became terrified at this prediction, and nearly all withdrew to a distance to await in fear the event. Many of the caciques, however, remained in the camp, and Cortes kept his men quiet in their intrenchments until after the eight days had expired. came back joyfully, in greater numbers than before. days had greatly weakened the starving defenders of the city, who were now rapidly circumscribed in their limits.

Then the allies
But these eight

The Spaniards advanced gradually, but steadily, the allies filled up the ditches behind them and levelled with the ground every conquered edifice, and though the indomitable Guatemozin disputed every inch of ground, his resistance became daily weaker. Pestilence, the natural result of famine, and the number of unburied bodies which were lying in the streets filled up the measure of their

woes.

The

Still did the dauntless Guatemozin refuse to capitulate. daring Alvarado carried by assault the great teocalli, in the northern part of the city, on which they had seen so many of their countrymen sacrificed. He devoted the warriors and priests who defended it to the manes of his murdered countrymen, and announced his success to the other divisions of the army by burning the war-god and his sanctuary, and planting in triumph on the ruins the standard of Castile. The divisions of the beseigers now united in the city, seven-eighths of which was in ruins. Two murderous assaults were made on the 12th and 13th of August. On the 12th, by the aid of the allies, who totally disregarded the orders of Cortes to spare, the unresisting forty thousand of the Mexicans were slaughtered, and on

MEETING OF CORTES AND GUATE MOZIN. 121

the succeeding day the work of destruction was proceeding at a fearfully rapid rate, when Guatemozin was captured by one of the vessels in an attempt to escape to the main land. The glory of his arrest belongs to Captain Garci Holguin, who acted under the orders of the vigilant Sandoval. The news of the prince's capture spread through the fleet of canoes and the army on shore, and all resistance ended.

Guatemozin was conducted to Cortes, who treated him with respect and consideration. Donna Marina acted as his interpreter, a proud moment for her who had shared in the devotion of love the many vicissitudes through which the conqueror had passed. When the emperor and the conqueror met, Guatemozin first broke silence by saying, "I have done all that I could to defend myself and my people. I am now reduced to this state. You will deal with me, Malinche, as you list. Better despatch me with this," laying his hand on the hilt of a poniard in the general's belt, "and rid me of life at once.' Filled with admiration, Cortes replied. "Fear not, you shall be treated with all honour. You have defended your capital like a brave warrior. A Spaniard knows how to respect valour even in an enemy."* He then caused the emperor's wife to be brought from the brigantine into his presence, and the royal captives and their attendant nobles were supplied with the food they so much needed. Or the next day Cortes gave orders for the unmolested evacuation of the city by the Mexicans, according to Guatemozin's request, and the purification was commenced. Treasure was not to be found. The whole booty in the precious metals did not amount to as much as the Spaniards had left behind them, when they quitted the city on the Noche Triste, and though Cortes afterwards went so far as to put both the emperor and his treasurer to the torture, he did not succeed in discovering any hidden depositories of wealth.

"It was the hour of vespers," says Mr. Prescott,* "when Guatemozin surrendered, and the siege might be considered as then concluded, (August 3, 1521.) The evening set in dark, and the rain began to fall before the several parties of Spaniards had evacuated the city. During the night a tremendous tempest, such as the Spaniards had rarely witnessed, and such as is known only within the tropics, burst over the Mexican valley. The thunder reverberating from the rocky amphitheatre of hills, bellowed over the waste of waters, and shook the teocallis and crazy tenements of Tenochtitlan the few that yet survived-to their foundations. The lightning seemed to cleave asunder the vault of heaven, as its vivid flashes wrapped the whole

* Prescott, vol. iii. p. 205.

† Ibid. viii. p. 207

sccae in a ghastly glare, for a moment, to be again swallowed up in darkness. The war of elements was in unison with the fortunes of the ruined city. It seemed as if the deities of Anahuac, scared from their ancient abodes, were borne along, shrieking and howling in the blast, as they abandoned the fallen capital to its fate!"

Cortes immediately assumed to himself the position which had been occupied by the Aztec emperor, as supreme lord of Anahuac, and commenced the rebuilding of the city of Mexico to serve for his own capital. The Indian allies, who had been so zealous in overturning the edifices which so adorned it, were now obliged to construct other to take their place. The buildings they erected are still standing, beautiful monuments of the wisdom of the conqueror, whose far-seeing eye looked to the necessities of future generations while occupied with the cares of the present. The capital occupied four years in building, during which time the lieutenants of Cortes overran the country, enforcing the authority of their leader, and exploring eagerly for the precious metals. If any warlike tribe presumed to lift its hand against the new rulers, its presumption was punished with more than Aztec severity, as a rebellion.

Yet while Cortes was consolidating this great monarchy, and serving his sovereign with such successful zeal, it was his singular fate not only to be destitute of any commission or authority from him, but to be looked upon as an undutiful and seditious subject. Fonseca, bishop of Burgos, whose treatment of Columbus and his son would alone have secured him an immortality of infamy, was the relative and friend of Velasquez, and consequently the most determined and powerful enemy of Cortes. The emperor, Charles V., had much to occupy his attention in the Low Countries, and in his absence the affairs of Spain were chiefly directed by the emperor's confessor, Adrian, who afterwards became pope. This prelate was induced to send out Christoval de Tapia, as a commissioner to supersede Cortes, seize his person, confiscate his effects, and institute an inquiry into his proceedings, the results of which were to be sent to the council of the Indies in Spain, of which Fonseca was the president. But Cortes was too good a diplomatist to be overcome by this creature of his enemies. He bribed, cajoled, and overawed Tapia, and induced him to leave the country he was unfit to govern, even though he went to Spain to prosecute the cause of the conqueror's enemies before the emperor. Charles had now the leisure necessary to attend to the affairs of New Spain; and he appointed a tribunal of the highest integrity and talent to hear the allegations of both parties, and deal out justice to all concerned. Before this board the advocates of the conqueror argued his cause with such power and earnestness, that the decision in favour of Cortes was

unanimous; his acts were confirmed in their fullest extent, and he was constituted governor, captain-general, and chief justice of New Spain, with power to appoint all officers, civil and military, and to order any person to leave the country whose residence there he might deem prejudicial to the interests of the crown. The commission of the emperor, confirming Cortes in the exercise of these ample powers, was signed at Valladolid, October 15, 1522.

One act more added to those by which he had sullied his fame, remains to be noticed. This was his final injustice to the unfortunate Guatemozin. Sandoval had found in Panuco an enemy as formidable as any they had hitherto encountered, and whose determined opposition he silenced by burning sixty caciques and four hundred of their nobles. This act of cruelty, more atrocious than Alvarado's massacre of the nobles and priests in the temple of Mexico, prepared the way for another dreadful example of severity, committed by Cortes himself. This was the execution, by hanging, of the unfortunate Guatemozin, and the two caciques of Tezcuco and Tacuba, who were put to death without even the formality of a trial, because they were suspected, on slight evidence, of being concerned in a scheme for reestablishing the independence of their country.

The accusations of his enemies caused Cortes to return to Spain to plead his own cause before the emperor. He was kindly received, and his acts sanctioned, and he returned to Mexico in 1530. In 1540 he again went to the mother country, where he died in 1547, in the sixty-third year of his age. During his government of the country, he discovered California, and led an expedition into Hon

duras, bu his enterprises were less successful than before, and he experienced the fate of all who distinguished themselves in the New World. From the emperor he received cold civility; from his ministers, neglect and insolence; from nearly all his cotemporaries, envy and malice, and from succeeding generations, admiration and fame."

• Every one who wishes for complete, detailed, and accurate information respecting the ancient Mexicans, the conquest by Cortes, and the subsequent career of Cortes himself, should consult the admirable work of Mr. Prescott, to which we have so frequently referred, and which is our authority for the facts in this chapter. It is not only the best authority on the subject, but it is one of the most entertaining and readable books in the language.