_How we erect a chapel and altar in our quarters with a cross on the
outside; discover the treasure of Motecusuma's father; and determine
to seize the monarch's person and imprison him in our quarters._
Our general and father Olmedo readily perceived that Motecusuma would
never give his consent to our erecting a cross on his chief temple, nor
that we should build a chapel there. We had, upon our arrival in Mexico,
fitted up some tables as an altar; but we were not satisfied with this,
and therefore begged of Motecusuma's house-steward to order his masons
to build us a church in our quarters, who referred us to the monarch
himself, upon which Cortes sent him with our interpretress and the page
Orteguilla to Motecusuma, who immediately gave his consent and issued
orders accordingly.[67]
In three days our church was finished, and a cross planted in front of
our quarters. Mass was now regularly said every day as long as our wine
lasted, which indeed was very short, as Cortes and father Olmedo, during
their illness in Tlascalla, had used the wine destined for the mass.
Nevertheless we went daily to church and prayed on our knees in front of
the altar and before the holy images; because it was our Christian duty,
and that Motecusuma and his grandees might notice it, and become
accustomed to these holy things, from seeing us kneel down in devotion
before them, particularly when we repeated the Ave Maria.
Wherever we went it was our custom to examine everything about us, and
consequently we searched every corner and nook in our quarters; and so
it happened, as we were looking for a proper spot to erect our altar,
that two of our men, one of whom was Yanez our carpenter, found the
traces of a doorway in the wall of one of the apartments, which had been
carefully walled up and neatly plastered over; and as we all very well
knew that the treasure of Motecusuma's father was secreted somewhere in
our quarters, these two men soon conjectured that this doorway might be
the entrance to the treasury. Yanez communicated his suspicions to the
chief officers, Leon and Lugo, who were relatives of mine; and at last
it got to the ears of Cortes. The consequence was, that the doorway was
in all secrecy broken open, and Cortes, with some of our officers,
entered the hidden apartment.
Their expectations were fully realized; for they found here such a vast
quantity of trinkets, thick and thin plates of gold, chalchihuis, and
other precious things heaped up together, that they were perfectly
astounded and were almost speechless at the sight of such immense
riches. This matter soon became known to all of our men, who now also
paid a visit to this secret treasure. I also followed their example, and
as at that time I was still a young man, and had never before beheld
such vast treasures, I concluded that the whole of the remaining part of
the world, put together, could not produce such a vast collection of
riches. However, all our officers and soldiers unanimously agreed to
leave everything untouched, and that the doorway should be walled up
again as before, nor was Motecusuma to be informed of our discovery.
As all of us, officers as well as privates, were men of experience, full
of energy and very determined, who never lost sight that the Lord Jesus
Christ had assisted us with his divine hand in all our undertakings, we
deputed four officers and twelve of our most trustworthy and faithful
soldiers, myself being among the number, to Cortes, and represented to
him how we were cooped up in this strong city, as if we had been caught
in a net or cage. We begged of him to remember the bridges and
causeways, how we had been cautioned in every town we passed through
against Motecusuma, and were assured that Huitzilopochtli had advised
him to allow us to enter the city quietly, and when once there to fall
upon us unawares and destroy us all. He ought to remember the
inconstancy of the human mind in general, and of the Indians in
particular; and not trust to the kindness and friendship which
Motecusuma showed us. All this might change in an instant, and if
Motecusuma did not exactly fall upon us with sword in hand, he had
merely to cut off our supply of provisions and water, or break down some
of the bridges, and we should be lost. He, Cortes, ought to consider
what a large body of warriors always surrounded the monarch, and how
powerless we should be and ill able to defend ourselves, since all the
houses stood in the water. We could not count upon the assistance of our
friends the Tlascallans, as they would be totally cut off from us.
Taking all this into consideration our opinion was, that we had no other
resource left by which we could place our own lives in safety than by
seizing the monarch's person without delay. All the gold this monarch
had given us, all we had seen in the treasury of his father, and all the
fine provisions he had set before us, could not induce us to hide our
sentiments. These reflections harassed us night and day, and if some of
our men did appear heedless as to our present position, these were
merely a few narrow-minded folks, who, on account of the vast quantity
of gold after which their mouths watered, were unable to see the death
which stood before them.
Cortes, in reply to their representations said: "Do not imagine,
gentlemen, that I either sleep so peaceably, or that what you have just
been stating has not also caused me much anxiety. But we ought first to
weigh well whether you think we are sufficiently strong in numbers for
so bold an attempt as to take this mighty monarch prisoner in his own
palace, amidst his body-guard and other warriors. I cannot see how we
can manage this matter without running the risk of being attacked by his
troops."
Our four officers, namely, Leon, Ordas, Sandoval, and Alvarado, said,
that the only way would be by some means or other to entice the monarch
out of his palace, then to conduct him to our quarters, and then inform
him that he was our prisoner. If he offered any resistance or made any
noise, then to knock him down at once. If Cortes himself objected to
have any hand in it, they begged he would give them permission to carry
it out themselves. There was as much danger on one side as on the other;
but it was certainly more advisable to take the monarch prisoner than to
wait until he made war upon us; for what chance of escape should we then
have?
To all this was added, that several of us had of late remarked, that
Motecusuma's house-steward appeared to become haughty in his manners,
and that he did not supply our table so abundantly as on the first few
days. Lastly, our friends of Tlascalla had secretly informed Aguilar
that the Mexicans, for the last two days, appeared to have some evil
design on hand.
One hour was thus spent in deliberating as to whether we should take
Motecusuma prisoner, and the manner in which it was to be done. At last
we came to the resolution of seizing the monarch's person on the
following day, and Cortes gave his full consent. The whole of that night
was spent in prayer with father Olmedo, to ask the Almighty's support in
this holy cause.
The following morning two Tlascallans arrived secretly in our quarters,
with a letter from Vera Cruz, announcing to Cortes that Juan de
Escalante had been slain with six other Spaniards in an engagement with
the Mexicans. A horse had likewise been killed, and all the Totonaques
who had joined him had been slain. All the mountain tribes as well as
the Sempoallans had turned against us. They would neither any longer
furnish the town with provisions nor assist in building the
fortifications, and the garrison scarcely knew what to be about in its
present distress.
After this overthrow, the belief that the Spaniards were teules had
altogether vanished. The Totonaque tribes, as well as the Mexicans,
began to throw out threats, and the profound veneration in which they
before held us was now changed for utter contempt.
God only knows what a terrible sensation this news created among us. It
was the first defeat we had sustained in New Spain, and the good reader
may easily see from this how rapidly the wheel of fortune turns from
good to bad. She had but just seen us enter this great metropolis, and
meet with a splendid and triumphant reception. We already believed we
were on the sure road to wealth, from the many presents which Motecusuma
gave us daily. We had had a peep into Axayacatl's treasure; we had, up
to this moment, been regarded as teules who could not fail to come off
victorious in battle. This delusion had now flown all at once. We
appeared, like all other men, vincible, and the Indians had already
began to be insolent and haughty in their demeanour towards us.
We had now the more reason to strike some determined blow, and we
therefore resolved to get possession of Motecusuma's person some how or
other, if we were even to forfeit all our lives in the attempt.
I will, however, first relate the battle in which Escalante and the six
other Spaniards lost their lives.
[67] This passage fully proves the kind disposition of the monarch, for
he even overcame his religious scruples to please the very men who came
to take his kingdom from him. (p. 244.)