OCR Text |
Show I 54 HISTORY OF ME X I C 0. this dccafion, before the captains entered his ho~fe, he k~ew that they BOOK II!. T d that they came armed: thts made htm apprehend • were epanecas, an · d h · what they might intend, upon which he left off play, and rett:e to. 1.s innermo{\: apartment. Being informed, afterwards, by hts ~01 t~1, that the Tepanecas enquired for him, he ordered Ocelotl to tece1ve them, and to acquaint them that he would attend them as ~oon as .they had repofed and refrefl1ed themfelves. The Tepanecas dt~ ~ot tm~gine that by d~laying they would lofe the opportunity o~ fi:nkmg their blow, and poffibly alfo durfi: not execute their commtffion, a~ they were uncertain whether there were not attendants in the houfe fuffictent t() oppofe them ; after fome repofe, therefore, they fat down to table, and while they were refrefhing, the prince fled by a fecret door, and travelled fomething more than a mile to ~oatitlan, a fma~l fettleme~t of weaver~, the people of which were all fa1thful and affechonate to h1m, and there concealed himfelf (y}. The Tepanecas having waited a confiderable time without the prince or his dome1l:ic making their appearance, they fearched over the whole houfe, but no per~on ~ould give any account of him. At length being perfuaded of his fhght, they f~t out infiantly in fearch of him, and being informed by a countryman,. m the road to Coatitlan, that he had taken refuge in that place, they entered there with their arms in their hands, threatening the inhabitants with death if they did not difcover the fugitive prince; but no perfon w~s found who· would make this difcovery; and fo uncommon was their example of fidelity, fome were put to death for the· refufal. Among!l: thofe who made facrifices of their lives to p1·eferve their prince,. were Cf'ochmantzin the fuperintendant of all the looms of Coatitlan, and Matlalintzin, a woman of noble rank. The Tepanecas not being able, notwithftanding the utmoft diligence in their fearch,. and the cruelty they exercifed againft the inhabitants, to find out the prince, went in queft of him through the country. Nezahualcojotl fet out alio another way, and took a direB:ly contrary route to his adverfaries; but as they fought (y) Torquemada fays the prince went out of his houfe by a kind of lnl>yrinth, thro\lglt 'Which no perfon unacquainted with it could find his way. The prince and fome of his mol\ JlMticul:ir confidants only knew the fecret of it. It is not at all incredible that he fuould hnve clefigned fuch a maze, ns his genius was {u_Retior and himfelf diftiJ.liui!hed above all his coun~ trymen, in talents and penetration. for H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. for him every where, he was in great hazard of falling into their hands, had he not been hid by fome CO\lntrymen, under a heap of the herb chia, which was lying upon a threfhing floor. The prince finding himfelf fafe from this danger, went to pafs the night at T~zcotzinco, a plea.C1nt villa formed by his ancefi:ors for recreation. There he was waited for by fix lords, who had left their 1l:ates, and were traverfing through the different cities of the kingdom. There tl1ey held a fecret counfel that night, and refolved to folicit the affiftance of the Chalchefc, although they had been accomplices in the death of king Ixtlilixochitl. The next morning early, he proceeded to Matlallan and other places, intimating to thofe of his party to be prepared with arms by the time of his return. Two day~ were employed in thefe negociations, and on the evening of the fecond he was met at A pan by the ambaifadors of the Cholulans, who offered to affi£1: him in war againft the tyrant. Here he was joined alfo by two lords of his party, who communicated to him the unfortunate intelligence of the death of his favourite Huitzilihuitl, who was put to the torture by the tyrant, that he might reveal fome fecreta; but being too loyal to his mail:er to difcover them, he died a martyr to his fidelity. Full ()f this difgufi: he paifed from Apan to Huexotzinco, the lord of which was his relation, and received him with infinite affeCl:ion and 'kindnefs, and promifed to affi1l: him alfo with all his forces. From .thence he went to Tlafcala, where he was mofi: nobly treated, and .in that city the time and place was agreed upon at which the troops of Cholula, Huexotzinco, and Tlafcala were to be aifembled. When he departed from this lafi: city to go to Capo11a1 pan, a place fituated about h1lf way between Tlafcala and Tezcuco, [o many nobles accompanied 'him, he appeared more like a king who was going to take pleafure with his court, than a fugitive prince who was endeavouring to render himielf mafi:er of th~ crown whi<:h was ufurped from him. In Capollal pan, he received the anfwer of the Chalchefe, in which they declared themfelves ready to affifi: and ferve their lawful lord againfi: the iniqui.tot~ s ufurper. It is probable the cruelty and infolence of the tyrant ahenated many from him; the Chalchefe, befides, were very inconfbnt .and apt to attach themfel ves fometimes to the one, and fometimes to ~the other party; as :will ttppear .in the courfe .of om hiftory. X 2 While 155 BOOK III. SecT. XVII. N cgoci:ttioJU of Ne1.ahual· cojotl to ob· tail\ the crown. |