The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne. López de Gómara Francisco
newes, and sayde vnto him. It grieueth mée to heare of the euill vsage of Mutezuma towarde his countrey and subiectes. But I assure you with Gods helpe I will deliuer you, yea and reuenge all your iniuries, for my commyng hither is to take away all euill customes, and to helpe the oppressed, to fauour the prysoner, and comforte the afflicted, and chiefly to abolishe tyrannie. And for the good entertaynement that I haue receyued at your handes, I doe remayne yours to doe you any pleasure, and to defende you agaynst your enimies, and the lyke will I doe for your friendes, wherefore I pray you aduertise them thereof as many as are of our confederacie.
Cortes then tooke hys leaue, saying that he had bene many dayes there, and that he had greate néede to goe visite his shippes and menne, who muche desired his returne, and abode in Aquiahuiztlan, where hée meante to soiourne for a certayne season, and from thence dayly they mighte conferre of their affayres. The Lorde of Zempoallan sayde, that if it pleased hym to abyde with him hée woulde gladly accept it, and if his businesse were suche that he might not, that then he besought him to remember him.
Then the Lorde commaunded eyght maydens to be called, who were very well apparelled after theyr maner, theyr attyre was muche lyke the Morisca fashion, (the one of them was more costely apparelled than the others) and sayde vnto Cortes, all these maydens whiche you here sée are Gentlewomen, noble and riche, and this mayden whiche is beste attired, is a Lady of Vassals, and my brothers daughter, I doe presente hyr vnto you (meaning that Cortes shoulde marrie with hyr,) and the others you may bestow vpon the Gentlemen in your company, in a token of perpetuall loue and friendship.
Cortes receyued the presente with thankes, bycause he woulde not offende the giuer thereof. And so departed with their women ridyng behinde them, with many Indian women to wayte vpon them, and many Indian men to beare them company, and to puruey all things necessarie.
Things that happened to Cortez in Chiauiztlan
The same day that they departed frō Zempoallan they came to Chiauiztlan, and yet the shippes were not arriued. Cortes marueyled at their long tarying in so shorte a iourney. Ther was a village within shotte of a hargabushe from the rocke called Chiauiztlan standyng vpon a litle hill. Cortes hauing little to do, went thither with his men, and the Indians of Zempoallan, who certified Cortes that the village was appertayning to a Lorde oppressed by Mutezuma. They came to the foote of the hill, without sighte of any man of the towne, excepte twoo, that Marina vnderstoode not, and going vp the hill, the horsemen to fauour their horses would alight, bicause the ascending was cragged and euill way, Cortes commaunded that they shoulde not alight, bycause the Indians shoulde thinke that there was no place highe nor lowe, but that these horses shoulde and coulde come vnto it. So by litle and litle they came into the towne, and finding no creature there, they feared some deceyte, yet approchyng further, they mette with twelue auncient men, whiche brought with them an interpreter who vnderstoode the language of Culhua and the speache of that place, whiche is the language of the Totonaquez, or inhabitauntes of the Mountaynes. These auncient menne declared that the cause of theyr goyng out of the towne, was bycause that they had neuer séene anye such men as the Spaniardes were, nor yet heard that any such had passed that way, wherefore with feare they had fledde from thence. But (quoth they) when the Lord of Zempoallan aduertised vs, how you did hurt no bodye, but rather being a people good and peaceable, then wee were well assured who ye were, when we saw you come toward vs. And wee are nowe comen vnto you on the behalfe of the Lorde, to bring you to your lodging.
Cortez gaue them thankes, and went with them to a certaine place where the Lord was abydyng their comming wel accompanyed: he shewed vnto the Christians great good wil, and maruelled to sée those straungers with their long beardes.
The Lord toke a little chafyngdishe in his hande, and cast into it a certaine gumme, whych sauoured in swéet smel much like vnto frankinscence. And with a sencer he smoked Cortez with this ceremony they vse their salutations to theyr gods and nobilitie.
This done they set them down, and Cortez enformed him of the cause of their comming into that countrey as he had done in all other places where he had bin.
The Casike certifyed Cortez euen as the Lord of Zempoallan had done, but he stood in great feare least Mutezuma should be offended for receyuing and lodging him within that towne, without his commaundement, and being in thys communication, sodenly appeared twentye men entring where they sate, wt certain wāds like cudgels in their hāds, which did signify yt they were rent gatherers & in ech other hand, a fly flap of feathers, the Cacike & hys company were soare afrayde. Cortez demaunded wherefore he so altered himself, he answered, bicause those twēty Indians were collecters of Mutezuma, and that he feared that they would complayne of him, hauing founde those Christians there, he feared likewise cruell punishment for the same. Cortes comforted him, saying that Mutezuma was his friende, and that he would so vse the matter that he shoulde receyue no blame at all, but rather that Mutezuma shoulde giue him thankes for that whiche he had done: And if Mutezuma did not, or would not so accept it, that then he would defend both him and his subiects, for (quoth he) euery one of my mē is sufficient for a thousand Mexicans, as Mutezuma himselfe was well enformed by the late warres at Potonchan.
Yet for and notwithstanding all this talke, the Lorde and all his folke were in great feare, and meante to arise and to lodge the receyuers. Cortes woulde not suffer him, and bycause (quoth he) thou shalte sée what I and my men can doe, commaund thy seruaunts to apprehend and take prysoners these receyuers of Mexico, and I wil abide here with thée, in such sorte that Mutezuma with all his power shall not offende thée.
With the courage that he receyued at these wordes, he commaunded to lay hande vpon the Mexicans, and bycause they defended themselues, they were sore beaten, and layde euery one in a seuerall prison, and bounde them to a great poste whereat they were tied by the throate, féete, and handes, and beyng in this sorte imprysoned, they asked of Cortes whether they should kill them. Cortes requested that they should not be slaine, but that they might remayne as they were, with good watch that they might not escape: Then they were brought into a hall in the Spaniardes lodging, and were placed rounde aboute a good fire, but yet bounde hande and foote with garde of watchmen. Cortes also appoynted certaine of his men to watch the hall dore, and then went to his lodging to supper, where he and his company was well prouided at the Caziks furniture.
The messages sent by Cortez vnto Mutezuma
The nighte beyng farre spent, and the Indians that kepte the watch being asléepe, Cortes sente vnto the Spanyardes that watched at the hall dore where the prysoners were, and commaunded them to let goe twoo of the prysoners, as secretly as they might, and to bring them vnto him. The Spaniardes handled the matter so well, that they fulfilled his desire, and brought twoo of them to Cortes his chamber, who looked vppon them as though he had not knowen them, and willed Aguillar and Maryna to demaunde who they were, and what they would haue, and why they had bene in pryson. They answered, that they were vassals of Mutezuma, and that they had the charge to receyue certayne tributes, that those of that towne & prouince payde vnto their Lorde. And also (quoth they) we know not for what cause we are nowe imprysoned and so euelly vsed. We rather wōder to sée this new custome and madnesse, for in time past these men were wont to méete vs and receiue vs with great honour & curtesie, shewing all seruice and pleasure. Therefore we thinke that the cause of this alteration is through the fauour of you and your cōpany, who beare the name of immortalitie. We also feare least our felowes which are in prison shal be slaine, before Mutezuma haue knowlege therof. Also said they, these barbarous people dwelling in the Mountaynes, would be glad to rebel if they foūd any succour or ayde, only to put their Prince to cost and charges, as heretofore they haue done. Therefore they moste humbly besought Cortes that hée shoulde not permitte them and their fellowes to be slaine, nor yet to abide in the handes of their enimies wherein he should do singular pleasure to Mutesuma their lord,