CHAPTER IX.

Resolution of the Tlascalan Senate-Cortes in TepeacaForms a Great Alliance against the Mexicans-Prepares to march against Mexico-Reviews his Troops at Tlascala.

R

RETREATING, wounded, despoiled, having lost numbers of his own men,

and the greater part of his allied troops, almost any other commander but Cortes would have been thoroughly cast down. Not so, this modern Cæsar, who only meditated to refresh himself by new combats. That section, however, of his men who had been the followers of Narvaez, and probably some of the others, did not share in the ardour of their chief. On the contrary, they counselled an instant march to Vera Cruz, fearing lest their present allies, uniting with their enemies, should occupy the passes between the town of

Cortes is required

to retreat to Vera Cruz.

254

CORTES REQUIRED TO

Tlascala and the sea. If Cortes had an intention of resuming the war with Mexico, their present repose, they thought, would but fatten them for sacrifice. Such was the common discourse, and such, indeed, were the representations which they made to Cortes himself. Moreover, when he did not give way to their suggestions, they drew up a formal requisition, in which they stated their loss of men, their want of horses, weapons, and ammunition, and upon these statements required him to march to Vera Cruz. The reply of Cortes to this requisition has been made for him by two considerable historians;* but as they did not write in concert, the speeches have not the slightest resemblance. In one speech, he is made to allude to Xenophon, and to quote "Vegetius De Re Militari;" in the other (the chaplain's account), the deeds of Jonathan and David are brought in

*Oviedo and Gomara.

or

† May that man who invented fictitious speech-making in history yet have to listen to innumerable speeches from dull men accustomed to address courts of law, legislative assemblies! I wish him no further punishment, though he has been a most mischievous person to the human race.

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RETREAT TO VERA CRUZ.

255

by way of illustration.

Cortes himself, who

which

Cortes

took of his

situation.

always speaks simply, tells the Emperor, that,
recollecting how fortune favours the daring (que
siempre á los osados ayuda la fortuna),-a proverb The view
which he acted out so nobly, that of all men of
his time he had most right to quote it; and also
reflecting that any symptom of pusillanimity would
bring down the Indians upon them, both friends
and enemies, more quickly than anything else;
and also considering, that he and his men were
Christians, and that God "would not permit"
that they should altogether perish, and that such
a great country should be lost,-he determined
on no account to descend towards the sea. Ac-
cordingly, he told his men that to quit the coun-
try would not only be shameful to him, and dan-
gerous to all of them, but also treasonable to the
King's service.

It is clear that Cortes was supported by a con-
siderable section of his own men. Such is the
statement of Bernal Diaz; and it is evident to
me that this soldier-historian, for one, did not
join with those who presented the aforesaid requi-
sition, as, if he had accompanied the malcontents,
instead of proving that there were certain gross

Mexico sends ambassadors to Tlascala.

256

MEXICAN AMBASSADORS

errors in the statements which Gomara puts into the mouth of Cortes, he would, I think, have asserted that the speech was altogether a fabrication. The truth is, that the men of Narvaez were of a richer class than the men of Cortes, and were much less compromised in his doings. Indeed, they taunted the others by saying that these had nothing but their persons to lose; while they maintained that the desire to command was that which induced Cortes himself to persevere.*

The

Meanwhile, as great, if not a greater, danger threatened Cortes from another quarter. Mexicans sent ambassadors to the government of Tlascala with a present of garments, feathers, and salt. These ambassadors, being admitted into the Tlascalan senate, referred to the identity of lineage, laws, and language between the Mexicans and the Tlascalans; spoke of their ancient enterprises in arms together, and of a friendship between the two nations which had been broken by a question

* “Y mas dezian, que nuestro Cortés, por mandar, y siempre ser señor, y nosotros los que con el passavamos, no tener que perder, sino nuestras personas, assistiamos con él."-BERNAL DIAZ, cap. 129.

of religion; and then said, that it would be well that the present state of hostility should be put an end to, and that the Tlascalans should not be deprived of those productions which abounded in the Mexican Empire. This last argument was an allusion to the commerce in salt, of which the patriotic Tlascalans had long deprived themselves. The Mexican ambassadors added, that, in order Speech that the two nations might come to terms, it would Mexican be necessary that these few Christians should be sacrificed, with whom their gods were very angry. Finally, the Mexicans concluded by saying (which was the most effective appeal they could make), that the Spaniards would insult the Tlascalans as they had insulted them.

The senate received the presents, and said that they would consider the matter. The ambassadors

of the

ambassa

dors.

* "Qu'ensuite une question de religion avait altéré leur amitié, et qu'il en était résulté les discordes qui étaient nées par la suite."-IXTLILXOCHITL, Hist. des Chichimèques, cap. 90.

This record of a religious difference between the two nations deserves attention from the student of preSpanish American history, and might lead to some curious and important discovery.