§94 
M £ X 
which had already declared againft the Spaniards aug¬ 
mented, and feveral which had hitherto remained inactive 
Took arms with enthufiaflic ardour to execute the decrees 
of the gods. The Indian auxiliaries who had joined 
Cortes, accuftomed to venerate the fame deities with the 
Mexicans, and to receive the refponfes of their priefts 
with the fame implicit faith, abandoned the Spaniards as 
a race of men devoted to certain deftrmSlion. Even the 
fidelity of the Tlafcalans was fhaken, and the Spanifh 
troops were left almoft alone in their ftations. Cortes, 
finding that he attempted in vain to difpel the fuperlli- 
tious fears of his confederates by argument, took advan¬ 
tage, from the imprudence of thofe who had framed the 
prophecy in fixing its accomplifhment fo near at hand, to 
give them a ftriking clemonftration of its falfity. He fuf- 
pended all military operations during the period marked 
out by the oracle. Under cover of the brigantines, which 
kept the enemy at a diftance, his troops lay in fafety; and 
the fatal term expired without any d if after. 
His allies, afhamed of their own credulity, returned to 
their ftation. Other tribes, judging that the gods, who 
had now deceived the Mexicans, had decreed finally to 
withdraw their proteilion from them, joined his ftandard ; 
and fuch was the levity of a fimple people, moved by 
every flight impreffion, that, in a fhort time after fuch a 
general defedfion of his confederates, Cortes faw himfelf, 
if we may believe his own account, at the head of 150,000 
Indians. Even with fuch a numerous army, he found it 
neceflary to adopt a new and more wary fyitem of opera¬ 
tion. Inftead of renewing his attempts to become mailer 
of the city at once, by fuch bold but dangerous efforts 
of valour as he had already tried, he made his advances 
gradually, and with every poftible precaution againft ex- 
pofing his men to any calamity fimilar to that which they 
ftill bewailed. As the Spaniards pufhed forward, the In¬ 
dians regularly repaired the caufeways behind them. As 
loon as they got poffeffion of any part of the town, the 
feoufes were inftantly levelled with the ground. Day 
by day, the Mexicans, forced to retire as their enemies 
gained ground, were hemmed in within more narrow 
limits. 
Guatimozin, though unable to flop the career of the 
enemy, continued to defend his capital with obftinate re- 
folution, and difputed every inch of ground. But the 
Spaniards, having not only varied their mode of attack, 
but, by order of Cortes, having changed the weapons with 
which they fought, were again armed with the long Chi- 
j-iantlan lpears, which they had employed with fuch fuc- 
cel's againft Narvaez ; and, by the firm array in which this 
enabled them to range themlelves, they repelled, with 
little danger, the lool'e affaults of-the Mexicans, incredi¬ 
ble numbers of whom fell in the conflicts which they re¬ 
newed every day. While war wafted without, famine 
began to confume them within the city. The Spanifh bri¬ 
gantines, having the entire command of the lake, ren¬ 
dered it impofftble to receive any lupply of provilions by 
water. The vaft number of his Indian auxiliaries ena¬ 
bled Cortes to fhuc up the avenues to the city by land. 
The (lores which Guatimozin had laid up were exnaufled 
by the multitudes which crowded into the capital to de¬ 
fend their fovereign and the temples of their gods. Not 
only the people, but perfons of tfie higheft rank, felt the 
utmoft diilrelfes of want. What they fullered brought 
on infectious and mortal diftempers, the lail calamity that 
vifits befieged cities, and which filled up the meafure of 
their woes. 
But, under the preffure of fo many and fuch various 
evils, the fpirit of Guatimozin remained firm and unfub- 
dued. He rejedled with fcorn every overture of peace 
from Cortes ; and, dif'dainipg the idea of fubmitting to 
the opprefiors of his country, determined not to furvive 
its ruin. The Spaniards continued their progrefs. At 
length all the three divifions penetrated into the great 
fquare in the centre of the city, and made a fecure lodge¬ 
ment there. Three-fourths of the city were now reduced, 
I c o. 
and laid in ruins. The remaining quarter was fo clofely 
prefled, that it could not long withftand affailants who 
attacked it from their new ftation with fuperior advan¬ 
tage, and more affored expectation of fuccefs. The Mexi¬ 
can nobles, folicitous to fave the life of a monarch whom 
they revered, prevailed on Guatimozin to retire from a 
place where refiftance was now vain, that he might roufe 
the more diftant provinces of the empire to arms, and 
maintain there a more fuccefsful ftruggie with the public- 
enemy. In order to facilitate the execution of this mea¬ 
fure, they endeavoured to amufe Cortes with overtures of 
fubmifllon, that, while his attention was employed in ad- 
jufting the articles of pacification, Guatimozin might ei- 
cape unperceived. But they made this attempt upon a 
leader of greater fagacity and difeernment than to be de¬ 
ceived by their arts. Cortes, fufpefiting their intention, 
and aware of what moment it was to defeat it, appointed 
Sandoval, the officer on whofe vigilance he could moft 
perfefilly rely, to take the command of the brigantines, 
with ftridl injunctions to watch every motion of the enemy. 
Sandoval, attentive to the charge, obferving fome large 
canoes crowded with people rowing along the lake with 
extraordinary rapidity, inftantly gave the iignal to chafe. 
Garcia Holguin, who commanded the fleetefl brigantine, 
foon overtook them, and was preparing to fire on the fore- 
moft canoe, which feemed to carry fome perf'on whom all 
the reft followed and obeyed. At once the rowers dropt 
their oars, and all on-board, throwing down their arms, 
conjured him with cries and tears to forbear, as the em¬ 
peror was there. Holguin eagerly feized his prize ; and 
Guatimozin, with a dignified compofure, gave himfelf up 
into his hands, requefting only that no infult might be 
offered to the emprefs or his children. When conducted 
to Cortes, he appeared neither with the fullen fiercenefs 
of a barbarian, nor with the dejeCtion of a fupplicant. 
“ I have done,” faid he, addreffing himfelf to the Spanifh; 
general, “ what became a monarch. I have defended my 
people to the laft extremity. Nothing now remains but 
to die. Take this dagger,” laying his hand on one which 
Cortes wore, “ plant it in my breaft, and put an end to 
a life which can no longer be of ufe.” 
As foon as the fate of their fovereign was known, the 
refiftance of the Mexicans ceafed ; and Cortes took poffef- 
fion of that fmall part of the capital which yet remained 
undeftroyed. Thus terminated the fiege of Mexico, the 
moft memorable event in the conquelt of America. It 
continued feventy-five days, hardly one of which pafled 
without fome extraordinary effort of one party in the at¬ 
tack, or of the other in the defence, of a city, on the fate 
of which both knew that the fortune of the empire de¬ 
pended. As the ftruggie here was more obftinate, it was 
likewife more equal, than any between the inhabitants of 
the Old and New Worlds. The great abilities of Guati- 
mozin, the number of his troops, the peculiar fituation of 
his capital, fo far counterbalanced the fuperiority of the 
Spaniards in arms and difeipline, that they mull have re- 
linquilhed the enterprife, if they had trulled for iuccels 
to themfelves alone. But Mexico was overturned by the 
jeaioufy of neighbours who dreaded its power, and by the 
revolt of fubjefils impatient to fhake off its yoke. By 
their eftefilual aid, Cortes was enabled to accomplish what, 
without fuch fupport, he would hardly have ventured to 
attempt. How much foever this account of the reduc¬ 
tion of Mexico may detract, on the one hand, from the 
marvellous relations of fome Spanifh writers, by aferibing 
that to fimpie and obvious caufes which they attribute to 
the romantic valour of their countrymen, it adds, on the 
other, to the merit and abilities of Cortes, who, under 
every difadvantage, acquired luch an afeendant over un¬ 
known nations, as to render them inftruments towards 
carrying his fcheme into execution. 
The exultation of the Spaniards, on accomplifhing this 
arduous enterprife, was at firft exceftlve. But this was 
quickly damped by the cruel difappointment of thofe fan- 
guine hopes which had animated them amidft lb many 
bajdfhips 
