HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



363 



die king faid, " I wonder, prince, that a monarch, fo 

 46 wife as you are, can adore thofe abominable figures of 

 <c the devil as gods." " If I had known," anfwered the 

 king, " that you would have fpoken difrefpeftfully of 

 " our gods, I (hould not have yielded to your requeft." 

 Cortes, feeing him fo much incenfed, begged his excufe, 

 and took leave to withdraw to his quarters. " Go in 

 " peace," faid the king; " for I will flay here to ap- 

 " peafe the anger of our gods, which you have provok- 

 * c ed by your blafphemy." 



Notwithstanding this circumftance of difguft, Cortes 

 not only obtained permiffion from the king to build with- 

 in the enclofure of his quarters a chapel in honour of 

 his god, but alfo the workmen and materials for the build- 

 ing, in which they celebrated mafs, although without 

 wine, and the foldiers daily affembled there to perform 

 their devotions. He fixed alfo, in the principal court, 

 a great crofs, that the Mexicans might fee the high ve- 

 neration in which they held that fymbol of their religion. 

 He was moreover defirous of confecrating the very fanc- 

 tuary of Huitzilopochtli to the worlhip of his god, but 

 at that time he was retrained by refpect for the king 

 and the priefts; but he accomplished this purpofe fome 

 months after, having acquired a greater authority by the 

 imprifonment of the king, and other actions not more 

 prudent or lefs rafii, as will prefently appear. 



He broke the idols which were worshipped there, made 

 them clean and adorn the fan&uary, placed a crucifix and 

 an image of the mother of God in it, and placing him- 

 felf upon his knees before thofe facred images, he thanked 

 the Almighty for having granted leave to adore him in 

 that place, fo long deftined to cruel and deteftable idola- 

 iry. His pious zeal made him frequently repeat to Mon- 

 tezuma 



