( "9 1 



On this day ambafTadors arrived from Montezuma, who, in very dif- 

 refpe€tful terms, forbid our approach to Mexico, and required an im- 

 mediate anfwer. Cortes mildly expreffed his furprife at this alteration; 

 he made them a prefent, and requefted a fhort delay, which they ac- 

 ceded to. He then fummoning his foldiers, warned us to be alert, for 

 that he fufpe(5ted fomc great treachery. The chiefs having refufed ta 

 attend him, he immediately fent fome foldiers to a great temple hard by 

 our quarters, with orders to bring, as quietly as they could, two of the 

 priefls. In this they fucceeded without any difficulty, and the priefts 

 being brought before the general, he made a prefent to each, and then 

 enquired the reafon of thefe extraordinary appearances. One of them 

 was a perfon of rank, and authority over all the temples of the city, in 

 the manner of a bilhop; this perfon alTured him, that if he had an op- 

 portunity of fpeaking to the chiefs, he could perfuade them to comei 

 and being difmilfed for this purpofe, he w^as as good as his word, for 

 he foon returned accompanied by fevcral of them. Cortes firft alked 

 the caufe of the change in their behaviour; he then demanded an im- 

 mediate fupply of provifions, and alfo a number of their people for the 

 enfuing day, to convey the baggage and artillery. The chiefs appeared 

 confounded, but at length promifed to fend in provifions; though they 

 faid they had been forbidden by Montezuma, and that he was not fatis-^ 

 ' fied that we fhould go any -farther. Juft at this time three of our friends 

 of Cempoal called out the general, and informed him, that they had 

 difcovered hard by our quarters, pitfalls covered with wood and earth, 

 and that clearing away the earth, and looking into one of them, they 

 had found it fet with fharp flakes ; that the terraces of all the houfes 

 were filled with ftones and parapeted with fods, and that they had feen 

 a barricade of ftrong timber in one of the ftreets. At this inftant ar- 

 rived alfo eight Tlafcalans, from their army which was lying in the 

 field; they warned Cortes againft the intended attack, for it had come 

 to their knowledge, that the people of the place had, on the preceding 

 night, facrificed to their war god feven vid:ims, five of whom were 

 children, and they had alfo obferved, that they were withdrawing their 

 women, children, and effedts, from the place, 



HereupOA 



