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Show 182 nooK rv. •...--...r-..J ~t· c r . XIJI. Ntw c II · quells and dr ath of :llon t c" uma. iJISTORY. ' Of MEXICO ' Uut the Mexicans were not permitted to enjoy the feafon of plenty ill quictncfs, being obliged to go to .war againft Atonaltzin, lor~ of the city and fiatc of Coaixtlahuacan, 1n the country of the Mtxtecas. This was a powerful lord, who, for fome reafons unknown, would not allow to any Mexican a pa!lagc through his lands, and whenever they happened to come there ihe~cd then: the worfi .t~eatment he conl~. Montezuma being highly offt:ndtd w1th fuch hoftll1ty, fent an embafiy to him, to know the motive of his conducr, and threatened him with war if he did not make a prop:r apology. Atonaltzin re eived the embafly with [corn, and ordering fome of his riches to be fet before the ambafiador~ , " Bear," [aid he, " this prefent to your king, and tell " hirn, from it he may know how much my fubj eets give me, and " how great the love is which they have for me; that I willingly ac" cept of war, by which it {hall be decided whether my fu bjecrs are " to pay tribute to the king of Mexico, or the Mexicans to me." Montezuma immediately informed the two allied kings of this infolent anfwcr, and fent a confiderable army againll: that lord, who was well prepared, and met them on the frontiers of his fi:ate. As foon as the armies came in fight of each other, they engaged; but the Mixtecas ru!hed with fuch fury on the Mexicans, that they were thrown into diforder, and forced to abandon their enterprize. The pride of Atonaltzin increafed with the viCtory, but forefeeing that the Mexicans would return with a more numerous force, he demanded affitlance from the Huexotzincas and the Thfcalans, who .readily, granted it, rejoicing in having an opportunity of interrupting the fuccefs of the Mexican arms. Montezuma, who was much troubled at the unhappy iifue of the war, meditated the re-efbblHhment of the honour of his crown, for which purpofe he fpeedily collecred a numerous and fnrmidable army, refolving to command it himfelf, together with his two royal allies; but before they fet out on their march, he received intelligence that the Tlafcalans and Hue.xotzincas had attacked Tlachquiauhco, a place in Mixteca, had killed all the Mexican garrifon there, and · deprived fome of the citizens of their lives, and others of their liberty. Montezuma, now warm with indignation, ma~ched towards Mi:xteca. Neither his own power, nor the affifiance whtch he received from his friends, were of any avail to Atonaltzin. 1 ln l1 I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. In the very firft confliCt his army was tota1ly defeated, many of his {oldicrs were killed, and almofi: all his confederates; the few who efcaped the fury of the Mexicans fell by the hands of the Mixtecas, in revenge for the unfortunate ilfue of the battle. Atonal tzin furrendered to Montezuma, who not only remained in pot1effion of the city, and the ftate of Coaixtlahuacan, but proceeding farther made himfelf mafter of Tochtcpec, Tzapotlan, Tototlan, and Chinantla, and in the two following years of Cozamaloapan, and ~auhtochto. The caufc of thefe laft wars was the fame with many others, namely, the illhabitants of thefe places having in time of peace put fome merchant and couriers of ~exico to death. The expedition undertaken in I 4 57 againll: Cuet!achtlan,. or Cotafb,. proved far more difficult, and more celebrated. This province fitu:ated as we mentioned before on the coafi: of the Mexican gulf, and founded, or at leafi inhabited, by the Olmecas, who were driven out by the TlafcaL ns, was extremely populous. We are ignorant of the occafion of the war ; we know, however, that the Cotaftefe forefeein 0' the 0 ftonn which threatened them, called the Hucxotzincas and Tlafca-lans to their affiftance. The two lafi: feeling high refentment for the lofs of Coaixtlahuacan, and thirfting for revenge, not only agreed to affift the other, but perfuaded the Cholulans alfo to enter into the confederacy. Thefe three republics fent numerous forces to Cotafi:a to wait for the enemy. Montezuma, on his part, raifed a great and brjlliant army, in which the flower of the nobility of Mexico, Acolhua, Tlatelolco, and Tepaneca enlified. Among other pcrfons- of difiincrion in this army were .Axajacatl, the general, 'l't"zoc, and .Ahuilzotl, all three brothers, and of the royal family of Mexico, who fucceffively filled the throne after Montezuma their coufin. There were alfo the lords ·of Colhuacan a~d Tenaycuca; but the mot1: refpecrable charatl:ct· wa Moquihtiix, king of Tlatelolco, fucceifor to the unfortunate ~auh tlatoa. When the army left Mexico, intelligence had not arrived of the confederacy of the three republics with the Cotafiefe; as foon as Montezuma knew it, he fent melfengers to his generals not to proceed, but to return infi:antly to his court. The generals entered into a confultation : fome were of opinion that they ought to obey the order of their fovereign without hcfitation; others thought they wt:rc not BOOK IV. '--Y--J |