Chap. III. for the ReduBion 
would devour tile Spaniard's ; to which he anfwered, he 
could not believe he would put any Affront upon thofe that 
came to vifit him, but that in cafe he fhould do fo, they 
were to underftand that thofe favage Animals did not 
hurt the Spaniards ; thefe things made him refolve with 
himfelf how he fhould fubdue the People of Chulula^ be- 
fore he went farther. 
2. Motezuma in the mean Time fent frefli Agents, by 
whom he promifed mighty Rewards to the Lords of the 
Quarters of Chulula^ if they would cut off the Spaniards^ 
giving the Comm.ander a gold Drum, and promifing to 
aflift him with thirty thoufand Men. The Commander 
undertook to perform all, on Condition that the Mexica^is 
' fnould not come into the City, becaufe he was afraid they 
would make themfelves Mailers of it. They agreed to 
barricade the Streets, and pelt the Spaniards from the tops 
of their Houfes, that fo they might take and deliver them 
bound. The thirty thoufand Mexicans being fo polled, 
that without coming into the City, they might take all 
the Spaniards that fhould happen to efcape out of it, 
they alfo began to convey away their Goods, and fecure 
their Wives and Children, which afforded new Grounds 
for Sufpicion. Whilft Cortes was thus uneafy and diffa- 
tisfied, Marina acquainted him that a Lady of Quality 
had told her, that having taken a Kindnefs for her, fhe 
advifed her, if fhe would avoid being killed with the Spa- 
niards^ to flay with her, and fhe would hide her in a 
Houfe where fhe fhould be fafe, becaufe the Mexicans and 
the Chululans had agreed to deftroy them. 
Cortes^ upon this, caufed two Priefts to be feized, who 
being examined afunder, and threatened, confeffed the 
fime that Marina had declared : Whereupon he called 
the prime Men and Priefts, and bid them not deal under- 
hand, but if they had any thing to fay to him, to fpeak 
plain like Men of Honour. They anfwered they were 
his Servants, that he might let them know when he de- 
figned to depart, and they would attend him armed, 
for fear of any Difference between him and the Mexicans *, 
he told them he would fet out the next Day, and there- 
fore ordered they fhould find Men to carry their Bag- 
gage, and furnifh them with Provifions. 
The Chululans^ thinking they had a fure Game to play, 
carried the Men to be loaded v/ith Provifions, but as thofe 
Indians never ufed to undertake any confiderable Enter- 
prize without confulting their Gods, they facrificed ten 
Children of three Years old, four Boys, and fix Girls, 
being the ufual Sacrifice upon commencing a War. Their 
Commanders polled themfelves, with as many of their 
Men as they could, at the four Gates of the Qiiarters 
through which the Spaniards were to march out. Cortes^ 
who omitted nothing conducive to his Safety, had order- 
ed his Men to Arms, the Horfes to be ready, and the 
Tlafcalans and Zempoallans to obferve when the Signal 
was given, by firing a Muflcet •, when all things were 
ready, he called -the principal Chuhdans, pretending that 
, he would take his Leave of them : Forty were admitted, 
and more would have come if they might, but the mofl 
confiderable of them being wanting he was fent for. Cor- 
ies then, in the Prefence of the Mexican Embaffadors, 
faid he had loved them as Friends, and they had hated 
him as an Enemy, as appeared by their Ufage j ^though 
all his Men had been inoffenfive, that they had defired 
the riafcalans might not come into their Country, and he 
had confented to it ; and that though he had advifed them 
to deal fairly, and challenge him like brave Men, if 
they had any thing againft him, yet they had agreed 
with the Mexicans to deftroy his Forces by Treachery, 
for which heinous Offence he had refolved to put them all 
to Death, and raze their City. 
They were for a while ftruck dumb, and befide 
themfelves *, but being a little recovered, faid, “ This 
Man is like our Gods, who know all things, it is in 
“ vain to deny any thing. ” And accordingly they con- 
feffed all he had faid w’^as true. Then taking four or five 
of them afide, he aficed them for what Reafon they would 
have done fuch a wicked Deed ^ They anfwered, that 
Motezuma was fo averfe from his going to Mexico^ that 
the Embaffadors, to obftrucl it, had put them upon it. Cor- 
tes told the Embaffadors what the Chululans faid, but at 
N E w Spain, 95 
the fame time pretended not to believe Motezuma could 
be guilty of fo foul a Defign, and they endeavoured to 
excufe themfelves. The Signal of firing a Mufieet being 
then given, the Spaniards fallied out, and, meeting with 
little Oppofition from the Inhabitants, though they were 
dn Arms, killed almoft fix thoufand of them, without 
touching Women or Children, and fet fire to alF the. 
Houfes and Towers v/Iiere any Refiftance was made. 
The Cries of the Indians on both Sides were prodigi- 
ous, and the Confufion notto be expreffed. Many Gen- 
tlemen got up into the Tower of the great Temple, with 
the Priefts, where they flood upon their Defence : Their 
Lives were offered them if they would furrender : Only 
one complied, and was well received, the reft were all 
burnt. The Crofs-bow Men fhot thofe tliat were got up 
to the Tops of the Trees in the Court of the Temple, 
and it was obferved that the Priefts complained of their 
Gods for not defending them. A great Fart of the City 
was plundered : The Spaniards took the Gold and Fea- 
ther-work, though not much were found j and their In- 
dians had the Cotton and the Salt, which was efteemed a 
great Booty by them. The News of what had happened 
was immediately carried to Ilafcala, where the Lords of 
the Republic ordered their General Xicotencatl to march 
with all fpeed, to the Affiftance of their Friends, which 
they did ; and Cortes having returned Thanks, and be- 
llowed Prefents on the General and other Officers, fent 
them back well pleafed to Ilafcala^ where their Joys Were 
incredible, for the Booty taken from the Enemies, and 
no lefs for being free from the Fire from Heaven, and the 
Tempefts with which the Chululans threatened to deftroy 
the Spaniards^ and all their Adherents. 
The Lords that were Prifoners intreated Cortes to put a 
Stop to his Refentment, fince they were not fo much to 
blame as the King of Mexico, and to permit two of them 
to go and fee what was become of the Multitude. He 
thereupon ordered the Slaughter to ceafe, and many flood 
up who had lain on the Ground among the Dead : So 
great was the Authority of the tv/o Lords of the Com- 
monwealth, whom Cortes permitted to go about the City, 
that the next Day it was full of People, and as quiet as if 
nothing had happened. He fet at Liberty the other 
Lords and Gentlemen he had taken Prifoners, at the re- 
queft of Maxifeatzin, and Guacozingo, who had reforted to 
him, telling them they might be thankful he did not 
entirely fubvert the City, and put them all to the Sword, 
for fo he was accuftomed to punifh Traitors. He then 
propofed a Reconciliation between them and the Ilafca- 
lans. By the Advice of Cortes they alfo made choice of 
a new General, the former being dead, and that City 
was a Republic as well as Tlafcala. Next he ordered 
the Ilafcalans, and his other confederate Indians, to clear 
the Court of the great Temple, and the Streets, of the 
dead Bodies, becaufe they began to ftink. 
Motezuma being informed of all that had paffed, and 
that nothing could divert Cortes from the Profecution of 
his Defign of coming to Mexico., fent frefh Embaffadors 
with four large Diflies of Gold, and a great Quantity of 
Provifions, with Orders to affure him that he knew no- 
thing of the Defign that the Inhabitants of Chulula had to 
have murdered his Men, and that he might freely come 
to Mexico if he thought fit, becaufe he had oppofed his 
Journey only to fpare him the Fatigue of it. As this 
flattering Meffage was falfe in itfelf, fo the Condiidl of 
the Emperor at home was as mean-fpirited and bafe. For 
when he heard that his Plot was difeovered, and his Con- 
federates deftroyed, for having attempted to put it in ex-* 
ecution, he flint himfelf up in the great Temple, failed 
and prayed for a Week together, and in the mean Timd 
facrificed a multitude of poor innocent Men to his Gods, 
in hopes of appeafing them, 
3. It was in Confequence of thefe long Meditations 
on the prefent melancholy State of his Affairs, that he i 
fent a great Lord of his Court to Cortes under Pretence 
of a friendly Vifit , but in reality, with a View to dif- 
fuade him from proceeding further, by affuring him 
the Roads were dangerous, Provifions fcarce, and 
the Climate unwholeforne. The Spanip Commander an*- 
fwered chearfuliy, that to many of thefe Hardlhips they 
we.rc 
