HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



145 



affirms. This general remained in the capita! until the 

 beginning of May following, at which time he went to 

 Chempoalla, to oppofe Narvaez. He affaulted and gain- 

 ed a victory over his enemy on the Sunday of Pentecoft, 

 which that year (i 520J happened on the 27th of May. 

 The infurre&ion of the Mexicans, caufed by the violent 

 proceedings of Alvarado, happened on the great feftival 

 of the month Toxcatl, which began that year on the 

 13th of May. Cortes returned to the capital after his 

 victory, on the 24th of June, as every one attefts. In 

 the accounts of the events which occurred in the laft 

 days of June, and the firft days of July, we find fome 

 confufion and anachronifms among hiftorians. We have 

 followed Cortes in his letters, which contain the moft 

 authentic account of the conqueft. 



The death of Montezuma appears to have happened 

 on the 30th of June, for he died, according to Cortes, 

 three days after he received the wound from a ft one. 

 This happened while thofe two machines of war were 

 conftru&ing, of which we have made mention in our 

 hiftory : thefe were conftru&ed on the night of the 

 26th of June and the day following, as is to be gathered 

 from the account of this conqueror. We cannot fix 

 the death of Montezuma therefore later nor fooner than 

 the 30th, without perplexing the feries of events. 



The firft of July we make the noche triste, that is, the 

 night when the Spaniards came off defeated, for Cortes 

 gives feven days to their journey from Mexico to Tlaf- 

 cala, and affirms that they entered there on the 8th of 

 July. Diaz and Betancourt fay, that the Spaniards left 

 Mexico on the 10th, and entered on the 16th into the 

 lands of that republic ; but in this particular the great- 

 eft faith is due to Cortes. The events which happened 



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