OCR Text |
Show BOOK IX. ~ f • . f1 I s T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. at Ver~ Cruz, al}d the death of Efcab,ltO t} e governor, ~nd fix fu1di.ers of t h at garn·r co n.. " 1 't< he added'' m.uft give 3n a~count to my {o•v ctr1cJ •g n " of the death of thofe Spaniards ; and in ord<tr to be able tQ g1ve urn " proper fatisfa~ion, I hav~ made enquiry jnto fs:>. 1\r:\.gula_r nn event. " All confider you the principal author of thofc.e revoluttons; but I " run far from thinking fo great a monarch capabl~ of fuch perfid~ as " to perfe~ute me as an enemy in that pr.ovincp, wh1le ~~ tl~~ fame time " you are heaping favours upon me m your coqrt, I do not ,, doubt (replied the 4,ing) but thofe wlw ac~uf~ llle of th<' war of H Nauhtlan are the Tlafcalans, U1Y fworn enequ~s; bttt I vrote{l: I had ~r no influence in it. ~auhpopoc;:a has proGeftdep fO do fo without my " orders, and rather ~gau1 ft my inclination; ~n~ that yo~ rnay Qe " affurQd of the truth, l will m:}~e him \l,llm~d~atf;ly 90111() tq court,. (' qnd put him into your hands." Be im1n~iately caUe~ twq qf his 4:ourtiers, and ddiver~ng to them 4l certaip g~nl, whic~ h~ ~l.w~ys wore hanging a.t his arm, and fervc~ in pl~ce of~ (e~l ~~ ~ (lgn of his commands, he orq~red then\ to go with ~11 pollibl~ fpceq to Nauhtlan to \>ring <l9auhpopoc~ from thence to <;qurt, ami ~hq oth_e( prip_cip~l pe1fons whQ w~re conc~rrl~Q in the d~a{Q of thq Sp.ani11!·q~, qnq g~ve them authority tQ r~ifu troop&, ~.net t'\"~ them by f9rce if. t)ley fuould refufe to obey. The, two ~ourticrs ~epartcd immediately to execute their COQlWitnon, ~p,d ~he ~ing faid tq Cortes, " What can I do more ~~ atfqr~ you of u my f\11c~rity ?" £~ l have ~o qoubt ~f i~ (anfwerecl. Cqrtes) .; l,m~ 'f in ord~r to, clear \tp the error into which your v~!fal& h~ve ~ikc;.wife " fallen 1 that ~h.e l'\ff'\ir of Nauhtlan had been executeq by you,r ord<;rs, " we wilh for a ftrpng pr9Qf pf it~ which will manife~ JOt~r bepevQ\ence u towards tts. i ~nd no one feems 1.11ore a.d~pted for ~his purpofe tha~ tllat '.' of your <;ond~fce,nding to live with JJS until the; gqjlty perfon& a.ppear, " and m:mifefl: your ipnOC<:J\CC by the~r confeffion. That w.i.l~ be fllf7 " ficitnt to fatisfy my fovereign, to ju(tify your condufr.a ~o honour " and thelter U:S under the lhaqe of you~ majefl:y." In fpite of the artful wo(ds in which Cqrteli endeavoured to difguife his d,ring and injurious pretenfion, the. king immediately penetra-eq his mean. ing, and w.a& difturbed. " W.4en was there ~ver an inftance. (he faid) " of a king tan\.ely fuffering himfelf to be led into prifon? And although " I was H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C' o· u I was willing to debafd myfelf in fo vile a· m<Ulner1 would not all rny '' vaffalS'I immediately arm therrtfelvo9 to fet fJ:le free? · 1- am not a· rna~ 11 ' who· can hide myfelf, or fly tO' the ai'ountains J without fubjetting " myfe!f to fuch infamy, 1 am here now ~cady to .fads.fy your com:.: "' plaints.'"' " The houfo, prince. (ret'umed C'0ftes), to which we invit~ u you, is one of your palaces; nor will it excite the wonder of your fuh" j.ects, wha are accultomed· t0- yohr change of habitatioa1 to fee '·' you now go· t<J inhubit the palace 0f yolt1· deceafed fatlier Axajacatl~ "' fi·om a; m6t·ive of £hewing your benevolence towards us. in cafe "' your fubjects afterwards: .lhou1d dare to do any thiAg agai·nft· you' OF " us, we have enough o£ counge, ftrong: :i~ms, and good weapon&-, fo '·' repel thei.r. violence. In othet refpeCls· l engage! my faith y<>u '' ihaH be as much honoured' alnd· attended~ up6n by u!;-.as· by your own "' fubjects." Tf1e king perfcvered in his· refuful, and Cortes· in Iiis im ... portunity:; until at laf.l:, one of the SpanHh 6fficers, extremely daring artd impetuous, riot &rooking this delay to-the execution' of their proj: efr,. faid,... in pafiion,, that they ihould leave difcourfing, and refolve to mke him by· force, or pnt him to death. The king, who difcerned in the afpeCl: of the Spaniard, what was hiS> purpofe, e'agerly demanded of Marina what that furious ftranger faid? " I, prince (tbe an.fwered with mildnefs and difcretion ), " as you!' fubjeet, defire yGur happinefs J. ~· hut as the· confidant of thofe men, know their fecrets, and am ac-: " quainted with theit cha'ratter'. If you conde:fcend to do what they ,., require, you · will be treated by them with all the honour which i& " due to your royal perfon i but if you pertift in your refufal, your life ' 1 will be in. danger.... That unhappy king, who from the time that he had the firft intelligence of the· arrival of the Spaniards, ha:d been .(l:ruck with a fuperftiitious panick, and had become daily more pufillanimous, feeing .himfelf in fuch difficulty, and being perfuaded tha~ ~fore his• guards could oome to his fuccour he might' pe.rifh by the hands of men fo daring and refolute, at lafl: yielded to their importunity. u·1 a~ ·willing. to truft myfelf with· yott _;. let us go, let us go,. 41 fince the gods thus intend;~' and immediately he ordered his litoe.r to t;e prep~red, and he got· into it, in· order to· be tranfpot'ted to the quar... ters of; t!W Spaniards. 8 Our • '!tf BGOK IX. r::w • |