madde people are these that threatneth vs and yet knoweth vs not. But
if they will be so bolde to inuade our countrey without our licence,
let vs not sette vpon them so soone, it is méete they haue a litle
reste, for we haue tyme inough to take & binde them, let vs also sende
them meate for they are commen with empty stomackes: And againe they
shall not say that we do apprehende them with wearinesse and hunger.
Wherevpon they sent vnto the Christians thrée hundreth Gynnea cockes,
and two hundreth baskets of bread called _Centli_. The whiche present
was a great sucker for the néede that they stoode in. And soone after
(quoth they) nowe let vs goe and sette vpon them, for by this time
they haue eaten their meate, and nowe wée will eate them, and so
shall they pay vs the victuals that we sent: likewise we wil know if
_Mutezuma_ commaunded them to come into our countrey, or who else. And
if he sente them, then let him come and deliuer them: and if it be
their owne enterpryse, they shall receyue theyr reward accordingly.
These and such like bragges they vsed, seing so fewe Spaniardes before
them, and not knowyng their strength. Then the foure Captaynes sente
twoo thousande of their valiantest men of warre and olde Souldiers,
to take the Spanyardes quietly, with commaundement that if they did
resist, either to binde them or else to kill them, meanyng not to
sette their whole army vpon them, saying that they shoulde gette but
small honour for so great a multitude, to fight agaynst so fewe. The
twoo thousande Souldiers passed the trench that was betwixt the twoo
campes, and came boldely to the Tower where the Christians were. Then
came foorth the Horsemen, and after them the footemen, and at the first
encounter they made the _Indians_ féele howe the yron swordes woulde
cutte: and at the seconde, they shewed of what force those fewe in
number were, of whome a little before they had so iested: But at the
thirde brunte they made those lusty Souldiers fly, who were come to
apprehende them, for none of them escaped, but onely suche as knewe the
passage of the trenches or ditche.
Then the mayne battell and whole army sette foorth with a terrible
and maruellous noyse, and came so fierce vppon our menne, till they
entred into our campe without any resistaunce, and there were at handye
strokes and wrastlyng with the Spanyardes, and in a good space coulde
not gette them out, killyng many of them whiche were so bolde to enter:
and in this sorte they fought foure howers, before they coulde make
way among their enimies. And then the _Indians_ began to faynt, seyng
so many dead on theyr side, and the greate woundes they had, and that
they coulde kill none of the Christians: yet the battayle ceased not
till it drewe neare night and then they retyred. Whereof _Cortes_ and
his Souldiers were excéedyng gladde, for they were fully weried with
killyng of _Indians_, so that all that nighte our men triumphed with
more ioy than feare, consideryng that the _Indians_ fought not by
night, they slepte and tooke their reste at pleasure, whiche they had
not done til that tyme, but alwayes kept bothe watche and warde.
The _Indians_ finding many of their hoste missyng, yet they would not
yéelde themselues as ouercome, as after did appeare. They coulde not
well tell howe many were slayne, nor yet our men had leasure to count
them.
[Sidenote: Cortes vvas a painfull man.]
The nexte day in the mornyng _Cortes_ wente forth to runne the fieldes
as he had done before, leauing halfe his menne to kéepe the campe,
and bicause he shoulde not be espied he departed before day, & burned
aboute .x. townes, and sacked one towne, whiche was of thrée thousande
houses, in the whiche were founde but few folke of fight, bycause
the moste of them were gone to their campe: After the spoyle, he set
fire on the towne and came his way to his campe with a great pray by
noone time. The enimies pursued thinkyng to take away their pray, and
followed them into the camp, where they fought fiue houres and could
not kill one Spaniarde, although many of their side were slaine: for
euen as they were many and stoode on a throng togither, the ordinaunce
made a wonderfull spoyle among them, so that they lefte off fighting,
and the victory remayned for our men. The _Indians_ thought that the
Spanyardes were inchaunted bycause their arrowes coulde not hurte them.
[Sidenote: A straunge presente.]
The nexte day followyng, the foure Captaynes sente thrée seuerall
things in present to _Cortes_, and the messengers that brought them
sayd: Sir behold here fiue slaues, and if thou be that rigorous God
that eatest mans fleshe and bloud, eate these whiche we bring vnto
thée, and we will bring thée moe. And if thou be the gentle and méeke
God, beholde here Franckinsense and Feathers. And if thou be mortal
man, take here foule, bread, & Cherries.
_Cortes_ answered, that both he and his were mortal men euen as they
were. And bicause that alwayes he had vsed to tell them trouth,
wherfore did they vse to tell him lies, and lykewise to flatter him,
for he desired to bée their friende, aduising them not to be madde and
stubborne in their opinion, for if they so did, assuredly they shoulde
receyue great hurte and dammage. Likewise (quoth he) it is apparant
vnto you how many of your side are slayne without the losse of one of
mine, and with this answere sent them away. Notwithstanding the answere
sent, there came aboute .30000. of them euen to _Cortes_ his campe to
proue their Corselettes, as they had done the day before, but they
returned with brokë pates. Here is to be noted, that although the first
day the whole host of _Indians_ came to combat with our men, & finally
all they came to fight, yet the next day they did not so, but euery
seueral captaine by himselfe, for to deuide the better the trauayle
& paynes equally amög them: & bicause that one should not disturbe
another through y^e multitude, considering that they should fight
but with a few, & in a narrow place, & for this consideration, their
battayles were more fresher & stronger, for eche captaine did contende
who should do most valiantly, for to get honour, & especially in
killyng one Spaniarde, for they thought that all their hurtes shoulde
be satisfied with the death of one Spaniarde, or taking one prisoner.
[Sidenote: Indian policie.]
Likewyse is to bée considered, the straungenesse of their battayle,
for not withstandyng their controuersse all those fiftene dayes that
they were there, whether they fought or no. The _Indians_ sente vnto
the Spanyardes cakes of breade, Gynnea cockes and Cherries. But this
polycie was not to giue them that meate for good will, but onely to
espie and sée what hurte was done amongst them, and also to sée what
feare or stomacke they had to procéede: but the Spanyardes fell not
into that reckenyng, for the espies of _Tlaxcallan_ sayde, that none
had fought with them but certayne outlawes and knaues called _Otomies_,
who lyued as vagaboundes without a Lorde or other ruler: And that they
were théeues, who had theyr abyding behinde a hill, whiche they poynted
vnto with their hande.
Hovv Cortez cut off the handes
_of fiftie Indian espies_.
The nexte day after these presentes were sente vnto them as Goddes,
whiche was the sixte of September, there came to the Campe fiftie
_Indians_ of _Tlaxcallan_, whiche séemed after theyr sorte honest
menne, and gaue vnto _Cortes_ bread, cherries, & Gynnea cocks, as they
ordinarily vsed to do, enquiring how all his Spaniardes did and what
they meant to doe, and whether they stoode in necessitie of any thing.
And after this communication they went vp and downe the camp, gasing
and beholding the horses, armour and artillery, and seemed amased to
sée such things. But the effect of their cöming was the office of
espies.
[Sidenote: The good aduise of a friende.]
_Teuche_ of _Zempoallan_ marking these things, who being of a childe
brought vp in wars, by reason wherof he was expert and wise, came vnto
_Cortes_, saying, sir it semeth not well, y^t these _Tlaxcaltecas_
wander vp & downe your campe beholding the entrance and going out of
the same, to beholde likewise the fortitude and weakenesse of youre
power, I like it not: It may please you to make enquirie whether they
be espyes or no. _Cortez_ hauing heard hys tale, gaue him hartie
thankes for his good aduice, yea and maruelled, that neyther he
himselfe, nor none of his Spanyardes had noted the thing, the _Indians_
hauing so many dayes come vnto them after this sort, yea and that only
_Indian_ of _Zempoallan_ had considered it.
[Sidenote: Confessiö.]
Nowe the originall cause was not bycause _Teuch_ was more wise than
the Christians, but by reason that hée had séene and heard those
_Indians_ commune with the subiectes of _Iztacmixtlitan_ to féele
their mindes, and wyth craft and subtiltie to obteyne their desire:
whereby _Cortez_ vnderstoode that those fellowes came not to any good
purpose: he apprehended that _Indian_ whiche stoode nexte vnto him, and
hauing him alone from his fellowes, by his interpreters examined him
effectually, who incontinent confessed that he was a spye, and that
his comming thither was to view the way how to enter their Campe for
to spoyle and burne their Tentes: and for so much as they hadde proued
fortune all the houres of the day, and all happened contrary to their
desire, against their auncient fame and glory which they hadde obteyned
by noble exploytes in warres, they now meant to proue their successe
by nighte, hoping of better fortune: and also bycause their souldiers
shoulde not feare the Horses, with the darkenesse of the nighte, nor
the blowes or stripes of the bright swordes, nor yet the fire and
terrible noyse of the Ordinance: and that Captayne _Xicoteucatl_
was alreadye appoynted for that enterprise, with prouision of manye
thousand souldiers which lay in ambush in a vale behind certayne
hilles, right ouer against their Campe.
[Sidenote: A good correction.]
After this confession taken, _Cortes_ full prudently commaunded to
take also the severall confessions of other foure or fyue, who likewise
confessed that they were all espies, vppon whose confessions the were
al fiftie taken prisoners, and iudgmente giuen, that their one hande
should be cut off, which was forthwith executed, and then were returned
to their Camp, signifying vnto them that the like iustice should be
executed vpon as many espyes as they might take. And also they were
charged to shew vnto their Generall who had sente them, that both daye
and night he would be ready for them.
When the _Tlaxcaltecas_ sawe their espyes come in thys pickle, they
were in a maruellous feare, and it séemed a newe world vnto them: they
also beléeued that oure men hadde some familiar spirites that did
instructe them of their thoughtes, and with feare of cutting off häds,
there went no moe espies with victuals.
An embassage that Mutezuma sente
_to Hernando Cortez_.
[Sidenote: A carefull Captayne.]
VVhen these espyes were gone, oure men espyed out of our Campe a great
multitude of men goe crossing ouer a hill, and it séemed that they were
those that the Captayne _Xicotencatl_ hadde in ambush: and although
it was néere night, _Cortes_ determined to followe them, and not to
abide their comming, fearing that at a first brunt they mighte set fire
among his cotages, as was pretended among them, whiche pretence hauing
taken effecte, myght haue bin the destruction of all his men, eyther
by the fier or otherwise: wherefore he put all his men in good order,
and commaunded the Horsemenne to decke the brest plates of hys Horses
with belles, and then procéeded towarde their enimies, who durst not
abide their comming, hauing intelligence of the cutting of their espyes
hands, and likewise hearing the new noyse of belles: yet oure men
followed them tyll two houres within night, through many sowen fieldes
of _Centli_, and slew many of thë, and then returned with victorie to
the Campe.
[Sidenote: Ambassage from Mutezuma.]
At that season were come sixe noble men from _Mexico_, who brought two
hundred seruing men to wayt vpon them. They brought vnto _Cortes_ a
present, whiche was a hundred garments of cotten, and some of feathers,
and a thousand péeces of golde.
[Sidenote: Excuses.]
These ambassadors on the behalfe of _Mutezuma_, declared, that their
Lord would be friende with the Emperoure, and also with him, and his
company, requestyng to knowe what tribute he woulde yearely demaunde,
in golde, plate, pearles, slaues, or garments, or of any other thing
that was within his kingdome, and the same tribute he woulde well and
truly pay withoute delay, wyth such condition, that neyther he nor his
company shoulde come vnto _Mexico_. And this request (quoth they) is
not only bycause you should bée disturbed to come into hys countrey,
but chiefly bycause the waye is euill, barren, and full of euill
rockes, whyche lette dothe gréeue _Mutezuma_, that suche valiant menne
as ye be shoulde suffer in his Countrey, lying not in hys power to
remedie it.
_Cortez_ dyd thankefully receyue the present and gentle offer for the
Emperoure King of _Castile_, but (quoth hée) my earnest desire is, that
you depart not til ye sée the end of these warres whyche I haue nowe
in hande, bycause yée shall carrie newes thereof to _Mexico_, what I
pretende to doe againste these mortall enimies of _Mutezuma_.
Then _Cortez_ fel into an ague, for which cause he went not out to
skyrmish as he was wonte to do, but only prouided to make his Camp
strong against certaine flockes of _Indians_, whiche came dayly to
skirmishe, for that was as ordinarie, as the meate that was wont to be
broughte to thë: but yet these skirmishes nor furie of y^e _Indiäs_
were not like to their fierce beginning.
_Cortez_ now meaneth to take a purgation for his ague: and tooke
certayne pilles whiche he broughte with him from _Cuba_, at suche houre
of the nighte as is vsed for purgations.
It happened that the nexte daye following, before hys purge had
wrought, came thrée great companies of _Indians_ to besiege his Camp.
It should séeme that those _Indians_ had some intelligence of his
sicknesse, or else thinking with feare that he durst not come abroade
as he was wont to doe.
[Sidenote: A valiant Captayne.]
_Cortes_ being aduertised of this newes, withoute anye more respect to
his purgation taken, tooke his horse, and with his menne came to the
encounter, and foughte with his enimies all day till it was nighte,
and draue them a good way off, to their great hurt, and then returned
to his Camp, and the next day following, he purged as fresh, as though
it had bin newly taken. I doe not rehearse thys for a miracle but to
declare what he passed: for _Hernando Cortez_ was a greate sufferer of
trauell and paynes, and one of y^e firste that alway was at any assay
or brunt of enimies, and he was not onely a good man of his handes, but
also graue in counsell. And hauing thus purged hym selfe, and taken
rest those dayes, he watched euery night that fell to his lotte, as
well as any other souldier, and so continually he vsed to do. He was
not for this the lesse estéemed, but rather muche the more beloued
among hys men.
Hovv Cortez vvan a great Citie
_called Zimpanzinco_.
[Sidenote: An euill Spirite appeared.]
[Sidenote: A couragious Captayne.]
In an euening _Cortes_ went vp to the toppe of his Tower, and looking
rounde aboute hym, he espyed aboute foure leagues distant in the
Mountaynes among rockes and procéeding out of a wodde dyuers smokes,
whereby he ymagined people to be there: he opened not his minde to
anye man, but commaunded two hundred of his men to followe hym, and
some _Indians_ hys friendes, and within thrée or foure houres of the
nyghte he toke hys iourney towarde the Mountaynes, béeing very darke.
He had not fully gone a league, when suddaynely appeared the lykenesse
of a great Bull whiche ouerthrewe them that they could not stirre.
The firste Horseman béeing fallen, they aduysed _Cortez_ thereof, who
aunswered, that he shoulde returne wyth hys Horse to the Campe: and
incontinente fell another, _Cortez_ commaunded hym the lyke: and when
thrée or foure were fallen, his company retyred, saying, it was an
euill token, desiring him to returne and abyde the morning, that they
myghte sée whether they wente. He aunswered, saying, yée oughte to gyue
no credite to witchcraftes or fantasies, for God, whose cause we take
in hande, is aboue all nature: wherefore I will not leaue my pretended
iourney, for I doe ymagine that of thys nyghtes trauell shall come
greate ease and pleasure, saying, that the Deuill hathe in this forme
of a Bull appeared, to disturbe vs. He hadde no sooner ended his talke,
when hys Horse fell likewise: then counsell was taken what was best to
be done.
It was determined that the Horses which were fallë, should be returned
to the Campe, and that of the residue, eache Horseman should leade hys
Horse by the bridle, and so proceede on theyr way, and shortly after
the Horses were well agayne, but they neuer knewe of what motion they
hadde fallen: wyth the darkenesse of the nyghte they lost theyr way
to the Mountaynes, and chanced into a cragged rockie waye, that they
thoughte neuer to haue come out thereof.
[Sidenote: A famous Cortez.]
And after a whyle that they had gone this euill waye, wyth their heare
standing with very feare, they espyed a little lyghte, and tooke the
way thyther, where they founde a little house, wherein were two Women,
and those Women, with other two women that afterwards they mette,
conducted them to the Wildernesse, where they had espyed the smoke, and
before day they sette vpon certayne Villages, and slewe many, yet they
burned not those Villages, bycause they should not be perceyued through
the lyght thereof. They receyued there aduyse, that néere at hand were
great populations and soone after he came to _Zimpanzinco_, a towne
of twenty thousand houses, as after dyd appeare by the visitation of
_Cortes_. These inhabitantes béeyng vnaduised of this suddayne happe,
were taken in their beddes, and came out all naked through the stréetes
to knowe what the great mourning and lamentation meante: at the first
entrance many were slayne, but bycause they made no resistance,
_Cortez_ commaunded to ceasse from killyng, nor yet to take any of
theyr goodes, or women.
The feare of these poore inhabitantes was so greate, that they fledde
without respect of the father to the child, or husbande to the Wyfe, or
yet eyther of house or goodes.
_Cortes_ commaunded sygnes of peace to be made vnto them, and with that
they stayed, and before the Sunne rising, the Towne was pacifyed.
_Cortez_ went vp into a Tower to descry the Countrey, and there
espyed a moste greate population: he then demaunded what it was:
aunswere was made that it was called _Tlaxcallan_, and the Townes
therevnto apperteynyng. Then he called hys Spanyardes, and sayd vnto
them: beholde, what woulde it haue preuayled vs to kyll these poore
soules, hauyng yonder so manye enimies? and wythoute doyng anye more
hurte in that Towne, hée wente to a fayre Fountayne there at hande,
and thyther came the Rulers of that Towne, and other foure hundred
menne withoute weapon, and broughte wyth them muche victuall, most
humbly they besought _Cortes_ to doe them no more hurte, gyuing hym
likewise greate thankes, that hée hadde so fauourablye vsed them,
offering both to serue and obey hym, and from that daye forwarde they
woulde not onely kéepe hys friendshippe, but also trauell wyth the
Lordes of _Tlaxcallan_ and others, that they should doe the same.
_Cortez_ replyed, that sure he was, howe they had foughte agaynste
hym before that time, although that nowe they broughte hym meate, yet
notwithstandyng hée pardoned them, and also receyued them into hys
seruice and friendshippe, to the vse of the Emperoure.
Wyth thys communication he departed from them, and returned to the
Campe verye ioyfull wyth so good successe, hauyng such a daungerous
beginning, wyth the suddayne fall of theyr Horses, wherein the Prouerbe
is fulfylled, whyche sayeth, Speake not euill of the daye, till it be
at an ende.
They hadde also a greate hope, that those newe friendes woulde bée a
meane, to cause the _Tlaxcaltecas_ to leaue from Warre, and to become
theyr friendes.
From that day forward he commaunded that none of hys Campe shoulde doe
any hurte to any _Indian_, and certifyed his men that the same daye his
warres were at an ende with that prouince.
The desire that some of the Spanyardes
_had to leaue the warres_.
[Sidenote: Murmuration.]
VVhen _Cortez_ was returned so ioyfull to his Camp, he founde some of
his men discouraged with the suddayne mishappe of the Horses, fearing
that likewise some misfortune hadde happened to _Cortes_, but when they
sawe him come well and with victorie, their ioy was great, although
true it is that manye of his men were not well pleased, but desired
muche to leaue the warres, and to returne to the coast, as they had
often requested, but nowe chiefly séeyng such a great Countrey, and
full of people, who woulde not permitte theyr abiding there, and they
béeing so fewe in number in the middest among them withoute hope of
succoure, certaynely things to be feared. With this murmuration they
thought it good to talke with _Cortes_, & also to require him to
procéede no further, but returne backe agayne to _Vera Crux_, from
whence by little and little they mighte haue intelligence with the
_Indians_, and therevppon procéede according to tyme, and that he
mighte prouide more Horses and men, whiche was the chiefest prouision
of the warre.
And although some secretely enformed _Cortes_ of thys matter, yet he
gaue no eare to their talke, but on a night as hée came out of hys
Tower to ouerlooke the watche, hée hearde a loude talke out of one of
the Cotages, and beganne to hearken what theyr communication was: and
the matter was, that certaine souldiers sayde these wordes: If our
Captayne be madde, and go where he may be slayne, let him goe alone,
what néede we to follow him. _Cortez_ hearyng this talke, called twoo
of his friendes for witnesse, willyng them to harken his souldiers
talke, for he that durst speake suche wordes would be ready to doe
it. Also he hearde others say, what shall our iourney be as _Pedro
Carbonerotes_ was? who went into _Barbaria_ to take Mores, and he and
all his were there slayne, wherefore sayde they let vs not follow him
but turne in time. It grieued _Cortez_ muche to heare this talke, who
would fayne haue corrected them but it was not then tyme, wherefore
he determined to leade them with sufferaunce, and spake vnto them as
followeth.
The Oration made by Cortez
_to his Souldiers_.
Maisters and louyng friendes, I did choose you for my fellowes, and ye
chose me for your captaine, and all was for the seruice of God, and
the augmenting of his holy faith, & also the seruice of our soueraigne
Lord the King now Emperour: and next for our owne commoditie, I (as yée
haue séene) haue not fayled nor yet displeased yée, nor yée likewise
haue otherwise done to me vnto this day. But now I do féele faintnesse
in some, yea and an euill will to goe forwarde in the warres whiche we
haue in hande: but (God be praysed) it is now finished, at the least
the ende is vnderstood, what it may be, and also the wealth that may
follow, as partely you haue séene, but much without comparison of that
you haue not séene, whiche is a thing that doth excéede the greatnesse
of our wordes or thoughts.
Feare not my louyng fellowes to goe and abide with me, God forbidde
that I should thynke, yea or that any shoulde reporte, that feare
vexeth my company, or else disobedience to their Captayne, whiche is a
perpetuall infamie, if wée shoulde leaue this Lande, this Warre, this
way already made, and returne as some doe desire, shall wée then lyue
at reste, loytring as idell and loste folke: God forbidde, that euer
oure nation shoulde haue suche a name, hauyng warres of honour. And
whether (I pray) shall the Oxe goe where he shall not helpe to ploughe
the grounde? doe yée thinke peraduenture that yée shall finde lesse
people, worse armed, and not farre from the sea? I doe assure you,
that in so thynkyng yée séeke after fiue féete for a Catte, yea and
you shall trauell no way, but that you shall méete some euill passage
(as the Prouerbe sayth) yea and farre worser than this that we haue in
hande. For why (God be thanked) since wée came into this Countrey, we
neuer wanted meate, friendes, neyther money nor honour. For nowe yée
sée that yée are estéemed more than menne, yea as persons immortall,
and Goddes, if it mighte be spoken, for these _Indians_ beyng so many
and without number, and so armed as ye your selues affirme, yet can
they not kyll one of vs: and as touchyng theyr weapons, you sée that
they are not poysoned, as the _Indians_ of _Cartagena_, _Veragna_, and
the _Caribez_ doe vse, whiche haue killed many of our nation therewith,
dying as madde menne ragyng.