HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



237 



Montezuma had been fo ill treated, paying no regard to 

 the noble rank of the prifoners, nor dreading the fatal 

 confequences of his inhuman refolution, put all the five 

 inftantly to death ; and that he might always be able to 

 gratify his fight with a fpedacle in which his cruelty de- 

 lighted, he caufed their bodies to be faked and dried ; 

 and when they were thus fufHciendy prepared, he placed 

 them in a hall of his houfe, to ferve as fupporters of the 

 pine torches which were burned to give light in the 

 evening. 



The report of fo horrid an a£i: fpread im.mediately over 

 all the country. The king of Tezcuco, whofe heart was 

 pierced with the intelligence, demanded the aid of the 

 allied kings to revenge the death of his fons. Monte- 

 zuma determined that the Tezcucan army fliould attack 

 the city of Chalco by land, whilft he and the king of Ta- 

 cuba with their troops made an attack on it by water ; 

 for which purpofe he colledled an infinite number of vef- 

 fels to tranfport his people, and commanded the arma- 

 ment in perfon. The Chalchefe notwithftanding the 

 number of the enemy, made a vigorous refiflance ; for 

 befides being themfelves warriors, on this occafion defpe- 

 ration heightened their courage. The lord of that fiate 

 himfelf, although fo old that he could not walk, caufed 

 himfelf to be carried in a litter to animate his fubje6ls 

 with his prefence and voice. They were however totally 

 defeated, the city was facked, and the lord of it puniftied 

 in a moft exemplary manner for his many atrocious 

 crimes. The fpoils, according to the agreement made in 

 the time of king Itzcoatl, were divided among the three 

 kings, but the city and the whole of the flate remained 

 from that time fubje^i: to the king of Mexico, This vic- 

 tory, 



V 



