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general, and we who attended him, having entered into the prefencc of 

 Montezuma, after paying him his refpeds, he addreffed the king 

 through his interpreters, faying, he was aflonifhed that a monarch 

 .who was fo brave, and who had fhewn himfelf fo friendly to us, 

 fhould have given orders to his troops in Tuzapan to attack the Spa- 

 niards, kill one of them, and his horfe, and pillage and deftroy our 

 allies. Cortes wifhed to conceal the death of Efcalante and the fix 

 others. He then charged the king with the treacherous attempt againft 

 us in Cholula, which he faid he had hitherto been deterred from fpeak- 

 ing of, by motives of efteem and regard ; but that now, in addition to 

 thefe provocations, his officers were plotting our immediate deftrucftion, 

 and he concluded by faying, that, in order to prevent the ruin of the 

 city, it was neceffary that his Majefty fhould, peaceably, and without 

 making any oppofition or remonftrance, immediately go with us to our 

 quarters, where he fhould be treated with the greatefl rcfped;; but that 

 if he faid one word, or gave the leafl alarm, the five captains then pre- 

 fent would inftantly put him to death. On hearing this Montezuma 

 was at firfl fo terrified that he appeared to have lofl all fenfation. Hav- 

 ing recovered himfelf a little, he denied his having ever given any order 

 to his troops to attack our countrymen, and taking from his wrifl the 

 lignet of Huitzilopochtli with which he was ufed to confirm any order 

 of great importance, he caufed the officer of whom complaint had been 

 made, to be fent for. He then replied to the propofal of leaving his 

 palace, and fummoning up his dignity faid, that he was not the perfon 

 fo be forced to take fuch a ftep, contrary to his inclination. The con- 

 vcrfation was prolonged, Cortes giving him good reafons for what he 

 propofed, and the king replying to him with better, infomuch that 

 above half an hour had now elapfed. The captains who were ftanding 

 by began at laft to grow very impatient, and J. V. de Leon cried out to 

 Cortes in his rough voice, " Why Sir do you wafle fo many words ? 

 " Let him yield himfelf our prifoner, or we will this infiant plunge 

 our fwords into his body. Tell him this, and alfo, that if he fays a 

 word, he dies for it. Better for us to affure our lives now, or perifhat 

 once:'* The manner in which this was fpoken flruck the king, and he 



afked 



