328 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



mon people, which was confidered as a manifeft demon- 

 ftration of difrefpect. Cortes being advertifed of it by 

 the Tlafcalans, fentfourof the Chempoallefe, to tell the 

 Cholulans that theembaffy of a monarch fo great as the 

 king of Spain, ought not to have been entrufted to fuch 

 low meffengers, nor were they themfelves worthy to hear 

 it ; to let them know, that the Catholic king was the 

 true lord of all that country, and that in his name he 

 came to demand homage of thofe people ; that thofe who 

 fliould fubmit to him would be honoured, and the rebels 

 punifhed according to their defert ; that therefore they 

 fliould make their appearance within three days in Tlaf- 

 cala, to give obedience to their fovereign, otherwife 

 they would be treated as enemies. The Cholulans, al- 

 though it is to be fuppofed they treated fo arrogant an 

 embafly with burlefque, in order to diffemble their mali- 

 cious intention, prefented themfelves the next day to 

 Cortes, requeuing him to excufe their omiffion, occafion- 

 ed by the enmity of the Tlafcalans, declaring themfelves 

 not only the friends of the Spaniards, but alfo the vaf- 

 fals of the king of Spain. 



Having determined his route through Cholula, Cortes 

 fet out with all his people, and a considerable number of 

 Tlafcalan troops (d) 9 all which he foon difcharged, ex- 

 cept fix thoufand men, whom he chofe to accompany 

 him. A little way before they arrived at Cholula, the 



principal 



his hands ; but this account is unqueflionably falfe, for fo atrocious a proceed- 

 ing could not remain unknown to the Spaniards; but neither Cortes, Bernal 

 Diaz, nor any other of the firft: hiftorians mention it, Cortes would not have 

 omitted it in his letter to Charles V. to juftify the feverity of his chaftifement 

 of the Cholulans. 



(d) Cortes fays, that this army of the Tlafcalans confifted of more than one 

 hundred and forty-nine thoufand men. Bernal Diaz affirms, as an undoubted 

 fact, which was well known to him, that it confilied only of fifty thoufand 

 men. This number appears the mod probable. 



