4H 



HISTORY OF MEXICO, 



The lords of the province of Tepejacac, which bor- 

 dered on the republic of Tlafcala, had declared them- 

 felves the friends of Cortes, and fubje&s of the court of 

 Spain, ever fince that terrible maffacre which the Spa- 

 niards had made in Cholula; but feeing afterwards that 

 the Spaniards were worfted, and the Mexicans victorious, 

 they put themfelves again under obedience to the king of 

 Mexico; and, in order to conciliate his favour, they kill- 

 ed fome Spaniards who were on their journey from Vera 

 Cruz to Mexico, and unapprifed of the tragedy which 

 had happened to their companions there; they admitted 

 a Mexican garrifon into their territory, and occupied the 

 road which led from Vera Cruz to Tlafcala; and, not 

 even contented with that, they made fome incurfions 

 into the lands of that republic. Cortes propofed to 

 make war upon them, not lefs to punifh their perfidy 

 than to fecure the road from that port for the fuccours 

 he expected from thence. He was inftigated alfo to this 

 expedition by the young Xicotencatl, who had been fet 

 at liberty by the mediation of the Spanifli general him- 

 felf, and that he might remove every fufpicion againfl: 

 him concerning what had palfed in the fenate, offered tc» 

 affift him in that war with a ftrong army. Cortes ac- 

 cepted his offer; but before he took up arms, he in a 

 friendly manner demanded fatisfacYion of the Tepeja- 

 cans, and advifed them to quit the Mexican caufe, pro- 

 mifing to pardon the trefpafs they had committed in mur- 

 dering thofe Spaniards; but his propofition having been 

 Rejected, he marched againfl them with four hundred and 

 twenty Spaniards and fix thoufand Tlafcalan archers, 

 while Xicotencatl was levying an army of fifty thoufand 

 men. In Tzimpontzinco, a city of the republic, fo many 

 troops alfembled from the flates of Huexotzinco, and 



Cholula, 



