28S M E X 
■not accuftomed voluntarily to give up themfelves as pri¬ 
soners ; and, were he mean enough to do fo, his fubje&s 
would not permit Such an affront to be offered to their 
Sovereign.” Cortes, unwilling to employ force, endea¬ 
voured alternately to Soothe and intimidate him. The 
altercation became warm; and having continued above 
three hours, Velafquez de Leon, an impetuous and gal¬ 
lant young man, exclaimed with impatience, “Why 
.vvafte more time in vain ? let us either Seize him inftantly, 
or flab him to the heart.” The threatening voice and 
fierce geflures with which thefe words were uttered, flruck 
Montezuma. The Spaniards, he was Senfible, had now 
proceeded So far, as left him no hope that they would re¬ 
cede. His own danger was imminent, the neceffity un¬ 
avoidable. He Saw both ; and, abandoning himfelf to his 
fate, complied with their requeft. His officers were called. 
He communicated to them his refolution. Though afto- 
nifhed and afflicted, they prefumed not to queftion the 
will of their mailer, but carried him in Silent pomp, all 
bathed in tears, to the Spanifh quarters. 
They at firlt pretended to treat Montezuma with great 
refpeCl ; but Soon took care to let him know that he was 
entirely in their power. Cortes wiffied that the fhedding 
the blood of a Spaniard fhould appear the moll heinous 
•crime that could be committed ; and therefore not only 
•took a moll exemplary vengeance on thofe who had been 
concerned in the affair of Villa Rica, but even put the 
emperor himfelfin chains till the execution of the Mexican 
general was over. By thefe, and other infults, he at lafl 
gained entirely the afcendant over this unhappy monarch; 
and he took care to improve his opportunity to the ut- 
anoft. He Sent his emiffaries into different parts of the 
kingdom, accompanied with Mexicans of diftin&ion, who 
might ferve both to guide and to proteCt them. They 
vifited moft of the provinces, viewed their foil and pro¬ 
ductions, Surveyed with particular care thediftriCls which 
yielded gold or Silver, pitched upon Several places as pro¬ 
per for future colonies, and endeavoured to prepare the 
minds of the people for Submitting to the Spanifh yoke; 
and, while they were thus employed, Cortes, in the name 
amd by the authority of Montezuma, degraded Some of the 
principal officers in the empire, whofe abilities or inde¬ 
pendent Spirit excited his jealouly ; and fubftituted in 
their place perfons who he imagined would be more ob¬ 
sequious. 
One thing, however, was flill wanting to complete his 
Security. He wdihed to have Such a command of the lake 
as might enfure a retreat, if, either from levity or difguft, 
the Mexicans fhould take arms againft him, and break 
down the bridges or caufeways, in order to inclofe him 
in the city. In order to obtain this without giving dif¬ 
guft to the emperor or his court, Cortes artfully inflamed 
the curiofity of the Indians with accounts of the Spanifh 
flapping, and thofe floating palaces that moved with Such 
velocity on the water without the affiitance of oars; and, 
when he found that the monarch himfelf was extremely 
defirous of feeing Such a novelty, he gave him to under¬ 
stand, that nothing was wanting to his gratification be- 
Sides a few neceflaries from Vera Cruz, for that he had 
workmen in his army capable of building fuch veflels. 
The bait took with Montezuma; and he gave immediate 
orders that all his people fhould affill Cortes in whatever 
he fhould direCl concerning the flopping. By this means, 
in a few days, two brigantines were got ready, full rigged 
and equipped; and Montezuma was invited on-board, to 
make the firfl trial of their failing, of which he could 
form no idea. Accordingly he embarked for this pur- 
pole, and gave orders for a great hunting upon the water, 
m order that all his people might be diverted with the 
novelty prefented by the Spaniards. On the day ap¬ 
pointed, the royal equipage was ready early in the morn¬ 
ing; and the lake was covered with a multitude of boats 
and canoes loaded with people. The Mexicans had aug¬ 
mented the number of their rowers on-board the royal 
barges, with an intention to difgrace the Spanifh vefl’els, 
l c o. 
which they regarded as clumfy, unwieldly, and heavy. 
But they were foon undeceived ; a frefh gale flarted up, 
the brigantines hoifled fail, to the utter aftonifhment of 
all the fpeClators, and foon left all the canoes behind ; 
while the monarch exulted in the victory of the Spaniards, 
without once confidering that now he had effectually ri- 
vetted his own chains. 
Cortes, having obtained this important point, refolved 
to put the condefcenfion of the emperor to a trial flill 
more fevere. He urged Montezuma to acknowledge him¬ 
felf a vaffal to the crown of Callile; to hold his crown of 
him as fuperior, and to fubjeCt his dominions to the pay¬ 
ment of an annual tribute. With this requifition, hu¬ 
miliating as it was, Montezuma complied. He called to¬ 
gether the chief men of his empire, and, in a folemn ha¬ 
rangue, reminded them of the traditions and prophecies 
which led them to expeCt the arrival of a people j'pruitg 
from the fame Jloek with themfelves , in order to take pof- 
feffion ot the fupreme power: he declared his belief that 
the Spaniards were this promifed race; and that there¬ 
fore he recognifed the right of their monarch to govern 
the Mexican empire, would lay his crown at his feet, and 
obey him as a tributary. While uttering thefe words, 
Montezuma difeovered how deeply he was afteCted in 
making fuch a facrifice. Tears and groans frequently in¬ 
terrupted his difeourfe. The firfl mention of luch a refo¬ 
lution flruck the affembly dumb with aftonifhment. This 
was followed by a fullen murmur of forrow mingled with 
indignation ; which indicated fome violent eruption of 
rage to be near at hand. This Cortes forefaw, and fea- 
fonably interpofed to prevent it, by declaring that his 
mailer had no intention to deprive Montezuma of the 
royal dignity, or to make any innovation upon the con- 
flitution and laws of the Mexican empire. This affurance, 
added to their dread of the Spanifh arms, and the autho¬ 
rity of their monarch’s example, extorted the confent of 
the aflembly; and the aCl of lubmiffion and homage was 
executed with all the formalities which the Spaniards 
pleafed to preferibe. 
Montezuma, at the requeft of Cortes, accompanied this 
profeffion of fealty and homage with a magnificent prefent 
to his new fovereign; and, after his example, his fubjeCts 
brought in very liberal contributions. The Spaniards 
then collected all the treafure which had been either vo- 
iVriitarily bellowed upon them at different times by Mon¬ 
tezuma, or had been extorted from his people under va¬ 
rious pretences ; and, having melted the gold and lilver, 
the value of thefe amounted to 600,000 pefos. The fol- 
diers were impatient to have it divided ; and Cortes com¬ 
plied with their deiire. A fifth of the whole was fet apart 
as the tax due to the king. Another fifth was allowed to 
Cortes as commander. The l’ums advanced by the go¬ 
vernor of Cuba, who had originally fitted out the ex¬ 
pedition, were then deduced. The remainder was di¬ 
vided among the army, including the garril’on of Vera 
Cruz, in proportion to their different ranks; and, after fo 
many deductions, the fhare of a private man did not ex¬ 
ceed 100 pefos. This fum fell fo far below their fanguine 
expectations, that it required all the addrefs, and no fmall 
exertions of the liberality, of Cortes, to prevent an open 
mutiny. However, he at lafl reftored tranquillity ; but 
had no fooner efcaped this danger, than he involved him¬ 
felf, by his imprudent zeal for religion, in one much worfe. 
Montezuma, though often importuned, had obftinately 
refufed to change his religion, orabolifh the fuperllitious 
rites which had been for fuch a long time praCtifed 
throughout his dominions. This at lafl tranfported the 
Spaniard with fuch rage, that, in a fally of zeal, he led 
out his foldiers in order to throw down the idols in the 
great temple by force. But the priefls taking arms in de¬ 
fence of their altars, and the people crowding with great 
ardour to fupport them, Cortes’s prudence over-ruled his 
zeal, and induced him to defifl from his rafli attempt, after 
diilodging the idols from one of the fhrines, and placing 
in their Head an image of the Virgin Mary, 
From 
