■( 'SO ) 



with the examination of thefe fcenes, fo ^n^w tO fVis^ vwe fetircd-^to Qur 

 quarters. 



Cortes perceiving how adverfe the king was to the converfionsof 

 his temple into a chriftian church, applied to one of the principal 

 officers of his palace, for materials to conftrud: a chapel and altar, 

 within our quarters. His defire being made known to Montezuma, /it 

 was inftantly complied with, and timber and workmen being provided, 

 in three days we had it completed. Here we faid mafs every day ; we 

 had however to lament the total want of wine for the holy facrament, 

 it having been all ufed in the illnefs of Cortes, the reverend father, and 

 others, during the wars in Tlafcala. However we were conftant in our 

 devotions, as well on account of our duty, as in order to imprefs a pro- 

 per idea of our holy religion, on the minds of Montezuma and the na- 

 tives. Being employed in looking out for a proper place to fix the holy 

 crofs, one of our carpenters obferved an appearance on the wall, as if a 

 door had been there, and lately clofed up. When this was made 

 known to Cortes, it was privately opened, and on entering the apart- 

 ment, they found riches without end ! The fccret foon tranfpired, and 

 we went, all of us, to view them. I was then a young man, andJ 

 thought that if all the treafures of the earth had been brought into one 

 place, they could not have amounted to fo much. It was agreed to 

 clofe up the door again, and we determined to conceal the knowledge 

 of it until the proper time Ihould offer. 



A council was now called, compofed of Cortes as prefident, with 

 four captains, and twelve foldiers whereof I was one, and having duly 

 confidered how evidently the Lord guided us, and what wife and valiant 

 captains and brave foldiers we had, as alfo the fickle difpofition of the 

 Indians, who though now kind to us, might change, there was no 

 faying how foon, and that notwithilanding the hofpitality with which 

 Montezuma treated us, he might at any moment fall into an oppofite 

 line of conducft, we refolved to follow the opinion of Cortes, by adopt- 

 ing the mofl effedtual meafure, which was, to feize, and make that 



monarch 



