HISTORY OF MEXICO. 281 



know when it would pleafe their lord to hear his em- 

 baffy. " You are fcarcely arrived in this land," an- 

 fwered Teuhtlile, " and yet you deiire immediately to 

 " fee our king. I have liftened with pleafure to what 

 " you have told me concerning the grandeur and bounty 

 " of your fovereign ; but know, that our king is not 

 " lefs bountiful and great ; I rather wonder that there 

 " fliould exifh another in the world more powerful than 

 " he ; but as you affert it, I will make it known to my 

 " fovereign, from whofe goodnefs I truft, that he will 

 " not only have pleafure in receiving intelligence of that 

 " great prince, but will likewife do honour to his am- 

 " baffador. Accept, in the mean time, this prefent 

 " which I offer you in his name." Upon which taking 

 out from a petlacalli, or little balket of woven reeds, 

 feveral admirable pieces of workmanfliip of gold, he 

 prefented them to Cortes, with various works of fea- 

 thers, ten loads of garments of fine cotton, and a confi- 

 derable quantity of provifions (k). 



Cortes accepted the prefent with Angular demonftra- 

 tions of gratitude, and returned for them things of fmali 

 value, though equally prized by them, either becaufe 

 they were entirely new in that country, or from the 

 brilliancy of their appearance. Teuhtlile had brought 

 many painters with him, in order that by dividing the 

 objects among them of which the armament confided, 

 they might in a fhort time copy them all; and that their 



Vol. II. N n king 



(k) Solis and Robertfon make Teuhtlile general of the armies, and deprive 

 him of the civil government of that coaft, whereas we know the contrary 

 from Bernal Diaz, Gomara, and other ancient hiftorians. Thofe authors fay 

 befides, that in the beginning Teuhtlile oppofed Cortes in his defign of going 

 to the court, but it appears from the teftimony of ancient and better hiftorians, 

 he did not oppofe him until he had a pofitive order from his king to that pur- 

 pofe. 



