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Show • H I S T 0 R y 0 F M E X I C 0. g·1v en to t h e genera Is · Sometimes the kings, in order to juftify their conduCl: more fully before they made war upon any ftate or pla~c, fent three d.1ft .e rent em ba f ln' e s ,. the firfi: to the lord o. f the. ftate whtc.h had gt·v en oaa:e nce, t. e q m' rI' ng from him a fuitable. f.'1tLsfathon, and alto prc..- 1r. cn" b'm g a t't m e fior the fame ' on pain of bemg treated .a s .a n enemy; h r. d to the nobles that they might perfuade theH .. lord to make t e ICC On , ' . d h · d a 1~u bn u·m 1 0n, a nd er!I.c •a pe the punifhment whtch threaten. e nn. ; an the third to the people, in order to make the~ a~qua.lllted w1th the occa f1i 011 o f the W".. r ; a11d very often ' as a certam hdl:onan afferts, the arguments ma de U1r1.e of by the ambaffadors were fo p•o werfu• l, and the advantages of peace, and the di{treues of war, were fo Jor~tbly reprcr. t d that an accommodation took place between the partLes. They !CO e ' . f I . 'I 1 r uied alfo to fend along with ambaffadors the tdol o f ~1t z1. opoc H 1,, enjoining the people who were fl:irring up a war to gtve 1t a place· among their gods. If they on the one h~nd found. th.emfdves fl:rong: enough to refifl:, they rejeCl:ed the propofitwn, and d1~mtffed ~he fl:r:mge god; but if they thought t~1emfelves u~able to. fu.{b.Jn a war, they received the idol, and placed 1t among then· provmctal gods, au.d.anfwered to the emb:1fiy with a large prefent of gold, gen:s, or beauttful feathers, acknowledgi·ng their fubjeCl:ion to the fovere1gn: If war was to be commenced, previous to every thmg elfe they fent advice of it to the enemy, that they might prepare for defence, confidering nothing more mean and unworthy of brave people than to attack the unguarded : for this purpofe therefore, they fent befor~ the.tn feveral ihields, which were the fignals of a challenge, and ltkewt.fe fome cotton drdTes. When one king was challenged by anoth:r, they ufed alfo the ceremony of anointing, and fixing feathers upon hts head, which was done by the ambaifador, as happened at the challenge ?iven by king Itzcoatl to the tyrant Maxtlaton;. they next dif~atc~ed ~pt~s, who were called f<yimichtin, or forcerers, and were to go 111 d1fgutfe mto the country of the enemy, to obferve their number and motions,_ and the quality of the troops which they muftered. If they were iuccefs.ful in this commiffion they were amply rewarded. Lafl:l y, after ~l~vtng. made !ome facrifices to the god of war, and to the tutelar de.tttes ~f the Hate or city on which the war was made, in order to ment thetr proteCtion, tl)e army marched, but not forme d m· to wm· gs, or· ranked lll H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. in files, but divided into companies, each of which had its lc.1der, and its il:andard. When the army was numerous it was reckoned by Xiquiptlli; and each xiquz'pilli confifl:ed of eight thoufand men. It is extremely probable, that each of thefe botiies w.1s commanded by a Tlacatecatl, or other general. The pbce where the firll: battle was ufu•1lly fought was a fidd appointed for that purpofe in fome province, and called J aot!alli, or land or field of battle. Tbey began battle (as was ufual in ancient · Europe, ancl among the Romans), with a moll: terrible noife of warlike inll:rumen ts, lhouting and whifl:ling, which il:ruck terror to thofc who were not accufl:orned to hear it, as the anonymous conqueror declares from his own experience. Amongfl: the people of Tezcuco, and likewife, mofl: probably, amongft thofe of other 11:ates, the king, or the general, gave the fignal for battle, by: the beat of a little drum which hung at His fhoulder. Their .firft onfet was furious; but they did not all engage at once, as fame authors have reported; for they were accuil:omccl, as is manifdl from their hifl:ory, to keep troops in n:ferve, for prefiing emergencies. t-ometimes they began battle with !hooting arrows, and fometimes with darts and flinging of 11:ones; and whcll their arrows were exhauiled, they mad~ ufe of their pikes, clubs, and fwords. They ~ere extremely attentive to keep their troops united and firmly together, to defend the fiandard, and to carry off the dead and the wounded hom the fight of the enemy. There were certain men of the army who lud no other employment than to remove li-om the eyes of the enemy every object which could heighten their courage and inflame their pride. They made frequent ufe of ambufcades, concealing themfelves in bu01y places or ditches made on purpofe, of which the Spaniards had often experience; and freqnently alio they pretended flight, in order to lead the enemy in purfuit of th em into fame dan gerous lituation, or to charge them b .... hiud with fre fh troops. ] heir great aim in h:lttle was not to kill, but to make prifoner& of thcit· em:mies for fftcrifices; nor Wd.S the bravery of a foldi~:.r dl:imated by the numbt!r of dead bodies which he kft on the field, but by the number of prifoners which he prcfentcd to the generul after the battle, and this w;i.s unqu dhon :-~ bly the princip<1l cau[e of the prefervation of the Spani. lrds, in the midil ()[ the d.1ngers to which they were expoft.:d, and · B b :z parti- 37 1 BOOK VIr. '--v---1 • |