18 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



wounded; but the citizens not being able to endure 

 longer the flaughter which the Spanifti arms made of 

 them, abandoned the city, and faved themfelves by flight. 

 The conquerors plundered the city, and fet fire to fome 

 of the houfes. 



The day following they proceeded towards the large 

 and beautiful city of Quauhtitlan, as Cortes juftly calls 

 it, but they found it depopulated ; the citizens having 

 been terrified by what had happened to Xaltocan, and 

 betaken themfelves to fome place of fecurity. 



From thence they pafled to Tenajocca, and to Azcapo- 

 zalco, and becaufe they met with no refiftance from any 

 of thofe three cities they did them no hurt. At laft they 

 came to the court of Tlacopan, the limit which Cortes had 

 propofed to himfelf for the expedition, where he meant 

 to folicit fome accommodation with the court of Mexi- 

 co, and if that fhould not fucceed, to inform himfelf in 

 the neighbourhood of its defigns and preparations. He 

 found the citizens of that place difpofed to difpute his 

 entrance. They attacked the Spaniards with their ufual 

 fury, and fought courageoufly for fome time ; but at 

 length becoming unable to withftand the fire of their 

 guns, and the impetuofity of the horfes, they retreated 

 to the city. The Spaniards, on account of its being 

 late, lodged in a large houfe of the fuburbs. The next 

 day the Tlafcalans fet fire to many houfes of the city, 

 and, during fix days, which the Spaniards remained 

 there, they had continual ilcirmifhes, and fome famous 

 duels were fought between the Tlafcalans and the citi- 

 zens of Tlacopan ; but they both fought with extreme 

 bravery, and vented the hatred which they bore each 

 other in a thoufand reproaches. Thofe of Tlacopan 

 called the Tlafcalans the damfels of the Spaniards, with- 

 out 



