518 MEETING OP CORTES AND MONTEZUMA. 



LIB. vii. vou hither : what doth Monteguma pretend to doe by your 

 meanes ? He hath advised himselfe too late : for it is now 

 determined that his Kingdom and honour shall be taken 

 from him, with all that he possesseth, for punishment of the 

 great tyrannies he hath committed against his subjects, 

 having governed not like a Lord, but like a traitour and 

 tyrant.&quot; The inchanters and coniurers, hearing these words, 

 knew it was their idoll, and, humbling themselves before 

 him, they presently built him an altar of stone in the same 

 place, covering it with flowers which they gathered there- 

 aboutes, but he contrariwise, making no account of these 

 things, beganne againe to chide them, saying, &quot;What come 

 you hither to do, yee traitours ? Returne presently and 

 behold Mexico, that you may vnderstand what shall become 

 . thereof&quot;. And they say that, turning towards Mexico to 

 behold it, they did see it flaming on fire. Then the divell 

 vanished away, and they, not daring to passe any farther, 

 gave notice thereof to Montegurna, whereat he remained long 

 without speaking, looking heavily on the ground ; then he 

 said, What shall we doe if god and our friends leave vs, and 

 contrariwise, they helpe and favour our enemies ? I am 

 now resolute, and we ought all to resolve in this point, 

 that happen what may, we must not flie nor hide ourselves, 

 or shew any signe of cowardice. I onely pittie the aged 

 and infants, who have neither feete nor hands to defend 

 themselves. Having spoken this, he held his peace, being 

 transported into an extasie. In the end the Marquis ap 

 proaching to Mexico, Monteguma resolved to make of neces- 

 sitie a vertue, going three or foure leagues out of the cittie 

 to receive him with a great maiesty, carried vpon the shoulders 

 of foure Noblemen, vnder a rich canopie of gold and 

 feathers: when they mette, Montecum-a discended, and they 

 saluted one another very curteously. Don Fernando Cortes 

 said vnto him that he should not care for any thing, and 

 that he came not to take away his realme, nor to diminish 



