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Show nooK xv. ~ H I S T 0 R y 0 F M E X I C 0. der obl!.g at1• 0n to r. b 't to' at) ordet· which would throw fuch 1U mi ' not u~ I .. h . as the nobles mufi: be difgraced and de-rcfle[ bon on t lCU onour, . 1 . h f( fit t . d d 'f they fhmuied ngaging upon an occaflOn w ~lC was o o gra e 1 . . . Tl . firfr opinion prevailed, as belllg the mofr .fitfe; !hew the1r ·b 1avet Y· 1 1·e. ·ch to return to Mex1· co, M oqu·1n m·x t 1 but in fettmg out on 1e t lCH mal . . r. ffi h king addrdle. d h . " L t thofe return whofe fpmt can J.ll er t em t em . e , . h 1 f ' : their backs upon the enemy, whilfi: I Wlt my peop e o "' Ttol attuelronl co alone be,!lr off th honour o f t h e ·a '' This refo Vl ory. . - lute determm· atw· n of Moquihuix • fo roufcd and fired the other .g e.n ed-rals, that they all refol vcd to meet the danger. At length they J0111e battle with the enemy, in which the Cotafrefc _although ~hey ~ought cour ouut1 y, wer•e ne verthe1 \.: fs vanqui(hcd ' wlth all their allies: odf thefc laO:, the greater part were left on the Geld ; of both, f~x thoufi·m two h u nd r c d wet ·e 111ade prifoners ' who were foon after. f.a cnfice.d at the fcfl:ival of the confecration of the t?(uaxicako, or the .rc~1g10us edifice ap-ropriatt: d for the prefecvation of the fkulls of the vtcbm~. The whole ~f that province remained fubj eCl: to the k~ng of .Mex1co, who eftahlifhcd a garrifon there, to keep that ~cople 10 obedtence to the c_ro,:n· This great victory was principally owwg to the .bravery of Moqmhlllx; an d even u ntl'l our· da' y ' a Mexican fong or ode has been preferved, which was at that time compofed in his praifc (e). Montezuma rnorc p1cafcd with the happy fortune of th_e war, than offended a: ~he uifobedicnce to his orders, rewarded the kmg of Tbtelolco by g1vmg ]1im one of his coufins to wife, who was the fifrer of the above mentioned princes, Axayacatl, Tizoc, and Ah~itzotl. . In the mean while the Chalchefe were daily rendcrmg themfelves more dcferving of chafi:ifcmcnt, not folely by rebellion, but alfo by the ~ommillion of other new offences. At this time they had the nudac1ty to take the brother of the Icing Montezuma himfelf, who was, according to what we can 1e:trn, lord of Ehecatepee, with fome other Mexicans, J)rifoners. A crime of this nature committed on a perfon fo nearly related in blood to their fovereign, appears to have been a meafure contrived by them to get rid of the power of the Mexicans, and make the city of Chalco the rival of Mexico ; as they were defirous of making that {c) Boturini m;tkcs mcntiot) t>f this ode, which he ha·l, among other mnnufcripts nnd paipt). n.g;, in his very valunblc l)l\lfcum, lord, H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. lord, king of Chalco; and frequently, though in vain, propofed it to him. He perceiving them fixed in their refolution, told them he would accept the crown they oftered ; but, that the act of his exaltation might be the more folemn, he ddired they would plant in the market-place, one of the highc!l: trees, and place a f<.:affold upon it, fi·om which he might be viewed by alL Every thing was done as he requefi:ed: having aflembled the Mexicans ::~.round the tree, he afcended the fcaffold with a bunch of flowers in his hand; then from the height, in the view of an imrnenfe concourfe of people, he thus addreffed his own people: " Ye know well, my brave Mexicans, that the Chalchefe wifh " to make me their king; but it is not agreeable to our God that I " fhould betray our native country, I chufe rather to teach you by my " exam pie, to place higher value on fidelity to it, than upon life itfelf." Having fpoke thus, he threw himfelf headlong from the fcaffold. This aCt, though barbarous, was agreeable to the ideas which the ancients · entertained of magnanimity, and was fo much lefs cenfurable than that of Cato and others, celebrated by antiquity, as the motive was nobler and the courage of the Mexican greater.. The Chalchefe were fo enraged at the deed, that they fell in!l:antly on the other Mexicans and killed them with their darts. The next evening they heard by chance the melancholy [creaming of an owl, which, as they were extremely addiCted to fuperil:ition, was interpreted, a fatal omen of their approaching ruin. They were not deceived in the anticipation of their difafters; fur Montezuma, highly provoked by their rebellion and their enormous offences, immediately declared war, and caufed fires to be kindled on the tops of the mountains, as a fignal of the punifhment to which· he condemned the rebels. He th en. marched with his army againft that province, and made fuch havock of the enemy as to leave it almofl: dcpo .. pulated. Immenfe numbers were !laughtered, and thofe who efcaped with life, fled into the caves of the mountains which rife above the . plains of Ohalco ; fome, to remove themfelves fi:ill further from danger, pafling to the other fide of the mountains, took refuge in Huexot~ zinco and At1ixco. The city of Chalco was tacked and plundered. The fury of revenge was fucceedcd in Montezuma, as is ufual to noble minds, by fe~lings of compafllon for the unfortunate. He proclaimed a general pardon to all the fu gitives, particularly for the relief of the V .OL. I.. B b aged1 185 BOOK: ~V. '--v--J |