M E X 
die eaft to fubdue their country. He compared the re- 
lemblance which the ftrangers bore to the perfons figured 
in the traditions of Mexico ; their dominion over the ele¬ 
ments of fire, air, and water; lie reminded the fenate of 
their prodigies, omens, and fignals, which had lately ter¬ 
rified the Mexicans, and indicated fome very important 
event; and then declared his opinion, that it would be 
rafhnefs to oppofe a force apparently aflifted by heaven, 
and men who had already proved, to the fad experience 
of thofe who oppofed them, that they were invincible. 
This orator was oppofed by Xicotencal, who endeavoured 
to prove that the Spaniards' were at belt but powerful 
magicians : that they had rendered themfelves obnoxious 
to the gods by pulling down their images and altars, 
(which indeed Cortes had very imprudently done at 
Zempoalla;) and, of confequence, that they might eafily 
be overcome, as the gods would not fail to refent fuch an 
outrage. He therefore voted for war, and advifed the 
crufliing of tliefe invaders at one blow. 
The advice of Xicotencal prevailed ; and in confequence 
of it, the ambafladors were detained ; which giving Cortes 
the alarm, he drew nearer the city of Tlafcala. They 
fuffered him with his army drawn up in good order, to 
pafs a ftrong wall between two mountains, which might 
have been very advantageoully defended againlt him. He 
had not advanced far beyond this pafs, however, before 
a party of Tlafcalans with plumes were difcovered, which 
denoted that an army was in the field. Thefe he drove 
before him by a detachment of fixhorfe; obliged them 
to join another party; and then, reinforcing the advanced 
detachment, charged the enemy vdth fuch vigour that 
they began to retire. Five thoufand Tlafcalans then 
rulhed out of their hiding-places, juft as the infantry 
came up to aflift their (lender body of cavalry. The 
enemy attacked with the utmoft fury: but were fo much 
dilconcerted by the firft difcharge of the fire-arms, that 
they loon retreated in confufion, furnilhing the Spaniards 
with an opportunity of purfuing them with great (laugh¬ 
ter. Cortes, however, luppofing that this could not be 
their whole force, advanced with the utmoft caution, in 
order of battle, to an eminence, from whence he had a 
view of the main body of the Tlafcalan army commanded 
by Xicotencal, confifting of no fewer than 40,000 men. 
By thefe the fmall army of Cortes was entirely Unround¬ 
ed : which Xicotencal no fooner perceived, than he con- 
tradled the circle with incredible diligence, while the 
Spaniards were almoft overwhelmed with fhowers of ar¬ 
rows, darts, and ftones. It is impoflible but in this cafe 
many of the Spaniards muft have perilhed, had it not 
been for the infufficiency of the Indian weapons. This 
circumftance gave the Spaniards a prodigious advantage 
over, them; and therefore the Tlafcalans, notwithftand- 
ing their valour and luperiority in number, could accom- 
p'.ilh no more, in the prefent inftance, than to kill one 
horfe and (lightly wound nine l'oldiers. 
The Tlafcalans, being taught by this, and fome fubfe- 
quent encounters, how much they were inferior to the 
Spaniards, began to conceive them to be really what Ma- 
gifcatzin had faid ; a fuperior order of beings, againft 
whom human power could not prevail. In this extre¬ 
mity they had recourle to their priefts, requiring them to 
reveal the caufes of fuch extraordinary events, and to 
declare what means they (hould take to repel fuch formi¬ 
dable invaders. The priefts, after many facrifices and in- 
cafttations, delivered their refponfe, That thefe ftrangers 
were the offspring of the fun, procreated by his animating 
energy in the regions of the eaft: that, by day, while 
cherilbed with the influence of his parental beams, they 
were invincible; but by night, when his reviving heat 
was withdrawn, their vigour declined and faded like herbs 
in the field, and they dwindled down into mortal men. 
In confequence of this, the Tlafcalans adted in contra¬ 
diction to one of their molt eftabliftied maxims in war, 
and ventured to attack the enemy in the night-time, 
hoping to deftroy them when enfeebled and lurprifed. 
Vol. XV. No. 104Z. 
1 c o. 285: 
But the Spanifli centinels, having ohferved fome extraor¬ 
dinary movements among the Tlafcalans, gave the alarm. 
Immediately the troops were under arms, and fallying 
out, defeated their antagonifts with great (laughter, with¬ 
out allowing them to approach the camp. By this dif- 
after the Tlafcalans were heartily di(pofed to peace; but 
they were at a lofs to form an adequate idea of the ene¬ 
mies they had to deal with. They could not afcertain 
the nature of thefe furpriling beings, or whether they 
w'ere really of a benevolent or malignant difpofition. 
There were circumftances in their behaviour which feemed 
to favour each opinion. On the one hand, as the Spa¬ 
niards conftantly difmifled the prifoners whom they took, 
not only without injury, but often with prefents of Eu¬ 
ropean toys, and renew-ed their offers of peace after every 
victory; this lenity amazed people accuftomed to the ex¬ 
terminating l'yftem of war known in America, and who 
facrificed and devoured without mercy all the caDtives 
taken in battle; and dilpofed them to entertain Yenti- 
ments favourable to their humanity. But, on the other 
hand, as Cortes had feized fifty of their countrymen who 
carried provilions to his camp, and cut off their heads; 
this bloody fpeftacle, added to the terror occafioned by 
the fire-arms and horfes, filled them with dreadful ideas 
of their ferocity. Accordingly they addreffed them in 
the following manner : “ If (faid they) you are divinities 
of a cruel and favage nature, we prefent to you five (laves, 
that you may drink their blood and eat their flefli. If 
you are mild deities, accept an offering of incenle and 
variegated plumes. If you are men, here is meat, bread, 
and fruit, to nourifh you.” After this addrefs, the peace 
was foon concluded, to the great fatisfaCtion of both par¬ 
ties. The Tlafcalans yielded themfelves as vaflals to the 
crown of Caftile, and engaged to affift Cortes in all his 
operations; while he took the republic under his pro¬ 
tection, and promifed to defend their perfons and poffef- 
fions from injury and violence. 
Cortes left no method untried to gain the favour and 
confidence of the Tlafcalans; which, however, he had 
almoft entirely loft, by his untimely zeal in deftroying 
their idols, as he had done thofe of Zempoalla. But he 
was deterred from this ralh aftion by his chaplain, Bar¬ 
tholomew de Olmedo; and left the Tlafcalans in the un- 
dilturbed exercife of their fuperftitions, requiring only 
that they (hould defift from their horrid practice of offer¬ 
ing human victims. As foon as his troops were fit for 
(ervice, he relblved to continue his march towards Mexico, 
notwithftanding the remonftrances of the Tlafcalans, who 
looked upon his deftruCtion as unavoidable if he put him- 
felf into the power of fuch a faithlefs prince as Monte¬ 
zuma. . But the emperor, probably intimidated with the 
fame of his exploits, had relblved to admit his vifit; and 
informed Cortes that Ke had given orders for his friendly 
reception at Cholula, the next place of any confequence 
on the road to Mexico. Cortes was received with much 
feeming cordiality; but 6000 Tlafcalan troops who ac¬ 
companied him were obliged to remain without the town, 
as the Cholulans refilled to admit their ancient enemies 
within their precinCts. Yet two of thefe, by difguifmg 
themfelves, got into the city, and acquainted Cortes that 
they oblerved the women and children belonging to the 
principal citizens retiring every night in a great hurry, 
and that fix children had been facrificed in the great 
temple; a lign that fome warlike enterprife was at hand. 
At the fame time Donna Marina, the interpreter, received 
information from an Indian woman of diftinblion, whofe 
confidence (lie had gained, that the deftrubtion of the Spa¬ 
niards was concerted; that a body of Mexican troops lay 
concealed near the town; that fome of the ftreets were 
barricaded, in others deep pits or trenches were dug, 
and (lightly covered over, as traps into which the horfe 
might fall; that ftones and miflive weapons were collebted 
on the tops of the temples, with which to overwhelm the 
infantry ; and that the fatal hour was already at hand, and 
their ruin Unavoidable. Cortes, alarmed at this news, 
4 D lecretly 
