220 AMERICA, 



ing nations. Never history, that was true, was more improbable and 

 romantic than that of this war. The empire of Mexico had subsist- 

 ed for ages ; its inhabitants, it is said, were not rude and barbarous ; 

 every thing announced a polished and intelligent people. They knew, 

 like the Egyptians of old, whose wisdom is still admired in this par- 

 ticular, that the year consisted nearly of 365 days. Their superio- 

 rity in military affairs was the object of admiration and terror over 

 all the continent ; and their government, founded on the sure basis 

 of laws combined with religion, seemed to bid defiance to time itself. 

 Mexico, the capital of the empire, situate in the middle of a spacious 

 lake, was the noblest monument of American industry. It communi- 

 cated with the continent by immense causeways, which were carried 

 through the lake. The city was admired for its buildings, all of 

 stone, its squares and market-places, the shops which glittered with 

 gold and silver, and the sumptuous palaces of Montezuma, some 

 erected on columns of jasper, and containing whatever was most 

 rare, curious, or useful. But all the grandeur of this empire could 

 not defend it against the Spaniards. Cortez, in his inarch, met with 

 a feeble opposition from the nations along the coast of Mexico, who 

 were terrified at their first appearance : the warlike animals on 

 which the Spanish officers were mounted, the artificial thunder which 

 issued from their hands, the wooden castles which had wafted them 

 over the ocean, struck a panic into the natives from which they did not 

 recover until it was too late. Wherever the Spaniards marched, they 

 spared neither age nor sex, nothing sacred or profane. At last, the 

 inhabitants of Tlascala, and some other states upon the coast, de- 

 spairing of being able to oppose them, entered into their alliance, and 

 joined arms with those terrible, and, as they believed, invincible con- 

 querors. Cortez, thus reinforced, marched onward to Mexico ; and, 

 in his progress, discovered a volcano of sulphur and salt-petre, 

 whence he could supply himself with powder. Montezuma heard of 

 his progress without daring to oppose it. This sovereign is reported, 

 by the boasting Spaniards, to have commanded thirty vassals, of 

 whom each could appear at the head of 100,000 combatants armed 

 with bows and arrows ; and yet he' dared not resist a handful of 

 Spaniards, aided by a few Americans whose allegiance would be 

 shaken by the first reverse of fortune. Such was the difference be- 

 tween the inhabitants of the two worlds, and the fame of the Spanish 

 victories, which always marched before them. 



By sending a rich present of gold, which only excited the Spanish 

 avarice, Montezuma hastened the approach of the enemy. No oppo- 

 sition was made to their entry into this capital. A palace was set 

 apart for Cortez and his companions, who were already treated as the 

 masters of the new world. He had good reason, however, to distrust 

 the affected politeness of this emperor, under which he suspected 

 seme plot for his destruction to be concealed ; but he had no pretence 

 for violence : Montezuma loaded him with kindness, and with gold 

 in greater quantities than he demanded, and his palace was surround- 

 ed with artillery, the most terrible of all engines to the Americans. 

 At last, a circumstance took place which afforded Cortez a pretext 

 for beginning hostilities. In order to secure a communication by sea 

 to receive the necessary reinforcements, he erected a fort, and left 

 behind him a small garrison at Vera Cruz, which has since become 

 an emporium of commerce between Europe and America. He un- 

 derstood that the Americans in the neighbourhood had attacked this 



