for the Redu&ion N E w S p A i Ni 
being bribed, as they were with Cqcamazin^ confiilting 
about the Management of the War, fecured him, and 
before it was known abroad, conveyed him, by Water, 
to Mexico^ and had him carried on Mens Shoulders^ 
richly clad, to' Motezuma^. Apartment, who v/ould not 
fee him, but ordered he fnould be delivered to Cortes., who, 
well pieafed to have efcaped that Danger, ordered 
him to be clofe confined. 
The next Day, by the Advice of Motezuma., ^izquiz- 
'call, younger Brother to Cacamazin., was conftituted Lord 
of Culua., being then at Mexico with his Uncle, hav- 
ing made his Efcape from his Brother ; and Motezuma 
conferred on him the Crown and the Title of King, with 
the ufual Solemnity ; telling him he defigned to look 
upon him, for the future, as his Son : ^izquizcatl kif- 
fed his Hand, promifed Obedience, and then, turning 
to CofteSy gave him Thanks, protefting he would ever 
be his Friend. Cacamazin was much concerned, when he 
heard that his Brother was made Lord of his Dominions, 
and Cortes had him ftridlly obferved, knowing that there 
were many that would willingly have conveyed him back 
to fezcuco. Motezuma fent two Embaffadiors to fignify 
to that City the new Election, and caufed the elected 
Monarch to be attended by many of his Courtiers, and 
Cortes fent along with him feveral of his prime Men, 
both of them in Perfon bearing him Company to the 
Gates of Mexico-, he was received at Tezcuco with all 
public Demonftrations of Joy, being carried on Mens 
Shoulders. 
At the Entrance into the City, the Magiftrates took 
him up, and when come to the Palace, an ancient Gen- 
tleman fet a Garland of Flowers on his Head, and, all the 
Company being filent, made a Speech to him ; the Pur- 
port of which was, That he was fenfible, how, when 
he was ferving Motezuma, being fled from his Bro- 
ther, on Account of his Pride, the Gods had raifed 
“ him to that high Dignity, for which Reafon he ought 
to take care not to change his noble Difpofition *, for 
“ that the thing Kings Ihould moil endeavour to ac- 
“ quire, was the Love of their Subjeds, £s?c. Thefe 
Ceremonies performed, the People withdrew, and Cortes 
was delivered from the Dangers that had threatened him. 
This, in itfelf, and independent of its Confequences, 
could not but be very agreeable to our Hero, who faw 
himfelf, by this Means, raifed to the higheft Authority, 
cxclufive of the fovereign Power in that Empire •, for the 
'People being well enough acquainted with Motezuma" s 
natural Difpofition, attriWed this mild Way of punifh- 
ing, entirely to Cortes'-, and on the other Hand, the firfl; 
Prince of the Empire looked upon himfelf as his Crea- 
ture, fo that there appeared a Probability of his eftablifli- 
ing fome kind of Interefl: in Mexico, and the bare Ap- 
pearance of this, was enough to engage Cortes to do all 
that lay in his Power to cultivate and increafe it. 
lo. Ail things feemed at this time to concur in favour 
of the Spaniards, and to render their Stay in the Em- 
pire of Mexico more fafe and more agreeable than it had 
hitherto been. Yet, of a fudden, this fine Profpedl was 
intirely over-call, and the Face of Affairs unexpeaedly 
changed. It feems that Motezuma, though he had dif- 
fembled his Refentment, was far enough from being 
pieafed with the long Stay which the Strangers made j 
and, indeed, if we confider their Behaviour towards him, 
it was no Wonder ; but he dilfembled fo well, that 
neither Cortes nor any of his People fufpeaed him ; and 
was fo great a Politician, that when he adually pro- 
pounded the Scheme he had framed to be rid of them, 
they were fo far from conceiving it in that Light, that 
they took it for the higheft A(ft of Favour he had ever 
done them. 
In lliort, Motezuma offered to call a general Alfembly 
of his Nobles, and there acknowledge, in a moft fo- 
femn Manner, the Sovereignty of the King of Spain over 
his Dominions, and his own, and his Subjefts Duty to- 
ward^ him. ^There could be nothing more acceptable to 
the Spanifi Captain than this unexpedted Offer of the In- 
dian Monarch’s, and therefore he encouraged him to 
carry it into Execution as loon as poffible, without ever 
fufpectingdnat the Emperor was as much inclined to this 
VoL. IL Numb. 76,- 
as himfelf, th'ough from a very different Vievh THe aL 
fembly was accordingly calledj and Motezuma^ being feat^ 
ed on his Throne^ made a very longj and a very extra- 
ordinary Speech : Fie faid they all knew well enough^ 
that their firft Emperor came from the Eaft^ and that he 
had left them a Prophefy, that hiS Defcendailts fhould 
return to govern thefe Countries ; that without doubt the 
King of Spain was the lawful Succeffbr to the Empirej 
that if he had come thither in Perfon^ he would have 
laid down his Crov/n at his Feet ; that as it was^ he v/as 
refolved to do him ,FIomage^ and fend him a Prefent of 
the moft valuable Things in his Dominions^ and that he 
expedled they would likewife contribute out of their ovm 
PoffeflionSj that this Prefent might be the more worthy 
the Acceptance of fo great a Prince. 
In this Manner Motezuma concluded his Difeburfe^ 
though he did not utter it all without Interruption *, for 
in fpite of ail the Efforts made upon himfelf in this Adi 
of his, wdien he came to pronounce himfelf Vaffal to 
another Prince, he found fomething fo ftiocking, and fb 
repugnant to his Nature, in thofe Expreffions, that he 
paufed a while as if he wanted Words to proceed, and 
he fhewed his Concern fo publicly, that fome Tears were 
feen trinkling down his Cheeks, which feemed as if they 
had efcaped his Eyes, without their Confent ; and the 
Mexicans, fenfible of his Difturbance, and of the Caufe 
from whence it proceeded, began likev/ife to fheW 
their Concern, breaking forth into loud Sighs, defiring, 
in Appearance, not without fomething that favoured of 
Flattery, that by the Noife they made, their Fidelity 
fhould be taken Notice of , lb that Cortes thoug’nt it ne- 
celfary to defire Liberty to fpeak, in order to encourage 
Motezuma, and put him out of the Perturbation he was 
in. He faid, “ That it was not the Intention of the 
King his Sovereign, to difpoflTefs him of his Royal 
Dignity, nor to make the leaft Innovation in his 'Go- 
vernment; but, that all he defired was; that they 
would, at the prefent AflTembly, fettle his Right to 
“ the Succefllon, in Favour of his Defeendants or Pof- 
“ terity ; by Reafon of his being fo far diftant from 
“ thofe Regions, and fo taken up in other Conquefts^ 
“ that the Cafe mentioned in their Traditions and Pro- 
“ phefies, might not happen in many Years. ’’ With 
which Explanation Motezuma recovered Heart, re-aiflum- 
ed an Air of Tranquility, and finilhed his Difeourfe, as 
has been before obferved. 
The Mexicans remained aftoniflied, and iitterly bon- 
founded to hear fuch a Propofal, wondering at it; as a 
Thing inconfiftent with, and unbecoming, the Majefty of 
fo powerful a Monarch, and a Prince fo extremely jea- 
lous of his Authority. They looked on each othef 
without daring either to contradibl, or to give any Sign 
of Confent ; as being apprehenfive, that by doing either, 
they fhould but confirm him the more in his Arrange De- 
termination. This refpedful Silence lafted till his prime 
Minifter, as a Perfon who had a better Knowledge of his 
Prince’s Difpofition than any other, took upon him to 
fpeak for the reft, and faid, “ That all the Nobles who 
compofed that Alfembly, refpebled him as their Lord 
“ and natural Sovereign, and fhould be ready to obey 
“ whatever his Majefty had been pieafed to propofe, and 
“ to follow any Example he fhould think fit to fet 
“ them *, they not doubting' but that he had well weigh- 
“ ed every thing, and had confulted with Heaven ; and 
they had no Inftrument more facred than that of his 
Voice, whereby to be informed of the Will of their 
“ Gods. ” The whole Alfembly agreed in the fame 
Sentiment, and Her nan Cortes^ when it came to his turn 
to make his Acknowledgments, diftated to his Interpre- 
ters, a Speech no lefs artful that the former ; in which hd 
gave Thanks to Motezuma^, and all who Were prefent^ 
for this Demonftration of their Refpedl^ accepting their 
Service in the Name of his King, without feeming to 
think it ftrange that they complied with' their Obligati- 
ons, but, rather as one who receives his Debt, and is 
pieafed with his Debtor’s pundual Payment. 
The Emperor took immediate Cafe to colledl iii 
Gold and Jewels, particularly Emeralds, a Prefent fuit- 
abie to his own Dignity ; and his Nobility followed his- 
<( 
<c 
C( 
(C 
ii 
a 
D d 
