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Show 90 BOOK IX. ~ S· c-r. X. Subrniffion of Montc7.ll111a nn I the Ml:X· i ~ an nobility to rhe cr wn of Spain, H I 'S T 0 R y 0 F 1\tl E X I C 0 · Cortes had now got into his power the two moft p~tent ~ii~g.s of. A h d 't W"'S J10t long bt:f r~ h<.: took alfo the klllg of 11,\cO-na uac, an 1 " · f M the lords of lztapalap.m :md oj ohua ·an, both brotl~ers o n-pan, two fons of this t:unc king, ltz ptauhtzin lord of Tlatelulco, tezh~mln, ·'ell. of Mexico and kvcral more of the mofl: refpcCt.ablc a tg 1-pt 1 lL ' • • 1 . f r. · 1to ,.1 per1onagcs 1l·ody althouoh we do not know the part1 ·u aLs o 11 ~ H ' • 1 h · · ·r.00n1cnt but it is 1 robablc, that he proceeded to take t 1em t e1r tmpnu ; .. one after another, as they came to vtht Mont~:.:mm~. The general, encouraged by his various iuccc~cs,. and feeing .the k. f Mexico totally devoted to his will, told hun 1t was now t11.nc mg o , . f S . I . 1 fi 1 .£i for his fubjcft:s to acknowlcdg<.: the kmg o pam t 'leJr aw u ove- I.e· J·g n, w11 0 was defccnded from the kine°'· and god ~. etzalcoatl. ·M ·o n1tezuma, who had not om·agc to contradict him, a{l<.:mbled the pnnc1~:1 nobility of the court and the neighbouring cities; they came allread.dy to receive his orders, and being met in a large hall of the Spam01 quarters, the king made them a long difcourfe, in which he declared the affeCtion he bore them as a father, from whom confequently t~ey ought not to fear th:1t he would propofe any thing to them whtch was not jufl: and advantageous: he called to their memory the ancient tradition concerning the devolution of the Mexican empire · on the cefcendants of ~etzalcoatl, whofe viceroys he and his ancefi:ors had been, and the phenomena obfervcd in the elements, which, acco~ding to the interpretation of the pricfts and divines, fignifi~d that the t1me was now arrived when the oracles were to be fulfilled: he then proceeded to compare the marks obferved in the Spaniards with thofe of. the tradition, from whence he concluded that the king of Spain was evidently the lawful defcendant of ~etzalcoatl, to whom therefore he yielded up the kingdom and owned obedience, and exhorted them all to do the fame (s). In pronouncing himfdf the fubjeCl: of another king he ~It (s) The circumOanccs of the nll<>ve mentiC)ned nlfemhly, of the hotnngo rendered to tho king of Sj>ain, und of the order intimated from Montezuma to Cortes to depart from tho court, is related by bifiori ~1 lll with fuch variety, that no two of them arc round to ngree. ln ~. narratl'on of thefc events we chiefly (ollow the nccounta of Cortes and Bornul Diaz, who .ft uth eye.witntlfes. Solis affirms, th at the acknowledgment mude by Moutezuma was 1\ r:.l.rt,ilice, th.11 /;,• ,,tvtr had any intrtJtiM to fulfil 'l.vbat bt promifrd, that bis aim was to /xljlm ' , ,~;, , H 1 S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X, I .C p. felt his fpirit fo . wounded, that his voice failed ·him and tears were fubfiituted for words. The forrows of the king were fuccecdcd by fuch bitter fobs from the whole affembly, th:tt they ·atf~.:tted and drew the pity of the Spaniards. To thefc emotions a melancholy filence fuccecded, which was at length broken by one of the moft refpetl:able Mexican chiefs, with thefe words: " Si~ce, the time, 0 prince, is ar" rived when thofc ancient oracles arc to be fulfilled, and the gods " incline and you command that we become the fubjetl:s of another " lord, what elfc have we to do but to fubmit to the fovcreign will of "heaven intimated to us from your mouth." · Cortes then thanked the king and all the lords who were rrcfent for their ready and fincere fubrniflion, and declared that his fovcrcign did not prefume to take the crown from the king of Mexico, but only to make his fupreme dominion over that kingdom be acknowledged, that Montezuma would not only continue to govern his fubjetl:s, but would ~lfo exercife the f.-lmc authority over all thofe people who fhould fobmit themfelves to the Spaniards. laving difmiffed the affembly. . ,Cortes ordered a public memorial of that atl: to be made wit:l all the Iolemnity which he thought neccifary, in order to fend it to the court .of Spain. Having thus happily accomplilbcd his purpofe, he reprefcnted to Montezuma, that fince he had acknowledged the dominion of the king of Cail:ile over thofe countries, it was neceifary to manifeft his fubmiffion by the contribution of fom.e gold and filver, in confequcnce of the right which fovereigns had to exact fuch homage from their vafials, in order · to fupport the fplendor of the crown, to maint.liH .their minifters, the expences of war, and the other neceffities of the fi:ate. Montezuma, with truly royal munifi encc, gave him up the treafure tbc dtpnrlurc Df tbc Sftlllim·Js, and to trmpo •·i:::.n for thr frart pu"f'nfis ~( bi1 nmbitio11, ::.vi bo11t "''.J rrgnrtl ( o1· bis w ords o1· cngngrmcnl; bllt if the aCt of Montezuma was ll mere :milicc, and he did Mt mean to cfl'cCl. what he promifcd, why in ow.ning himfclfthc vaflitl of another mon:tt'Ch ~lid he feel fo much angui fh, that it cut his voice fi1ort and drew tears from his cy ·s, :u dais author himfelf fay s. If he only meant to hafren the dcpnrtu i'c of the Spnuiards, th ere was !HI oceufion for fuch a faint. How often, with a fingle beck to his vaffi1h, could he huvc faa iliced the Spaninrdll to his gods, or fp:u ing th ci l'!ivcs, have mnde them I c bounJ 11nd coudu cd to the port, that thence they might refume their courfc to Cuba ? The whole of MoutcMnn:l 's conduc w~s entirely inconfifrent with the intentions which Solis afcribes to him, N 2 of BOOK I •. '--v--J SecT. xr. Fit·fl homage of the Mcx. icnns to the crown of Spain. |