HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



41& 



the ufual ceremonies, and buried the afties with the ut- 

 moft refpeft and veneration, although fome low illiberal 

 Mexicans treated the ceremony with ridicule and abufe. 



Upon this fameoccafion, if there is any truth in what 

 hiftorians relate, Cortes ordered the dead bodies of Itz- 

 quauhtzin lord of Tlatelolco, and other imprifoned lords, 

 of whofe names there is no mention, to be thrown out 

 of the quarters into a place called Tehuajoc, all of whom 

 had been put to death, as they affirm, by order of Cor- 

 tes, although none of them affign a reafon for fuch a 

 conduct, which, even if it was juft, can never be cleared 

 from the charge of imprudence, as the fight of fuch 

 flaughter muft neceffarily have exafperated the anger of 

 the Mexicans, and induced them to fufpeft that the fo- 

 vereigti likewife had been facrificed by his command (0). 

 However it was, the people of Tlatelolco carried off 

 the dead body of their chief in a velfel, and celebrated 

 his funeral rites with great lamentation and mourning. 



In the mean time, the Mexicans continued their at- 

 tacks with ftill more ardour. Cortes, although he made 

 great flaughter of them and came off always conqueror, 

 yet faw that the blood fpilt of his own foldiers was a 

 greater lofs than the advantages obtained by his victo- 

 ries compenfated \ and that at laft the want of provifions 

 and ammunition, and the multitude of his enemies, 

 would prevail over the bravery of his troops and the fu- 

 periority of his arms ; believing, therefore, the immedi- 

 ate departure of the Spaniards indifpenfably neceffary, 

 he called a council of his captains, to deliberate upon 



the 



(e>) Concerning the death of thofe lords, no mention is made by Cortes, B. 

 Diaz, Gomara, Herrera, and Solis ; but Sahagun, Tcrquemada, Eetancourt, 

 and the Mexican hiftorians, report it as certain. In refped to the latter, and 

 the fidelity due to hiftory, we recite the event, though one of great improba- 

 bility. 



