M E X 
From tins moment tlie Mexicans began to meditate the 
exp u Hi on or the deftruftion of the Spaniards. The priefts 
and leading men held frequent meetings with Montezuma 
for this purpofe. But, as any violent attempt might 
Have proved fatal to the captive monarch, it was thought 
proper firft to try more gentle means. Having called 
•Cortes into his prefence, he obferved, that now, as all the 
purpofes of his embaffy were fully accomplilhed, the gods 
had declared their will, and the people fignified their de¬ 
lire, that he and his followers Ihould quietly depart out 
of the empire. With this he required them to comply, 
or unavoidable deftruftion would fall fuddenly on their 
heads. This unexpefted requifition, as well as the man¬ 
ner in which it was delivered, alarmed Cortes. However, 
he fuppofed that more might be gained by a feigned com¬ 
pliance than by open refiftance ; and therefore replied 
with great compofure, that he had already begun to pre¬ 
pare for his return ; but, as he had deftroyed the veffels 
in which he arrived, fome time was requifife for building 
other fhips. This appeared reafonable ; and a number of 
Mexicans were lent to Vera Cruz to cut down timber, and 
fome Spanilh carpenters were appointed to fuperintend the 
w'ork. 
Cortes flattered himfelf, that, during this interval, he 
might either find means to avert the threatened danger, 
or receive fuch reinforcements as would enable him to de¬ 
fend himfelf. Nine months had now elapfed iince Porto- 
carrero and Montejo had failed with his difpatches to 
Spain; and he daily expefted a return, with a confirma¬ 
tion of his authority from the king, without which all 
that he had done ferved only to mark him out as an ob¬ 
ject of punifhment. While he remained in great anxiety 
on this account, news were brought that fome (hips had 
appeared on the coaft. Thefe were imagined by Cortes to 
be a reinforcement fent him from Spain ; but his joy was 
of Ihort continuance, for a courier very foon arrived from 
Vera Cruz, with certain information that the armament 
was fitted out by Velafquez, the governor of Cuba ; and, 
inftead of bringing luccours, threatened them with im¬ 
mediate deftruftion. Velafquez had been excited to this 
hoftile mealure chiefly through the indilcretion, or rather 
treachery, of the meffiengers of Cortes ; who, contrary to 
hi\ exprefs injunftions, had landed on the ifland of Cuba, 
and given intelligence of all that had palled ; and Ve¬ 
lafquez, tranfported with rage at hearing of the proceed¬ 
ings of Cortes, had now fent againll him this armament; 
confifting of eighteen fhips, which carried eighty horfe- 
men, and eight hundred infantry, commanded by a brave 
officer named Pamphilo de Narvaez; whofe inltruftions 
-were, to feize Cortes and his principal officers, to fend 
them prifoners to him, and then to complete the difcovery 
and conqueft of the country in his name. 
This proved a moll affiifting piece of news to Cortes, 
who, having now no refource but in war, left one hundred 
and fifty men under the command of Pedro de Alvarado, 
yi officer of great bravery, and much refpefted by the 
Mexicans, to guard the capital and the captive emperor; 
while he himfelf marched with the remainder, to meet his 
formidable opponent, who had taken pofleffion of Zem- 
poalla. Even after being reinforced by Sandoval, his go¬ 
vernor of Vera Cruz, the force of Cortes did not exceed 
two hundred and fifty men. He hoped for fuccefs chiefly 
from the rapidity of his motions and the poffibility of 
furpriiing his enemies ; and, as he chiefly dreaded their 
cavalry, he armed his loldiers with long fpears, accuftom- 
ing them to that deep and compaft arrangement which 
the life of this formidable weapon enabled them to aflume. 
As he advanced, however, he repeated his propofals of 
accommodation ; but thefe being conftantly rejected, and 
a price fet upon bis head, he at lalt attacked Narvaez in 
the night-time, entirely defeated and took him priloner, 
obliging all his troops to own allegiance to himfelf. 
Nothing could be more feafonable than this victory, by 
which Cortes found his army very confiderably increafed; 
Vol. XV. No. 1043. 
I CO. 289 
for moll of the foldiers of Narvaez chofe rather to follow 
Cortes than to return to Cuba, whither the conqueror had 
offered to fend them if they chofe. His affairs at Mexico, 
in the mean time, were in the utmoft danger of being to¬ 
tally ruined ; and, had this decifive viftory been delayed 
but a few days longer, he mult have come "too late to faye 
his companions. A Ihort time after the defeat of Narvaez, 
a courier arrived from Mexico with the difagreeable intel¬ 
ligence that the Mexicans had taken arms ; and, having 
feized_ and deftroyed the two brigantines which he had 
built in order to lecure the command of the lake, had at¬ 
tacked the Spaniards in their quarters, killed fome, and 
wounded many more, burnt their magazine of provifions, 
and, in Ihort, carried on hoftilities with fuch fury, that, 
though Alvarado and his men defended themfelves with 
undaunted refolution, they mull either be cut off by fa¬ 
mine, or link under the multitude of their enemies. This 
revolt was excited by motives which rendered it Hill more 
alarming. On the departure of Cortes for Zempoalla, the 
Mexicans flattered themfelves, that the long-expefted op¬ 
portunity of reftoring their fovereign to liberty, and driv¬ 
ing out the Spaniards, was arrived: and confutations 
were accordingly held for bringing about both thefe 
events. The Spaniards in Mexico, confcious of their own 
weaknefc, fufpefted and dreaded thefe machinations ; but 
Alvarado, who had neither the prudence nor the addrefs 
of Cortes, took the worft method imaginable to overcome 
them. Inftead of attempting to foothe or cajole the 
Mexicans, he waited the return of one of their folemn 
feftivals, when the principal perfons in the empire were 
dancing, according to cuftom, in the court of the great 
temple: he feized all the avenues which led to it; and, 
allured partly by the rich ornaments which they wore in 
honour of their gods, and partly by the facility of cutting 
off at once the authors of that confpiracy which he dread¬ 
ed, he fell upon them, unarmed and unfufpicious of dan¬ 
ger, and mafiacred a great number; none efcaping but 
fuch as made their way over the battlements of the temple. 
A11 aftion fo cruel and treacherous filled not only the 
city, but the whole empire, with indignation and' rage ; 
and the Mexicans immediately proceeded in the manner 
above mentioned. 
Cortes advanced with the utmoft: celerity to the relief 
of his diftrefled companions ; but, as he palled along, had 
the mortification to find that the Spaniards were generally 
held in abhorrence. The principal inhabitants had de- 
ferted the towns through which he palled; no perfon of 
note appeared to meet him with the ul'ual refpeft:; nor 
were provifions brought to his camp as ul'ual. Notwith- 
ftanding thefe fig ns of averfion and horror, however, the 
Mexicans were lo ignorant of the military art, that they 
again permitted him to enter the capital without oppofi- 
tion ; though it was in their power to have eafily pre¬ 
vented him, by breaking down the bridges and caufeways 
which led to it. Cortes was received by his companions 
with the utmoft joy ; and this extraordinary fuccefs fo far 
intoxicated the general himfelf, that he not only ne- 
glefted to viiit Montezuma, but exprefled himfelf very 
contemptuoufly concerning him. Thefe expreffions beinn- 
reported among the Mexicans, they all at once flew to 
arms, and made fuch a violent and fudden - attack, that all 
the valour and Ikill of Cortes were fcarcely fufficient to 
repel them. This produced great uneafinefs among the 
foldiers of Narvaez, who had imagined there was nothin-*- 
to do but to gather the fpoils of a conquered country. 
Dilcontent and murmurings, however, were now of no 
avail; they were inclofed in a hoftile city, and, without 
fome extraordinary exertions, were inevitably undone. 
Cortes, therefore, made a defperate fially ; but, after exert¬ 
ing his utmoft efforts for a whole" day, was obliged to 
retire with the lofs of twelve killed, a ad upwards of fixty 
wounded. Another fally was. attempted with the like 
bad fuccefs, and in it Cortes himfelf was wounded in the 
hand. 
4 E 
The 
