J 
92, ^'he Expedition of H 
hundred Cotton Garments, and in MotezumcL ^ Name, 
intreated Cortes not to expofe himfelf by going into 
flafcala % for, he affured him, he would repent it, be- 
caufe thofe were a needy People, and invited him thi- 
ther that they might rob him. 
On the other Hand, the four great Lords had al- 
ready fent to importune him to repair to their City, of- 
fering him ftill greater Security if he defired it, and pro- 
tefting that their Friendfhip fliould laft for ever, for they 
would never violate the Faith of the Republic upon any 
Account. Cortes concluding that fo much Courtefy mufb 
needs proceed from a (incere Friendfhip, and being 
much courted to it by the Zempoallans^ refolved to go to 
"Tlafcala^ and accordingly began his March^ leaving 
feveral Croffes and Heaps of Stones at his Quarters by 
the Tower of ViUory^ in Memory of thofe glorious Ad- 
vantages he had gained there. 
The Accounts the Zempoallans and other Indians that 
followed the Spaniards gave were very advantageous j 
who, glorying to be in their Company, extolled their Va- 
lour, their Goodnefs, and their brave A6lions ; praifmg 
their God, by whofe Aid they conquered. Cortes took Care 
to fend Advice to John de Efculante^ and the reft that 
had been left behind at V era Cruz^ of the Succefs it had 
leafed God to give him, diredling them to carry on the 
uilding of the Fort, and to keep a watchful Eye upon 
the Natives, and upon the Ships that fhould come from 
Cuba, and ordering two Jars of Wine to be fent him 
for faying Mafs, and for the Sick, having ufed all that 
he carried with him. When he arrived dlTlafcala on the 
1 8th of September 1519, the Lords of the four great 
Quarters of the City came out to meet him, attended 
by feveral others of the greateft Perfons of the Common- 
wealth, and above an hundred thoufand Men. The 
Province complimented him at feveral Places, firft at 
T ezonpantzinco^ next at Atliquetzan, a very large Town, 
whither Pilteculti came with a very numerous Retinue ; 
thence Cortes proceeded to Tezatlia, belonging to old 
XicotencatU who came not becaufe of his great Age. The 
othcv'L.oxd^.hCm^Maxcifcatzin^ Zitlacpopucatzin and Tie- 
vexolotzin^ with all the prime Nobility, came up in good 
Order. Young Xicotencatl embraced Cortes^ as did the 
other Lords, whom he received very courteoufly, and 
they all proceeded together to the Place where he and his 
Men were to be quartered, always exprefling their Defire to 
ferve them ; when the Spaniards had. been put into their 
Quarters at the great Temple, and the Indians^ their 
Friends, v/ith them, they were generoufly treated and 
fupplied with all Neceffaries. 
The more to aflure Cortes of their Affecftion, they 
prefented him with above three hundred beautiful Wo- 
men, all very well dreffed, that had been condemned to 
be facrificed, which they gave the Spaniards as an Offer- 
ing, and they lamented their Misfortune. Cortes would 
not accept of them, alledging, that their Religion would 
not permit any Man to have more than one Wife, and 
flie a Chriftian : At laft, in regard that the Indians 
take it very ill to have their Gifts refufed ; fome of 
them were received under Colour of ferving Donna Ma- 
rina, who was prefent at all Conferences, and much 
refpecfed ; for it was the C uftom among the Indians, for 
a Woman of Quality to have a great Number to wait 'on 
her. And the Indians obferving, that thefe and other 
Women Slaves they gave the Spaniards lived contented- 
ly with them, the prime Men afterwards gave them 
their Daughters, that the Race of thofe brave Men might 
continue ^ among them. Xicotencatl gave a beautiful 
Daughter, he had, to Peter de Alverado, and fhe was 
afterwards called Donna Louifa Techquiluaftn thofe Peo- 
ple having no Ceremony in Marriage more than theCon- 
fent of the Parties. They gave Cortes the Name of Cal- 
chichiutl, fignifying an Emerald, and Emeralds are 
highly valued among thofe People. They called Peter 
de Alverado the Sun, becaufe he was very fair of Com- 
plexion, with an agreeable Red, and much beloved by 
tht.Tlafcalans, Cortes, by Degrees, enquired very par- 
ticularly into the Power and Condition of Motezuma’s 
Empire, and the Enmity between him and the Republic, 
and omitted nothing that might afford him Means of 
E R N A N Cortes, . Book L 
providing amply for the Accomplifliment of his Enter- 
prize. 
9. This bringing over of the Government and People 
of Tlafcala to his Intereft, uniting them in the Confe- 
deracy againft Motezuma, and engaging them to furnifh 
an Army for that War, was one ol the greateft Strokes 
of Policy that was fhewn by Cortes, in the Management 
of this whole Affair ; and without taking which, it had 
been fimply impoffible for him to have fucceeded. It 
may not be amifs therefore, before we proceed further, 
to give a more particular Account of this celebrated Re- 
public, v/hich makes fo great a Figure in the Hiftory of 
the New World. The Town of Tlafcala is fituated in 
I.at. 20° in a Climate extremely temperate, and in a Soli 
wonderful fruitful •, the whole Diftrift belonging to it 
was about 50 Leagues in extent, and yet within that 
narrow Compafs, from the great Mildnefs of its Govern- 
ment, more efpecially in Comparifon of that of the 
Mexicctn Monarchs, the Republic was able to raife 
thofe prodigious Armies that have been before-men- 
tioned. 
The Place itfelf Was built amongft the Rocks and 
white Cliffs, fo as to provide rather for Strength and 
Security than for Neatnefs and Beauty, though, as far as 
the Ground would permit, the City was not deftitute of 
either. It was from this Situation that it derived the 
Name of Tlafcala, which figniffes a Place of Rocks, 
tho’ it was afterwards called Tlafcallan, which fome Spa- 
nijh Writers call a Corruption •, but, as they allow that 
in the Indian Tongue it implies, a Place well ftored 
with Corn, and confequently belonged as juftly to this 
City as the other ; I cannot fee why we fhould not ra-* 
ther fuppofe the City had two Names j the firft, per- 
haps impofed by their Enemies, and the latter by them- 
felves. There was a fine River pafled through their 
Territory, and walked a Part of the City, which com- 
monly overflowed in the Winter, and thereby greatly 
enriched the Soil, but fometimes over-ran its Banks 
with fuch Violence, as to do a great deal of Mifchief, 
and rendered Dykes necelTary, which they, wanting Skill 
to raife, had recourfe to fuperftitious Ceremonies and 
bloody Sacrifices, which inftead of curing increafed the 
Mifchief The Town was divided into Parcels at fmall 
Diftances, without any Order j many Houfes crowded 
together, and between them feveral narrow winding 
Lanes, the Houfes terralTed at the Top on Beams, fome 
on Mud-walls, fome boarded, fome on Brick, and 
fome of Lime, and Stone, according to every Man’s Abi- 
lity ; they had no upper Floors, but all on the Ground ; 
having very large Rooms of irregular Shape, nor had 
they Doors or Window-Shutters, but only Matts, made 
of a Sort of Sedge, which they hung on and took down 
at Pleafure, with Hawks-Bells, of Gold, Copper, or 
other Metals, and Sea-Shells hanging on them to make 
a Noife, when they were taken down, opened or fhut. 
Moll of this Country was inhabited, for from the City 
there ftretched out other I'owns, like Suburbs, extend- 
ing two or three Leagues beyond the Walls of it ; 
every Houfe had Land about it, and there were eight- 
een Towns adjacent, belonging to Tlafcala. The In- 
habitants being above one hundred thoufand, and all 
the Country round this Province was enclofed by other 
Nations, Subjedts to the Mexicans, who had maintained 
War againft Tlafcala for fixty Years paft, and prefied 
them on all Sides. 
The Tlafcalans had expelled the Vlmecans and Zucate- 
cans out of their Country, and kept it to themfelves, 
calling themfelves at firft Chicimecans. Having fettled 
their Boundaries to be known by, and refufing to fubmit 
to any King, or General, there enfued Civil Wars among 
them, by their confpiring againft their beft Commanders. 
The prime Men were fo hard prpffed that they craved 
Aid of Tefcuco, and other Towns, being much ftreight- 
ened in Tlafcala. With thofe Succours they enlarged 
their Borders, and grew too hard for their Enemies, 
who fought Affiftance of Matzaliutzin, King of Mexico. 
He fent Word to the Tlafcalans, that though he had 
promifed to affift their Enemies, it fhould be only in 
Shew, for which he prayed them not to hurt his Sub- 
jects. 
