CORTES. 



255 



Oorte?. and causeways; and with all the advantages which the 

 Spaniards possessed, they were alarmed at the thoughts 

 of being shut up in the city amidst sixty thousand hos- 

 tile inhabitants. And it was not long till Cortes had 

 good cause of alarm. He had learned that Escalante, 

 whom he had left in the government at Villa Rica, had 

 been mortally wounded m a rencontre with the Mexi- 

 cans, and that one of the Spaniards being taken pri- 

 soner, his head was cut off, and after it had been car- 

 ried in triumph through various cities, to show that the 

 Spaniards were not immortal, had at last been brought 

 to Montezuma. Cortes , therefore determined to adopt 

 a bold measure ; to seize Montezuma in the midst of 

 his capital, and carry him as a prisoner to the Spanish 

 quarters, that he might employ his sacred authority in 

 accomplishing the plans which he had in view ; an ex- 

 pedient which has since been adopted, after his exam- 

 ple, on various occasions, and with various success. 

 He went to Montezuma, accompanied by his most de- 

 termined officers, and a chosen band of soldiers: he 

 upbraided him as the author of the unprovoked attack 

 upon the Spaniards at Villa Rica. Montezuma asserted 

 his innocence, and offered to bring the officer who com- 

 manded on that occasion a prisoner to Mexico. Cortes 

 replied, that it was necessary, in order to remove the 

 suspicions of his followers, that he should leave his pa- 

 lace, and take up his residence in the Spanish quarters. 

 The Mexican prince heard the proposal with the ut- 

 most indignation, and said his people would protect 

 him from such an insult. Cortes reasoned and remon- 

 strated in vain ; and the altercation had continued three 

 hours, when one of Cortes's officers exclaimed, "■ Let 

 us seize him instantly, or stab him to the heart." Mon- 

 tezuma was terrified by the fierceness of his voice and 

 gestures, and suffered himself to be carried to the Spa- 

 nish quarters,, amidst the tears and lamentations of his 

 people. 



Cortes wishing to impress the Mexicans with the idea 

 that to put a Spaniard to death was the greatest of all 

 crimes, caused the officer who commanded against Es- 

 calante, his son, and five other principal officers, to be 

 tried by a Spanish court martial: they were condemned 

 to be burnt alive ; the sentence was executed in the 

 presence of the sorrowful Mexicans ; and the weapons 

 collected in the royal magazines for the defence of the 

 state, composed their funeral pile. 



Cortes completely subdued the mind of Montezuma 

 by these proceedings, and for the space of six months 

 made him the willing instrument of promoting his pur- 

 poses. Montezuma gave orders to his people to bring 

 part of the naval stores which the Spaniards had depo- 

 sited at Vera Cruz ; others were commanded to cut 

 down and prepare timber, and by these means the Spa- 

 nish carpenters were soon enabled to complete two bri- 

 gantines, which gave Cortes the command of the lake 

 of Mexico. He next prevailed on Montezuma to declare 

 himself a vassal of the King of Spain : encouraged by 

 this facility, Cortes proposed that he should establish 

 by royal authority the Christian religion. But however 

 complying he had been in other respects, he obstinate- 

 ly resisted this proposal. Provoked by this resistance, 

 Cortes led out his soldiers to throw down, by force, the 

 idols in the grand temple of Mexico. Both priests' and 

 people were instantly in arms, and Cortes's zeal was 

 forced to yield to his prudence. 



From that moment the Mexicans were determined 

 to attempt the expulsion or destruction of the Spniards: 

 and Montezuma assuming unusual spirit, told Cortes 

 that since the object of his embassy was now accom* 



4 



plished, it was the will of the gods, and of the people 

 of Mexico that he and his followers should instantly ' 

 depart. Amidst these transactions, a Mexican courier 

 arrived with intelligence that some ships had appeared 

 off the coast. Cortes fondly imagined that these brought 

 reinforcements from Spain, and a confirmation of his 

 usurped authority. How great was his mortification 

 when he heard that it was a formidable armament fitted 

 out against him by Velasquez, governor of Cuba. This 

 armament consisted of eighteen ships, having on board 

 eighty horsemen, eight hundred foot soldiers, a hun- 

 dred and twenty cross-bowmen, and twelve pieces of 

 cannon, and Pamphilo de Narvaez had the command. 

 Cortes, having, endeavoured to persuade Montezuma 

 that the strangers newly arrived were his friends, with 

 whom he must have an interview, left Pedro de Alva- 

 rado with a hundred and fifty men to take charge of 

 Montezuma, and the Mexican capital, and marched 

 instantly against Narvaez with about two hunched and 

 fifty men. He negociated with his followers, held out 

 the alluring prospects of wealth and honour, and had 

 undermined their fidelity before he commenced the at- 

 tack, which was conducted in the night, and with com- 

 plete success. Narvaez was taken prisoner, and almost, 

 all his men joined Cortes. 



During Cortes's absence, the Mexicans had taken up 

 arms to expel then' invaders ; they had been wrought 

 up to the highest pitch of fury, and forgetting the ter- 

 rors which the Spaniards had inspired, they attacked 

 them in their quarters, killed several of them, and de- 

 stroyed their magazines, together with the two brigan- 

 tines which Cortes had built to give him the command 

 of the lake. On receiving an account of these pro- 

 ceedings, he hastened back to Mexico with all his 

 forces, where he found the Mexicans burning with im- 

 placable animosity. He attacked them repeatedly with- 

 out effect ; though immense numbers were slain, fresh 

 troops rushed forward to devote themselves, till the 

 Spaniards, wearied with slaughter, were forced to re- 

 tire. He next brought forward Montezuma to per- 

 suade them to cease from hostilities. Though they 

 adored their prince, his proposal was received with so 

 much indignation, that they discharged a volley of ar- 

 rows and stones, by which the unhappy monarch was 

 killed. 



Cortes now resolved to retreat from Mexico: but find- 

 ing it necessary to dislodge the Mexicans from a high 

 tower which overlooked the Spanish quarters, he forced 

 his way to the top of the battlements, where two young 

 Mexicans, seizing him in their arms, threw themselves 

 from the tower, in the hopes of dragging Cortes along 

 with them. He disengaged himself by his strength, 

 and the gallant youths perished in endeavouring to de- 

 liver their country. 



The Spaniards now prepared for a precipitate re- 

 treat, which they resolved to attempt in the dead of 

 night, with a view to elude the vigilance of the Mexi- 

 cans. Their motions, however, had been carefully 

 watched, and whilst they were proceeding silently along 

 the causeway, they were suddenly alarmed by the war- 

 like shouts of the Mexicans, and assailed with innume- 

 rable weapons. The conflict became tremendous. Cor- 

 tes effected his retreat, the bodies of the slain serving 

 as a bridge across the breaches in the causeway ; and 

 when he mustered his forces next day, he found that 

 he had lost many of his best officers, half his followers, 

 all his artillery, and almost all his horses. He conti- 

 nued his retreat towards the territories of the Tlasca- 

 lans, being continually harassed by the Mexicans, who 



Corte- 



