CONTENTS. HE Expeditions prior to that of Cortes -His early life-His appointment to Cortes refuses to be superseded-Sails for Cozumel -Thence to Tabasco-His first victory in New Spain-Sails on to St. Juan de Ulua-Is chosen General-Enters Cempoala-Founds Villa Rica Cortes marches to Tlascala-Great battle with the Tlascalans-The Tlascalan senate allies itself • to Cortes-Cortes enters Cholula-The Great ⚫ 39 80 Xiv CONTENTS. Consequences of the Capture-Montezuma becomes a vassal of the King of Spain-Pamphilo de The Reception of Cortes in Mexico-General attack upon the Spanish Quarters-Flight from Mexico . 204 223 Resolution of the Tlascalan Senate-Cortes in Tepeaca-Forms a Great Alliance against the The Expeditions prior to that of Cortes-His early lifeHis appointment to the Command of an ExpeditionSets sail from Santiago. HERE are few, if any, heroic persons who are more secure of fame than the principal discoverers and conquerors of the New World. Whether this fame is a blessing or a curse, I do not pretend to pronounce: I only say, that whatever the thing called "fame" may be worth, they must inevitably be blessed or cursed with the possession of it. Their fame, too, must ever be more large and more lasting than the fame of any other discoverers and any other conquerors. Their discoveries and their conquests were made in regions hitherto unknown to mortals, in regions supposed by prac 2 PRIOR EXPEDITIONS. tical men to belong to the realms of fable rather than to those of real land and water. Again, these discoverers and conquerors have not partaken the fate of their respective nations. When nations fall into decadence, the historical records of these nations have often ceased to have any interest for the rest of the world, and their heroes have lapsed into comparative obscurity. But the discoverers and conquerors of the New World hardly seem to have belonged exclusively to any nation. We look upon them as fellow countrymen to all of us of the Old World. They mainly aided in developing a new era in Europe, and they appeared like demi-gods upon the scene, to close great dynasties in that New World which they discovered and conquered. New nations will probably yet arise, whose historians will have to commence the histories of their nations with records of these discoveries and conquests. As an illustration of what I mean, I venture to assert, that probably every youth who has had any education, either in the Old or the New World, has some knowledge of the deeds of Columbus, Cortes, and Pizarro, while one of the foremost generals in the world, of the same age |