The history of Mexico : Collected from Spanish and Mexican historians, from manuscripts and ancient paintings of the Indians. Illustrated by Charts and other copper plates. To which are added, critical dissertations on the land, the animals, and inhabitants of Mexico: Volume 2

Page 78

t 4 HOQI( IX. '---v--- SEcT. XXXII. El(almtion of p1 im:e Coa­n~ c ot z i n ;md dea. th of C. ui. «~ u 1t ~ca t z 111. H I s T o· R 'y 0 F M E X I C 0. between the Tlafcalans and 'rhe Spaniards. Having rendered tl1e rol;i of Veta. Cruz perfetlly fecure, :md .fi!nt the capt~lin O~daz to, tht! cou rt of Spain, with a dillintl account in writing, ad~rdle~ to Chu rl~s V. of all that had hitherto happened; and the capt:un Av1l.l to ~h<.~ I!l.aud of Hifpllniola, to folicit new fuccours for the conqucll: of M~x1 c~,· he departed from Tepcjacac fot· Tlaf~ab, entcr~d there, d!'efied 111 mourning, 1111d made othc;r dcmonll:rauons of gnd for the death of his friend the prince. At the rcque!l: of the Tlafcalans th~mfdve.s , and in the name of the Catholic king, he conferred the vacant !l:atc of Oco­telolco, one of the four principal il:atcs of that republic, on the fon .o( the late prince, a youth of twelve ye~u:s, and, in ~onour of the ments of his father, he armed him as a klllght uccordmg to the cuil:om of C~!l:ilc. About this fame time, though from a very different caufc, the dc.Hh of the prince Cuicuitzcatzin happened, whom Montezuma and ortes had placed on the throne of Acolhuacan in the room of his unfortunate brother C.1camatzin. He was not permitted .to enjoy long his borrowed dignity, for he who had given him the crown very foon deprived him of his liberty. He departed, from Mexico among the other prifo ncr~ that night of the defeat of the SpaniJrds ; but he had then the fortu11e, or perhaps rather misfortune to efcape, as he was foon to lofc his lite in a more ignommtous manner. He accompanied the Spaniards in their engagements as far as Tla[cala, where he remained, until having become either impatient of oppreffion or defirous of recovering the throne, he Acd in fecret to Tezcuco. At this court his brother Coanacotzin was then reigning, to whom, after the death of Cacamat:lin the crown in right belonged. Cuicuitzcatzin had hardly made his appearance when he was made prifoncr by the royal miniil:crs, who gave fpeedy advice to their king of it, who was then abfcnt at Mexico. He communicated it to king ~auhtemotzin his coufin, who confidering that fugitive prince! a ipy of the Spaniards, thought he lhould be put to dea th ~ Connacotzin, either to pleafe that monarch, or to take away from Cui· cuitzcat'lin any opportunity of attempting to recover the crown to the prejudice of his own right and the peace of the kingdom, «!xecuted thu fcntenctt upon him. . ' BOO K [ 135 J B 0 0 K X. March of the Spaniards to 'Tezcuco; their nego'Ciation.s with the Mexi­cans; their excur:Jions and battles in the environs of the Mexican lakes; expeditions agaif!ft lxcapichtlan, ~auhnahuac, atid other cities; con.flruBion of the brigantines; conjpiracy offome Spam'ards agaJ~j/ Cortes; review, divifion, and pqfls, of the Spanijh army; jiege of Mexico, imprijonment qf king §(.gauhtemotzin, and fall of the Mexi(:an empire. C 0 R T E S, who never quitted the thought of the conqueft of :BOOK x. Mexico, attended moll: diligent1y, while in Tlafcala, to the building \-Ss c"'r. 1.' uf the brigantines and to the difcipline of his troops. He obtained of Reviehwfllnhd marc o t e the fenate a hundred men of burden, for the tranfportation of the fails, Spaailh army cordage, n. on, an d oth er maten.a 1 s o f t he veJnTe. 1 s , w h.1 c h h e h ad unn.g ged to Tczcuco. .the preceding year on purpofe to equip the brigantines; for tar he extracted a large quantity of turpentine from the pines on the great mountain Matlalcueje. He gave notice to the Huexotzincas, Cho­lulans, Tepejachefe, and other allies, to prepare their troops and c~lleet a )arge ll:ore of provifions of every kind for a numerous army~ which was to be employed in befieging Mexico. When it appeared to him to be time to march, he made a review of his troops, which confill:ed of forty horfe and five hundred and fifty infantry. He divided this ftnall body of cavalry into four troops and the infantry into nine companies, fome of them armed with guns, fome with crofs­bows, fome \vith fwords and iliields, and others with pikes. From the horfe on which he was mounted, while he was reviewing his troops and ordering the ranks, he made them this fpeech: " My friend's and " ·brave companions! any difcc..arfe which I might nuke to animate ." \·our zeal would be altogether fuperfiuous, as we aU acknowiedge I ' " ourfelves bound to repair the honour of our arms, and to revenge ''' the.