The great hurt and dammage in the houses of Mexico with fire.

TOC

In this meane while, Don Hernando of Tezcuco, wente throughout his Lordship, to allure his vassall to the seruice and friendship of Cortes, according to his former promise: and whether it were seyng the Spanyards prosperitie in the séege of Mexico, or otherwise, he broughte almost the whole prouince of Culhuacan, whiche is vnder the gouernemente of Tezcuco, with sixe or seauen of his owne bréethren, for more he could not, although he had more than a hundred bréethren, as héereafter shall be declared. One of them named Iztlixuchilh béeyng a valiant yong man, of the age of foure and twenty yeares, he appoynted generall Captayne ouer fiftie thousande men of warre, well armed and trimmed according to their fashion. Cortes dyd friendly receyue and welcome them, giuing them greate thankes for their ayde and good willes. Of these newcome men, he tooke into his owne host thirtie thousande, and deuided the residue equally among the other Captaynes.

This was a sorrowfull newes to the Mexicans, to heare of the succoure which Don Hernando hadde sente to serue Cortes, and with holden the same from them, yea and also among them were come kinsmen, bréethren, and fathers to many of them which were in Mexico in the seruice of Quahutimoc.

Two dayes after that these menne were come, there came also men of Xochmilco, and certayne husbandmen of the Moūtaines, who spake the Otomitlh spéech, beséeching Cortes to pardon their long tarrying, offering also both men and vittayles for the séege. Cortes was pleased wyth their cōming and gentle offer, for they being his friēds, he was assured of them of Culhuacan, and sayd vnto them, within these thrée daies (God willing) I wil combate the Citie, therefore againste that time I praye you prepare your selues accordingly, and therein shall I knowe whether you are my friendes or no: and with this aunswere they departed, promising to fulfill his request, as they did in déede. This done, he sente thrée Vergātines to Sandoual, and other thrée to Aluarado, for to disturbe anye succoure that mighte come from the land to the Citie, and likewise to defende and ayde the Spanyardes at all times, when they would land vpon the calsey, to combate the Citie, for he well vnderstoode howe profitable those vessels would be néere vnto the bridges.

The Captaines of the Vergantines ceased not night and day to runne the coast and Townes of the lake, where they tooke manye boates from the enimies, laden with men and victuall, and permitted none to come into the Citie, nor yet any to come out.

The daye appointed to the enimies for the combate, Cortes made his prayers vnto God, & then enformed each Captayne what he should do, and came foorth with twētie horsemen, thrée hundred Spanyardes, and a great number of Indians, with their péeces of Ordinance, and where in thrée or foure dayes before they had not skirmished, time serued the Mexicans at will to open al those places which were dammed vp before, and also to builde better bulwarkes thā those which were throwen downe, attending with that horrible noyse accustomed. But whē they sawe the Vergantines on eache side, theyr ioy was turned into sorrowe, and beganne to fainte, the whiche oure men vnderstood well, and therewith alanded themselues vpon the calsey, and wanne the bulwarke and the bridge. Our army procéedyng forward, set vppon the enimies, vntill they came to another bridge, the whyche was likewise wonne in shorte time, and this pursued from bridge to bridge, alwayes fighting, vntill they had driuen them from the Calsey and stréetes.

Cortes for his part lost no time, for he with tenne thousande Indians laboured to damme vp againe the sluses and broken places of the bridges, making the way plaine both for Horsemen and footemen: it was so much to doe, that all those ten thousand Indians were occupyed therein from the morning vntill the euening.

The other Spanyards and Indian friends skirmished continually, and slew many of their enimies. Likewyse the Horsemen so scoured the stréetes, that the enimies were forced to locke them vp in their houses & Temples. It was a notable thing to sée how our Indians played the menne that daye againste the Citizens: sometimes they would chalenge them the fielde: other times they would conuite them to supper, and shewe vnto them legges, armes, and other péeces of mās flesh, saying behold your owne flesh which shal serue for our supper and brekefast, and to morrow we wil come for more, therefore flye not, you are valiant fellowes, yet it were better for you to dye fighting than with hunger. And after all this spéech, euery one of them called vppon the name of his owne Towne with a loude voyce, setting fire vppon their houses. The Mexicans were replenished with sorrow, to sée themselues so afflicted with Spanyardes, but yet theyr sorrowe was the greater, to heare their owne vassals so raile againste them, saying and crying at their owne dores, victory, victory, Tlaxcallan, Chalcho, Tezcuco, Xochmilco, and other Townes: the eating of the fleshe gréeued them not, for they did the like.

Cortes séeing the Mexicans so stoute and hard harted, with full determination eyther to defend themselues or else to dye, therevpon he bethought himselfe vppon two things, the one was, that he shoulde not obteyne the treasure whiche he had séene in the time of Mutezuma: the other was, that they gaue him occasion totally to destroy the Citie. Both these things gréeued him much, but especially the destructiō of the citie. He ymagined with himselfe what he mighte doe, to bring them to acknowledge their error, and the hurt that mighte fall vpon them, and for these considerations he pluckt downe their Towers, and brake their idolles. He burned also the greate house wherein he was lodged before, and the house of foule which was néere at hād. There was not one Spanyard who had séene that magnificall building before, but lamented sore the sight: but to agréeue the Citizens, it was commaunded to be burned. There was neuer Mexican, that thought any humaine force, how much lesse so fewe Spanyards, shoulde haue entred into Mexico in despite of them all, and to sette fire vpon their principallest edifices within the Citie. While this house was a burning, Cortes gathered his men, and retired to his Campe. The Mexicans would fayne haue remedyed the fire, but it was too late, and séeing our men retire, they followed wyth their noyse accustomed, and slue some of our men, who were laden with the spoyle, and came behinde the reste. The horsmen relieued our men, and caused the enimy to retire, in such wise, that before night al our men were in safetie and the enimies in their houses, the one sorte full of sorowe, and the others wearied with fighte and trauel. The slaughter was great that day, but the burning, and spoyle of houses was greater, for besides those whiche wee haue spoken of, the Vergantines did the like where they wente, and the other Captaines also were not idle where they were appointed.