HISTORY OF MEXICO. 427 



of gold and filver, gems, and other precious things, ex- 

 pended partly in prefents to the Spaniards, partly in 

 homage to the king of Spain, of which they recovered 

 but little, the fame of their arms was obfcured, and the 

 refpecl of the crown of Mexico diminished ; the Toto- 

 nacas, and other people, had renounced their obedience; 

 all their enemies had grown more infolent j their temples 

 were materially damaged, and their religion fpurned at ; 

 many houfes of the city were totally demolished, and 

 above all other grievances, they had loft their king, 

 feveral royal perfonages, and a great part of the nobility. - 

 To thofe reafons for defpondence and difguft at the Spa- 

 niards, thofe which were caufed by their own civil war 

 were added, for the knowledge of which we are indebt- 

 ed to the manufcriprs of a Mexican hiftorian who hap- 

 pened to be at this time in the capital, and furvived a 

 few years the ruin of the empire. At the time the Spa- 

 niards were fo much diftrefTed in the capital by famine 

 from the hoftilities of the Mexicans, feveral lords of the 

 firft nobility, either in order to favour the party of the 

 Spaniards, or, what is fully more probable, to give fuc- 

 cour to the king, who, by being among them was ne- 

 celfarily an equal fufFerer with them, fecretly fupplied 

 them with provifions, and perhaps, declared themfelves 

 openly in their favour, in confidence of their own per- 

 fonal authority. From this caufe arofe a fatal dilTenfion 

 among the Mexicans, which could not be terminated 

 without the death of many illuftrious perfons, and par- 

 ticularly fome of the fons and brothers of Montezuma, 

 according to the account of the above hiftorian. 



The Mexicans found the necelfity of placing at the 

 head of their nation a man capable of re-eftabliihing its 

 honour, and repairing the loffes fuiFered in the laft year 



of 



