HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



245 



royal family of Mexico, who fucceifively filled the throne 

 after Montezuma their coufin. There were alfo the 

 lords of Colhuacan and Tenaycuca ; but the moil refpec- 

 table charafter was Moquihuix, king of Tlatelolco, fuc- 

 celTor to the unfortunate Quauhtlatoa. ♦ When the army 

 left Mexico, intelligence had not arrived of the con- 

 federacy of the three republics with the Cotaftefe ; as 

 foon as Montezuma knew it, he fent melTengers to his 

 generals not to proceed, but to return inflantly to his 

 court. The generals entered into a confultation : fome 

 were of opinion that they ought to obey the order of their 

 fovereign without hefitation ; others thought they were 

 not under obligation to fubmit to an order, which would 

 throw fuch relle<5iion on their honour, as the nobles muft 

 be difgraced and degraded if they fliunned engaging upon 

 an occafion which was fo fit to Ihew their bravery. The 

 firft opinion prevailed, as being the moft fafe ; but in fet- 

 ting out on their march to return to Mexico, Moqaihuix 

 the king, addrefiTed them : " Let thofe return, whofe 

 " fpirit can fuifer them to turn their backs upon the 

 " enemy, whilfl I with my people of Tlatelolco alone 

 bear off the honour of the vi<5lory." This refolute 

 determination of Moquihuix, fo roufed and fired the 

 other generals, that they all refolved to meet the danger. 

 At length they joined battle with the enemy, In which 

 the Cotaflefe although they fought courageoully, were 

 neverthelefs vanquiflied, with all their allies : of thefe 

 laft, the greater part were left on the field ; of both, fix 

 thoufand two hundred were made prifoners, who were 

 foon after facrificed at the fefiival of the confecration of 

 the ^axicalco^ or the religious edifice appropriated for 

 the prefervation of the ilculls of the victims. The whole 

 of that province remained fubje6l to the king of Mexico, 

 . , who 



