them, the· two princes invited him to the court of Tezcuco, t which he allowed himfelf to ·be eaG ly perfuaded to go, from the great fervice he ho ed to gain by the prJnce.. BOOKVrJI .. , S l! C T.XXXJlJ, Vi fit of the prin~.:es of Tezcuco, and entrance of the 'paniard$., into that court •. |