Success, indeed, seemed hopeless. "I see nothing but death before us," said one of the friendly chiefs; "we shall never get through the pass alive." By almost superhuman exertions, however, Cortes, charging with his cavalry, opened a small space in front, and the artillery was brought up. As the cannon played upon their crowded ranks, this space was enlarged; and the anxiety of the Tlascalans to carry off their dead, exposed them to fresh carnage. After eight of his principal chiefs and a great number of their followers had fallen, Xicotencatl drew off his forces in regular order, and left the field to the Spaniards. The latter sought a secure place of encampment, and found it on an eminence named Tzompachtepetl, or "hill of Tzompach," on which stood a temple, the remains of which are yet visible. The loss of the Christians had been inconsiderable, on account of the anxiety of the natives to take them alive for sacrifice-a circumstance to which, on many other occasions, these hardy adventurers were indebted for their lives. An embassy, with proposals of peace, was sent to the Tlascalan camp, and soon returned with the fierce reply from Xicotencatl, "that we might go on to Tlascala, where peace should be made with us by devouring our bodies, and offering our hearts and blood to their gods; and that on the next morning he would give us his answer in person."" "This language," says Diaz, "after what we had experienced, it must be confessed sounded most terribly in our ears." The envoys reported, moreover, that the Tlascalan general, with an army of fifty thousand men, in five great divisions, each commanded by a distinguished chief, was awaiting the Spaniards on the road. "When all this," adds the same honest recorder, "was communicated to us, being but mortals, and like all others fearing death, we prepared for battle by confessing to our reverend fathers, who were occupied during the whole night in that holy office."* On the following morning, September 15th, the Spanish * The naive old chronicler, who was fond of drawing from a very slender stock of classical allusions, might have found a good precedent for his anxiety adventurers, resolved on conquest or death, took the road to Tlascala. They soon came in sight of the Indian army, drawn up on a great meadow, and extending for several miles. This vast array was resplendent with barbaric ornaments-with glit tering helmets, with armor of gold and silver, with mantles of feather-work, and innumerable standards. Among these was conspicuous that of the general, bearing "a white bird, with the wings spread, resembling an Ostrich." The principal weapons were javelins, darts, and arrows, headed with copper or obsidian-formidable enough, doubtless, in native warfare, but illfitted to resist the charge of cavalry, and powerless before the thunder of fire-arms and artillery. As the Spaniards came upon them, the air was darkened with flights of arrows and stones delivered from their slings; but the discharge of cannon and musquetry made terrible havoc in return. A vast body of them rushed furiously upon the invaders, and, by the mere force of numbers, drove back the little army of Spaniards in confusion. But the swords of the Castilians again cleared a space around them; the artillery played, and the cavalry, led by Cortes, charged fiercely among them. The attempt was again and again renewed, but each time with greater loss to the Tlascalans. Still, from their immensely superior number, they would probably have overpowered their enemies with exhaustion, but for the defection of two powerful chiefs, who, quarrelling with their leader, drew off their forces from the field. The Tlascalan general, seeing his army thus reduced, and having lost great numbers of his people, despaired of victory. After displaying the most chivin that of the Homeric heroes, and in the spiritual precautions which they took on the eve of battle: «Αλλος δ' άλλω ἔρεζε θεῶν αἰειγενετάων, Ευχόμενος θάνατόν γε φυγεῖν καὶ μᾶλον ἄρηος.” Each his sacrifice made to one of the gods ever-living, Such is the language of nature, in all ages, when simplicity or honesty allows it a voice. alrous courage, during an action of four hours, he drew off his forces in good order, and the Spaniards, weary and wounded, retreated to their hill. Their loss had been comparatively small, and the dead were carefully and secretly buried in a subterranean vault. Fresh overtures of peace were now sent to Tlascala; but the chiefs of that town, though "much disgusted with their losses and misfortunes," were unwilling to yield; and accordingly consulted their priests and wizards as to the invincibility of the invaders. The latter informed them that the Spaniards were Children of the Sun, and that all their force was derived from that luminary. An attack by night (contrary to the invariable custom of the nations of Anahuac) was accordingly planned; but the Spaniards, who slept on their arms, gave the enemy so rough a reception, that they retreated with great loss -consoling themselves, however, with the sacrifice of a couple of the over-sanguine wizards. The Tlascalan caciques, thoroughly disheartened, were now ready for peace. They made many apologies for their hostility to the new embassy sent by Cortes, and dispatched one of their own to the Christian camp. But the fierce Xicotencatl, burning to avenge his successive defeats, intercepted the messengers of peace, and still held his hostile position. Many of the Spaniards were now heartily wearied of fighting and privation. Fifty-five of their number had perished since leaving Vera Cruz: and the idea of reaching Mexico had become a common jest in the army. A deputation of the chief malcontents now formally urged upon Cortes the necessity of return; but that indomitable leader firmly but calmly resisted their demands. In a spirited address he reanimated their courage and thirst for glory; adding the comfortable assurance, "since, wherever we have preached to the ignorant natives the doctrines of our holy faith, I trust we shall still receive the divine assistance and that of my patron, St. Peter, and as to what you say of losses, deaths, and fatigues, such is the fortune of war, and we did not come here in search of pas times and amusements." Further remonstrances were made, but he "cut them short by saying that, according to the song, it was better to die at once than to live dishonoured." In this chivalrous sentiment the majority joined, and the malcontents were compelled to silence. CHAPTER IV. SUBMISSION OF THE TLASCALANS-ENTRY INTO THEIR CITY-WEAK POLICY OF MONTEZUMA-MASSACRE OF THE CHOLULANS-THE MARCH RESUMED-ENTRANCE INTO THE CITY OF MEXICOINTERVIEWS WITH THE EMPEROR MONTEZUMA. AFTER considerable delay, during which the Spaniards and their allies committed a good deal of ravage in the surrounding country, a large embassy arrived from the Tlascalan chieftain. They fumigated Cortes, and addressed him as follows: "This present our general Xicotencatl sends you. If you are, as it is said, Teules,* and desire human sacrifices, here are these four women; take their hearts and blood for food; if you are men, here are fowls, bread, and fruit; if you are benignant Teules, we offer to you this incense and these parrots' feathers." Hav ing, however, discovered that these men were spies, the general cut off the hands of seventeen of them, and dismissed them, a miserable spectacle, to the Tlascalan camp. All thoughts of further resistance were now abandoned, and Xicotencat himself, with the appointed envoys and a large retinue, took his way to the quarters of the Spanish general. With great firmness and magnanimity, he took upon himself the entire responsibility of the war, and, admitting his defeat, tendered the obedience of his countrymen. Cortes received his submission very courteously, but with an ominous threat in case of any future hostilities. About the same time arrived a fresh embassy from Monte*Supernatural beings. zuma, consisting of five nobles, with two hundred attendants, bearing splendid presents of gold and embroidered mantles. These emissaries brought a message of congratulation from the emperor, and an offer of tribute to the Castilian sovereign, if the Spaniards would forego their intended visit to his capital. This miserably impolitic step, of course, only inflamed the eagerness of Cortes and his hopes of completing the conquest. He also remarked, with secret exultation, the savage jealousy existing between the Aztecs and Tlascalans.* In compliance with the repeated and urgent requests of the latter, he now marched for their chief city; and was greeted on his way by crowds of the citizens, who thronged around the army, covering the soldiers, man and horse, with fresh roses. The day of his arrival (September 23d) is still kept as a festival by that city. The most cordial and hospitable reception was given to the whole army. The city was large and populous, thirty thousand persons, according to Cortes, being gathered in the market-place on public days. Many of the refinements of civilization were found: among them, public baths and an efficient police. The people of the whole country seemed bold and hardy, and gave promise of being admirable allies in his ambitious projects. Intermarriage, the usual seal of alliance, being proposed by the caciques, Cortes took the opportunity to enforce the neces sity for conversion to Christianity. He held up to them, "a beauteous image of our Lady, with her precious Son in her arms," and explained to them at length the mysteries of the faith and the joys of Paradise, adding withal, "whereas, by In a letter to Charles V., he expresses, with a sort of rascally naïvcte, his complacent duplicity. "I was not a little pleased on seeing their want of harmony, as it seemed favorable to my designs, and would enable me to bring them more easily into subjection, according to the old saying, De Monte, c. I likewise applied to this case the authority of the evangelist, who says, 'Every kingdom divided against itself shall be rendered desolate;' and I dissembled with both parties, expressing privately my acknowledgments to both for the advice they gave me, and giving to each of them credit for more friendship towards me than I experienced from the other." |