IN THE OLDEN TIME. 
269 
The reception of the Spaniards at Iximche, the fights 
with the Tzutohiles, and the destruction of Atitlan, 
seem tame enough after the martyrdom of the Quiches, 
the sole defenders of their country. Henceforth the 
rebellions and battles are only outbursts against indi¬ 
vidual oppression. Many tribes followed the Cakchiquel 
example, and submitted without a struggle. Itzcuintlan 
(Escuintla) refused; but the Spaniards entered the city 
on a stormy night and murdered most of the inhabi¬ 
tants. Alvarado marched to San Salvador in spite of 
considerable unorganized opposition, and returned to 
Iximche, where he founded on the 25th of July the 
capital of the kingdom of Guatemala, claiming as 
patron Santiago (Saint James) of Spain. This was 
afterwards removed to Almolonga (Ciudad \ieja). 
While in Iximche, Alvarado showed his foolish Indian 
allies what his true character was. One of the chiefs 
of the Cakchiquels had just espoused the beautiful prin¬ 
cess Xuchil; but the lustful eye of the Conquistador 
had fallen on her, and he sent for her on the pretext 
that he wished to consult her about the people to the 
southward whom he intended to subdue. The husband 
in well-grounded alarm begged the general, with tears 
in his eyes, to return his beloved wife, offering with his 
petition a rich present of gold and ornaments. 66 But 
the proud and hard-hearted Spanish knight, who thought 
he did honor by his passion for the bride of a Cak¬ 
chiquel prince, as he had done in Mexico with the 
daughter of one of the lords of Tlaxcala, accepted the 
present, but refused with disdain the prince’s petition. 
Again Alvarado called upon the kings of Iximche, Bel- 
ehe-Qat and Cahi-Ymox, to bring him all the gold and 
