8 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



having feen what had happened to his brothers, and 

 Montezuma his uncle? And particularly being appre- 

 henfive that many of his own fubje&s would take occa- 

 lion to declare themfelves his enemies, fome from their 

 fear of the Spaniards, or the particular intereft of their 

 families; others, to revenge the death of Cuicuitzcatzin, 

 and place Ixtlilxochitl on the throne. 



The revolutions which happened in that court fuffi- 

 ciently juftified the refolution he formed. Cortes was 

 hardly three days in Tezcuco, when the lords of Huex- 

 otla, Coatlichan, and Atenco, three cities fo near, as we 

 have already mentioned, to Tezcuco, that they appear- 

 ed like its fuburbs, prefented themfelves to him, intreat- 

 ing him to accept their alliance and friendfliip. Cortes, 

 who defired nothing more earneftly than to augment his 

 party, received them kindly, and promifed his protec- 

 tion. The court of Mexico, as foon as it knew of this 

 change, fent a fevere reprimand to thofe lords, telling 

 them, that if their motive for adopting fo bafe a meafure 

 • was the fear which they had of the power of their ene- 

 mies, it was fit for them alfo to know, that the Mexicans 

 had (till greater forces, by which they would foon fee 

 the Spaniards, with their favourite allies the Tlafcalans, 

 totally cruflied; that if they had been obliged to it, for 

 the intereft of the ftates and poffeffions which they own- 

 ed in Tezcuco, they might come to Mexico, where they 

 would be affigned better lands. But thofe lords, in- 

 ftead of being intimidated with the reprimand, or yield- 

 ing to the promifes made them, feized the meffengers, 

 and fent them to Cortes. He demanded of them the 

 purport of their embaffy? To which they anfwered, that 

 as they knew thofe lords to be in his favour, they had 

 come to intreat them to be mediators for peace between 



the 



