HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



323 



the confederacies they had made, to the projects of their 

 general. 



The Mexican ambaffadors whom Cortes ftill detained 

 with him, refufed to accompany him to TIafcala ; but he 

 perfuaded them to go along with him, promifing them, 

 that they fhould be perfectly fecure under his protection. 

 Having removed their donbts, he marched his army in 

 good order and preparation for every event. In the 

 cities of Tecompantzinco and Atlihuetzian, they were re- 

 ceived with all poffiblecourtefy, though not inaftyle equal 

 to the magnificent entry they made into the capital, from 

 which the four lords of the republic came out to meet 

 the Spaniards with a numerous concourfe of the nobility, 

 and fo great a crowd of inhabitants, that fome have af- 

 firmed they amounted to a hundred thoufand people ; a 

 calculation, by no means improbable, confidering the 

 populoufnefs of TIafcala, and the furprifing novelty of 

 thofe extraordinary Grangers, who awakened the curiofity 

 of all that extenfive region. In all the ftreets of the 

 city were formed, according to the ufage of thofe nations, 

 arches of flowers and branches, and a confufed mufic of 

 inftruments and acclamations refounded from all fides, 

 accompanied with fuch jubilee and rejoicing, that it ap- 

 peared to be rather the celebration of the triumph of the 

 republic than of that of its enemies. This day frill com- 

 memorated in TIafcala, was the 23d of September, 1519. 



That city was then one of the mofl confiderable in the 

 country of Anahuac. Cortes, in his letters to Charles 

 V. affirms, that in grandeur, populoufnefs, buildings, and 

 abundance of the necefTaries of life, it exceeded Granada 

 when that was taken from the Moors ; and that at the 

 market, of which he gives a defcription, there daily af- 

 fembled about thirty thoufand merchants and people of 



bufinefs. 



