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ti'nucd ftill paying our court to Montezuma, in the manner fo great and 

 generous a prince deferved, never fitting doWn, not even Cortes himielf, 

 in his prefence, until the king commanded it. The converfation fre- 

 quently turned upon our holy religion, and the truths thereof feemcd 

 to be every day making more impreflion upon the king's mind. 



Cortes now entered again upon the fubjedl of Montezuma's ac- 

 Jtnowledging the fovereignty of our Emperor, to which Montezuma 

 replied, that he would fummon the princes his vaffals, which he ac- 

 cordingly did, and nearly the whole of them attended within the fpacc 

 of ten days. Among the few who abfented themfelves was that rela- 

 tion of Montezuma's already fpoken of, as of extraordinary prowefs in 

 war, who returned for anfwer, that he would neither come, or pay 

 any more tribute. The king was incenfed at this, and fent officers to 

 apprehend him, but without fuccefs. The princes being aflembled and 

 the little page prefent, Montezuma reminded them of the ancient pro- 

 phecies, whereby they were told that from thofe parts where the fun 

 jifes, men were to come to rule the country, and that with their arrival 

 fhould ceafe the empire of the Mexicans. The king added, that for 

 Jiis part he believed we were the people fpoken of ; that he had facri- 

 ficed to his gods, requefting in vain an anfwer from them, but they 

 referred him to the former ones, and commanded him to afk no more^ 

 whereby he concluded their will to be that obedience fhould be yielded 

 to the king of Caftille, to whom thefe ftrangers were valTals. *• I 

 *' now," continued he, " befeech you to give them fome token of 

 " fubmiflion; they require it of mc, let no one refufe. For eighteen 

 *• years that I have reigned, I have been a kind monarch to you, you 

 ** have been faithful fubjedts to me; fince my gods will have it fb, 

 *• indulge me by this one inftance of obedience.'^* The princes, with 

 many fighs and tears, promifed Montezuma, who was ftill more 

 affected than them, that they would do whatever he dcfired. He then 

 fent a melTage to Cortes, telling him, that on the enfuing day, he and 

 his princes would tender their allegiance to his Majefly our Emperor. 

 This they accordingly did at the time appointed, in the prefence of all 



our 



