c 
Chap. III. for the ReduBion 
or at leaft they obliged him to delay the Breach, endea- 
vouring to qualify his Fear after fuch a Manner, that it 
fhould be taken for Prudence by Men, and for Refpeft 
by his Gods. 
His EmbafTadors arrived juft as the new Settlement and 
Fortrefs of Vera Cruz were completed. They were the 
Emperor’s Nephews, young Men, but affifted by four 
ancient Princes, who attended them as Counfellors. They 
told Cortes^ That the Emperor had determined to chaftife 
the Caziques, till he received an Account of , his Beha- 
viour, which induced him to fufpend his Vengeance : 
That he hoped, however, he would foon quit that Coun- 
try, fince the Obftacles which hindered his coming to his 
Court were, in their Nature infiirmountable. 
According to his ufual Cuftom, Cortes heard their 
Difeourfe with great Temper and Calmnefs, and received 
the Prefents made him by the Emperor with all Refpeift 
polTible ; treated the EmbafTadors with great Kindnefs and 
Complaifanc^ ; made them many Prefents, befides a pro- 
per Return to Motezuma : But, . at the fame time, de- 
clared, ft'hat Difficulties were no Difeouragements to him, 
and the Importance of his Commiffion was fuch, that, at 
all Events, he muft purfue his Journey. This highly dif- 
gufted the Embafladors j but was very ufeful with regard 
to the Allies, who were confirmed in their Opinion that 
Cortes was fomething more than Man, fince the great 
Emperor of Mexico vouchfafed to court his Friendfhip, 
and difeovered an Apprehenfion of his Prefence. They 
began therefore to conclude themfelves fafe under his 
Protedlion, and to lay afide that Fear, to which not only 
they, but their Anceftors, had been accuftomed. 
8. The Cazique of Zempoalla^ a fliort time after, came 
to Vera Cruz, with fome principal Indians, whom he 
brought as V/itneffes of what he intended to offer, which 
was. That now the Time was come to proteft and de- 
fend his Country ; for that fome Troops of the Mexicans 
were arrived in Zimpazingo, deftroying the Corn-fields, 
and committing fome Hoftilities in his Diftri6t. Cories 
found himfclf engaged to fupport thtZempoallans to main- 
tain his Credit •, and befides, he thought it would not be 
right to fuffer that Infolence of the Mexicans as it -were in 
his Sight, and that in cafe they were fome advanced 
Troops of Motezumah Army, it would be neceffary to 
ftrike a Terror into them to difeourage the reft of his 
People, for which Purpofe he determined to march in 
Perfon ; engaging in it fomewhat too haftily, for he was 
yet unacquainted with the Deceits of thofe People (a ca- 
pital Vice among the Indians ) and fuffered himfelf to be 
carried away without examining into the Truth. He of- 
fered them to march out immediately with his Troops 
to chaftife thofe Enemies who difturbed the Peace of his 
Allies, and, ordering them to provide Indians of Bur- 
then for the Service of the Baggage and Artillery, he 
made a Difpofition immediately for his March, and took 
the Road of Zimpazingo, with four hundred Men, leaving 
the reft in the Fortrefs of Vera Cruz. 
As he paffed by Zempoalla he found two thoufand 
armed Indians whom the Cazique had provided to ferve 
under him in that Expedition, divided into four Bodies, 
with their Captains, Colours, and Arms, according to 
the Cuftom of their Militia. Cortes thanked him very 
much for the Care he took to provide that Succour % and 
though he let him underftand,that he had no Occafion 
for his Men upon an Expedition of fo fmall Importance, 
yet he fuffered them to go to provide againft all Events •, 
but intimated he did fo only to let them ffiare in the 
Glory of the Succefs. That Night they lodged three 
Leagues from Zimpazingo, and the next Day, in the Af- 
ternoon, they difeovered the Town on the Top of a fmall 
Hill, a Branch of the Mountain, among great Rocks, 
which hid Part of the Buildings. 
The Spaniards began to overcome the Craggednefs of 
the Mountain, but not without confiderable Trouble *, for, 
being jealous of an Ambufeade, they went doubling 
and filing off as the Ground would permit •, but the Zem- 
poallans, either more dextrous or lefs embarrafled by the 
Narrownefs of the Paths, advanced with a Sort of Fury, 
which appeared like Valour, but was, indeed, no better 
than Revenge. Cortes was obliged to give Orders to 
i 
y N E W S P A I N. 83 
halt, at a time when fome Troops of the Van-guard 
were already in the Town. 
He continued his March without meeting any Refift- 
ance, and juft as he was preparing to attack the Town 
in feveral Parts, there came out of it eight Priefts who 
enquired for the Captain of that Army, before whofe 
Prefence they came in an humible and pitiful Manner,, 
fuch as fufficiently ftiewed Submiffion, without the Help 
of an Interpreter. Their Drefs was a black Mantle, of 
which the End reached the Ground, and the upper Part 
was gathered and plaited about the Neck, with a Piece 
hanging loofe in Form of a Hood. Their Hair reached 
to their Shoulders, clodded with the human Blood of 
their Sacrifices •, Marks of which they fuperftitioufly 
preferved on their Faces and Hands, for it was not law 
ful for them to wafti themfelves. Thefe Priefts foon con- 
vinced the Spanijh Commander that he had been im- 
pofed on, that the Troops from Motezuma were long 
ago retired, and that this was only an Artifice of his 
Allies, who were their Enemies, in order to make ufe of 
him as an Inftrument for their Deftrudion. 
A thing in itfelf very fcandalous and bafe, but at this 
Jundure particularly barbarous and black, as it contri- 
buted to draw an Imputation upon the Spaniards, which 
might have been fatal to their Affairs. After hearing 
their Difeourfe he returned to his Indian Allies, and by 
the Contufion of the Zempoallan Captains, it appeared 
that thofe Priefts fpoke Truth, and Cortes was concerned v 
at the Deceit, and vexed, at the fame time, at the Ma- 
lice of the Indians but confidering what was moft pro- 
per to be done upon this Occafion, he prefently ordered 
the Captains Olido and Alverado to go with their Com- 
panies, and gather the Indian^ together who had ad- 
vanced before to get into the Town, and were now biify 
in the Pillage, and had taken a confiderable Quantity of 
Cloaths and Furniture and fome Prifoners. 
They were brought to the Army ftiamefully loaded, 
and the plundered People following, crying out for their 
Goods, for whofe Satisfaftion Cortes commanded them to 
unbind the Prifoners and deliver up the Goods to the 
Priefts, that they might reftore them to their proper Own- 
ers, and calling for the Zempoallan Captains, reproved 
them publicly for their Preftimption, telling them they 
deferved Death for their Offence in making ufe of him 
only to compafs their Revenge *, however, being warmly 
entreated by the Spanijh Captains whom he had inffnidted 
before to pacify him, he pardoned them for that time, 
enlarging upon his Clemency, though, in Truth, he did 
not then dare to chaftife them •, knowing well, diat to 
preferve new acquired Friends, Clemency was more re- 
quifite than Juftice. Having managed things fo as to 
give him a Reputation with both the Nations, he com- 
manded the Zempoallans to lodge without the Tov/n, and 
marched in with the Spaniards, where he was received 
with the Applaufe due to a Deliverer. 
, Immediately the Cazique of Zimpazingo vifited him 
in his Lodging, with others of the Neighbourhood, wlio 
came out ot Friendffiip, acknowledging the King of Spain 
for their Prince, whofe Name was already beloved and 
reverenced in that Country, where the People defired to 
be his Subjedls out of Hatred to Motezuma, whom they 
knew, and Love to a Prince they knew not. 
In their March back to Zempoalla, the Troops paffed by 
two Towns of thofe that were newly entered into the Con- 
federacy ; and while they halted in the Afternoon, a Sol- 
dier, whofe Name was Mora, took two Hens, fo that 
Cortes faw it, and was fo angry becaufe it was done in 
his Prefence, and in regard that he would have his Sol- 
diers to obferve Difeipline, that he ordered him to be 
hanged, and had not Peter Alverado cut him down with 
his Sword, he had aftually died ; as it v/as he dropped 
down half choaked, and fome time afterwards was killed 
in Battle, at Guatemala. Hie Lord himfelf was near 
Zempoalla waiting for Cortes with Provifions, and under 
great Concern, on account of having made him under- 
take that Journey on falfe Relations •, for they were not 
fo barbarous as not to be fenfible that Cortes made good 
his Affertion, that he was fent to maintain Juftice, which 
gained him much Reputation j and as the Dread of Mo~ 
tezurm 
