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Show J58 UOOK. X . ~ Sec.T. XIV. The Ia 0 preparation t'or the firgc of .l\Jcx i~o. HIST ORY 0 F . ' M EX I C 0. {i tr .·. tl deep and furnifhccl on both , .fides with a fence, to receive u 1Cten y . t , 1 1 . t tbc water of tnc a h' ·h the brigantines were to be launched, {C lll o w 1 , . . , . 'thd a rnncbinc conCl:ruCted to bun h them. The troops wh~l~·~ot t.~~ ltad under his command were almo!l:: without number, ~ll L{tWl c that of the Spaniards was confidcrably augmented b~ iome -who a few d~tys bef()rC h(ld arriv<.:d at the port of Vet:a .Cruz, ~ n a_ vefi~l ! r.O tT\ !3Jain loaded with hor!Cs, arms, and ammututwn . Evety _thulb ·1 ~p~ ared to promife a happy i[uc, at the moment th.c entet:pn~e \_vas .m the gr~;.1 tcil: dan~cr of being totally fruf1:ra ted ~me.~ ntm~d. ~ome S p~n t 01 fo ldiers, p.1rtiJ:ms of the' governor of Cuba, Jn Cltc_d etther to batt~~ of Cortes, or envious of his glorr, or, what fet!ms ihl~ as pr~bable, ft. om fear of the dangers which threatened them i_n the .iH:gc o~ the ca~It<ll, fecretly agreed to take away his life, and tho{c of h1s captams AI vat ado, S.mdoval, and Tapia, and all thofe who appe;\red to by mofl: attt~ht!d to the party of the general. The con fpi rators had not only dctermmed the time and manner of fecurely executi :1g the blow, but elcCt:.:d alfo tho[c on whom the vacant pofl:s ' of general, judge, and captains were to be conferred; when one of the accomplic<.:s, having repcntc:l of tl~G d~.:c:d, feafonably revealed the treafon to Cortes. This generaltmn:ed!ately made Antonio de Villafai1a, the chief of the ~onf?irators, be ~eJt.:: <.:d, committed his examination to a judge, and he hav111g freely confeficd the crime, was according to jufl:icc hanged from a window of the qu:lrt~rs. With refpeCl to his accomplices, Cortes pruden.tl ~ dille!T1bled, af1c.:Chng not to believe them culpable, and aft:ribing the mfamy unputcc.l to them by the confeffion, to the malice of Villatainl; but, in order that in future he might not be expofcd to fo much riik of his life, he formed a body ~ guard of fevcral foldie rs whofe fidelity and courage he .had tried, who attended him day and night, and watchcJ continually over the i:tfc.:ty of his perf on. Having thus cruflled, by the puni{hment of the ringleader, that pcrni ious confpiracy, Cortes applied himfelf with the utmoft activ'tty to. put the lafl: hand to his great undertaking. On the twenty-e ighth of April, after the celebration of the mafs of the Holy Spirit, at whi<:h all the Spaniards communicated, and the brigantines were given benediction by.a priefl:, they were launched into the watet·, and immediately difpbying th~ir '£1ils, beg(1n to plough the lake under il difcharge of the artillery 1 H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. 159 artillery and fmall arms, which was followed by the tinging of Te nooK x. Deum to the mufic of military infhuments. All thofe demonftrations '---v----1 of fatisf.1C1:ion were in confequence of the great confidence Cortes had in the brigantines for the fuccefs of his enterprize, without- which perhaps he would never have been able t~ have conducted it to a happy end. He afterwards made a review of his army, and found it to con-lift of eighty-fix horfes, and more than eight hundred infantry, three large iron cannon, fifteen finaller of copper, a thoufi:111d Caftilian pounds of gunpowder, and a large quantity of balls and arrows, the number and 1l:rength of his little army hav ing been doubled by-the fup.plics of that year from Spain and the Antilles. In order to encou-rage them, he made them an harangue fimilar to that which he had delivered to them when he left Tlafcala. lie fent meffengers to rhis republic, to Cholula, Huexotzinco, and other cities, to lct'them know that the brigantines were now completed, and requcfting them to fend within ten days as many chofen troops as they could mufter, for that· now the time was come for giving liege to that proud city, which had for fo .many years oppreficd their liberty. Rive days before the fca!l:: of Pentecofl:, the ar~y of Tlafcala arrived at. Tezcuco, CC?nfifting, accord-in!)' to what ·cortes afl1rms, of more than fifty thouf<tnd men, uDder b . the command of feveral fanlOus chiefs., among which_ came the young Xicotencatl and the brave Cbichimecatl; who were met by Cortes and: his people. The troops of Huexotzinco and Cholula paflcd thither: through the mountains of Chalco, agreeable to the orders given . them . In the two following days came other troops from Tlafcal,l and other neighbouring places, which, together with thofe above mentioned, made more than two hundred thoufand. men, . as is atte1l:ed by: their leader and conducror AJfonfo d'Ojeda. On the Monday of Pentecoft, twentieth · of May, . Cortes mufl:ered 'his people.in the greater market-place of Tczcuco, to make a divifion of his army, tc;:> appoint the commanders,. to affign to each the ftation wlH:re they were to form their camp, and the troops which . were to be immediate! y under them, and to .pu bli(h afre01 the military procl amation . formerly publiD1ed in Tlafcala. He ordered. Pedro de Alvarado to re.:. main in camp in the city of Tlacopan, to prevent any af1iftance coming through that quarter to the Mexicans, and ailig_ncd him thirty horfes : 8 and: SKCT: XV •. mfpnfition . of t he army. in the ficgc u£. the. cap_ital • . |