Chap. V. 



iA M E%^1 C A. 



profefVd to acl: immediately from and for the King of Spain. What pretences they 

 hadforfuchaReiolution, feeminglyat leaft irregularis notfo well known. What, 

 ever they were, they proceed in it, and the whole Company (excepting onely fomq 

 few, who yet went along with the reft) chuk Cortcfius anew for their Commander 

 in chief, and appoint likewife by common content, all other' Officers of Juftice, 

 both Civil and Military, among themfelves : and to give the better colour at Court 

 to their Proceedings, they fend Tortocorrero and Monteio, two of their Principals, in- 

 to Spain, with a rich and noble Prefent to the Emperor, both to make report of the 

 State oftheCountrey, and to procure immediate Commiffion from his Majefty, to 

 proceed ; after which they advance towards Mexico, as hath been faid. Velafquez, 

 being at Cuba, and underftanding their Proceedings, labor'd to intercept both their 

 MefTengers and Prefent, but could not • and therefore fent Tamphilius T^ary^e^ with, 

 eleven Ships, and about nine hundred or a thoufand Men to apprehend Cottefw, 

 and oppofe his Proceedings. This hapned about the time that the Differences were 

 but newly calm'd betwixt the Spaniards and the People of Mexico ; and though it ob«? 

 lig'd Cortefitu to leave the City in a wavering and unfetled condition, yet he took 

 fuch order, that Mutec^uma ftill remain'd under the Guard of the Spaniards as before, 

 aflifted with thoufands of their Friends olTlajcalla, and he himfelf taking the reft, 

 and fome few Spaniards along with him, with undaunted courage and rcfolution 

 marches againft TSLarVae^ : and fuch was his good fortune, that not onely l^arvae^ be- 

 came his Prifoner without much blood.fried, but likewife all his Men joyn'd with 

 him in his Defign, through the favour of the Chancery or fupream Court of St. Do- 

 mingo, and by the procurement of the Licentiat Fafque^de Jyllon, a Judge of it, who 

 was fent with NarVae^ to accommodate the Differences. With this Recruit Corte- 

 fius marches back again to Mexico ; but at his coming finds things in a very bad con- 

 dition j for the Citizens, gather'd together under the Command of one Quicuxte- 

 moc, had recourfe to Arms, and for three days and three Nights vex'd the Spaniards 

 with continual Stormings, notwithstanding what-evcr Commands they had to the 

 contrary from their imprifon'd King, who at laft, looking out of a Window, 

 endeavoring to appeafe them, was hurt with a Stone, of which he foon after died, 

 as they fay, who would not have the Spaniards thought to havemurder'4 him, as the 

 Mexicans fay they did, with divers other Noble-men, and fome of his Children, the ■ 

 very Night they fled. However it were, not long after his Death, out of extrearr* 

 neceflity, a*nd chiefly for want of Victuals, the Spaniards were fore'd to leave the Ci- 

 ty in the night-time, and with the lofs of four hundred and fifty of their Men, who 

 were either (lain or taken Prifoners at the pafling of a Draw-bridge, the reft ma- 

 king a heavy Retreat to their Friends at Tlafcalla. There is ftandjngat this day in 

 Mexico, upon the place where fo many of them were kill'd, a certain Hermitage, 

 which they call Los Martyres, or The Hermitage of the Martyrs, though but improperly, 

 if upon that occafion, as one of their own Writers confefTes, though he alledges no 

 other reafon. 



This Retreat of the Spaniards out of Mexico hapned to be upon the tenth of July 

 after mid-night, in the Year 1520. which the Spaniards at Mexico call The Doleful 

 Njght. Neverthclefs the undaunted Cortefms being got, though with much diflfj^ 

 culty and trouble, by reafon of the purfuit of the Mexicans for a good part of the 

 Way, to his fure Friends ofTlafcalla, neither loft his Courage, nor gave over his Re- 

 folution of yet gaining Mexico, efpecially the way being now laid open, and fuf- 

 ficient occafion given by the Death of Mutec^uma, and the provocations of the 

 Mexicans themfelves, to make himfelf abfolute and fole Lord of the Place : where- 

 fore having fent for, and nrocur'd a competent Supply pffrefh Soldiers from 



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