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Show 190 nooKt x. l ....I H I S T 0 R y · 6 F ' M J! X I C 0. . 1light, from th~ f~rY. of the e~~.my ;_ bn . Cortes having bcetl aware of ·this 'refo6.rcefor 1efcap~, ·had gtven orders to Sandoval to ~ake poffeffio11 with the brigantines of the port of Tlatelolco, and to fe1ze every bark. ·, fn fpite of the utrnoft diligence employ-:d by Sanpoval, many efcaped. and•amon·g others, the one which· carried the royal ~crfonagcs .. Thrs · a&rve eor:itm nder having difcovered 't, ordered Garc1a de l-lolgum, .the , captalll.Of ~he fwifteft b~igantin_e, t~ gi~e chace; he ~ade fuch fpeed t?at ' ·in atrfuort time he came up with tt, at?d the Spamards were prep:mng to fi~ into it, when therceafed ·their bars and threw down their arms in token of {urrender. In that large vemd1 or piragt1a, 'were the king of Mcicico 'Oi:!.ttuhtemotzin, theI queen T· ecu1.c 11 pot2r.n J1 ~.s Wf ·trre , L;..,. -oana-cotiin the king of Acolhnacan, Tctlepanquetzaltzin the k+1~g of Tlacop n·, at1d ·o't~er perfons of rank. The brigantine boarded them, _and the king of Mexico advancing to vards ·.the' Spaniards, faid to the captain, '" I am your priloner: I have no favour to aik, but that you will " {hew the g~een my wife and her attendants the. refpctl: due to their ,~, -fex and -rank." 'And, taking hold oflthe' q~1ecn bv: the hand, he 1 ' I 1 ( ~ (" ~ ' ' ' I paffed wi b her into the brigantine. ·Obferving 'atteq.vards, that the Spanifh captain looked anxiouOy after the other veffels, 'he told him that he needed not doubt, that as foon as they .all kne'Y that their fovereign was prifoner they would C01~1e to die, with h~m. I · The captain Holguin conduct d thbfe )lluftrious pedons to Cortes, ~ho was then upon the terrace of a: hou(e ~ih "tlatelolco. He received them with every mark of refpeCl: and humanity, and made them lit down. ~auhtemotzin, with much greatnefs of mind, told him; • .. #' • " 1 have done, brave general l in defence of myfelf and my fubjects 1 '·" every thing which the honour of my crown and regard for my peo~ I • . ., ple demanded; but, as my gbds have b&en againfl: me, I fee myfelf .'" now deprived of my crown and my liberty.: I am now you ~ prifoner; " at your pleafure difpofe of my perfon :" and putting his hand upon a dagger which Cortes wore at his girdle, · he added, J '' with this dag-: ·" ger take that life from me which I have not loft in the defence of " my ki~gdom." Cortes firove to confule bim1 W1th many arguments, declaring that ·he pid not confider him as his prifoner, but the pr.ifonef . . . I of the greateft monarch of Europe, from, whofe clemency he ought to .truft, that not on'ly the liberty which 1he• hacllofi, l I ,. " I• 0\lt alfo the throne of ' .. H 1 S T 0 R Y· ~ F M ~ ~· 1: ~ .~· oii his ' il1ufrrioqs ' .ance~qrs, whi~Q, he- h'}d, ro worthily, occupied and 1deferoded; would be rcfiored to l~im . .. But .what (oJ~cc; could he })ave from fuch deolarations, or what confid¢ ce, ~ould .h~~ p~~ jp the. , worq~ oF C,ortes, wb.o had· al \f{JY~ tbecn his.-eHeJ lJ', ,ap~ a(t~r- J)a;9'i~g fcen th,a.t ~ough the friend and proteCtor. of Mbntezuflla, l:loth were; Not fuffici: eht to fave rto:; tthat~ Jmo.n:lrcll; his crown, his lib~l'ty, or his' life? He defired of Cortes•, that he would do. no hurt to his fubjefrs '; and Cor:.. tes in return defired ;of him, that he would command them ap to fur, rende·r. Both: gavt' their otde11SJ and both vv.~re imil:an tly; obeyed. It -~was. ord!eted nl.(o, tha't all the Mex:ioans fhou.Jd t:leave the €i~y Without arms or I.Y.togg:1ke ; ~nd, ·a ddrl!1Hg t~ the affirmation 1of. ckri ·t:ye-witrtefs ~f the u molt lincerity·(r), . for three days and three nights ·all ·the three ·roaa leading from the city.' were feen full of men·, women, and chil·' d're~ } feeble, · eti1aeMtdil, anctrdirt:f~~ who went to reco-¢er- in other places of the 'bm.pire. J'Th; fetra •ftnell, whicH fo fnan_x thoufand putrii:l bodies .;~fhitted/ wa ' fo . i~tolet~Eile, tha't it · occalioned fome 'fitknefs to the . g~neral of tl~e conqueror's. The ·h'oufes, the fueets, and· th.e canals~. were 'full of disfignre4· da~cafes-_; the grol)J\d ?f t~e City was- in fume· pl~c~s fohnth:lug_ up _by t1'le 'citizens, who fearched1 ~mde1r' the'brth far ~~oots to feed '9n, \ir!d· .rnan:f't-~e6s 'fere ttrfpped' of 'rheir,1Bark, to fupply the. exigencies of famine.. The general .ca11fed the dead bodies to be buried/ and larg~ quantities. of wood to be:: burned· tlifough all the city, as much in order to purjfy, the infected ai'r as to celebrate. his. 10 .nl ' .. : I' , ; I • ' ,f J ~ ' ' ' V.Ir...Lory .. . ' ~ , . The news' of the ·taking . of the ; c~pital fpread quiddy through alL the lqnd .;, molt of the p;ovinces of the empire acknowlcged 'obedience to Corte's .. though . .fc;Hne few for t.wo years after continued to war. upon. ~r) ," Es v~rdnd. y juro amen que to4a Ia laguna, y. cafas y bl\t·b~coas cfl:aban llenas de· _cuerpoR y· cabezas d~ M nhre~ muerto~; que yo no ~c de que m:tncra lo ciCriba; pues c.n bs calles yen los 1111fmus pnttos de Tlarelolto no h<tbta orras cofas y no podia,nos andar, fino . eritre cuerpos y cabd·•s de T ndlos muertos. Y.o h lei do la ddl-rucion de J cl· f.1fcm .I mas fi en elln hubo t:. nta morr :tn' dnd corno afht Iy o. no lo a~,"· &c. Hlrnal Diaz, c-h. ap. ' 1 s6. of hia hillory, Such c:xpr.et ions, from an-eye·witncfs of great fincerity, who. was not given to c:x ag.. gerntion, CQnvey to us Ito j~l irlca. c,f·, rat horrid flauu bter.. we· futj.>e& th:lt the Me~rkans left the dead bodies unbur icJ, that the ftcnch of them mig ht drive away the be1iet era ·. a& othetwik .. . ~ ' ~ 1~ probable that,. on, ac~ouq~, of thc)t· ftrict . ~ttf;:~tion tP funeral rites, tltcjr. w'.oulc:Ua y e~ re-. ~nQv,eJ the~, all , , , ~ . , , r .. I • 1 ,J,, • I ;1,.,11 1e: .·' . t • |