HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



373 



a thoufand fine habits of cotton ; Cortes commanded 

 them to be replaced, but Montezuma oppofed it, faying 

 he never took back what he had once given away. Cor- 

 tes alfo imprifoned fome foldiers, becaufe they had taken 

 out of the fame treafure a certain quantity of liquid am- 

 ber ; but, at the defire of the king, they were again fet 

 at liberty. Montezuma, not contented with yielding up 

 his riches to the Spaniards, prefented to Cortes another 

 of his daughters, whom the general accepted, in order 

 to marry her to Chriftopher Olid, camp-mafter to the 

 Spanifh troops. This princefs, as well as the other for- 

 merly prefented, were immediately inftru&ed and bap- 

 tized, without any oppofition from their father. 



Cortes, having no longer any doubt of the friendly 

 difpofition of the king, which had been manifefted not 

 only by his extraordinary liberality, but alfo by the 

 pleafure he took in living among the Spaniards, after 

 fome days of confinement allowed him to go out of the 

 quarters, and exhorted him to go as often as he pleafed 

 to amufe himfelf with the chafe, of which he was immo- 

 derately fond. That debafed monarch did not refufe 

 this miferable ufe of his liberty ; he went frequently, 

 fometimes to the temples to perform his devotions, fome- 

 times to the lake to catch water-fowl, fometimes to the 

 wood of Chapoltepec, or fome other place of pleafure ; 

 always guarded, however, by a ftrong company of Spa- 

 nifli foldiers. When he went upon the lake, he was 

 efcorted by a vaft number of boats, or by two brigan- 

 tines, which Cortes had caufed to be built as foon as he 

 entered that capital fr). When he reforted to the 



t woods, 



(r) In order to fet forth at once the life of Montezuma while in prifon, we 

 recount here fome events which happened pofterior to others, which are ftill 

 to be related. 



