372 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



tented with this, his generofity made him diftribute fre- 

 quent and magnificent prefents among the Spaniards. 



Cortes, on his part, fliewed fo much earneftnefs that 

 his people mould pay him the refpect which was due, 

 that he ordered a Spaniard to be whipped for anfwering 

 the king rudely, and would have made him be hanged, 

 as fomehiftorians affirm, if the king himfelf had not in- 

 terpofed in his behalf. But if the foldier was deferving 

 of chaftifement for infulting the majefty of that king by 

 a rude word, what punifliment did he merit who had fo 

 outrageoufly deprived him of his liberty ? Every time 

 that Cortes went to vifit him he obferved the fame cere- 

 mony, and paid him the fame compliments which he had 

 been ufed to do when he went to the royal palace. In 

 order to amufe him in prifon, he made the foldiers go 

 through the military exercife, or made them play at 

 games before him ; and the king himfelf frequently con- 

 defcended to play with Cortes and the captain Alvarado, 

 at a game which the Spaniards called bodoque^ and mew- 

 ed himfelf happy to lofe in order to have an opportunity 

 of exercifmg his liberality ; once after dinner he loft for- 

 ty pieces of unwrought gold, which, as near as we can 

 guefs, was equal to one hundred and fixty ounces at 

 leaft. 



Cortes perceiving his liberality, or rather prodigality, 

 told him one day that fome knavifh foldiers had ftolen 

 fome pieces of gold from the treafury of his deceafed fa- 

 ther Axajacatl, but that he would make them immedi- 

 ately reftore the whole of their theft. " Provided, 5 ' 

 faid the king, " they do not touch the images of the 

 " gods, nor any thing deftined for their worfliip, they 

 " may take as much as they pleafe." Having got this 

 permiffion, the Spaniards took out foon after more than 



a thou- 



