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

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. ' 354 DISSF.RT. v. ~ H I S T 0 · R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. " his mifef<ab'le ~trtillery confifted of fix falconets, which would not " ,1t the prefent day be capable of exciting the fears of a fortrefs de­or fcmded by invalids. During his. ab[ence the capital was held in awe "' by the half of his troops. What men ! what events ! '' " It is confi'rriu~d,'l he adds, "by the depoiitions of all hiftorians " that the Spaniards entered the fidl time into Mexico without mak­" ing one fingle difcnarge of their artillery. If the title of hero is " applicable to him who has the difgrace to occafion the death of a " great number of rational animals, Ferdinand Cortes might pretend " to it; otherwife I do not fee what true glory he has acquired by the ''"overthrow of a tottering monarchy, which might have been deftroyed " in the f~me manner by any other alfaffin of our continent." Thofe paffages of the Philofophic Refearches deteCt that M. de Paw was igno­rant of the hifiory of the conquefi of Mexico, or that he fupprefies what would openly contradiCt his fyftem ; fince all who have read that hifiory know well, that the conqueft of Mexico was not made with four hundred and fifty men, but with more than two hundt:ed thou­fapd. Cortes himfelf, to whom it was of more importance than to · M. de Paw to make his bravery confpicuous, and his conqueft appear glorious, confefies the excefiive number of the allies who were under his command at the fiegc of the capital, and combated with more fury againft the Mexicans than the Spaniards themfelves. Accord­ing to the account which Cortes gave to the emperor Charles V. the fiege of Mexico began with eighty-feven horfes, eight hun­dred and forty-eight Spanilh infantry, armed with guns, crofs-bows, fwords, and lances, and upwards of, feventy-five thoufand allies, of Tlafcala, Huexotzinco, Cholu~a, and Chalco, equipped with va­rious forts of arms ; with three brge pieces of cannon of iron, fif­teen fmaU of copper, and thirteen brigantines. In the courfe of the fiege were afiemblcd the numerous nations of the Otomics, the Co­~ luixcas, and Matlazincas, and the troops of the populous cities of the la~es; fo that the army of the beGegers not only exceeded two hun­dred thoufand but amounted to four millions according to the letter from Cortes; and befides thefe, three thoufand boats and canoes, came to their affifiance. We therefore afk M. de Paw if j t appears to him to have been cowardice to have fufiained, for full feventy-five days, the HISTORY OF MEXtc·o. the fiege ~fan o~en city, engaging daily with an army fo large, and in part provided With arms fo fuperior, and at the fame time having to withfta?d the ravages of. famine ? Can they merit the charge @f coward1fe, who, after havmg loft feven of the eight parts of their city, and. about fifty thoufand c.itizens, part cut off by the fword, part by famme and ficknefs, continued to defend themfelves until they were furioufiy aifaulted in the la{l: hold which was left theni ( p). " It is certain," fays M. de Paw, " by the depofitions of all <' hifiorians, that the Spaniards entered the tirO: time into Mexico with­" out making a fingle difcharge 0f their artillery." If this argument is peculiar to the logic of M. de Paw j if the Mexicans were cow­ards becaufe the Spaniards entered into Mexico without a fingle dif­charge of their artillery, ~t might as well be faid that the Prufiians are cowards becavfe the ambaifadors of feveral courts of Europe enter into Berlin without difcharging even a fuiil. Who ~oes not know that the Spaniards were admitted into that city as the ambaifadors of the monarch of the Eaft? Hiftorians all recount this as well as Cor" tes himfelf, who feigned himfelf the amba!I'ador of the Catholic king. If the Mexicans had been willing to oppofe him then as they did the fecond time, how would the Spaniards have been able to enter with only fix 'thoufand men, when their fecond entry was fo difficult with two hundred thoufand {q)? With refpecl: to what M. de Paw adds againfi Cortes, we do nGt mean to make the apology of this conqueror, neither can we endure the panegyric which Solis has written in place of a hiJ1:ory; but as an impartial perfon, well informed of all his military actions, we muft confefs, that in courage, conil:ancy, and military prudence, he rivals the moft famous generals; and that .he po!I'ellcd that fpecies of herojfm which we acknowledge in Alexander and the Ccefars, ia ( p) All th<lt we: l1avc h ~rc faid refpetl:ing the fi cgt: and conquc!l of Mexico is taken from the letter of the conqucro1· Col'tes to Charles V. · ' ('/) "It is not lefs certain," fays Acona, "that it was the aid of the 'l'l,,fcnlans which ob· "taincd to Cortes his vitl:orics, and the conquell: of Mexico; and without them it wuuld have " been impoffiblc to ~1nvc made htmfclf mafler of that place, not· to have continued longer " there. Thofe who make little of ~he Indians, nn~ think the Spaniards could hnve conq\tcr·ed " any f OUntry or nation by the fut,criority of their arms, valour, and horfcs, arc grofsly de­" ccivcd," z z 2 . ' whom • • • • J 3'55 D.I SSvE. RT..