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Show 122 BOOK IX. ~ II I S T 0 R Y 0 I.,, l1Y\ '1 E X I C 0 • ·t f the nobility. To tho[e reafons for Perfonages, and a great p:u o . 1 r. I I delipondencc an d d1. I. g u itl at the SJ>aniard .' thofe whJc lf we}r e· ]C :lllit:C y their own CI.V .I l war. we1. .c . ad d<..: ci • for the know.l edg.e o w 1tC 1 w• e d' re h ii· :pts of a Mexican lufionan who happene to indebted to t c. manu t:tl. l [i . . ·d few years the ruin of the be at this time 111 the capital, am Lll v1vc a . . . , . A.t the time the Spaniards were [o much diihdlcd w the .t-empJre. . fc . 1 1 ·J , f . 1 b famine from the hofiilitics of the Mextcans, evet:-t or s o l 1 theta firfYi nobility, either in order to favour t h e party o f r.l tc SP ·a 11·1 a. rd s·, or what is fnlly more probable, to give fuccour t~ tl:e ktng, who, hy be:ng among them was necefiarily an equal fuffercr With them, ft: rctly fupplied them with provifions, and p~rhaps, declared th cm~~lves o~~nly in their favour, in confidence of then· own perfon ;~l autho11t~. hom this caufe arofe a fatal difienfion among the Mextcans, wh1ch could not be terminated without the 'death of many illu{hious perfons.' and particularly fome of the fons and brothers of Montezuma, accordtng to the account of the above hill:orian. . The Mexicans found the necefiity of pl:lcing at the head of the1r nation a man capable of re-ell:abli!hing its honour, and repairing the lofi"es ti.1ftcr~d in the lafi: year of the reign. of Montezuma. A little before, or a little after the defeat of the Spaniards, the prince Cuithhuatzin was elected king of Mexico. He, as we have .fitid already, was lord of Iztapalapa~·, the particular counfellor of his brother Montezuma, and Tlachcocalcatl, or general of the army. He was a perfon of great talents and fagacity, agreeable to the tell:imony of Cortes his rival, and liberal and mal'tnificent like his brother. He took great delight in architetl.ure and gardening, a~ appears from the fplendid p::tbce he built in Iztapahpan, and the celebrated garden which he plantcll there, in whofe praifes no ancient hifi:orian is filent. His bravery and military ikill acquired him the highe(l; efieem amongft the Mexicans ; and fome authors afllrm, from particular information of his charaCter, that if he had not met an early death, the capital would never have been taken by the Spaniards ( z). ·It is probable, that the fa-cri ficcs (~ ) Solis ~ivcs uitlahnnt1.in the name of ~~rtlabrtNr, and fays, that he lived on the throne hut a few Jays, and th o~ were fuHicicnt to make the memory of his name among(\ his countrymen be for ever cnnccllc I from his cowardice and infignificance. Hut this is fal fe, and contrary to the accounts given by Cortes, Bernal Diaz, Gomara, and Torqucmada, nmhors who were • H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. cl'ifices made at the feO:ival of his coronation were thofe Spaniards whom he him[elf had taken prifoners in the night of their de cat. As foon as the fcfl:ival of his coro11ntion was over, he employed him(df to remedy the diC.lfiers fufft:n:d by tlle ci'own ann the empire. lit gave orders to repair the damage I temples,- and t r(;build the dem lilhed houfcs, augmented and improved the fortifications of the capi~ tal, ient embanics to the different provin ces of the empire, cncoumg .. ing them to the common defence of the i1:ate again 0: thofc hoilil il:rangcrs, and promifcd to relieve thofc who wonld take up arms in behalf of the crown, from all their tributes. Ire fcnt alf< amlxl11ador. to the republic of TLtfcala, with a confidcmblc prefent of fine fe~tthcrs, habits of cotton, and fome fttlt, who were r ceivcd with due honour, according to the laws e.fiabli01ed among the poli{hed nations of that country. The purport of the embaffy was to reprcfent to that fenatL:, that although the Mexicans and Tlafcalans had hitherto been the .inveterate enemies of each other, it was now become neceffitry to unitt.: themfelves together as the inhabitants originally of one country, as pco · ple of the £'unc language, and as worfl1ippers of the fume deities, againf!: the common enemy of their country and religion; that they had al ready feen the bloody n ~mghter which had been committed in Mexico, and other places, the fil rilege to the fttntl:unries, and the venerable images of the gods, the ingratitl1dc and perfidy fl1ewn to his brother and predeceflor, and the moll: refpeCl:able pcrfonages of Anahuac i and la.O:Jy, that infatiable thirft in thofe il:rangers for gold, which impelled them to violate every facred law of friendihip; that if the republic continued to favour the perverfe defigns of fuch mon.O:ers, they would in the end meet with the £1me rccompence which Montezuma had for the humanity with which he received them into his court, and the liberality whicl) he exercifcd fo long towards them : the Tlafcalans would be execrated by .all nations for giving aid to fuch iniquitous ufurpers, and were better informed than ~olis. How cotild the memory of his nnrne am.ongfl the Mexicans he cancelled, while it w•:3 prcfcrved indelibly nmong the ~paninrds, they having confidcrcd him na the perfun who was the cnufc of their defeat on the fidl of July, ns they themfel ves teOify? Cortes was fo mindful of him, and felt fo m1a.:h rcfcnrmcnt till· thofe diG1flns, that when he found he had forces fuffici cnt to undertake the (icgo of Mexico, being dcliroua .,f revenging hirnfclf on tbat king, but not being able to get rcv rnge on his perfi1n, he took it upon hia fiiVOlll'itc city. This wa~ the motive, us Corte; hill\fcl t' fays, of his c.xp,dicion nguiu!1: btapalap.m. R z the 123 BOOK IX. ~ S i~CT. X XV. Entba fly of the kin :r l..' uirl nhtl 'l t;.in t the Tlafc:1· Ia na. |