HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



417 



and foldiers, permitting each of them to take what he 

 pleafed ; but at the fame time, he warned them how 

 much fitter it would be to abandon it all to the enemy ; 

 for, when free of that weight, they would find lefs diffi- 

 culty to fave their lives. Many of them, rather than 

 be difappointed of the principal object of their defires, 

 and the only fruit of their labours, loaded themfelves 

 with that heavy burden, under the weight of which 

 they fell victims at once to their avarice and the revenge 

 of their enemies. 



Cortes ordered his march in the greatefl filence of the 

 night, which was rendered (till darker by a cloudy iky, 

 and more troublefome and dangerous by a fmall rain 

 which never ceafed falling. He committed the van 

 guard to the invincible Sandoval, with fome other offi- 

 cers, and two hundred infantry and t wenty horfes ; the 

 rear guard to Pedro de Alvarado, with the greater part 

 of the Spanifh troops. In the body of the army the pri- 

 foners were conducted, with the fervants and baggage 

 people, where Cortes took alfo his ftation, with five 

 horfes and an hundred infantry, in order to give fpeedy 

 relief wherever it fhould be necefifary. The auxiliary 

 troops of Tlafcala, Chempoalla, and Cholula, which 

 amounted then to more than feven thoufand men, were 

 diflributed among the three divifions of the army. Hav- 

 ing firfh implored the protection of Heaven, they began 

 to march by the way of Tlacopan. The greatefl: part of 

 them palled the firfl: ditch or canal by the affiftance of the 

 bridge which they carried with them without meeting 

 any other refinance than the little which the centinels 

 who guarded that pod were able to make ; but the 

 priefts who watched in the temples having perceived 

 their departure, cried loudly " to arms," and roufed 



Vol. II. 3 G the 



