THE FOUR GODDESSES
Some weary time went by, and at last came the day of the entry into
Mexico of Cortes and his conquerors. Now of all the doings of the
Spaniards after they occupied the city, I do not propose to speak at
length, for these are matters of history, and I have my own story to
tell. So I shall only write of those of them with which I was concerned
myself. I did not see the meeting between Montezuma and Cortes, though
I saw the emperor set out to it clad like Solomon in his glory and
surrounded by his nobles. But I am sure of this, that no slave being
led to sacrifice carried a heavier heart in his breast than that of
Montezuma on this unlucky day. For now his folly had ruined him, and I
think he knew that he was going to his doom.
Afterwards, towards evening, I saw the emperor come back in his golden
litter, and pass over to the palace built by Axa his father, that stood
opposite to and some five hundred paces from his own, facing the
western gate of the temple. Presently I heard the sound of a multitude
shouting, and amidst it the tramp of horses and armed soldiers, and
from a seat in my chamber I saw the Spaniards advance down the great
street, and my heart beat at the sight of Christian men. In front, clad
in rich armour, rode their leader Cortes, a man of middle size but
noble bearing, with thoughtful eyes that noted everything, and after
him, some few on horseback but the most of them on foot, marched his
little army of conquerors, staring about them with bold wondering eyes
and jesting to each other in Castilian. They were but a handful,
bronzed with the sun and scarred by battle, some of them ill-armed and
almost in rags, and looking on them I could not but marvel at the
indomitable courage that had enabled them to pierce their way through
hostile thousands, sickness, and war, even to the home of Montezuma’s
power.
By the side of Cortes, holding his stirrup in her hand, walked a
beautiful Indian woman dressed in white robes and crowned with flowers.
As she passed the palace she turned her face. I knew her at once; it
was my friend Marina, who now had attained to the greatness which she
desired, and who, notwithstanding all the evil that she had brought
upon her country, looked most happy in it and in her master’s love.
As the Spaniards went by I searched their faces one by one, with the
vague hope of hate. For though it might well chance that death had put
us out of each other’s reach, I half thought to see de Garcia among the
number of the conquerors. Such a quest as theirs, with its promise of
blood, and gold, and rapine, would certainly commend itself to his evil
heart should it be in his power to join it, and a strange instinct told
me that he was _not_ dead. But neither dead nor living was he among
those men who entered Mexico that day.
That night I saw Guatemoc and asked him how things went.
“Well for the kite that roosts in the dove’s nest,” he answered with a
bitter laugh, “but very ill for the dove. Montezuma, my uncle, has been
cooing yonder,” and he pointed to the palace of Axa, “and the captain
of the Teules has cooed in answer, but though he tried to hide it, I
could hear the hawk’s shriek in his pigeon’s note. Ere long there will
be merry doings in Tenoctitlan.”
He was right. Within a week Montezuma was treacherously seized by the
Spaniards and kept a prisoner in their quarters, watched day and night
by their soldiers. Then came event upon event. Certain lords in the
coast lands having killed some Spaniards, were summoned to Mexico by
the instigation of Cortes. They came and were burned alive in the
courtyard of the palace. Nor was this all, for Montezuma, their
monarch, was forced to witness the execution with fetters on his
ankles. So low had the emperor of the Aztecs fallen, that he must bear
chains like a common felon. After this insult he swore allegiance to
the King of Spain, and even contrived to capture Cacama, the lord of
Tezcuco, by treachery and to deliver him into the hands of the
Spaniards on whom he would have made war. To them also he gave up all
the hoarded gold and treasure of the empire, to the value of hundreds
of thousands of English pounds. All this the nation bore, for it was
stupefied and still obeyed the commands of its captive king. But when
he suffered the Spaniards to worship the true God in one of the
sanctuaries of the great temple, a murmur of discontent and sullen fury
rose among the thousands of the Aztecs. It filled the air, it could be
heard wherever men were gathered, and its sound was like that of a
distant angry sea. The hour of the breaking of the tempest was at hand.
Now all this while my life went on as before, save that I was not
allowed to go outside the walls of the palace, for it was feared lest I
should find some means of intercourse with the Spaniards, who did not
know that a man of white blood was confined there and doomed to
sacrifice. Also in these days I saw little of the princess Otomie, the
chief of my destined brides, who since our strange love scene had
avoided me, and when we met at feasts or in the gardens spoke to me
only on indifferent matters, or of the affairs of state. At length came
the day of my marriage. It was, I remember, the night before the
massacre of the six hundred Aztec nobles on the occasion of the
festival of Huitzel.
On this my wedding day I was treated with great circumstance and
worshipped like a god by the highest in the city, who came in to do me
reverence and burned incense before me, till I was weary of the smell
of it, for though such sorrow was on the land, the priests would abate
no jot of their ceremonies or cruelties, and great hopes were held that
I being of the race of Teules, my sacrifice would avert the anger of
the gods. At sunset I was entertained with a splendid feast that lasted
two hours or more, and at its end all the company rose and shouted as
with one voice:
“Glory to thee, O Tezcat! Happy art thou here on earth, happy mayst
thou be in the Houses of the Sun. When thou comest thither, remember
that we dealt well by thee, giving thee of our best, and intercede for
us that our sins may be forgiven. Glory to thee, O Tezcat!”
Then two of the chief nobles came forward, and taking torches led me to
a magnificent chamber that I had never seen before. Here they changed
my apparel, investing me in robes which were still more splendid than
any that I had worn hitherto, being made of the finest embroidered
cotton and of the glittering feathers of the humming bird. On my head
they set wreaths of flowers, and about my neck and wrists emeralds of
vast size and value, and a sorry popinjay I looked in this attire, that
seemed more suited to a woman’s beauty than to me.
When I was arrayed, suddenly the torches were extinguished and for a
while there was silence. Then in the distance I heard women’s voices
singing a bridal song that was beautiful enough after its fashion,
though I forbear to write it down. The singing ceased and there came a
sound of rustling robes and of low whispering. Then a man’s voice
spoke, saying:
“Are ye there, ye chosen of heaven?”
And a woman’s voice, I thought it was that of Otomie, answered:
“We are here.”
“O maidens of Anahuac,” said the man speaking from the darkness, “and
you, O Tezcat, god among the gods, listen to my words. Maidens, a great
honour has been done to you, for by the very choice of heaven, you have
been endowed with the names, the lovelinesses, and the virtues of the
four great goddesses, and chosen to abide a while at the side of this
god, your maker and your master, who has been pleased to visit us for a
space before he seeks his home in the habitations of the Sun. See that
you show yourselves worthy of this honour. Comfort him and cherish him,
that he may forget his glory in your kindness, and when he returns to
his own place may take with him grateful memories and a good report of
your people. You have but a little while to live at his side in this
life, for already, like those of a caged bird, the wings of his spirit
beat against the bars of the flesh, and soon he will shake himself free
from us and you. Yet if you will, it is allowed to one of you to
accompany him to his home, sharing his flight to the Houses of the Sun.
But to all of you, whether you go also, or whether you stay to mourn
him during your life days, I say love and cherish him, be tender and
gentle towards him, for otherwise ruin shall overtake you here and
hereafter, and you and all of us will be ill spoken of in heaven. And
you, O Tezcat, we pray of you to accept these maidens, who bear the
names and wear the charms of your celestial consorts, for there are
none more beautiful or better born in the realms of Anahuac, and among
them is numbered the daughter of our king. They are not perfect indeed,
for perfection is known to you in the heavenly kingdoms only, since
these ladies are but shadows and symbols of the divine goddesses your
true wives, and here there are no perfect women. Alas, we have none
better to offer you, and it is our hope that when it pleases you to
pass hence you will think kindly of the women of this land, and from on
high bless them with your blessing, because your memory of these who
were called your wives on earth is pleasant.”
The voice paused, then spoke again:
“Women, in your own divine names of Xochi, Xilo, Atla, and Clixto, and
in the name of all the gods, I wed you to Tezcat, the creator, to
sojourn with him during his stay on earth. The god incarnate takes you
in marriage whom he himself created, that the symbol may be perfect and
the mystery fulfilled. Yet lest your joy should be too full—look now on
that which shall be.”
As the voice spoke these words, many torches sprang into flame at the
far end of the great chamber, revealing a dreadful sight. For there,
stretched upon a stone of sacrifice, was the body of a man, but whether
the man lived or was modelled in wax I do not know to this hour, though
unless he was painted, I think that he must have been fashioned in wax,
since his skin shone white like mine. At the least his limbs and head
were held by five priests, and a sixth stood over him clasping a knife
of obsidian in his two hands. It flashed on high, and as it gleamed the
torches were extinguished. Then came the dull echo of a blow and a
sound of groans, and all was still, till once more the brides broke out
into their marriage song, a strange chant and a wild and sweet, though
after what I had seen and heard it had little power to move me.
They sang on in the darkness ever more loudly, till presently a single
torch was lit at the end of the chamber, then another and another,
though I could not see who lit them, and the room was a flare of light.
Now the altar, the victim, and the priests were all gone, there was no
one left in the place except myself and the four brides. They were tall
and lovely women all of them, clad in white bridal robes starred over
with gems and flowers, and wearing on their brows the emblems of the
four goddesses, but Otomie was the stateliest and most beautiful of the
four, and seemed in truth a goddess. One by one they drew near to me,
smiling and sighing, and kneeling before me kissed my hand, saying:
“I have been chosen to be your wife for a space, Tezcat, happy maid
that I am. May the good gods grant that I become pleasing to your
sight, so that you may love me as I worship you.”
Then she who had spoken would draw back again out of earshot, and the
next would take her place.
Last of all came Otomie. She knelt and said the words, then added in a
low voice,
“Having spoken to you as the bride and goddess to the husband and the
god Tezcat, now, O Teule, I speak as the woman to the man. You do not
love me, Teule, therefore, if it is your will, let us be divorced of
our own act who were wed by the command of others, for so I shall be
spared some shame. These are friends to me and will not betray us;” and
she nodded towards her companion brides.
“As you will, Otomie,” I answered briefly.
“I thank you for your kindness, Teule,” she said smiling sadly, and
withdrew making obeisance, looking so stately and so sweet as she went,
that again my heart was shaken as though with love. Now from that night
till the dreadful hour of sacrifice, no kiss or tender word passed
between me and the princess of the Otomie. And yet our friendship and
affection grew daily, for we talked much together, and I sought to turn
her heart to the true King of Heaven. But this was not easy, for like
her father Montezuma, Otomie clung to the gods of her people, though
she hated the priests, and save when the victims were the foes of her
country, shrank from the rites of human sacrifice, which she said were
instituted by the _pabas_, since in the early days there were no men
offered on the altars of the gods, but flowers only. Daily it grew and
ripened till, although I scarcely knew it, at length in my heart, after
Lily, I loved her better than anyone on earth. As for the other women,
though they were gentle and beautiful, I soon learned to hate them.
Still I feasted and revelled with them, partly since I must, or bring
them to a miserable death because they failed to please me, and partly
that I might drown my terrors in drink and pleasure, for let it be
remembered that the days left to me on earth were few, and the awful
end drew near.
The day following the celebration of my marriage was that of the
shameless massacre of six hundred of the Aztec nobles by the order of
the hidalgo Alvarado, whom Cortes had left in command of the Spaniards.
For at this time Cortes was absent in the coast lands, whither he had
gone to make war on Narvaez, who had been sent to subdue him by his
enemy Velasquez, the governor of Cuba.
On this day was celebrated the feast of Huitzel, that was held with
sacrifice, songs, and dances in the great court of the temple, that
court which was surrounded by a wall carved over with the writhing
shapes of snakes. It chanced that on this morning before he went to
join in the festival, Guatemoc, the prince, came to see me on a visit
of ceremony.
I asked him if he intended to take part in the feast, as the splendour
of his apparel brought me to believe.
“Yes,” he answered, “but why do you ask?”
“Because, were I you, Guatemoc, I would not go. Say now, will the
dancers be armed?”
“No, it is not usual.”
“They will be unarmed, Guatemoc, and they are the flower of the land.
Unarmed they will dance in yonder enclosed space, and the Teules will
watch them armed. Now, how would it be if these chanced to pick a
quarrel with the nobles?”
“I do not know why you should speak thus, Teule, for surely these white
men are not cowardly murderers, still I take your words as an omen, and
though the feast must be held, for see already the nobles gather, I
will not share in it.”
“You are wise, Guatemoc,” I said. “I am sure that you are wise.”
Afterwards Otomie, Guatemoc, and I went into the garden of the palace
and sat upon the crest of a small pyramid, a _teocalli_ in miniature
that Montezuma had built for a place of outlook on the market and the
courts of the temple. From this spot we saw the dancing of the Aztec
nobles, and heard the song of the musicians. It was a gay sight, for in
the bright sunlight their feather dresses flashed like coats of gems,
and none would have guessed how it was to end. Mingling with the
dancers were groups of Spaniards clad in mail and armed with swords and
matchlocks, but I noted that, as the time went on, these men separated
themselves from the Indians and began to cluster like bees about the
gates and at various points under the shadow of the Wall of Serpents.
“Now what may this mean?” I said to Guatemoc, and as I spoke, I saw a
Spaniard wave a white cloth in the air. Then, in an instant, before the
cloth had ceased to flutter, a smoke arose from every side, and with it
came the sound of the firing of matchlocks. Everywhere among the
dancers men fell dead or wounded, but the mass of them, unharmed as
yet, huddled themselves together like frightened sheep, and stood
silent and terror-stricken. Then the Spaniards, shouting the name of
their patron saint, as it is their custom to do when they have some
such wickedness in hand, drew their swords, and rushing on the unarmed
Aztec nobles began to kill them. Now some shrieked and fled, and some
stood still till they were cut down, but whether they stayed or ran the
end was the same, for the gates were guarded and the wall was too high
to climb. There they were slaughtered every man of them, and may God,
who sees all, reward their murderers! It was soon over; within ten
minutes of the waving of the cloth, those six hundred men were
stretched upon the pavement dead or dying, and with shouts of victory
the Spaniards were despoiling their corpses of the rich ornaments they
had worn.
Then I turned to Guatemoc and said, “It seems that you did well not to
join in yonder revel.”
But Guatemoc made no answer. He stared at the dead and those who had
murdered them, and said nothing. Only Otomie spoke: “You Christians are
a gentle people,” she said with a bitter laugh; “it is thus that you
repay our hospitality. Now I trust that Montezuma, my father, is
pleased with his guests. Ah! were I he, every man of them should lie on
the stone of sacrifice. If our gods are devils as you say, what are
those who worship yours?”
Then at length Guatemoc said, “Only one thing remains to us, and that
is vengeance. Montezuma has become a woman, and I heed him no more,
nay, if it were needful, I would kill him with my own hand. But two men
are still left in the land, Cuitlahua, my uncle, and myself. Now I go
to summon our armies.” And he went.
All that night the city murmured like a swarm of wasps, and next day at
dawn, so far as the eye could reach, the streets and market place were
filled with tens of thousands of armed warriors. They threw themselves
like a wave upon the walls of the palace of Axa, and like a wave from a
rock they were driven back again by the fire of the guns. Thrice they
attacked, and thrice they were repulsed. Then Montezuma, the woman
king, appeared upon the walls, praying them to desist because,
forsooth, did they succeed, he himself might perish. Even then they
obeyed him, so great was their reverence for his sacred royalty, and
for a while attacked the Spaniards no more. But further than this they
would not go. If Montezuma forbade them to kill the Spaniards, at least
they determined to starve them out, and from that hour a strait
blockade was kept up against the palace. Hundreds of the Aztec soldiers
had been slain already, but the loss was not all upon their side, for
some of the Spaniards and many of the Tlascalans had fallen into their
hands. As for these unlucky prisoners, their end was swift, for they
were taken at once to the temples of the great _teocalli_, and
sacrificed there to the gods in the sight of their comrades.
Now it was that Cortes returned with many more men, for he had
conquered Narvaez, whose followers joined the standard of Cortes, and
with them others, one of whom I had good reason to know. Cortes was
suffered to rejoin his comrades in the palace of Axa without attack, I
do not know why, and on the following day Cuitlahua, Montezuma’s
brother, king of Palapan, was released by him that he might soothe the
people. But Cuitlahua was no coward. Once safe outside his prison
walls, he called the council together, of whom the chief was Guatemoc.
There they resolved on war to the end, giving it out that Montezuma had
forfeited his kingdom by his cowardice, and on that resolve they acted.
Had it been taken but two short months before, by this date no Spaniard
would have been left alive in Tenoctitlan. For after Marina, the love
of Cortes, whose subtle wit brought about his triumph, it was Montezuma
who was the chief cause of his own fall, and of that of the kingdom of
Anahuac.