M E X I C O. 
286 
fecretly arrefted three of the chief priefts, from whom he 
extorted a confeflion that confirmed the intelligence he 
had already received. As not a moment was to be loft, 
he inftantly refolved to prevent his enemies, and to inflict 
on them fuch dreadful vengeance as might ftrike Monte¬ 
zuma and his lubjedts with terror. On a lignal given, 
the troops ruftied out, and fell upon the multitude, defti- 
tute of leaders, and fo much aftoniftied, that the weapons 
dropped from their hands, and they flood motionlefs, and 
incapable of defence. While the Spaniards attacked them 
in front, the Tlafcalans did the lame in the rear; the 
streets were filled with (laughter; the temples, which af¬ 
forded a retreat to the priefts and fome leading men, were 
fet on fire, and they perifhed in the flames. At length 
the carnage ceafed, after the (laughter of 6000 Cholulans, 
without the lofs of a fingle Spaniard. Cortes then re¬ 
leafed the magiftrates ; and, reproaching them bitterly for 
their intended treachery, declared, that, as juftice was now 
&ppeafed, he forgave the offence; but required them to 
recal the inhabitants who had fled, and re-eftablifh order 
in the town. From Cholula, Cortes advanced direftly 
towards Mexico; and throughout the whole of his jour¬ 
ney was entertained with accounts of the opprefiions and 
cruelty of Montezuma. This gave him the greatell hope 
of accomplifning his defign; as he now perceived that the 
empire was entirely divided, and no Jbrt of unanimity pre¬ 
vailed among them. 
In defeending from the mountains of Chaleo, the vaft 
plain of Mexico opened to their view, and prefented the 
Ynoft beautiful profpeft on the face of the earth ; fertile 
,and cultivated fields, a lake refembling the fea in extent, 
• encompafl'ed- with large towns, and the capital city riling 
Upon an ifland in the middle, adorned with its temples 
,and its turrets. They were now fully fatisfied that the 
country was rich beyond any conception they had pre- 
vioufly fqrmedofit; and they flattered themfelves that 
they Ihould foon obtain an ample recompence for all their 
fervices and bufferings. No enemy had yet appeared to 
oppofe their progrefs ; and Cortes was ahnoft at the gates 
of the capital, before the monarch had determined whe¬ 
ther to receive him as a friend, or to oppofe him as an 
enemy. The Spaniards marched forward, however, with 
great circumfpeftion. At length, as they drew near the 
city, about 1000 perfons, apparently of diftinbtion, came 
forth to meet them, adorned with plumes, and clad in 
mantles of fine cotton. Each of thefe, in his order, palled 
by Cortes, and faluted him according to the mode deemed 
molt refpectful and fubmifiive in their country. They 
announced the approach of Montezuma himfelf, and foon 
after his harbingers came in flgnt. There appeared firft 
two hundred perfons in an uniform drefs, with large 
plumes of feathers, alike in fafhion, marching two and 
two, in deep lilence, barefooted, with their eyes Axed on 
the ground. Thefe were followed by a company of higher 
rank, in their moft fliowy apparel; in the midft of whom 
was Montezuma, in a chair or litter richly ornamented 
with gold and feathers of various colours. Four of his 
principal favourites carried him on their (boulders, others 
fupported a canopy of curious workmanfhip over his 
head. Before him marched three officers with rods of 
gold in their hands, which they lifted up on high at 
certain intervals : and at that lignal all the people bowed 
their heads, and hid their faces, as unworthy to look 
on fo great a monarch. When he drew near, Cortes, dif- 
moupting, advanced towards him with officious lrafte, 
and in a refpeftful pofture. At the lame time Monte¬ 
zuma alighted from his chair, and leaning on the arms of 
two of his near relations, approached with a flow and 
llately pace, his attendants covering the ftreet with cot¬ 
ton cloths, that he might not touch the ground. Cortes 
accofted him with profound reverence, after the Euro¬ 
pean fall;ion. He returned the falutation, according to 
the mode of his country, by touching the earth with 
his hand, and then killing it. This ceremony appeared 
fuch amazing condefcenflon in a proud monarch, who 
fcarcely deigned to confider the reft of mankind as of the 
fame fpecies with himfelf, that all his fubjefts firmly be¬ 
lieved thofe perfons, before whom he humbled himfelf in 
this manner, to be fomething more than human. Accord¬ 
ingly, as they marched through the crowd, the Spaniards 
frequently, and with'much i'atisfaftion, heard themfelves 
denominated teules, or divinities. Nothing material palled 
in this firft interview. Montezuma conduced Cortes to 
the quarters which he had prepared for his reception ; 
and immediately took leave of him with a politenefs- not 
unworthy of a court more refined : “ You are now (fays 
he) with your brothers, in your own houfe; refrelh your- 
felves after your fatigue, and bejiappy until I return.'’ 
The place allotted to the Spaniards for their lodging was 
a houfe built by the father of Montezuma: it was fur- 
rounded by a ftone wall, with towers at proper diftances, 
which ferved for defence as well as for ornament; and its 
apartments and courts were fo large as to accommodate 
both the Spaniards and their Indian allies. The firft care 
of Cortes was to take precautions for his fecurity, bv 
planting the artillery fo as to command the different 
avenues which led to it, by appointing a large diviiion of 
his troops to be always on guard, and by polling centi- 
nels at proper ftations, with injunctions to obferve the 
fame vigilant difeipline as if they were within fight of an, 
enemy’s camp. 
In the evening Montezuma returned to vifit his guefts 
with the fame pomp as in their firft interview; and brought 
prefents of fuch value, not only to Cortes and to liis .offi¬ 
cers, but even to the private men, as proved the liberality 
of the monarch to be fuitable to the opulence of his kino-_ 
dom. A long conference enfued, in which Cortes learn¬ 
ed what was the opinion of Montezuma with refpeCt to- 
the Spaniards. It was an eftablilhed tradition, he told him, 
among the Mexicans, that their anceftors came 'originally 
from a remote region, and conquered the provinces now 
1'ubjeCt to his dominion; that, after they were fettled 
there, the great captain who conducted this colony re¬ 
turned to his own country, promifing, that at fome future 
period his defeendants fnould vilit them, a fume the govern* 
ment, and reform their conftitutions and laws; that, from 
what he had heard and leen of Cortes and his followers, 
he was convinced that they were the very perfons whole 
appearance their prophecies taught them to expeCt; that 
accordingly he had received them, not as ftrangers, but 
as relations of the fame blood and parentage, and defired 
that they might confider themfelves as mafters in his domi¬ 
nions-, for both himfelf and his fubjedts' Ihould be ready 
to comply with their will, and even to prevent their 
willies. Cortes made a reply in his ufual ftyle with re- 
fpe< 5 l to the dignity and power of his fovereign, and his 
intention in lending him into that country; artfully en¬ 
deavouring fo to frame his dilcourfe, that it might coin¬ 
cide as much as polfible with the idea which Montezuma 
had formed concerning the origin of the Spaniards. Next 
morning, Cortes and fome of his principal attendants 
were admitted to a public audience of the emperor. The 
three lublequent days were employed in viewing the city ; 
the appearance of which, fo far fuperior in the order of its 
buildings and the number of its inhabitants to any place 
the Spaniards had beheld in America, and yet fo little re- 
lembling the ftrudture of an European city, filled them 
with furprife and admiration. 
Mexico is lituated in a large plain,environed by moun¬ 
tains of luch height, that, though within the torrid zone, 
the temperature of its climate is mild and heathful. All 
the moifture which defeends from the high grounds ie 
colle£ted in feveral lakes, the two largeft of which, of 
about ninety miles in circuit, communicate with each 
other. The waters of the one are frelh, thofe of the other 
brackilli. On the banks of the latter, and on fome fmall 
illands adjoining to them, the capital of Montezuma’s 
empire was built. The accels to the city was by artificial 
caufeways or ftreels, formed of Hones and earth, about 
thirty feet in breadth. As the waters of the lake, during 
the 
