392 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



offer him the fame civilities which they had already fliewn 

 to Cortes ; but in a few days after, in fpite of the great 

 diffimulation of Cortes, and although he ufed every ef- 

 fort to hinder fuch intelligence from reaching the king 

 or his vaffals, the want of harmony between them was 

 difcerned. 



Montezuma had now the faired opportunity to deftroy 

 them both, if he had harboured in his breaft thofe bloody 

 defigns which feveral hiftorians have imputed to him. 

 Narvaez endeavoured to alienate him from Cortes, and 

 thofe of his party, accufing them all of treafon, and pro- 

 mifing to punilh their unheard of audacity in imprifon- 

 ing fo great a king, and to free not only the king him- 

 felf, but the whole nation from their oppreffion ; but 

 Montezuma was fo far from plotting any thing againfl: 

 Cortes from thefe fuggeftions, that, on the contrary, 

 when this general made him acquainted with the expe- 

 dition he intended againfl: Narvaez, Montezuma expreff- 

 ed great uneafinefs at the danger to which he expofed 

 himfelf with troops fo inferior in number, and offered to 

 raife immediately a great army to his affiftance. 



Cortes had now ufed every poffible means to bring 

 about a peaceable accommodation, which would unquef- 

 tionably have been advantageous for both armies, but 

 without any other effect than that of producing frefli 

 menaces and difdain from the fierce and arrogant Nar- 

 vaez, Finding himfelf therefore compelled to make 

 war upon his countrymen, and not willing, on account 

 of his diffidence and diftrufl of the Mexicans to avail 

 himfelf of the affiftance which Montezuma offered, he 

 requeued the fenate of Tlafcala to raife four thoufand 

 warriors to go along with him, and fent one of his fol- 

 diers, named Tobilla, a man well ikilled in the art of 



war, 



