408 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



He tied his fliield to his arm, and having caufed the 

 temple to be furrounded by a fufficient number of Spa- 

 niards and Tlafcalans, began to afcend the flairs of it 

 with a gueat part of his people. The nobles who were 

 now befieged difputed their afcent with great courage, 

 and overturned fome of the Spaniards ; in the mean 

 while, other Mexican troops having entered the lower 

 area, fought furioufly with thofe who furrounded the 

 temple. Cortes, though not without the utmofl fa- 

 tigue and difficulty, at lafl gained the upper area along 

 with his party. Now came on the greatefl heat and 

 danger of the contefl, which lafled upwards of three 

 hours. Part of the Mexicans died by the point of the 

 fword, and part threw themfelves down to the lower 

 floors of the temple, where they continued the fight un- 

 til they were all killed. Cortes ordered the fan&uary 

 to be fet on fire, and returned in good order to the quar- 

 ters. Forty-fix Spaniards loft: their lives in this action, 

 and all the reft: came off wounded and bathed in blood. 

 This fpirited afTault was one of thofe in which the op- 

 ponents fought with the greatefl courage on both fides, 

 and on that account the Tlafcalans as well as the Mexi- 

 cans reprefented it in their paintings after the conqueft 



Some hiftorians have added the circumflance of the 

 great danger in which, according to their account, Cor- 

 tes was of being precipitated from the upper area by 

 two Mexicans, who being refolved to facrifice their 

 lives for the good of their country, feized Cortes in their 

 arms upon the edge of it in order to drag him along 



with 



(g) The differences of opinion among hiftorians refpe6Hng the order and cir- 

 cumftances of the engagements which happened in thofe days, is inexpreffible. 

 We follow the account given by Cortes, considering him the fyeft authority. 



