TI1E NAVATLACAS. 453 



Tlatluicas, wliicli signifies men of the Sierra or monntaine. Lin - VI1 - 

 Those were the most rude and grosso of all the rest, who 

 finding all the plaines about the lake possessed even vnto 

 the Sierra, they passed to the other side of the mountain e, 

 where they found a very fertile, spatious and warine coun- 

 trey, where they built many great villages, calling the 

 Metropolitane of their province, Quahunahuac, which is as 

 much to say, as a place that sounds the voice of an Eagle, 

 which our common people call by corruption, Quernavaca, 

 and at this day they call this province the Marquisate. Those 

 of the sixt generation, which are the Tlascaltecas, which is 

 to say men of bread, passed the mountaine towards the east, 

 crossing all the Sierra Nevada, where that famous Vulcan 

 is betwixt Mexico and the Ciudad de los Angeles, where 

 they did finde a good country, making many buildings. 

 They built many townes and citties, whereof the Metropol- 

 itano was called by their name Tlascala. This is the nation 

 which favoured the Spaniards at their entrie, by whose help 

 they did winne this country, and therefore to this day 

 thoy pay no tribute but enioy a generall exemption. 

 When all these Nations peopled these countries, the Chi- 

 chimccas being the antient inhabitants, made no resistance, 

 but flcddo, and as people amazed they hid themselves in the 

 most obscure of the rockes. lint those that inhabited on 

 th other side of tho mountaine where the Tlascaltecas had 

 planted themselves, did not suffer them in quiet, as the rest 

 of tho Chichimecas had done, but they put themselves in 

 defence to preserve their country, and being giants, as the 

 Histories report, they sought to expell the last comers, but 

 they were vanquished by the policy of the Tlascaltecas, 

 who counterfeiting a peace with them, they invited them 

 to a great banquet, and when they were busiest in their 

 drunkennes, there were some laide in ambush, who 

 secretly stole away their weapons, which were great clubbes, 

 targets, swords of wood, and other such urines. Then did they 



