74 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



companion on fo many wretched people, but likewifc 

 from the defire of making himfelf matter of the royal 

 treafures and thofe of the nobility; for if this laft part of 

 the city was taken by alfault, the Mexicans, when bereft 

 of every hope of faving their riches, might throw them 

 into the lake, that the vi&ors might not enjoy them ; and 

 in cafe that was not done, they would be feized by the 

 allies, who, from being innumerable and more acquaint- 

 ed with the houfes, would leave little or nothing to the 

 Spaniards in the diforder and confufion of the alfault. 

 He, for this purpofe, went to an eminence to fpeak with 

 fome refpe&able Mexicans who were well known to him, 

 reprefented to them their extreme danger, and requeued 

 them to make new applications to the king, to confent to 

 that conference which he fo much defired for the good 

 of the kingdom, himfelf, and all his fubjec~ts; for that, 

 if he perfifted in his purpofe of defending himfelf, he 

 was determined not to leave a Mexican alive that day 

 among them. Two of thofe nobles took upon them to 

 perfuade the king, but they were no fooner gone than 

 they returned, accompanying the Cihuacoatl, or fupreme 

 magiftrate of the court. He was received by Cortes 

 with many tokens of cordiality and refpec*t ; but, with 

 an air of fovereignty, by which it appeared he defigned 

 to fhew his mind fuperior to all calamities, he faid to 

 Cortes, " Spare me, O general ! the trouble of folicit- 

 " ing a conference for you with my king and lord 

 u Quauhtemotzin : he is refolved to die rather than ap- 

 M pear before you : I cannot exprefs to you how painful 

 " his refolution is to me; but there is no remedy : you, 

 " however, will follow the counfel you think proper, 

 " and aft agreeable to your defigns." Cortes told him 



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