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almost alone in their stations. Cortes, unable otherwise to dispel the fears of his confederates, took advantage of the imprudence of the prophets in limiting so closely the time for the fulfilment of their prediction, to demonstrate its falsity, by suspending all military operations against the city during the period marked out by the oracle. Under cover of the brigantines, which kept the enemy at a distance, his troops lay in safety notwithstanding daily attacks, and the fatal term expired without any disaster. But during this period, Sandoval, who, on account of the wounds of Cortes, had the general command, made a successful excursion against the Matlatzincas, one of the most warlike tribes of the country, and the Captain Andrea de Tapia, another, against the Malinalchese; both of which tribes soon after joined the Spanish standard. The Tlascalan General, also, selected this period to display his own and his peoples' courage by an attack on the city; in which he equalled the labour of the Spaniards and proudly received their praises.

XXVI. When the falsity of the prophecy became apparent, the allies, ashamed of their credulity, returned to their station. And other nations, inferring that the gods had finally determined to withdraw their protection from the Mexicans, joined the Spanish standard. The force of Cortes thus became so great, that Clavigero assures us, he might have employed in the siege of Mexico, more souls than Xerxes sent against Greece. But as a small portion only of these myriads could act at a time, upon the narrow causeways, he found it necessary to change his plan of operations. Don Carlos, as he had been named on his christian baptism, a younger brother of Ixlilxochitl, who had much distinguished himself by his conduct and courage, and who had greatly contributed to the safety of Cortes on his late unfortunate retreat, had suggested to

him, the impolicy of his exhausting efforts; whilst by converting the siege into a blockade, he might by patience alone inevitably reduce the city and preserve all its temples and other beautiful edifices. This judicious advice was partially followed; but Cortes resolved to continue his attacks upon the city by gradual advances, and raze to the foundation such portions of it as he successfully gained. Day by day the Mexicans were thus forced to retire within stricter limits, disputing with obstinate resolution every inch of ground. The Spaniards not only varied the mode of attack, but changed their weapons; adopting the Chinantlan spear, whereby they repelled with less danger the assault of the Mexicans. Famine now began to prey on the inhabitants of the city. The Spanish vessels intercepted the supplies by water, whilst the immense number of auxiliaries shut up the avenues by land. The large stores which the king had prudently collected were exhausted by the multitudes which had crowded into the capital for its defence. All classes felt the utmost distress from hunger, and their sufferings brought on their usual concomitant, infectious and mortal distempers, which filled up the measure of their woes.

and

XXVII. But, under the of so pressure many such various evils, the spirit of Quauhtimotzin remained firm and unsubdued. He rejected, by the counsel of his priests, after solemn consultation with them and his nobles, the many overtures of peace from Cortes, resolving to bury himself beneath the ruin of his country rather than submit to foreign oppressors. That ruin was visibly hastened by every day's operations and advanced with rapid strides. The women and the children covered the streets with their emaciated and dead bodies. The warrior, enfeebled by hunger, could scarce raise his lightest arms, and cursed from behind his en

trenchment, the slow progress of his enemies, the children of the sun, who, unlike their parent, could not complete their course in a single day. At length, the three divisions penetrated the great square in the centre of the city and made a secure lodgement there. Three fourths of the city were now reduced, and in ruins; and on this fatal day forty thousand Mexicans are computed to have fallen, chiefly beneath the weapons of the auxiliaries, whose rage for blood no effort of Cortes could allay. The remaining quarter was so closely pressed, that it could not long withstand the assailants, who attacked it from their new station, with superior advantage and more assured expectation of sucThe Mexican nobles, solicitous to save the life of Quauhtimotzin, prevailed on him to retire from a place where resistance was now vain, that he might rouse the more distant provinces to arms, and maintain there, a more successful strug

cess.

gle with the enemy. To facilitate his departure, they attempted to amuse Cortes with overtures of submission; but he, suspecting their intention, and aware of the importance of preventing it, appointed Sandoval, on whose vigilance he could most rely, to take command of the brigantines, with strict injunctions to watch every motion of the enemy. Attentive to his charge, Sandoval observing some large canoes, filled with people, rowing with extraordinary rapidity across the lake,instantly, gave the signal to chase. Garcia Holguin, who commanded the swiftest vessel, soon overtook them, and was preparing to fire on the foremost canoe, which seemed to carry some one whom all the rest followed and obeyed. At once, the rowers dropped their oars, and all on board, throwing down their arms conjured him not to kill the emperor. Quauhtimot

* July, 27th.

zin, with dignified composure, gave himself up to the captors, requesting the only grace, that no insult might be offered to his wife and children. The Spaniards, struck with the most imposing spectacle in the world, that, of greatness, after exhausting its power of resistance, submitting patiently to misfortune, treated their prisoner with profound respect. When conducted to Cortes, he appeared neither with the sullen fierceness of a barbarian, nor the dejection of a supplicant. "I have done," said he, addressing the General, "the duty of a prince. I have defended my people to the last extremity. The life which can no longer avail them is unworthy of preservation. The only boon I crave at your hands is a stroke of this dagger," laying his hand on the weapon of Cortes, "which may end it."

XXVIII. As soon as the fate of their sovereign was known, the resistance of the Mexicans ceased, and Cortes took possession of the small part of the capital which remained undestroyed.* Thus terminated the siege of Mexico; the most memorable event in the conquest of America. It continued

seventy-five days, scarce one of which passed without some extraordinary effort of attack and defence. The slaughter and misery attending it has scarce been surpassed. "What I am going to mention is truth," says the naive Bernal Diaz, "and I say amen to it. I have read of the destruction of Jerusalem, but I cannot conceive, that the mortality there exceeded that of Mexico; for all the people from the distant provinces which belonged to this empire, concentrated themselves here, where they mostly died. The streets, the squares, the houses, and the courts of Tlatelolco, were covered with dead bodies; we could not step without treading on them; * August 13, 1621.

the lake and canals were filled with them; and the stench was intolerable. For this reason our troops, immediately after the capture of the royal family, retired to their former quarters; Cortes himself was for some time ill from the effect of it." As the struggle here was more obstinate, it was likewise more equal, than any between the inhabitants of the old and new world. The ability of Quauhtimotzin, the number of his troops, the peculiar situation of his capital so far counterbalanced the superiority of the Spaniards in arms and discipline, that without the aid of the natives they could not have accomplished their enterprise. But the assistance of the auxiliaries does not in our opinion detract from the merit of Cortes. He entered upon a large and populous empire with five hundred men, unacquainted with the language, manners, customs, and country. He had by the force of his genius, and the good fortune which that genius knew how to use, penetrated the polity of the several nations, converted their jealousies and dissentions into the most efficient weapons against themselves and for the promotion of his own interests, and had finally subverted the thrones of the chief states of Anahuac in despite of some notable imprudences and severe reverses.

The fate of Mexico is another lesson on the fragility of power sustained only by force. But subtracting from the Mexican people their horrid superstition, their noble defence of the city, their active courage, admirable fortitude and constancy, and their courtesy give an elevation to their character not inferior to that of their enemies, and confute the calumnies of historians, who have for years deprived them of the honors they so truly

merit.

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