296 HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



Among the Tlafcalan vi6lims in the hiftory of Mexico, 

 a very famous general, named Tlahuicol^ is extremely 

 worthy of memory {g). His courage and the uncommon 

 ftrength of his arms, were unequalled and wonderful. 

 The maquahuitl^ or Mexican fword, with which he fought, 

 was fo weighty, that a man of ordinary ftrength could 

 hardly raife it from the ground. His name was a ter- 

 ror to the enemies of the republic, and wherever he 

 appeared in arms, they fled before him. In an alTault 

 which the Huexotzincas made upon a garrifon of the 

 Otomies, he got inadvertently, during the heat of the 

 engagement, into a madh, where not being able to 

 move with fufficient agility, he was made prifoner, con- 

 fined in a ftrong cage, carried to Mexico, and prefented 

 to Montezuma. The king Vv^ho could efleem merit even 

 in his enemies, inflead of putting him to death, graci- 

 oufly granted him liberty to return to his native coun- 

 try ; but the proud Tlafcalan would not accept the fa- 

 vour, pretending that as he had been made prifoner, he 

 had not confidence to prefent himfelf after fuch diflio- 

 nour before his countrymen. He faid he defired to die 

 like the other prifoners, in honour of their god. Mon- 

 tezuma obferving his averfion to return to his country, 

 and at the fame time being unwilling to deprive the 

 world of a man who was fo renowned, continued to en- 

 tertain him at his court, in hopes of making him a friend 

 to the Mexicans, and gaining his fervices to the crown. 

 In the mean time a war broke out with the Michuaca- 

 nefe, the reafons and particulars of which we know not, 

 when Montezuma committed the command of the army 



which 



{g) The event refpediing this officer happened in the laft years of Montezu- 

 ma's reign ; but on account of its connexion with the war of Tlafcala we have 

 thcuo;ht proper to introduce it here.' 



