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our troops he advanced to the
battlements of our quarters, and began to address the Mexicans in the
most affectionate manner, desiring them to put a stop to their
hostilities, for the teules were going to leave the city. The instant
the Mexican generals recognized their king they ordered their men to
cease firing. Four of them advanced to a spot where they could easily
discourse with the monarch; and thus, with tears in their eyes, they
addressed him: "Alas! great king, your own misfortune, and that of your
children and your relatives, afflicts us sorely. But we dare not hide
from you that we have raised one of your cousins to the throne of this
country."

Here they named the new monarch. It was the king of Iztapalapan,
Cuitlahuatzin, and not Quauhtemoctzin, for he did not ascend the throne
until two months after. "They were forced," continued they, "to
prosecute the war, for they had promised their gods to do so, and had
sworn to them not to desist until every one of the teules was killed.
They had daily in vain prayed to their gods Huitzilopochtli and
Tetzcatlipuca to deliver him out of the enemy's power, and they would
hold him in greater veneration than before; and they hoped he would
pardon their present conduct."

Several of our men had covered Motecusuma with their shields while he
was addressing the enemy; but as the attack was now momentarily
suspended, they were not so very particular in shielding his person.
Unfortunately, the hostilities immediately again commenced, and before
it could be prevented he was struck by an arrow, and three stones from a
sling, by which he was wounded in the arm, leg, and in his head; so that
the unhappy monarch was forced to be carried back to his apartment. We
were immediately going to bandage up his wounds, and begged of him to
take something strengthening; but he refused everything, and, contrary
to all expectation, we soon heard that he had expired. Cortes, his
officers, and all of us, shed tears for this unfortunate monarch; indeed
many of our men, who had been in constant attendance on him, mourned for
him as if they had lost a parent. Even father Olmedo himself, who never
for a moment left his side, and who, notwithstanding all his efforts,
had not been able to convert him to Christianity, could not refrain from
shedding tears. And no one will feel surprised at this who knew what a
very kind-hearted person Motecusuma was.

He was said to have reigned seventeen years up to the day of his death.
Mexico never had a better monarch; and, with regard to his personal
courage, he had fought three several duels respecting some disputed
territory, and had each time come off victorious.

CHAPTER CXXVII.

 _Cortes determines to announce Motecusuma's death to the Mexican
 generals and chiefs who are at war with us._

After various deliberations on our present critical position, Cortes
determined that one of the distinguished Mexicans and one of the papas
whom we had taken prisoners should be despatched to the cazique of
Cuitlahuatzin, whom the Mexicans had raised to the throne, to announce
to him and his officers the death of Motecusuma, and explain to them the
manner in which it had taken place; they were to assure them that they
themselves had not only witnessed his death, but that his own subjects
were guilty of it, and that we were deeply distressed at the melancholy
circumstance. We also desired they would take charge of his body, to pay
it the last honours, and to place the crown on the head of that cousin
of Motecusuma who was staying with us, and who was entitled to it by
right of inheritance; or to elect one of his sons, as the prince they
had raised to the throne had no real claim to it. For the rest, we were
ready to make a treaty of peace with them, and quit Mexico; they should
not allow this opportunity of concluding peace with us to pass by, for,
up to the present moment, we had refrained from destroying the city
merely from our love and respect of the deceased monarch. If, however,
they compelled us to the combat, we would burn down all their houses and
cause no end of destruction. Upon this we handed over the corpse of
Motecusuma to six other Mexican chiefs and a large body of papas whom we
had taken prisoners. All these men had been present when the monarch
expired, and they informed Cuitlahuatzin faithfully of every
circumstance connected with it; how the Mexicans themselves had caused
his death by the shot of an arrow and three stones from a sling.

As soon as the Mexicans espied the dead body of their monarch, they
broke out into loud lamentations, and moaned bitterly; but still
continued the attack upon us, and that with increased fury. "Now," they
hollowed out, "we will make you pay dearly for the death of our monarch,
and the insult you have offered to our gods! Is it now you beg peace of
us? Only come out, and we will show you what terms we mean to make with
you!" Many such like insulting speeches they threw out against us, and
added, that they had now selected a monarch whose heart was placed in
the right spot, and whom we should not so easily deceive with our lies
as we had the good-natured Motecusuma. "Don't trouble yourselves,"
continued they, "about his burial, but think of your own graves, for, in
a couple of days, not a single one of you will be left alive!"

Under such like threats, and vehement yells, they attempted to fire our
quarters at various points. As it was very evident to us that we could
not hold out much longer, it was determined, in a council of war, that
we should abandon the metropolis, and continue the war outside on the
main land, where we could destroy the plantations.

In this our proposed retreat, the cavalry was to form the vanguard, and
at all stakes to break through the enemy's ranks, or drive them into the
lake, even if we were to sacrifice all our horses in the attempt.
Previous to taking this step, we determined on making such dreadful
havoc among the Mexican troops, that they might allow us to depart in
peace from the fear of still greater losses. This resolve was carried
out the day following with unshaken bravery. We mowed down great numbers
of the enemy, set fire to about twenty houses, and had fought our way
almost up to the main land; but though we suffered much, and purchased
this partial success with above twenty killed, it availed us nothing,
for we could not gain possession of any of the bridges, which, besides
being half burnt down, were defended by strong bodies of the enemy. Even
those places where the horse might have found a way through the water,
the enemy had now rendered impassable by sharp stakes which they had
driven in. Thus we were beset on all sides by perils of various natures.
In this last sally of our cavalry, which happened on a Thursday, there
were, besides Sandoval, Lares, Dominiguez, Leon, Morla, and other brave
cavalry officers, many of Narvaez's horse, who, however, showed the
utmost fear, as they had not yet experienced, as we old soldiers of
C

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