186 HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



intitled to a better fate ! an example of jSdelity moft 

 worthy to be recorded, which had the hero been Grecian 

 or Roman, in place of American, would have been the 

 fubje£l- of praife of both hiftorians and poets. 



The Tepanecas became vain-glorious, of an a£l: equally 

 contrary to humanity and the rights of nations ; and 

 protefted to the multitude the great pleafure they would 

 have in being able to inform their chief, from being eye- 

 witneiTes, of the inviolable fidelity of the Ocompanefe. 

 They alfo declared, they had been fent exprefsly to inti- 

 mate an order not to give alTiflance to the king of Tez- 

 cuco, under pain of profcription, and to exhort them ro 

 take arms againfl: that king, and in defence of their liberty. 

 The lord of Otompan, and the heads of the nobility 

 replied, they would willingly obey the order of the king 

 of Azcapozaico, and offered to do every thing in their 

 power to fecond his intentions. 



They gave fpeedy intelligence of this event to the lord 

 of Acolman, who was the fon of Tezozomoc, and com- 

 municated it to his father : he believing it now time to 

 put his defigns in execution, fent for the lords of Otompan 

 and Chalco, on whofe fidelity he chiefly relied, and whpfe 

 ftates were mofl conveniently fituated for his purpofe, and 

 charged them to levy, with all poffible fecrecy, a fuf- 

 fident army, and lay themfelves in ambufcade in a moun- 

 tain near to the camp of the Tezcucan king ; that from 

 thence they fiiould fend two of the mofl brave and able 

 captains to the royal camp, who, under pretence of im- 

 parting fome very important fecret to the king, fiiould 

 artfully lead him to as great a diftance as poffible from his 

 people, and then without delay or hefitation to murder 

 him. Every thing happened as the wicked prince had 

 defigned. The king then chanced to be in the neighbour- 

 hood 



