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Show 194 BOOK IV. '---""' H I S T 0 R y 0 F M E X I C 0. f h · d . d there they fixed the day on which th.ey were to cle-o t eir go s, an r. · h' · ft th Mexicans A few days after, he 1ent not.Jcc to 1s dare war agam e · 1 !1 ld b · 1 allies, to be well prepared to fuccour him whenever 1C lOU egm t lC attac k . X1.l oman. 10 1 ·d of Colhuacan ' was to make the firft o•n fct, anJ afterw.u·ds to pretend flight, to induce the Mexicans to purfue hun, when the Tlatelolcos were to fall upon their rear The day after th:fe en~baffies were fent, Moquihuix performed the ceremon~ of _armmg h1s d then went to the temple of Huitzilopochth to Implore the troops, an . . k 1 · h aid of that god, where the fame hornble draft was agam ta ~n w 11. Pojahuitl had given them at the firft congrefs, and all the foldm·.s pafied before the idol, with a falutation o~ profo.und reveren_ce. Th1s ceremony was hardly fini!l1ed when a troop of daring Mexicans entered the market-place, killing every one they met; but the troops of the Tlat:lolcos coming fuddenly up, repulfed them and took fame f them. pnfoners, who were facrificed without refpite, in a temple called Thllan. That fame day, about fun-fet, fame women of Tlatelolco had the b?Jd ... nefs to advance into the !hects of Mexico, and to fet fire to the b1rch trees at the doors of the houfes, cafting, at the fame time, impudent reproaches upon the Mexicans, and threatning them with approaching ruin; but they met with the contempt they deferved. . . That night the Tlatelolcos armed themfelves, and m the mornmg at break of day they beg~n the attack on Mexico. They were in the heat of the battle when Xiloman arrived with the Colhuas; but perceiving that the king of Tlatelolco had commenced the engagement without waiting for his aid or caring for his counfel, that lord retired in difguft; but defirous of doing fome mifchief to the Mexicans, he caufed feveral canals to be fuut up, to prevent their receiving any aOift .. ance by water ; thefe however were foon opened again by order of Axayacatl. The whole of the day the combat lall:ed with the utmoft fury on both fides, until night forced the Tlatelolcos to retire. The Mexicans burnt the houfes of the city which were the nearefl: to Tlatelolco, perhaps on account of their ftanding too much in the way in the time of engagement; but in fetting fire to them, twenty were made priioners and inftantly facrificed. Axayacatl that night diftributed his army in all the roads which led to Tlatelolco, and at the dawn of day began to march from every quarter towards - • H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. towards the market- cc, which was to be the point where they were to meet. The Tlatclolcos finding themfelves attacked on all fides, retreated to the public market-place to colleCt there all their force, and make the better refifl:ance; but when they reached it, they found themfelves ftill more incommoded and embarra!ied by their numbers. The words and cries with which Moquihuix endeavoured, from the top of the great temple, to encour.1ge his troops, were of no avail. The Tlatelolcos were beat down and killed, while thofe who fell, vented their rage in reproaches againfl: the king : " Defcend from thence, you " coward," they faid, " and take arms; it is not the part of a brave '·' man, to ftand calmly looking at thofe who are fighting and falling in " the defence of their country." But thefe complaints, occafioned by the fmarting of their wounds and the agonies of death, were altogether unjufl:, as Moquihuix neither £1.iled in the duties of a general nor of a king. It was proper for him not to expofe his life fo much as the foldiers did themfel ves, as he could be more ufeful to them by his counfel, and could encourage them by his prefence. In the mean time the Mexicans advanced to the fieps of the temple, afcended them, and came to the upper balcony where Moquihuix was calling out to his people, and made a defperate defence of himfelf; but a Mexican captain, namep · ~etzalhua, with a thruft pu(hed him backwards down the fieps (m), when fome foidiers took up his body in their arms, and prefented it to Axayacatl, .who opened his breaft, and tore out his heart. An act certainly horrid, but done without the feelings of horror, from its being fo frequent at their £.1.crifices! Thus fell the brave Moquihuix, and thus was the petty monarchy of the Tlatelolcos, which had been governed by four kings in the fpace of about one hund~ed and eighteen years, diifol'ved. The Tlatelolcos, aftel" the death of their king, fooi1 fell into diforder, and attempted to fave themfclves by flight, by pa!Eng acrofs their enemies; but four hundred and fixty remained dead on the market-place, among whom were fame oflicers of di fl:inction. After this defeat, the city of Tlatelolco was united with the city of Mexico, and was no longer confidered as a difl:inCl: (m) The interpreter of Mcndo1.n's colleCtion fay s, thnt after the lofs of the battle, Moqllihuix fled to the top of the tenJplc, and threw hi!nfclf head-long from it, being unable to endure the ·reproach es of one of the pric!ls; but the account of other hifiori:tns appears to us more con· fifu:nt with the charaCter of this kiJ1g. dty 195 BOOK IV. \_,--1 ' |