( ) 



if they already had iis in their cages. They brought many more of 

 their warriors to attend us than we had required, infomuch that the 

 courts, which remain at this day as a memorial of the event, large as 

 they were, could not contain them. We were all prepared for what 

 was to be done, the foldiers armed with fword and buckler were placed 

 at the^ate of the great court, in order to prevent any one from efcaping, 

 and^Our general was on horfeback, attended by a ftrong guard. When 

 he faw how the people crowded in he exclaimed, ** How anxious are 

 " thefe traitors to feaft upon our fle{h ! But God will difappoint them." 

 He fent directions to the two priefts who had given the information, to 

 go immediately to their houfes, and this he did in order to fave their 

 lives; then, caufing the reft of the priefts, and all the chiefs to be 

 brought to him, he calmly alked them what was their reafon for 

 plotting to deftroy us, and what we had done, more than require them 

 to abandon their abominable cuftoms, and endeavour to inftrudl them 

 in the articles of our holy faith ; and that for thefe reafons only, they 

 had made preparations to cut us all off. That their evil intentions ap- 

 peared by their having withdrawn the women from the town, and that 

 when we required the provifions which they withheld from us, they 

 had infulted us by fending in wood and water. He faid that he knew 

 of the ambufcade that was placed upon the road which they expected 

 us to go, and that the recompenfe which they intended for our holy 

 and friendly fervices was, to kill and eat us, for which purpofe the 

 pots were already boiling, and prepared with fait, pepper, and tomatas. 

 That if they were determined to attack us, it was better to do it in a 

 manly way, as the Tlafcalans did ; he added, that he alfo knew that 

 twenty of us were to be facrificed to their idols, to whom they had made 

 a propitiatory offering of feven of their brethren; but the vidlory the 

 idols had promifed them, it was not in their power to give, and the 

 effe(5ts of their treafon were now ready to fall on their own heads. 



This being fucceffively explained to the natives by Donna Marina, 

 they tonfeffed the whole of the charge, but faid that it was planned 

 aitirely by the orders of Montezuma. Cortes replied, that fuch crimes 



were 



