HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



247 



then from the height, in the view of an Immenfe con- 

 courfe of people, he thus addrefled his own people : 

 " Ye know well, my brave Mexicans, that the Chalchefe 

 wifli to make me their king ; but it is not agreeable 

 to our God that I fhould betray our native country, I 

 " choofe rather to teach you by my example, to place 

 " higher value on fidelity to it, than upon lifeitfelf." 

 Having fpoke thus, he threw himfelf headlong from the 

 fcaffold. This a^l, though barbarous, was agreeable to 

 the ideas which the ancients entertained of magnanimity, 

 and was fo much lefs cenfurable than that of Cato and 

 others, celebrated by antiquity, as the motive was nobler 

 and the courage of the Mexican greater. The Chal- 

 chefe were fo enraged at the deed, that they fell inftantly 

 on the other Mexicans and killed them with their darts. 

 The next evening they heard by chance the melancholy 

 fcreaming of an owl, which, as they were extremely ad- 

 difled to fuperflition, was interpreted a fatal omen of 

 their approaching ruin. They were not deceived in the 

 anticipation of their difafters ; for Montezuma, highly 

 provoked by their rebellion and their enormous olfenceSj 

 immediately declared war, and caufed fires to be kindled 

 on the tops of the mountains, as a fignal of the punifh-. 

 ment to which he condemned the rebels. He then 

 marched with his army againfl that province, and made 

 fuch havock of the enemy as to leave it almofi: depopu- 

 lated. Immenfe numbers were flaughtered, and thofe 

 who efcaped with life, fled into the caves of the moun- 

 tains which rife above the plains of Chalco ; fome, to re- 

 move themfelves ftill further from danger, pafilng to the 

 other fide of the mountains, took refuge in Huexotzinco 

 and Atlixco. The city of Chalco was facked and plun- 

 dered. The fury of revenge was fucceeded in Monte- 

 zuma^ 



