HISTORY OF MEXICO. 443 



the face, that they raifed horror in every perfon who 

 viewed them. Among other difafters occafioned by this 

 diforder, the death of Cuitlahuatzin, after a reign of 

 three or four months, was mod fenfibly felt by the Mex- 

 icans, and the death of prince Maxixcatzin by the Tlaf- 

 calans and Spaniards. 



The Mexicans chofe Quauhtemotzin, nephew of the 

 deceafed Cuitlahuatzin, for their king, as no brother of 

 the two lafl kings was furviving. This was a youth of 

 about twenty-five years, of great fpirit ; and although 

 not much pra&ifed in the art of war, on account of his 

 age, he continued the military difpofitions of his prede- 

 ceffor. He married his coufin Tecuichpotzin, daughter 

 of Montezuma, and formerly wife to his uncle Cuitla- 

 huatzin. 



The death of Maxixcatzin was greatly lamented by 

 Cortes, as much on account of the particular friendfliip 

 formed between them, as to him it had been principally 

 owing that there was fo much harmony between the 

 Tlafcalans and the Spaniards. Having rendered the 

 road of Vera Cruz perfectly fecure, and fent the captain 

 Ordaz to the court of Spain, with a diftincl: account in 

 writing, addrefted to Charles V. of all that had hither- 

 to happened ; and the captain Avila to the ifland of 

 Hifpaniola, to folicit new fuccours for the conquefl of 

 Mexico, he departed from Tepejacac for TlafcaJa, en- 

 tered there, dreiTed in mourning, and made other de- 

 monftrations of grief for the death of his friend the 

 prince. At the requefl of the Tlafcalans themfelves, 

 and in the name of the Catholic king, he conferred the 

 vacant ftate of Ocotelolco, one of the four principal 

 ftates of that republic, on the fon of the late prince, a 

 youth of twelve years, and, in honour of the merits of 



his 



