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Show ta8 H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. the upper area along with his. party. Now came on the gre~te.fl: ~e~t and d~ngcr of the contefi, whtch bfted upwards of three hour s. I a1 t of the Mexicans died by the point of the fword, and part threw themfelves down to the lower floors of the temple, where they continued the fight until they were all killed. Cortes ordered the fanctuary to be fet on fire, and r~tur.ned ~n go.od o~der to the quarters. Forty-fix Spaniards lofi the1r hves 111 th1s a~10n, . . and all the ret1: came off wounded and bathed in blood. Th1s fpmted a!fault was one of thofe in which the O) poncnts fought with the greatet1: courage 6n both fides, and on that account the Tlaf<.:alans as well as the Mexicans reprer.Hed it in their paintings after the conque.fl: (g). Some hiil:orians have added the circumftance of the great danger in which, according to their account, Cortes was of being precipitated from the upper area by two Mexicans, who being refolved to facrifice their lives tor the good of their country, feized Cortes in their arms upon the ed,~?:e of it in order to drag }lim along with themfelves in their fall from thence, trufting to put an end to the war by the death of that general.; but this fact, of which neither Cortes nor Bernal Diaz, nor Gomara, nor any other of the more ancient hiftorians make mention, is. rendered ftill more improbable by the circumftances added to it by fome modern authors (b). Cortes having returned to the quarters, had a frefl1 conferenc~ with fomc refpectable perfons among "the Mexicans, reprefenti~g to them the lofi"es they fufiain ed from the Spanith arms. They : anfwered, that it was of n~ importance to them provided the Spaniards were deftroyed; that if they were not all cut off by the Mexicans, (g) The differences of opinion among hilloriana refpeeting the order and circumfinnces of the engagements which happened in thofc day ~ , is inexprcllible, \Vc follow the account giv~n by Cortee, confidcring him the ben authority, · . (b). Solie fays, thn~ the two Mex icans ap~roachc'd o11 tbrir ~nm to Corw, ;11 tb1 afl o.f implll(· "'K lm mtrcy, tllld r.mtbour ddrty IDn"Lv tbrmtr/va d llir.l'IIWtll"dJ witb tbrir prry ;11 tbt•ir bands, j 11 • trtaftng tht violmrc.of tbt r[ort witb tbtir nrt.turrtl q t•rig!J~; I Dill CorltJ got dtnr of them rtlld rrpu!Ji:d thtm, .t?ougb not 'I.Uitbout di/lil'ulty. We find It rar her dtfircult to believe Cortes poffcficd of fuqh ~urpnhng force: tire very humane ge ntle n~en Raynal and Robcnfon, moved wirh compaffion 1t w~uld appear, for t~e dan ger Cort7s wnsm, have provided fomc ltit1d of unk nown bnttlcmcnts and 1ron ra1ls, by whtch he faved h1mfelf until he got clear of the Mex'1c·t s 1 · 1 · d'·• • • • • • 1\ i >Ut nelt lCr lu the Mexacnns ever make 1ron r:nls, nor had that tCJn}>lc any battlcmcrltR 1 t · d 1• 1 h • • • 18 W<lll rr u t at thefc authors, fo mcrcd ulous concernang what is atteficd by the Sp·tn·a·n1 a J I 1· · · J\. ld b 1· · · ' · n nc mn wntcrK, 1nQu yet e •eve what u ne1ther to be found among the ancient autllors 110 • t . bl · itfel:. 1 pa·oya e m they H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. they would infallibly perifh by famine fhut up in their quarters. Cor- BOOK IX. tes having obferved that night fome inattention and want of vigilance ' among the citizens, fallied out with fome companies of foldiers, and proceediQg through one of the principal ftreets of the city, he fet fire to more than three hundred hou[es (i). The next day his machines being repaired, he went out wit,h them and the greateft part of his troops, and direcred his courfe a1ong the great rqad of I~ tapalapan with more fucccfs than before ; for in fpite of a vigorous refi.fl:ance from the enemies in their intrenchments made to defend them from the fire of the Spaniards, he took poifeffion of the four firft bridges, · and fet fire to fome of the houfes upon that road, and mad~ ufe of the ruins to fill up the ditch~s and canals, that there might be no difficulty of palfage if the Mexicans {hould raife the bridges. He left a futficient garrifon upon the pofis which he had taken, and returned to quarters with man,y wounded,. leaving ten or twelve dead behind him. The day after he continued his attacks upon the fame road, took the three bridges which n::mained,. and charging the enemy which defended them, he at lafi got upon the main land. Whilft he was attending · to fiU up the lail: ditches, to. facilitate as is probable his retreat from that capital by means of that fame road by which he had been now feven month.s entered,. he was told that the Mexicans were willing to capitulate; and, in order to hear their propofi tions, he returned in hafie to the quarters with. the cavalry, leaving the in fa. ptr}.' to guard the bridges. The Mexicans intimated that they were ready to de.iiil: fro1:11 all hofiilities ; but,. that t~e. capitulation migh't take place, it was necefrary to have the high-prie.fi, who had been made . prifoner by: the Spaniards when they m~de the aff."tult upon the tell)ple: Cortes fet him at liber ty, and a fufpenfibn of arms took place. This appears to have been a mere firatagcm of th~ ·eleCJ:ors to recover the chid ~f their religion, f0r whofe perfon they had occafion to anoint the new king whom they had. cbofen , or were going now to chufc; for Cortes had hardly obtained a ce. ffittion of arms , when fomc T la!calaus arrived with the news that the l\1cxicani had ret<Iken (i) Bernal Dia1. fays, that it was a grc.lt fatigue to makc'thcm burn, from their being covered whh terraces and fcpamt~Xll rom each other, · the ... , .. • |