10 2 Expedition ^Hernan Cortes, Book I. 
Example with the utmofl Alacrity. All thefe rich Gifts 
were carried,, "by Motezu?na\ Order, to the Apartment 
of Cortes y who named a Receiver and Treafiirer, that 
they might take an eXadt Account of what was delivered i 
and in a fe’V Days they amaffed fuch a Quantity of Gold, 
that befides the precious Jewels, and pieces of curious 
Workmanfhip, after they had melted down the reft, 
they found 600000 Pefos of Gold, in Bars of good 
Alloy i out of which the fifth Part was fet afide for the 
Ring, and of the remainder, a fecond Fifth for Hernan 
CorteSy with the Approbation of his People, and to de- 
fray the Expence of providing for the public Neceftities 
of the Army *, he likewife fet afide the Sum for which he 
ftood accountable to Diego VelafqueZy and that which his 
Friends, in the Ifiand of Cubay had lent him •, the reft 
was divided among the Officers and Soldiers, including 
thofe that were at Vera Cruz. 
Thofe who had Employments had equal Shares, but 
amongft the private Men there was fome Difference 
made *, for thofe were diftinguifhed and beft rewarded, 
who had done beft Service, or had been leaft troublefome 
in the paft Difturbances. An Equity of a very danger- 
ous Nature, where juft Rewards are looked upon as Griev- 
ances, and Diftinftion of Merit occafions Complaints ; 
There were great Murmurings and bold Words uttered 
againft Heraan Cortes and the Captains ; for at the Sight 
of fuch a Mafs of Wealth, thofe whofe Deferts v/ere leaft, 
required an equal Recompence with the moft Deferving. 
Their Avarice could not poffibly be fatisfied, nor was 
it convenient to publifli the Reafons of that unequal Dif- 
tribution by degrees, however, and by the Dexterity of 
his own Management, Cortes got the better, and reduced 
the wffiole Army, not only to a peaceable Deportment, but 
to a voluntary Submiffion to his Method of managing. 
In order to this he found it neceflary, not only to part 
with fome of his Share, but even to give confiderable 
Sums in ready Money, to fuch as were worft dealt with, 
and coimplained loudeft ; amongft whom, there was one 
Fellov/ that had but 300 Pieces of Eight for his Share, 
who faid, merrily, that he would take care not to en- 
gage himfelf again in a Contrad with two Kings •, allud- 
ing to the General’s taking one fifth for his Catholic Ma- 
jefty, and another for himfelf, upon which Cortes gave 
him 200 Pieces of Eight more, with which the Soldier 
was very well content. 
II.- The General was perfeftly well pleafed v/ith the Si- 
tuation he was now in, for he thought that he had entire- 
ly got the better of the Fadtions in his own Army, and 
that he ftood higher in the Favour of Motezuma than 
ever •, but it was not long before he was convinced to the 
contrary, and found, when he leaft fufpeded it, that 
the Indian King was bent upon obliging him to quit his 
Country, a Thing he never apprehended would have 
come into the Emperor’s Head, or if it had, that he 
would have had Spirit and Courage enough to avow it. 
But as wife and as penetrating a Man as he was, he found 
himfelf deceived in both. 
The Manner in which this great Affair broke out, was 
thus: One Day as Cortes was diverting himfelf with the 
Spanijh Commanders, Motezuma fent Orleguillay a young 
Spaniard who had learned the Indian Language, and of 
vchom he was very fond, to tell him that he wanted to 
fpeak with him immediately, and at the fame time that 
the young Man delivered this Meflage, he informed Cortes 
that Motezuma Ead fpent a great Part of the Night in 
clofe Confultation with his principal Minifters, and fome 
of his Priefts. As foon as he had heard this, Cortes could 
not help faying that he did not like the Meflage, but, 
however, he refolved to wait Upon the Emperor imme- 
diately, taking v/ith him about a Dozen of the Spaniards 
that were by when he received the Meflage, and labour- 
ed to conceal, as well as he could, the Confufion he was 
in. When he came into Motezimad s Prefence, he faluted 
him with profound Refpeft, and then afked him very 
courteoufiy, wliat were his Commands ? 
The Emperor received him with more Gravity than 
iifual, and with an Air of Greatnefs that till then he had 
never put on ; and being no\V fomewhat acquainted with 
the Forms of Spanijh Civility, called for Chairs, and all 
the reft ftanding, and two Interpreters on their Sides, he 
faid, “ Captain Cortes, my Gods are angry with me for 
“ having permitted you to ftayfo long in my City, deftroy- 
“ ing our Religion ; they fay they will give me no Rain, 
“ will deftroy my Corn, fend the Plague, and- fubjedfe 
“ my Empire to my Enemies. I intreat you to depart 
“ this Place immediately •, afk what you will have, for 
“ I love you entirely, and if I did not I ffiould not beg 
“ it of you, fince I have it my Power to do you harm, 
“ and fliall not tell you fo again. Take what you will 
“ out of my Treafures, and go away fatisfied, for my 
“ Gods will not allow of what has been done ; and 
“ fince you fee I can do no lefs for their Honour and 
“ my own, be not concerned. ” When he haf. uttered 
thefe Words, before the Interpreter began to fpeak. Cor- 
tes turned to a Spaniard, and faid, “ Run to our Com- 
“ rades, and bid them be in Readinefs, for their Lives 
“ are at Stake. ” When the Interpreter had done, Cor- 
tes roufing his Courage, very fedately anfwered, “ Ex- 
“ perience had made him fenfible of his Affedtion, and 
“ that it was not his Fault if he did not continue in his 
“ Company •, but, that fince his Gods and his People 
“ were of that Mind, he fliould confider when he would 
“ have him be gone. ” 
The King was fo well pleafed with his Anfwer, that 
he faid, “ He would not have him go till he thought 
“ fit himfelf, and he would then give him four Loads of 
“ Gold, every Horfeman two, and every Foot-Soldier 
“ one.” Cortes replied, “ That he could not return to 
“ his own Country without Ships, and fince he had funk 
“ thofe that brought him, it was his Requeft, that he 
“ would caufe Timber to be felled at Vera Cruz, which 
“ the Indians called the Coaft of Calchicoeca, and he 
“ would find Men to build them, ” Motezuma approv- 
ed, and ordered Timber to be felled. Cortes appointed 
Workmen to do what Lopez ffiould direft them, 
and Motezuma believed it. Cortes acquainted his Men 
with MotezumV% Will, encouraged them, and faid, 
“ That God, whofe Caufe they had in hand, would in 
“ the mean Time, while the Ships were building, fo 
“ difpofe their Affairs, that they ffiould not lofe that 
“ good Country, ” He diredled Martin Lopez to make 
ffiew of carrying on the Work with Diligence, but to 
retard it as much as might be, and fend him Advice of 
every thing that happened. 
There were various Motives induced Motezuma to take 
this Refolution, which might, in fome Refpedls, be 
thought not fo agreeable to his Temper and Conftitu- 
tion, that was, as various Iriftances we have given plainly 
ffiew, rather timorous than enterprizing. But after all, 
the great and true Spring of this fudden and furprizing 
Refolution, was his confidering that if things went on 
in their prefent Channel, one or other of thefe Events 
muff: neceflarily follow, viz. that either the Spaniards 
would abfolutely acquire the Pofleffion of his Domi- 
nions, by the Confent of his Subjefts, or elfe the Inha- 
bitants of the Mexican Empire, to preferve their ancient 
Government and Religion, would eleft a new Emperor, 
under whofe Conduft they might drive them out by 
Force ; and in either Cafe he looked upon himfelf as un- 
done. It was for this Reafon that he determined to 
comply with all the Demands that Cortes had made, 
that he might have no Pretence for flaying longer ^ and 
that he might likewife furniffi his Priefts with an Op- 
portunity of telling the People, that their Emperor having 
now fulfilled the Will of the Gods in every Refpeft, had 
thereby regained their Favour, fo that now they might 
depend upon the Affiftance of Heaven, in expelling the 
Strangers. 
On the other hand, the great Defign of Cortes was to 
gain Time, in Hopes that he ffiould receive the King’s 
Commiffion, and a great Reinforcement from Spain, 
which luight enable him to a6l with Vigour, and fecure 
that extenfive Empire to his Catholic Majefty •, and of 
this he had the greater Hopes, becaufe he had now 
brought his Men to have an abfolute Confidence in him ; 
and They no longer thought there was any thing impof- 
