afterward, possessed a fierce and pertinacious bravery like that of the Jews-weapons of offense which would not have been contemptible any where in a previous age, but which were becoming so among Europeans in the sixteenth century*—a consolidated kingdom, of which the capital, at any rate, was devoted to its sovereign-and substantial edifices.†

On his side Cortez had valiant captains, trained men-at-arms, a small park of artillery, these wonderful horses, and his own dissembling mind and vast audacity-cut off from all retreat. The difficulties, however, in his own camp, which his uncertain position created for him, were very great, and his enterprise, considered in all respects, was, perhaps, as difficult as any feat of arms the world has ever contem

plated.

* On the other hand, their defensive armor was good, though not to be compared to that of the Spaniards.

+ It has been said that "the victories of Cortez had been gained over savages who had no letters, who were ignorant of the use of metals, who had not broken in a single animal to labor, who wielded no better weapons than those which could be made out of sticks, flints, and fishbones, who regarded a horse-soldier as a monster, half man and half beast, who took an arquebusier for a sorcerer, able to scatter the thunder and lightning of the skies."-Mr. MACAULAY's Essay on Lord Clive. These weapons, however, could hardly have been as contemptible as they are thus represented, for we find that, at the first discharge of missiles in the first battle with Cortez, the Indians wounded seventy men, two of them fatally. Neither is it much to their discredit that they did not break in animals to labor, as there were none for them to break in. Now that they possess horses, there are no people in the world more expert with them, as may be seen in the case of those who make use of the lasso. Had the Mexicans possessed horses in those days, there would not have been the slightest chance for the Spaniards, unless they had come in large armies, in which case the difficulty of finding supplies would have been almost an insuperable obstacle.

CHAPTER III.

CORTEZ MARCHES TO TLASCALA.-GREAT BATTLE WITH THE TLASCALANS.-THE TLASCALAN SENATE ALLIES ITSELF TO CORTEZ.-CORTEZ ENTERS CHOLULA.—THE GREAT MASSACRE THERE.-FIRST SIGHT OF MEXICO.-CORTEZ ENTERS MEXICO.-DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY.

THE

HE next step which Cortez took was to march toward the territory of Tlascala. His friends at Cempoala had informed him that the people of that territory were friends of theirs, and very especial enemies (muy capitales enemigos) of Montezuma. The Tlascalan form of government was republican, and Cortez compares it to those of Genoa, Venice, and Pisa.* Before his approach, he sent four Cempoalans to the senate of Tlascala, telling the senate that he was coming through their country on his way to Mexico, that he had freed the Cempoalans from Montezuma's yoke, and that he wished to know what grievance the senate had against the Mexicans, that he might make the Tlascalan cause his own. Such, at least, it is likely was the substance of what Cortez wrote to the Tlascalans.

The Tlascalan senate received this crafty message, or whatever part the embassadors (who probably spoke on behalf of their own nation) chose to report of it, and proceeded to debate upon the subject. One great chief

* "La órden que hasta ahora se ha alcanzado, que le gente de ella tiene en gobernarse, es casi como las Señorías de Venecia, y Génova, ó Pisa; porque no hay Señor general de todos.”—LORENZANA, p. 59.

advised friendship with the Spaniards, as being a race more like gods than men, who would force their way even if the Tlascalans should oppose them. It would be wise, therefore, to accept their friendship, and to make alliance with them against the common enemy, Montezuma. These arguments he strengthened by appeals to omens and prophecies. Another senator said that the Spaniards were like some monstrous beasts cast upon the sea-shore. He lightly put aside the omens on account of their incertitude. He probably appealed to what the Spaniards had already done -mentioned their demands for gold, and, no doubt, if he were aware of it, described the indignities they had offered to the gods of the country-undoubted deities in his eyes, whatever the new-comers might be.* voice was for war; and such was the decision of the assembly, as indeed might have been expected from the chiefs of a nation so jealous of interference that they had denied themselves the use of salt because it came from Montezuma's country, and they were unwilling to have more intercourse with the Mexicans than they could help.

His

Notwithstanding the opposition to be expected from the Tlascalans, Cortez persevered in making his entrance into their country, and had to fight his way thither. After three or four severe engagements, in one of which, as he tells us, he had to encounter one hundred and forty-nine thousand adversaries,† "who

* I will not by any means be answerable for the exactitude of these speeches. There are more elaborate ones given in TORQUEMADA, HERRERA, and CLAVIGERO, all manifestly proceeding from one source, and tinged, I think, by a Spanish color. I have no doubt, however, that great speeches were made on the occasion.

+ It may a little diminish the surprise of the reader at such extraordinary numbers being met and vanquished by the small army of Cortez,

covered the whole country," he at last succeeded in bringing the Tlascalans to terms. But this object was not attained before the Tlascalan general (Xicotencatl) had made great efforts, by craft as well as force, to overcome the Spaniards. An incident worth recording occurred when the Tlascalans sent certain spies to the camp of Cortez. These spies, forty in number, had as a pretext for their coming that they brought provisions to the camp, and certain victims (four miserable old women) for sacrifice. When the forty spies arrived they began to sprinkle incense upon Cortez, and then they explained their embassage in the following words: "Our captain, Xicotencatl, sends you this present, which, if you are teules,† as those of Cempoala say, you will eat, and if you wish sacrifices, take these four women and sacrifice them, and you can eat of their flesh and their hearts. We have not hitherto sacrificed before you, as we did not know your manner of sacrifice. And if you are men, eat of these fowls, and bread, and fruit. If, however, you are benignant teules, we bring you incense and parrots' feathers ; make your sacrifice with these things." Cortez replied that it was not the custom of the Spaniards to put any one to death for sacrifice, and, besides, as long as the Tlascalans made war upon him, there were

to find that they attacked in battalions of only 20,000 men. "Heureusement pour Cortes, les Tlaxcaltèques ne les attaquèrent pas tous à la fois, mais par bataillons de vingt mille hommes qui se succédaient les uns aux autres à mesure qu'ils étaient repoussés. Le combat dura deux jours, et les Espagnols ayant tué, sans perdre un seul homme, une quantité de Tlaxcaltèques, ceux-ci se persuadèrent qu'ils étaient enchantés ou qu'ils étaient des dieux."-ÏXTLILXOCHITL, Hist. des Chichimèques, chap. lxxxiii. TERNAUX-COMPANS, Voyages.

"Que cubrian toda la tierra."-LORENZANA, p. 52.

+ Minor deities. "Nos tenian por Teules, que son como sus idolos." -BERNAL DIAZ, cap. 72.

enough of them to slay. Afterward, discovering the stratagem, he cut off the hands or thumbs of seventeen of the spies, and sent them back thus maimed to their captain. At last messengers of peace did come from the Tlascalans, and their desire for alliance with Cortez must in no respect have been diminished by the arrival, about this time, of embassadors from Montezuma, who came bringing new presents, and offering, as Cortez says in his letter to Charles the Fifth, vassalage on the part of Montezuma to that monarch.

The things most to be noted in the march of Cortez from Cempoala to Tlascala are the populousness and signs of civilization which he meets with, and his own vigorous sagacity. At one point of his march he comes upon a valley where for four successive leagues there was a continuous line of houses, and the lord of the valley lived in a fortress such as was not to be found * The valley of Yztacmastitán.