The causes of the Rebellion.

TOC

Cortes procured to knowe the principall cause of the insurrection of the Mexican Indians, and hauing a generall daye of hearyng, the charge béeyng layde against them, some sayd, that it was through the letters and persuasion of Naruaez: Others aunswered, their desire and meaning was, to expell the straungers, according to agréemente made, for in theyr skirmishes they cryed nothing but gette you hence, get you hence: Other sayde, that they pretended the libertie of Mutezuma, for in theyr Combates they woulde saye, lette goe oure God and Kyng, if you list not to bée slayne. Others sayde, that they were Théeues, and hadde robbed theyr golde and plate from them, whyche was in valewe more than seauen hundred thousande duckettes: Others cryed, héere shall you leaue the golde that you haue taken from vs. Others sayde, that they coulde not abyde the syghte of the Tlaxcaltecas, and other theyr mortall enimies. Manye beléeued that the mutinye was for throwyng downe theyr Goddes and Idolles: each of these causes were sufficient to rebell, how muche more altogither.

But the chiefest and most principall cause was, that after the departure of Cortes towarde Naruaez, happened a solemne holiday, whiche the Mexicans were wont to celebrate, and desiring to obserue the same, as they were wont to do, they came and besoughte Captayne Aluarado to graunt them licence, & not to ymagine that they were ioyned togither to kill the Spanyardes. Aluarado gaue them licence, with such conditions, that in their Sacrifice shoulde no mans bloude be spilte, nor yet to weare anye weapon.

At this feast, sixe hundred Gentlemen and principall persons ioyned togither in the greate temple: some doe saye, that they were more than a thousande persons of greate estate, but that nighte they made a maruellous great noyse, with cornets, shels, clouen bones, wherewith they made a straunge musicke: they celebrated the feast, their naked bodyes couered with telc, made and wrought with precious stones, collers, girdels, bracelettes, and many other iewels of golde, siluer, and aliofar, with gallant tuffes of feathers on their heads. They daunced a daunce called Mazeualiztli, which is to say, deserte wyth payne, and so they call Mazauali a husbandman. Thys daunce is like Netoraliztli, which is another daunce. The manner is, that they lay mattes in the Temple yarde, and with the sounde of their Drummes, called Atabals, they daunce a round, hande in hande, some singing, and others answere, which songs were in y^e honor and prayse of the God or Saincte, whose feast it is, hoping for thys seruice to haue rayne, corne, healthe, victory, peace, chyldren, or anye other thing that they maye wishe for, or desire.

A couetous desire and a vile.

These Indian Gentlemen being occupied in their daunsing and ceremonies, it fortuned that Pedro de Aluarado went to the Temple of Vitzilopuchtli to beholde theyr doings, and whether his goyng was of his owne accorde, or by the consent of his cōpany I am not certaine, although some saye that he was aduised howe the mutinie was there conspired, as after did follow: others holde opinion, that their onely goyng to the Temple was to beholde the maruaylous and straunge daunce. And then seying them so richely attyred, they coueted their Golde and Iewels whiche they were, and besieged the Temple with tenne Spaniardes at each dore, & the Captayne entred in, with fiftie men, and without any Christian respect slewe and murdered them al, and tooke from them all their treasure. Although this facte séemed odious vnto Cortes, yet he dissimuled the mater, for feare least he shoulde hurte his owne procéedings, as time did then require knowyng not, what néede he might haue of them, but especially to auoyde contention among his company.