HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



283 



Solis conj ectures, by the ports, or couriers, who were 

 ftationed on the highways, always ready to run with 

 defpatches. 



It is eafy to imagine the uneafinefs and perplexity into 

 which Montezuma was thrown by the news of that ar- 

 mament, and the diftindt information he had of the cha- 

 racter of thofe ftrangers, the fire of their horfes, and 

 the deftrudtive violence of their arms. As he was emi- 

 nently fuperftitious, he made his gods be confulted with 

 refpect to their pretenfions, and he received for anfwer, 

 as is reported, that he ought never to admit that new 

 people into his court. Whether this oracle, as fome 

 authors are perfuaded, came from the devil, who deli- 

 vered it, in order to keep every path fliut to the gof- 

 pel, or as we apprehend from the priefts, for the com- 

 mon benefit of themfelves and the nation, Montezuma 

 refolved from that time to refufe admiffion to the Spa- 

 niards; but that he might appear to act with propriety, 

 and to follow the dictates of his own genius, he fent an 

 embaffy to them with a prefent entirely worthy of his 

 royal magnificence. The ambaffador was a great per- 

 fonage of the court, not a little fimilar in ftature and 

 fliape to the Spanifh general, as an eye-witnefs has re- 

 ported (ni). Seven days were hardly elapfed after the 

 departure of Teuhtlile, before he returned, accompany- 

 ing the ambaffador, conducting alfo more than an hun- 

 dred men of burden, who carried the prefent (ri). As 



foon 



(m) Bernal Diaz. 



(«) Bernal Diaz calls this ambaffador $>u'mtalbor, but fuch a name neither is 

 nor can be Mexican. Robertfon fays, that the fame officers who had hitherto 

 treated with Cortes, were charged to bear the royal anfwer to him, and makes 

 no mention of the ambaffador; but both Bernal Diaz, an eye-witnefs, and 

 other Spanilh and Indian hiftorians, affirm what we have faid. Solis, in confi- 

 deration of the Ihort interval of feven days, and the diftance of feventy leagues, 



between 



