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Show 14· H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. BOOKVIII. Cortes accepted the prefent with lingular dcmonfl:rations of gr:tti~ tude, and returned for them things of fmall valnt:, though cq ually priCed by them, either becaufc they w re entir ly new .in that country, or from the brilliancy of their appearance. TcuhtlJlc h:td brought many painters with him, in order that by dividing tht: obje<:ts among them of which the armament confitl:cd, they might in a fhort time copy them all; and that their king might have the plcafure of beholding, with his own eyes, all the wonders whilh they had to relate to him. Cortes perceiving their intention, in order to furniG1 their painters with a fubjeCt capable of making a grander imprdlion on the mind of their king, commanded his cavalry to mu:ller on the bca ·h, and go through fome military evolutions, and the artillery to be difchargcd in a volley. Both orders were obferved, and the exhibition attended to with all the :llupor and amazement imaginable by the two governors, their numerous retinue, and croud of followers, which as Gomara affirms, confi:lled of more than four thouftmd Indians. Teuhtlile took notice of a gilded vifor, or mask, whi h, from its r femblan ce to that belonging to one of the princip.1l idol of Mexico, he demanded from Cortes that they might fhcw it to their king; and Cort s grant....d it, on condition of having it returned to him full of gold dufl:, under a pretence that he defired to fee whether the gold, which w<~s dug from the mines of Mexico, was. the fame as that of his native country ( /). As foon as the paintings were finiil1ed, Teuhtlile took a friendly leave of Cortes, propofing to return in a few days with the anfwer of· h.is fo~~reign, and deputing Cuitlalpitoc in his place, that he might pro~ lde the Spaniards with every thing ncceffitry, he dep<trtcd for Cuitlachtlan, the place of his ufual relidcnce; from whence he carried in perfon the intelligence, the paintings, and prcfent from the Spani{h general, as Bernal Dias and Torqucmada affirm, or he fent them. all as Solis conjeB:ures by the pofl:s, or couriers, who were fiation~.;d on the highways, always ready to run with difpatchcs. (f), Some hi!l~ri .~ ns i'ay,. thnt Cortes in demanding the ·if.>r to he filled with golc!, pretend· eel th.tt he and his compan1ons futf.:rcd a ccrti\in dif~afe of the heart which tht·y faid could not be cured by any other remed 1 h' · · ' · ' r, bft f ' Y 1 Inn t IS }'ICCious metal, but that tmports little ns to the 111 ance o the fatl. H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. It is cafy to imagine the uncafinefs and perplexity into which Montezuma was thrown by the news of that armal ent, and the difuncl: information he had of the character of tho.ie {hangers, the fire of their horfes, and the dcfl:ructive violence of their arms. As he was emtnently fuperfl:itious, he made his gods be confulted with refpetl: to their pretenfions, and he received for anfwer as is reported, that he ought never to admit that new people into l1is court. Wh<.:thcr this oracle, as fome authors are pcrfuaded, came frotn the d<.:vil, who delivereJ it, in order to keep every path fhut to the gofj1el, or as we apprehend from the pricfts, for the common benefit of thcmfclves and the nation, Montezuma refolvcd from that time to rcfuf~ admiffion to the Spaniards; but that he might appear to act with propriety, and to follow the dictates of his own genius, he fent an embaffy to them with a prcfent entirely worthy of his royal magnificence. 1 he ambaffador was a great perfonage of the court, 'not a little fimilar in fl:ature and. lbape to the Spanitb general, as an eye-witnt:fs has reported (m). Seven days were hardly clapfed after the departure of Teuhtlile,. before he returned, accomp:mying the ambaffador, conduCting al[o more than an. hundred men of burden,. who carried the preft:nt (n). As foon as the ambaffador was come into the prcfence of Cortes, he touched the earth. with his hand, and then lifted it to his mouth, according to the cuftom of thofc nations. oftcred ( o) incenfe to the general and other oHicers who were bcfide him, faluted them refpeCtfully, and fitting down 'm) Bernal Diaz. . . . ( 11 ) Be1 rY.Il Uia1. calls th ;s ambaft-tdt>r· ~<i11t-aibor1. but i'LICh a name ne1ther 11 nor can. be Mexican. Robcrtfon. fays, that the fame ollicers who had hitherto treated with Cortes, were chl\rged to bcnr tho royal nnfwer to him, and makes no mention of the ambaffador; but both Bernal Diaz, an cye-witne(s, nnd other Sp, .1nilh and 1 ndian hifiorians aflirm wh~t we have fnhl. Solis, in conlideration of the fhort inu:rval of feven days, and the difinnce of fcvcnty lcaguea between th<lt port :tnd the capital, could not be pcrfuaded that an ambaffitdor came at that time ; but hav.ing fnid. a little before, that the Mexican polls were more diligent than the Eurt) pe:tn polls, it is not wondcrfu·l that in. oue Jay, or a little more, they fhould have carried intcllig'en e of the fl.:et 10 the court, and the ambnffi1dor lhould have come in four or five duys :1fter in a. litter, borne on the lhoulders of tl1e fame pona, as w~s the cu fl orn among thofe people. As the fat\ i~ no~ improbable, we ought ratl.cr to believe Bernal Diaz, who wa11 an eycwimcf!, (o) The offering of incenfe to the Spaniards, although it wa~ merely a piece of civil·cour-tcfy, and the Mmc 'Tttcufli11 tlord~ or gent!l:mcn), by which they are nddreffcd, being Comewhat limilar to thnt uf 'Telco (go~ls), made them believe thut they were imagined to I.Je gods by the Mcx.i.:ans •. • upon IS BOOK VIII. '-- .. --- Une. line rs .of M (II tt::£ :1 111;1. Firfi em b~ ffy and prdcnt l'e nt by him to Cortes. |