HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



69 



from thence and feemed to reach the clouds, uttered 

 deep lamentations. Cortes, moved with pity at feeing 

 fo great a body of people reduced to the utmofi diftrelfes, 

 commanded all hoftilities to ceafe for that day, and new 

 propofals to be made to the befieged, if they would fur- 

 render ; but they anfwered, that they never would, 

 and that while but one Mexican remained alive he would 

 continue the defence till death. 



Four days having paffed without hoftilities, Cortes 

 entered anew into the city, and encountered with a large 

 crowd of miferable creatures, of men, women, and young 

 children, emaciated and almoft dying of hunger ; the 

 famine being fo great, that many of them lived folely 

 upon herbs, marfli roots, infects, and even the bark of 

 trees. The general, compaftionating fuch wretches, or- 

 dered his troops not to do them any hurt, and paffed 

 on to the fquare of the market, where he found the por- 

 ticos filled with people who were unarmed ; a certain 

 token of the defpondency of the people and their dif- 

 pleafure at the obftinacy of the king and the nobles. 

 The greater part of that day was employed in negocia- 

 tions for peace ; but Cortes finding that nothing would 

 avail, ordered iUvarado to advance with an armed body 

 through a great road where there were more than a 

 thoufand houfes, while he with all his army made an at- 

 tack in another quarter. The flaughter which they 

 made of the befieged that day was fo great, that there 

 were upwards of twelve thoufand killed and taken pri- 

 foners. The allies raged fo cruelly againft thefe unhap- 

 py victims, that they fpared neither age nor fex, the 

 fevere orders of the general being of no efFecl: to control 

 them. 



The 



