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Show BOOK VIII, S s c , ., X. lmprifonmcnr of five royal mini{~ tcrs in Chiah uitztla. H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. firm and fieady alliance with the kings of Acolhuacan and Tlacopan ; that they had rendered themfelves ma!l:ers of all that land ; that their power was exceffive, and their tyranny in proportion; that the king of Mexico cngroffcd to himfelf the gold of his fubjcCl:s, and that the receivers of the tributes, befides other cruelties and opprcfllon, demanded of the tributaries !heir fons for facrificcs, and their daughters for violation. Cortes appeared moved with compaffion for his misforfortunes, and offered to give him his a!llfiance in every thing ; deferring until another occafion to treat of the manner of doing it ; as he was then prefled to go to Chiahuitztla to examine into tl)e il:ate of h is vdfels. At this vifit the Chcmpoallefe chief made him a prefctJ t of fome works of gold, which it is faid were worth a thoufand fc.:quins. The next day four hundred men of burden prefented themfdvcs to Cortes, being fent to him by that lord to tranfport his baggage ; and it was then he learned from donna Marina the cuil:om which prevailed among thofe nations, to furni{h of their own accord, without any motive of interefi, fuch people of burden to every rcfpeCtable perfon who pafl'ed through their city. From Chempoalla, the Spaniards advanced to Chiahuitztla, a finall city, fituated upon a il:eep and rocky mountain, a little more than twelve miles from Chempoalla towards the north, and three from the new port. Here Cortes had another conference with the lord of that city, and the lord of Chcmpoalla, who, for this purpofe, made him_ fe~f be tranfported hither. At the fame time that they were deliber~ atmg up~n the means of releafing themfelves from the Mexican yoke, there ar.nved at that city, with a great retinue, five noble Mexicans, t~1e rece~vers of the royal tributes, who expreffed the utmo!l: indignatl~ n agamil: the Totonacas, for having dared to receive thefe !l:rangers w~thout the ~oyal confent, and demanded twenty human viCtims to fac: Ifice to their gods in expiation of their crime. The whole city was difiurbed, and particularly the two lords, who confidered themfelves the m~ft ~uilt!. Cortes having learned from donna Marina the caufe of ~he1r dlfqUlct, found an extraordinary expedient to relieve them from their embarra~ment. He fugg~il:ed to the two lords the bold defign of apprehendmg the royal rece1vers and putting them in prifon · and though at firft they refu r.ed t d r. fi . . , . 11 o o 10, rom 1ts appeanng too rafr1 and dangerous • H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. dangerous an attempt, they at la!l: yielded to his entreaties. They accordingly imprifoned thofe five nobles, who had entered their city \.-:ith fo much pride and with fo much di!aain for the Spaniards , that they had not even deigned to look at them as they palled by them. The Totonacas had hardly taken this fiep, when, encouraged by it, they almofl: would have proceeded to 1acrifice them that very night, had they not been diffuaded from it by Cortes, who having conciliated by that mca[ure the love and refpeCl: of the T otonacas, intended to gain the good-will of the Mexicans by liberating the prifoners. Hi ~ artful double con'duCl: lays open his d.i!})ofition j but it cannot be commended, except by thofe courtiers who know no other fyfiem th:m the art of deceit, and who, regardlefs of honour, pur(ne intcrefl: alone in their aCl.ions. Cortes gave orders therefore to his guards, to take at night two of the Mexicans out· of the prifon, and bring them fecretly before him, fo as they might not be obfcrved by any of the inhabitants of the city. The order was obeyed, and the Mexicans found t~emfelves fo much obliged to the Spanifh general, that they made hun a thouftnd acknowledg cn ts, and advifed him not to truil: to the barba~ous and . pcrfi~ious Totonaca . Cortes charged them to explain to their fovercigll h1s great difplea fn rc at the attempt of thofe mountaineers againfi his miniflers; but as he had put them two at liberty,. he would alfo fet the others free. They departed immediately for the court, efcortcd by fome Spaniards, in a veffd from thence to the borders of the province j and Cortes, the day after, pretended extreme anger at the guards through whofe negleCt the prifoners had efcaped; and that the fame accident might not happen again, he propofed to fecure the others in a more clofe prifon; and to make this be believed, he made them be conducted in chains aboard his vefi'Cls, from which he foon after fet them at liberty like the firfi, 23 BOOK VIJI. " The report foon fpread through all the mountains of the Totonacas, that th~y were relicv~d from the tribute which they paid to the King of Mex1co, and that If there were any other receivers of the tributes, t~ere they, .lhould let it be known immediately, that they might be fe1~ed •. At the found of this intelligence, the fweet hope of liberty revJve? 111 the whole nation, and feveral other lords came fpeedily to' that c1ty to thank their fuppofed delivere'r, and deliberate upon mcafi1l·es s EcT. xr. Confederacy of the Tmonncas with 8 to I he Spaniards, I |