370 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



cretion), " as your fubjeft, defire your happinefs ; but 

 " as the confidant of thofc men, know their fecrets, and 

 cc am acquainted with their character. If you conde- 

 " fcend to do what they require, you will be treated by 

 " them with all the honour which is due to your royal 

 " perfon ; but if you perfift in your refufal, your life 

 " will be in danger." That unhappy lung, who from 

 the time that he had the firft intelligence of the arrival 

 of the Spaniards, had been flruck with a fuperftitious 

 panick, and had become daily more pufillanimous, feeing 

 himfelf in fuch difficulty, and being perfuaded that be- 

 fore his guards could come to his fuccour he might pe- 

 rifh by the hands of men fo daring and refolute, at laft 

 yielded to their importunity. " I am willing to trufl 

 " myfelf with you ; let us go, let us go, fince the gods 

 " thus intend 5" and immediately he ordered his litter 

 to be prepared, and he got into it, in order to be tranf- 

 ported to the quarters of the Spaniards. 



Our readers will probably, on reading and confider- 

 ing all the circumftances of this extraordinary event, feel 

 the fame difpleafure we feel in giving the relation ; as 

 the Spaniards cannot but appear to have been the fe- 

 vered inftruments fate ever made ufe of to farther the 

 ends of Providence in the difcovery and connection of the 

 new with the old continent. 



Montezuma, at length, left his palace never to return 

 to it again. He departed, declaring to his courtiers, for 

 certain reafons, after confultation with his gods, he was 

 going to pafs fome days, of his own free will, with thofe 

 fa-angers, commanding them to publifli it through all 

 the city. He went with all the pomp and magnificence 

 with which he ufually appeared in public, and the Spa- 

 niards kept clofe to him, guarding him, under pretence 



of 



