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Show x8o .HIs T 0 R y 0 F ME X I C 0. loaded with fpoils, . which however they quickly u~and~ned as 1oon as ,BOOK ~; h S . d pearcd in order to be fooncr ready for battle. They · .. t e pamar s ap ' , · b d · pa {fce d a n·v er wh 1·c h crofl<.:s the valley ' and ftood u• pon tts• h o1r · er walt · ing for the Spaniards. Sandoval forded it intreptdly Wit 11s arn:y, attacked the enemy, put them to flight, and ~haced them for lllflt; miles into a city, where they took refuge, lc~vmg more th:m .a thoufund of them dead on the field. Sandoval bud liege to the c1ty, and forced the enemy to abandon it, and betake. the~nfelves to a fortrefs built on the top of a fteep mountain. The vu:tonous ~n~y entered the city, and, after having plundered it, fet fire to the b~Jldmgs ; and becaufe it was then late in the day, and the troops weaned, they referved the affault of the fortn:fs till the following morning, when, however, although expecring to meet with a i11:ong oppotition, they found the fortrefs evacuated. Sandoval determmed, as he returned,. to pafs. through [orne fettlements which had alfo declared themfelves hofiile to the allies of the Spaniards; but he had no occafion to make ufe of arms agttinft them, for they were fo intimidated at feeing fo great an army, which was much augmented by numerous troops of the O~omies, that they immediately furrendcred. Sandoval treated them with the greateft mildnefs, and requefl:ed of them that they would perfuade the nation of the Malatzincas to enter into friendlhip with the Spa ... niards, by repr~fenting to them the advantages which they would derive from it; and, on the contrary,. the misfortunes which might fpring. from their enmity to them. Thofe expeditions proved of the. utmoft importance, for four days after Sandov.al had returned, feve.td Matlatziocan, Malinalchefe, and Cohuixcan lords, arriv.ed at the camp· of Cortes, to make an excufe for their hoi1ilities1 and to efiablilh a confederacy, which was mofi ftrengtheni.ng to the S:J?aniards, and eminently prejudicial to the Mexicans. From the fide of the main land, or continent, the Spaniards, had no, more enemies to alarm them., and Cortes had under his direttion fuch ari. exceffive number of troops, that he was able to have employed in the. fiege of Mexico more people than Xerxes fcmt againft Greece, if from the nature of the fite of that capital, futh a m~ltitude of befiegers· would not have been rather a hindrance. The Mexicans, on the cofl>oo trary, found themfelves forfaken l>y tl)~ir friends. and their fubjeCI:s,. furroWlded • H I S T 0 t{ Y f:> F .M E X I C 0. turrGuntled by enet11ies, and oppreffed by famine. That unfOrtunate capital' had arrn~d ag:llinft it, the Spahiards, the kingdom of Acolhua·~ can, the rcpub)ics of Tlafcala, Htrexotzincb, 'and Cholula, almoft all the cities of the Mexican vale, and the populous nations of the To t~nacas, Mi>xteca's, btomies, 1'Iahuioas,; Cohuixcas, Matlatzincas, and others ; Co thaif., befides cX'ternal enemies, more than half of the em· pire had t6nl1)i'red againfl: its ruin, and the other part ftood neuter in. its caufe. While the com!nander Sandoval waa difplaying his courage againfi the Matbtzincas, !!he genebll Chichimecatl gave a fignal infta.nce of his againft the 1\l[~xi at1s. This famous general, When he faw that the Spaniarl:is, af er their tfefeat, ftood upon the defenfive only, refolved to t • mak~ an entty into Mexico with his Tlafcalans alone. He fet out with thi's view from the camp of Alvarado, where he had conftantly been .(bltioned fince the beginning of the fiege, accompanying the Spaniards in aH their engagements, and every where fignalizing his bravery. He took on thi otcafion all the ditches in the road of Tlacopan, and leaving four hundred archers as a guard to the moil: dangerous pafs, that they might fccure his retreat, entered with the main body of his troops into the city, where he had a terribleencounterwith the Mexicans; in which many were killed and wotihded on lx>th fides. The Mexicans flattered themfe~ves they would have been able to have defeated them in their retreat, as tHey pified the ditch ; but by the arms of the archers pofted there on the oppofite bank, he paifed it fafely with his Tlafcalans, and retllrned full of glory to the camp. In order to revenge this audacious attempt of the Tlafcalans, the Mexicans one night attacked the camp of Alvari\do; but having, been heard in their appr;ooch by the C:entinels, the Spaniards and allies ran to arms. The engagement la i1:ed three hours, during which time Cortes having h~ard from his camp tl1e c:tnnonnc c, and fufpecring the caufe of it, it appeared to him to be a proper time to make an entty into the city with his people, who were now cured of their wounds. The .M,e xicahs, ~ho had gone to Tlacopan, not being ·able to over-come !Tie refiLl:il ce made by the Spa'niards, returned to the city, where they found. Cortes wit~ his army : they fought with fpirit, but withont any corlfid~rable advantage being gained ~y<either party. At rSr S:OOK X. ~ S[CT. XXVI IT. Memor~blc at.lion of t hcgc: ner:41 Chi· chimccutl. |