HISTORY OF MEXICO. 59 



lities ; the king fliould remain in quiet polTeffion of his 

 crown, with all his grandeur, power, and authority, 

 which he had hitherto enjoyed ; that his fubjecls fliould 

 remain free, and matters of all their property, without 

 any thing being demanded from his majefly or his fubjecls, 

 but the homage due to the king of Spain, as the fupreme 

 lord of all that empire, whofe right had been already 

 acknowledged by the Mexicans themfelves, as founded 

 on the ancient tradition of their anceftors; that if on the 

 contrary he perfifted in war, he would be deprived of his 

 crown, the greater part of his vaffals would lofe their 

 lives, and their large and beautiful city totally deflroyed. 

 The king confulted with his counfellors, with the gene- 

 rals of the army, and the heads of their religion ; he ex- 

 plained to them the fubjecl of the embafly, the ftate of 

 the capital, the fcarcity of provifions, the afflictions of his 

 people, and the ftill greater evils which threatened them, 

 and commanded them to fpeak their opinions freely. 

 Some of them forefeeing the iiTne of the war, were in- 

 clined to peace; others, inftigated by hatred to the Spa- 

 niards, or the fentiments of honour, advifed war. The 

 priefls, whofe authority in this, as well as in other mat- 

 ters, was highly refpected, declared ftrongly againfl 

 peace; alleging feveral pretended oracles of their gods, 

 whofe indignation ought to be dreaded if they yielded 

 to the claims of thofe cruel enemies of their worlhip, and 

 whofe protection ought to be implored with prayers and 

 facrifices. This opinion at lafl: prevailed, from the fu- 

 perftitious fear which had feized their minds ; and, ac- 

 cordingly, they anfwered the Spanifh general, that they 

 would continue the war, for they were determined to 

 defend themfelves to the lafl breath. If they had not 

 been moved to this refolution by fuperftition, but by a 



fenfe 



