1 x6 
ton (5/ H E R N A N Cortes. 
'K 
Sword in Hand, and charging them brifldy, they foon with Letters from Spain, and to mv’c it to the General 
turned their Backs and fled, and the whole Aftion was ra 
ther aCiiace than aVidtory. The Day appointed for theRe- 
treat came, which was executed as had been refolved, the 
Lnemy Hill advancing to feize the difficult Paffes, in 
Qrder ^ to diftiirb their March ; bi.it this Oppofition was 
when he was at Table, all ot them going in togethei'g 
under Colour of hearing the News j and that,\hilft 
Cortes was reading the firft Letter, they ffiould make 
life of that Opportunity to murder him, and all his 
, Friends, with their Daggers, after which they were to 
calily oveicome, and with confiderable Advantage, and go out and proclaim Liberty in the Streets which they 
Cortes returned to Tezcuco with the Satisfaction of having thought fufficient to make the Army decLm for tlwm 
obtained the Ends he propofed by this Sally, theKnow- The Perfons they had marked out for DeWictffin were 
hdgQ of Suchmtko, and breaking the Force of the Ene- Olid, Sandoval, Alverado, and his Brothers Tania the 
my, in order to weaken their Detence of Mexico, How- two Alcaldes, Martm Inco, Cafiillo, and fome other Sol- 
ever, he was inwardly diffatisfied and melancholy, diers, Favourites of the General. They had alfo am-eed 
having loit nine or ten Spaniards m tins Expedition ; for to chufe Francifco Verdugo for their Captain Generaf be- 
befides thofe that were killed at the firft Affault of the caufe he had married a Sifter of Velafmez and therefore 
Mountains, the Mexicans took three or four of them they thought he might be eafily brought over and was 
ahve at Suchimilca, as they were pillaging, and two of the moft proper Perfon to fupport^their pity • but 
ins Servants who fell into an Ambuicade by feparating they durft not acquaint him with their Defign till 
from the Anny : What mightily increafed his Concern the Crime was committed, when they concluded he 
was, the Circumftance of their being taken alive in would be obliged to take upon himfelf the Employment 
brder to be facrificed upon the Altars of the Indian Idols, to prevent greater Evils. Such was the Account o-iven 
and their Misfortune recalled to his Mind his own paft by the Soldier, who begged his Life, for he was^con- 
Danger, when in the Enemies Powei, of dying after the cerned in the Confpiracy. Cortes refolved to affift in 
fame abomnmble Manner. ^ ... Perfon at the feizing of Villafana, and, as the firft Mea- 
17. 1 he Brigaptmes were nowin a Condition to be fures that were to be taken, to convid him, be- 
laimched, and the Canal had Depth and Capacity to re- caufe he forefaw that the clearing up theTruth depended 
ceive them. The Day was appointed for the Confederate on the firft Steps. ^ ^ 
Caziques to appear with their Troops, and particular The Importance of the Affair required Precaution 
Care was taken to bring Provifions. The General looked and, as it was no Time to preferve the flow Proceedings of 
into the moft minute Matters that related to the carrying Juftice, he went immediately to fecure Villafana at- 
on the War, wherein great Dangers are often occafioned tended by two Alcaldes, and fome of his Captains,’ and 
by fmall Faults, and therefore a very extenfive Prudence found him in his Quarters, with three or four o’f his 
is required. But while had his Thoughts em- Accomplices. The Trouble he was in at the Sight of his 
ployed in thefe Affairs, a new Accident happened which General, was a plain Proof of Guilt. And Cortes, after 
gave him much Trouble, put his Valour to the Teft, he had cailfed him to be put in Irons, ordered all ’to re- 
and Vv^as a convincing Proof of his Judgment ; A Spa- tire, pretending to examine him, when, making Advan-* 
niard, who had been long in the Service, came to him full tage of the Account that had been given him, he took out 
of Concern, and defired to fpeak with him in private : of his Bofom the Paper figned by alUheConfpirators : He 
When that was granted, he informed him, That during read it, and found the Names of fome Perfons, whofeTrea- 
his Abfence a Confpiracy had been forming againft his chery much increafed his Concern ; but, concealino- it from 
Life, and all his Friends ; the Author of it, as he faid, his Friends, he direfted the Soldiers, who were found 
was a private Soldier, his Name was Antonio de Villafana with Villafana to be put into another Prifon, and then 
and his firft Intention was to get off clear from that withdrew, leaving Inftruaions with the Officers of Juf- 
Enterprize, the Difficulties of which to him appeared tice, to proceed in his Trial with all poffible Speed, 
infuperable : He Ihewed his Uneafinefs at firft, by mur- without taking any Notice of his Accomplices. There 
muring, and foon proceeded to dangerous Refolutions : was not much to do in it ; for Villafana, being convicfted 
He, and thofe of hisFaftion, blamed the General for his by the feizing of his Paper, and believing that his Friends 
Purfuit of that Conqueft, declaring. That they would not had betrayed him, immediately confeffed his Crime: 
deftroy themfelves to gratify his Raffinefs, talking of re- Whereupon, according to military Juftice, he was con- 
turning to the Ifland of Cuba as if it was a thing very demned to die, which Sentence was put in Execution that 
eafy to be performed. very Night, and the next Morning he was feen hanging 
They met to confult about this Point with much Se- at the Window of his own Lodging ; fo that the Punifl^ 
crecy, and though , they found no great Difficulty in ment was executed at the fame Time that the Caufe 
quitting the Camp, >and paffing as far as Tlafcala, by was publiflied, the Guilty being ftruck with Fear, and 
Virtue of a fuppofed Order from the General, the In- the reft with juft Abhorrence of the Crime, 
convenience of going to Vera Cruz immediately occurred; Cortes was equally afflifted and provoked, to fee the 
for there they could not pretend a Commiffion, or Leave Number of thofe concerned in the Confpiracy ; but it 
from Cortes, without a Pafs under his Hand, or avoid was no proper Time to be ftri6l in doing Juftice at the 
the Danger of being feverely puniffied. This put them beginning of his Enterprize ; and therefore, to avoid 
to a Nonplus, and yet they perfifted in their Refolution puniffiing the Guilty, and the Inconveniencies of Impu- 
of withdrawing themfelves, without fixing on the Way nity, he gave out, that Villafana had fwallowed a Pa- 
how to compafs it. Antonio de Villafana, at whofe per, which he believed contained the Names of the Con- 
Lodgings they held their Affembly, at laft propofed to fpirators. Soon after he affembled his Captains and Sol- 
bring all to pafs by killing Cortes and his chief Counfel- diers, and gave them an Account of the horrid Defign 
Jors, and eleding another General, who, having not fet and Confpiracy of Villafana, againft his life, and the 
his Heart fo much upon the Conqueft of would Lives of many prefent ; adding, “ That he thought 
be more tradable, and under whom they might treat 
without incurring the Name of Fugitives ; and they might 
give it the T urn of a Piece of Service to Velafqiiez, by whofe 
Reprefentation of it to the Court of Spann, it might be 
efteemed a Service done to the King. They all approved 
of the Projedt, and began by applauding the Scheme, and 
drawing up a Writing figned by all that were prefent, 
whereby they obliged themfelves to follow Villafana, 
in the Execution of this horrible Attempt. And this 
Affair was managed with fo much Dexterity, that the 
Numbers of thofe who figned increafed confiderably ; 
and it was to be feared that this fecret Contagion 
might break out into fuch an Evil as would admit 
of no Remedy. 
They had agreed to feign a Packet from Vera Cruz, 
himfelf very happy, in not knowing whether he had 
any Accomplices, though the great Care Villafana 
took to deftroy the Paper he carried in his Bofom, 
made him fufped: he had fome : But that he did not 
defire to know them, and only intreated his Friends 
to enquire whether the Spaniards had any Complaint 
to make againft his Proceedings ; becaufe he was de- 
“ firous, above all Things, to give entire Satisfaftion to 
“ his Soldiers, and was ready to correct his own Faults, 
“ as he knew how to ufe the Rigour of Juftice, when 
“ Lenity appeared of no ufe.” At the fame Time, he 
ordered the Soldiers that had been taken with Villafana 
to be fet at Liberty ; and this, confirmed by the Care he 
took to ffiew no Change in his Behaviour to thofe who 
had offended, fully perfuaded them that he was ignorant 
of 
cc 
cc 
4C 
