448 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



were quartered." And again : the city of Cholula, he 

 says, " much resembled Valladolid." It " had at that 

 time above a hundred lofty white towers, which were 

 the temples of their idols. The principal temple was 

 higher than that of Mexico, and each of these buildings 

 was placed in a spacious court." 



Approaching the city of Mexico, he gives way to a 

 burst of enthusiasm. " We could compare it to nothing 

 but the enchanted scenes we had read of in Amadis de 

 Gaul, from the great, towers, and temples, and other edi- 

 fices of lime and stone which seemed to rise up out of 

 the water." 



" We were received by great lords of that country, 

 relations of Montezuma, who conducted us to our lodg- 

 ings there in palaces magnificently built of stone, the 

 timber of which was cedar, with- spacious courts and 

 apartments furriished with canopies of the finest cotton. 

 The whole was ornamented with works of art painted, 

 and admirably plastered and whitened, and it was ren- 

 dered more delightful by numbers of beautiful birds." 



" The palace in which we were lodged was very light, 

 airy, clean, and pleasant, the entry being through a great 

 court." 



Montezuma, in his first interview with Cortez, says, 

 " The Tlascalans have, I know, told you that I am like 

 a god, and that all about me is gold, and silver, amd 

 precious stones ; but you now see that I am mere flesh 

 and blood, and that my houses are built like other houses, 

 of lime, and stone, and timber" 



" At the great square we were astonished at the 

 crowds of people and the regularity which prevailed, 

 and the vast quantities of merchandise." 



" The entire square was enclosed in piazzas." 



" From the square we proceeded to the great temple, 



