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he slightest foundation for all
his assertions. There never was a commander in this world who was so
strictly obeyed as Cortes, nor will it ever again fall to the lot of any
man to be so. No such thought ever entered the minds of our men,
excepting on the occasion which I have related above. Even the
representations which were made to Cortes, mentioned in the preceding
chapter, were all given in the tone of advice. Those who made them did
so with a good intention, and imagined they were in the right, and
though they differed with him in opinion, they paid him strict
obedience. Is it, then, any wonder that a general should listen to good
advice from intelligent soldiers, particularly when his troops are so
awkwardly situated as ours were? I am only sorry when I reflect that all
Gomara's untruths will be credited, because his style of writing is so
eloquent.

CHAPTER LXXII.

 _How ambassadors arrive in our camp from Motecusuma, and of the
 presents they brought with them._

After the Almighty, in his great mercy, had granted us the victory in
the battles against the Tlascallans, our fame was spread to every
district, and even reached the ears of the mighty Motecusuma, in the
great city of Mexico. If we had been previously looked upon as teules,
or a species of gods, their idea of our bravery now became the more
exalted, and terror seized the whole country when we had broken the
great power of the Tlascallans with such a handful of men, and compelled
them to sue for peace.

And so it also happened that the powerful king of Mexico, Motecusuma,
either in the great goodness of his heart, or because he began to fear
our approach to his metropolis, despatched five men of distinction to
our camp in the land of Tlascalla to welcome us on our arrival, and to
assure us of the excessive delight he felt at the great victories which
we had gained over such numerous armies. This message was accompanied by
a valuable present in gold trinkets of various workmanship, worth about
1000 pesos, and of packages of cotton stuffs as much as twenty men could
carry. He likewise wished us to know that it was his desire to become a
vassal of our emperor, and the great pleasure he felt to find that we
were so near his metropolis, that he was every way well disposed towards
Cortes and all the teules his brothers: he likewise wished to know from
us what annual tribute in gold, silver, jewels, and cotton stuffs he was
to forward to our great emperor, which would save us the trouble of
coming to Mexico: he should, indeed, be pleased to see us, but our march
there would be a terrible one, through a sterile and rocky country, and
the fatigues which we should have to undergo grieved him the more when
he considered the impossibility to remove those difficulties out of our
way.

To this Cortes answered, that he was very thankful for such kind
feeling, as also for the presents, and the offer to pay tribute, but he
must beg of the ambassadors not to leave again before we had reached the
metropolis of Tlascalla, when he would deliver to them his answers for
their monarch.

The real fact was, he did not feel well enough just then, as the day
previous he had taken a purgative of manzanilla,[27] which latter is
found on the island of Cuba, and is very wholesome when its use is
rightly understood.

[27] This name Oviedo gives to the fruit of a tree, which he calls
macanna, growing in Cuba. (Hippomane Mancinella of Linn.) From the same
fruit, according to this historian, the inhabitants prepare the deadly
poison in which they dip the points of their arrows. (p. 170.)

CHAPTER LXXIII.

 _How the captain-general Xicotencatl arrives in our camp to
 negotiate terms of peace; the speech he made, and what further
 happened._

Cortes was still discoursing with the ambassadors of Motecusuma, and
about to dismiss them, to retire to rest, for the fit of ague was again
coming upon him, when it was announced that the general Xicotencatl was
approaching, with several caziques. They were clothed in cloaks, white
and parti-coloured, that is, one half of the cloak was white and the
other coloured, for these were their national colours in time of peace.
The number of distinguished personages who accompanied Xicotencatl
amounted altogether to about fifty. When they had arrived in Cortes'
quarters, they paid him the most profound reverence, after their
fashion, and burnt a quantity of copal before him. Cortes received them
most friendly, and desired them to take place near him; upon which
Xicotencatl said, "He came, in the name of his father, of Maxixcatzin,
and of all the caziques of the republic of Tlascalla, to beg of us to
admit them to our friendship: he, at the same time, in their name, came
to do homage, and promise obedience to our emperor and master, and to
beg forgiveness for having taken up arms against us. They had done this
because they were ignorant as to who we were: indeed, they believed we
had been sent by their enemy Motecusuma, who had often before used fraud
and treachery to enter their country for the sake of plunder, and they
now thought he contemplated another attack upon them: they, therefore,
considered themselves bound to advance boldly into the field to protect
their persons and their country. They were, however, very poor, and
possessed neither gold, silver, jewels, nor cotton stuffs: they were in
want of salt to savour their victuals, as Motecusuma would not allow
them to stir out of their country to procure it. Their forefathers had
certainly possessed some gold and precious stones, but this had from
time to time been delivered up to Motecusuma, to prevent their total
destruction. All this had happened a long time ago, and now they had
nothing left wherewith to make us a present. It was not their fault, but
their poverty, yet they were well disposed."

After this preamble Xicotencatl brought various other accusations
against Motecusuma and his allies. "The latter," he said, "were all
hostile to their country, and left them no peace. They had certainly, up
to this moment, defended themselves bravely at all times, but found that
all their endeavours were fruitless against us, although they had
renewed the conflict three several times; we were invincible. Hard
experience at length taught them who we were, and they now desired to
become our friends, and the vassals of the great emperor Don Carlos;
for, they were convinced, that in alliance with us, they would be able
to live in security and peace with their wives and children, and not be
each moment exposed to the incursions of the treacherous Mexicans."

Xicotencatl made various other offers of his services in the name of his
country. This Xicotencatl was a tall man, broad shouldered, and well
built, with a large fresh coloured face, full of scars, as if pitted
with the smallpox. He may have been about thirty-five years of age, and
was earnest and dignified in his deportment. Cortes thanked him most
sincerely, saying, "he would acknowledge them as vassals o

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