500 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



difcovered all his accomplices in the rebellion, and the 

 defigns of the rebels. 



Some little time after this expedition, a difpute and 

 quarrel arofe between the Huexotzincas and the Cholu- 

 lans their friends and neighbours, which as it was left to 

 be decided by arms, occafioned a pitched battle to be 

 fought. The Cholulans being more verfed in the forms 

 of religion, in commerce, and the arts, than fkilled in the 

 fcience of war, were foon defeated, and forced to retreat 

 to their city, where their enemies purfued them, killed 

 fome of their people, and burned fome of their houfes. 

 The Huexotzincas had hardly gained the victory when 

 they found caufe to repent it, on account of the chaftife- 

 ment which they apprehended would follow it ; that they 

 might prevent this, they fent two refped^able perfons to 

 king Montezuma, whofe names were Tolimpanecatl^ and 

 Tzoncoztli^ who were to juftify them, and lay the blame 

 on the Cholulans. Thefe ambaffadors, either with a de- 

 fign to magnify the courage of their citizens, or from fome 

 other motive, exaggerated the flaughter made of the 

 Cholulans to fuch a degree, that the king believed they 

 were all cut to pieces, or that the few whofe lives had 

 been faved had abandoned the city. On hearing this 

 account Montezuma was extremely affli^led, and dreaded 

 the revenge of the god Quelzalcoatl, whofe fanftuary, 

 which was one of the moft celebrated and moft honour- 

 ed of all that land, he conceived to have been profaned 

 by the Huexotzincas. Having confulted, therefore, 

 with the two allied kings, he fent fome perfons from his 

 court to Cholula, to gain juft information of this tranf- 

 aflion ; and having found it very different from the re- 

 prefentation given by the Huexotzincas, he was fo en- 

 raged at their deceit to him, that he fuddenly difpatched 



an 



