{ >5i ) 



wounds, as they were bringing him prifoncr. It is faid that Mon- 

 tezuma trembled when he beheld it, and ordered it to be fent elfewhere. 

 He alked his captains why, being fo numerous, they had not con- 

 quered fuch a handful of men ; they replied, that the reafon was, be- 

 caufe they beheld a fupernatural being, who encouraged the Spaniards, 

 and ftruck terror into their people j and this Montezuma believed could 

 be no other than the holy Virgin Mary, with her fon in her arms, as 

 we had explained to him that fhe was our patronefs. This I cannot 

 teftify to, not having been there myfelf, but fome of thofe who were 

 there affured me of the truth of it, and it was the univerfal belief 

 amongft us. Would to God that it were fo ! Certain however it is, 

 chat the divine mercy was with us throughout, for which praifed be 

 God! 



It having Ixen decided that we fhould feize tlic perfon of the king, 

 we paffed the whole of the preceding night in praying to our Lord, 

 that he would be pleafed to guide us fo that what we were about to do 

 (hould redound to his holy fervice, and in the morning* we proceeded 

 to arrange the manner in which our determination was to be carried 

 into effed:. Our cavalry and infantry were as ufual in readinefs to turn 

 out if called upon, and as it was always our cuftom to go fully armed, 

 the appearance in that manner gave no fufpicion. Cortes having left 

 our whole force in readinefs, proceeded to the palace, attended by the 

 captains, P. de Alvarado, Gonzalo de Sandoval, J. V. de Leon, Fra. 

 de Lugo, and A. de Avila, with the interpreters Donna Marina and 

 Aguilar ; fending before him to acquaint the king, that he was on his 

 Way to pay him a yifit. This he did in order to prevent any efl:e(5t 

 arifing from an unexpected appearance. The king concluded that it 

 was on account of the affair of Almeria, and that Cortes v/as enraged 

 about that which in reality he did not care the value of a chefnut for, 

 and fent back word to Cortes that he was welcome. Accordingly, our 



X general. 



• Eight days after the arrival of ihe Spaniards m Mexico. 



