232 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



with fuch good order as the Mexicans, by which means 

 they were quickly defeated, and retreated to their city. 

 The Mexicans having purfued them, entered it, and fet 

 fire to the turrets of the temples and other edifices. The 

 citizens not being able to refift their attack, fled to the 

 mountains ; but being even there befieged by the Mexi- 

 cans, they at laft furrendered. Montezuma was received 

 by the Xochimilchan priefls with the mufic of flutes and 

 drums ; and the whole expedition completed in about 

 eleven days. The king of Mexico went immediately 

 to take pofl^efllon of that city, which, as we have be- 

 fore mentioned, next to the royal refidence, was the 

 moft eonfiderable in the vale of Mexico, where he was 

 acknowledged and proclaimed king, received the obedi- 

 ence of thefe new fubje61:s, and promifed to love them 

 as a father, and watch in future over their welfare. 



The bad fuccefs of the Xochimilcas was not fufficient 

 to intimidate thofe of Cuitlahuac ; on the contrary, the 

 advantageous fituation of their city, which was built on 

 a Httle ifland in the lake of Chaico, encouraged them to 

 provoke the Mexicans to war. Itzcoatl was for pouring 

 upon them with all the forces of Mexico ; but Monte- 

 zuma undertook to humble their pride with a fmalier 

 body ; for which purpofe he raifed fome companies of 

 youths, particularly thofe who had been bred in the fe- 

 minaries of Mexico ; and after having exercifed them in 

 arms, and infl:ru6led them in the order and mode which 

 they were to follow in that war, he prepared a fuitable 

 number of veflels, and fet out with this armament againfl 

 the Cuitlahuachefe. We are totally ignorant of the 

 particulars of this expedition ; but we know that in fe- 

 ven days the city was taken and reduced under the obe- 

 dience of the king of Mexico, and that the youths re- 

 turned 



