290 M E X 
The Spanilh general was now thoroughly convinced of 
his error; and therefore betook himfelf to the only re- 
fource which w'as left; namely, to try what effeft the in- 
terpofition of Montezuma would have to foothe or over¬ 
awe his fubje&s. When the Mexicans approached the 
next morning to renew the aflault, that unfortunate 
prince, at the mercy of the Spaniards, and reduced to the 
lad neceility of becoming the inftrument of his own dis¬ 
grace, and of the llavery of his people, advanced to the 
battlements in his royal robes, and with all the pomp-in 
which he uled to appear on folemn occafions. At the 
fight of their fovereign, whom they had been long accul- 
tomed to reverence almolt as a god, the Mexicans in- 
llantly forebore their hoftilities, and many proftrated 
themlelves on the ground: but, when he add refled them 
in favour of the Spaniards, and made ule of all the argu¬ 
ments he could think of to mitigate their rage, they telli- 
fied their refentment with loud murmurings; and at 
length broke forth with fuch fury, that, before the foldiers 
appointed to guard Montezuma had time to cover him 
with their ffiields, he was wounded with two arrows, and 
a blow on the temple with a hone ftruck him to the ground. 
On feeing him fall, the Mexicans inftantly fled with the 
utmoft precipitation; and Montezuma Was conveyed to 
his apartment, whither Cortes followed in order to con- 
iole him. But, as the unhappy monarch now perceived 
that he was become an objeT of hatred and contempt 
even to his own fubjedts, bis haughty fpirit revived, and 
he lcorned to prolong his life after this laft humiliation ; 
flripping the bandages from his wounds in a tranfport of 
rage, and refufing to take any nourifhment, he loon 
ended bis wretched days ; refufing with difdain all the fo- 
iicifations of the Spaniards to embrace the Chriftian faith. 
Upon the death of Montezuma, Cortes loll: all hopes of 
bringing the Mexicans to an accommodation, and pre¬ 
pared for a retreat. But, in accomplifliing his defign, he 
was engaged in new confiidts. His antagonifts, having 
taken polfeffion of a high tower in the great temple, which 
overlooked the Spanilh quarters, and placing there a gar- 
rifon of their principal warriors, the Spaniards were fo 
much expofed to their miflile weapons, that none could 
Air without danger of being killed or wounded. From 
this poll:, therefore, it was neceflary to dillodge them at 
any rate ; and Juan de Efcobar, with a large detachment 
of chofen foldiers, was ordered to make the attack. But 
Efcobar, though a valiant officer, and though he exerted 
liis utmoft efforts, was thrice repulfed. Cortes, however, 
fenfible that not only his reputation, but the fafety of his 
army, depended on the fuccefs of this aflault, caufed a 
buckler to be tied to his arm, as he could not manage it 
with his wounded hand, and ruffied with his drawn 
fword among the thickeft of the combatants. Encouraged 
by the prefence of their general, the Spaniards returned 
to the charge with fuch vigour, that they gradually forced 
their way upthefteps, and drove the Mexicans to the plat¬ 
form at the top of the tower. There a dreadful carnage 
began ; when two young Mexicans of high rank, obferv- 
ing Cortes as he was animating his foldiers, refolved to 
facrifice their own lives in order to cut off the author of 
lo many calamities which defolated their country. They 
approached him in a fuppliant polture, as if they intended 
to lay down their arms ; and, feizing him in a moment, 
hurried him towards the battlements, over which they 
threw themfelves headlong, irl hopes of dragging him 
along with them. But Cortes, by Ins ftrength and agility, 
difengaged himfelf from their grafp; fo that the two 
Mexicans perilhed alone. 
As foon as the Spaniards became mailers of the tower, 
they fet fire to it, and without further moleftation con¬ 
tinued the preparations for their retreat. This became 
the more necelfary, as their enemies, aftoniflied at this laft 
effort of their valour, had now entirely changed their fyf- 
tem of hoftility ; and, inftead of incefiant attacks, endea¬ 
voured, by barricading the ftreets and breaking down the 
oauleways, to cut off the communication of the Spaniards 
I c o. 
with the continent, and thus to ftarve an enemy whom 
they could not fubdue. The firft point to be determined 
was, whether they ffiould march out openly in the face of 
day, when they could difcern every danger, or whether 
they Ihould endeavour to retire fecretly in the night. The 
latter was preferred, partly from hopes that the fuperfti- 
tion of the Mexicans would prevent them from attacking 
them in the night, and partly from their own fuperftition 
in giving credit to the predictions of a private foldier, 
who pretended to aftrology, and allured them of fuccefs 
if they retreated in this manner. Towards midnight, 
therefore, they began their march, in three divifions. 
Sandoval led the van ; Pedro Alvarado and Velafquez de 
Leon had the conduct of the rear; and Cortes com¬ 
manded in the centre, where he placed the prifoners, 
among whom were a fon and two daughters of Montezuma, 
together with feveral Mexicans of diftinClion, the artil¬ 
lery, baggage, and a portable bridge of timber intended 
to be laid over the breaches in the caufeway. They 
marched in profound lilence along the caufeway which 
led to Tacuba, becaufe it was fhorter than any of the 
reft, and, lying molt remote from the road toward Tlaf- 
cala and the lea-coaft, had been left molt entire by the 
Mexicans. 
They reached the firft breach in the caufeway without 
moleftation, hoping that their retreat was undifcovered. 
But the Mexicans had not only watched all their motions, 
but made preparations for a molt formidable attack. 
While the Spaniards were intent upon placing their 
bridges in the breach, and occupied in conducting their 
liorfes and artillery along it, they were luddenly alarmed, 
with the found of warlike inftruments, and found them¬ 
felves afiaulted on all Tides by an innumerable multitude 
of enemies. Unfortunately the wooden bridge was wedged 
fo fall in the mud by the weight of the artillery, that it 
was impoffible to remove it. Difmayed at this accident, 
the Spaniards advanced with precipitation to the lecond 
breach. The Mexicans hemmed them in on every fide ; 
and, though they defended themfelves with their ulual 
courage, yet, crowded as they were in a narrow caufeway, 
theirdifcipline and military lkiil were of little avail; nor 
did the obfcurity of the night allow them to derive much 
advantage from their fire-arms or the luperiority of their 
other weapons. At laft the Spaniards, overborne with 
the numbers of their enemies, began to give way, and in 
a moment the confulion was univerfal. Cortes, with about 
one hundred foot-foldiers, and a few horfe, forced his way 
over the two remaining breaches in the caufeway, the 
bodies of the dead ferving to fill up the chafms, and 
reached the main land. Having formed them as foon as 
they arrived, he returned with fuch as were yet capable of 
fervice, to affift his friends in their retreat. He met with 
part of his foldiers who had forced-their way through the 
enemy, but found many more overwhelmed by the mul¬ 
titude of their aggreflors, or perilhing in the lake; and 
heard the grievous lamentations of others whom the Mexi¬ 
cans were carrying off in triumph to be facriiiced to the 
god of w ar. 
In this fatal retreat more than one half of Cortes’s army 
perilhed, together with many officers of diftindtion. All 
the artillery, ammunition, and baggage, were loft; the 
greater part of the horfes and above two thoufand Tlalca- 
lans were killed, and only a very final' part of their trea- 
fure faved. The firft care of the Spanilh general was to 
find lome flielter for his wearied troops; for, as the' 
Mexicans infefted them on. every fide, and the people 
of Tacuba began to take arms, he could not continue 
in his prefent Ration. At laft he dilcovered a temple 
feated on an eminence, in which he found not only the 
ftielter he wanted, but lome provilions : and, though the 
enemy did not intermit their attacks throughout the 
day, they were without much difficulty prevented from 
making any impreffion. For fix days after, they conti¬ 
nued their march through a barren, ill-cultivated, and 
thinly-peopled, country, where they were often obliged 
to 
