320 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



that he was willing alfo to fhare the revenues of his 

 kingdom with his brother Coanocotzin ; but at the 

 fame time he requefled him to drop every other preten- 

 lion, and not to difturb the public tranquillity. The 

 prince anfwered, that his brothers might a£l as they 

 thought proper; that he was pleafed that Cacamatzin was 

 in pofTeffion of the kingdom of Acolhuacan, that he had 

 no defigns againft him nor againfl the flate ; that he had 

 no other view in maintaining his army than to oppofe 

 the ambitious defigns of the Mexicans, who had given 

 grounds for the grcatefl difguft and fufpicions to his fa- 

 ther Nezahualpilli ; that if at that time the kingdom 

 was divided for the common intereft of the nation, he 

 hoped to fee it again united ; that above all things it 

 was neceffary to guard againfl: falling into the fnares of 

 the crafty Montezuma. Ixtlilxochitl was not deceived 

 in his diffidence of Montezuma, as this king was the 

 very perfon who, as we lhall find hereafter, gave the 

 unfortunate Cacamatzin into the hands of the Spaniards, 

 in fpite of the attachment he pretended to him. 



This agreement being made with his brother, Caca- 

 matzin remained in peaceable polTeffion of the crown of 

 Acolhuacan ; but with greatly diminiflied dominions, 

 as he had ceded a very confiderable part of the king- 

 dom. Ixtlilxochitl kept his troops confl:antIy in motion, 

 and frequently appeared with his army in the environs 

 of Mexico, daring Montezuma to a lingle combat with 

 him. But this king was no longer in a fl:ate fit to ac- 

 cept fuch a challenge. The fire which he had in his 

 youth had already begun to die away with age, and 

 domefl:ic luxury had enervated his mind ; nor would it 

 have been prudent to have expofed himfelf to a ren- 

 counter of this kind with fo adventurous a youth who 



had 



