428 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



of the reign of Montezuma. A little before, or a little 

 after the defeat of the Spaniards, the prince C ui da- 

 hlia tz hi was elected king of Mexico. He, as we have 

 faid already, was lord of Iztapalapan, the particular 

 counfelior of his brother Montezuma, and Tlachcocal- 

 catl, or general of the army. He was a perfon of great 

 talents and fagacity, agreeably to the teflimony of Cor- 

 tes, his rival, and liberal and magnificent like his bro- 

 ther. He took great delight in architecture and gar- 

 dening, as appears from the fplendid palace he built in 

 Iztapalapan, and the celebrated garden which he plant- 

 ed there, in whofe praifes no ancient hiftorian is filent. 

 His bravery and military fkill acquired him the higheft 

 effeem amongft the Mexicans ; and fome authors affirm, 

 from particular information of his character, that if he 

 had not met an early death, the capital would never 

 have been taken by the Spaniards (z). It is probable, 

 that the facrifices made at the feftival of his coronation 

 were thofe Spaniards whom he himfelf had taken pri- 

 foners in the night of their defeat. 



As foon as the feflival of his coronation was over, he 

 employed himfelf to remedy the difafters fufFered by the 



crown 



(z) Solis gives Cuitlahuatzin the name of ^uetlabaca^ and fays, that he 

 lived on the throne but a few days, and thofe were fufficient to make the me- 

 mory of his name amongft his countrymen be for ever cancelled from his cow- 

 ardice and infignificance. But this is falfe, and contrary to the accounts given 

 by Cortes, Bernal Diaz, Gomara, and Torquemada, authors who were better 

 informed than Solis. How could the memory of his name amongft the Mex- 

 icans be cancelled, while it waspreferved indelibly among the Spaniards, they 

 having confidered him as the perfon who was the caufe of their defeat on the 

 firft of July, as they themfelves teftify? Cortes was fo mindful of him, and 

 felt fo much refentment for thofe difafters, that when he found he had forces 

 fufficient to undertake the fiege of Mexico, being defirous of revenging him- 1 

 felf on that king, but not being able to get revenge on his perfon, he took it 

 upon his favourite city. This was the motive, as Cortes himfelf fays, of his 

 expedition againft Iztapalapan. 



