HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



55 



conquefl: of Mexico, if the Mexicans, inftead of wifliing 

 to kill him, which was frequently in their power, had 

 not eagerly ftrove to take him alive, to honour their gods 

 with the facrifice of fo illuftrious a victim. They had 

 already feized him, and were leading him off for this 

 purpofe, when his people, apprifed of his being a pri- 

 foner, came fpeedily to relieve him. Cortes owed his 

 life and his liberty to a foldier of his guard, called 

 Chriftoval de Olea, a man of infinite courage and great 

 dexterity in arms ; who, upon another occafion, had 

 refcued him from fimilar danger, and upon this faved 

 him at the riik of his own life, by cutting off with one 

 ftroke of his fword, the arm of that Mexican who had 

 taken him. Cortes was indebted in like manner for his 

 liberty to the Prince D. C. Ixtlilxochitl, and to a brave 

 Tlafcalan, named Temacatzin. 



The Spaniards at laft, though not without the greateft 

 difficulty, and a number of wounds, got upon the great 

 road of Tlacopan, when Cortes was able to rally them, 

 and took himfelf the rear-guard with the cavalry; but 

 the boldnefs and fury with which the Mexicans purfued 

 them were fuch, that it appeared impoffible for them to 

 efcape with their lives. The divifions which had enter- 

 ed by the other two roads, had alfo had terrible encoun- 

 ters; but, becaufe they had been more careful in filling 

 up the ditches, their retreat was lefs difficult when Cor- 

 tes ordered them to march to the greater fquare of Te- 

 nochtitlan, where they all collected. From thence they 

 difcovered, with the utmoft mortification, the fmoke of 

 copal arifing from the floves of the greater Temple, 

 which the Mexicans were burning as a thankfgiving for 

 the victory they had obtained ; but the vexation was 

 ftill ftronger when they faw the heads of fome Spaniards 



thrown 



