HISTORY OF MEXICO. 429 



crown and the empire. He gave orders to repair the 

 damaged temples, and to rebuild the demoliftied houfes, 

 augmented and improved the fortifications of the capital, 

 fent embaffies to the different provinces of the empire, 

 encouraging them to the common defence of the ftate 

 againft thofe hoftile ftrangers, and promifed to relieve 

 thofe who would take up arms in behalf of the crown 

 from all their tributes. He fent alfo ambalfadors to 

 the republic of Tlafcala, with a confiderable prefent of 

 fine feathers, habits of cotton, and fome fait, who were 

 received with due honour, according to the laws eftab- 

 liflied among the poliflied nations of that country. The 

 purport of the embafly was to reprefent to that fenate, 

 that although the Mexicans and Tlafcalans had hitherto 

 been the inveterate enemies of each other, it was now 

 become neceftary to unite themfelves together as the 

 inhabitants originally of one country, as people of the 

 fame language, and as worlhippers of the fame deities, 

 againft the common enemy of their country and religion; 

 that they had already feen the bloody flaughter which 

 had been committed in Mexico, and other places, the 

 facrilege to the fan&uaries, and the venerable images of 

 the gods, the ingratitude and perfidy ftiewn to his bro- 

 ther and predeceflbr, and the mo ft refpe&able perfon- 

 ages of Anahuac; and, Jaftly, that infatiable thirft in 

 thofe ftrangers for gold, which impelled them to violate 

 every facred law of friendftiip; that if the republic 

 continued to favour the perverfe defigns of fuch mon- 

 fters, they would in the end meet with the fame recom- 

 penfe which Montezuma had for the humanity with 

 which he received them into his court, and the liberal- 

 ity which he exercifed fo long towards them : the Tlaf- 

 calans would be execrated by all nations for giving aid 



to 



