422 HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



creafed by their fears. They were perfuaded, as Cortes 

 himfelf actefts, that that day was to have been the laft of 

 all their lives. This general formed his languid troops, 

 by enlarging the front of his maimed and wretched 

 army, in order that the flanks might be in fome manner 

 covered by the fmall wings of the few cavalry he had left; 

 and with a countenance full of fire he addreflTed them: 

 " In fuch a difficult fituation are we placed, that it is ne- 

 " celTary either to conquer or die! Take courage, Caftili- 

 " ans! and truft, that He who has hitherto delivered us 

 " from fo many dangers, will preferve us alfo in this!" 

 At length the battle was joined, which was extremely 

 bloody, and laded upwards of four hours. Cortes fee- 

 ing his troops diminifti and in a great meafure difcou- 

 raged, and the enemy advance dill more haughtily not- 

 withstanding the lofs they fuffered from the Spanifli 

 arms, formed a bold and hazardous refolution, by which 

 he gained the victory and put the miferable remains of 

 his army in fecurity. He recollected to have often 

 heard, than the Mexicans went into diforder and fled 

 whenever their general was killed or they had loft their 

 ftandard. Cihuacatzin, general of that army, clothed 

 in a rich military habit, with a beautiful plume of fea- 

 thers on his helmet, and a gilded fliield upon his arm, was 

 carried in a litter upon the flioulders of fome foldiers ; 

 the ftandard which he bore was, according to their 

 ufage, a net of gold fixed on the point of a ftaff, which 

 was firmly tied upon his back, and rofe about ten palms 

 above his head (/) : Cortes obferved it in the centre of 

 that great multitude of enemies, and refolved to ftrike a 

 decifive blow; he commanded his brave captains Sando- 

 val, 



(t) This fort of ftandard was called by the Mexicans Tlahuizmatlaxofilli. 



