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iberation; and the monarch then, in few words, gave his decision. The
parties then, without uttering a syllable, or turning their backs to
him, left the apartment with three deep bows; and on arriving outside,
they again put on their fine garments, and took a stroll in the
metropolis.

After some time had elapsed, the generals who had fought against
Escalante were brought in prisoners to the monarch. What he told them on
this occasion I do not know; but he sent them to Cortes to pronounce
judgment on them himself. These unfortunate men confessed they had
merely acted up to the commands of their monarch, which was, to levy the
tribute by force of arms; and if the teules should protect the rebels,
to attack them also, and put them to the sword.

Cortes acquainted Motecusuma with what these men had said, but declared
that the monarch had sufficiently exculpated himself from any guilt in
the affair. According to the laws of our emperor, that man suffered
death who had killed another, whether he deserved killing or not;
however, his love for Motecusuma was so great, that he would rather take
the responsibility of this matter upon himself than allow it to rest
with him; but as he still seemed anxious about it, our general made no
further ceremony with these Mexicans, but sentenced them to death, and
they were burnt alive in front of Motecusuma's palace.[69*]

And that no impediment might be thrown in the way while these sentences
were being put into execution, Cortes ordered chains to be put on
Motecusuma. At first he certainly did not approve of this at all, but,
in the end, quietly submitted, and grew even the more tractable
afterwards. When the executions had taken place, Cortes approached him,
with five of our officers, and himself took off his chains again, with
the assurance that he loved him more than a brother. He likewise told
him, however great a monarch he might be at present, that additional
countries should be annexed to his empire, and he was at liberty to
visit any of his other palaces whenever he felt inclined.

At these words Motecusuma became affected, and big tears rolled down his
cheeks; and though he felt that all was mere empty sound he had heard,
he nevertheless thanked Cortes for his kindness, adding, that at present
he felt no inclination to go anywhere.

His nephews, relations, and grandees daily stormed him with petitions to
allow them to make war upon us, and release him from confinement. And,
indeed, it required all his persuasion to prevent them from rising up in
arms immediately. If he were once, said they, outside of our quarters,
they would take forcible possession of his person. The whole of the
inhabitants in his metropolis would rise up in arms, and if then he
would not join them, they would care little about him, and elect a new
king. Motecusuma, however, succeeded in silencing them by the assurance
that Huitzilopochtli had himself advised him to bear with his
confinement.

To account for Motecusuma thus quietly submitting to his confinement, I
must here remark that Cortes ordered Aguilar to acquaint him secretly
that if even our general himself gave his consent to his liberation, it
would be of no avail, as all our officers and soldiers would oppose it.
Cortes feigned to be unconscious of all this, and embraced the monarch
under the assurances of sincere friendship. He likewise gave him his
page Orteguilla, who had already gained some knowledge of the Mexican
language, the monarch having expressed a wish to have a Spanish
attendant. This young man was of the greatest utility both to Motecusuma
and ourselves, the monarch learning many things from him relating to
Spain, and we again a good deal of the discourses which passed between
the former and his generals: he was in every way attentive to the
monarch, who became exceedingly fond of him. On the whole, Motecusuma
appeared perfectly content with the civilities we showed him, and he
continually felt greater delight in our company; for whenever any one of
us passed by him, he immediately entered into discourse with us: we were
quite at our ease with him, even when Cortes was present, and took off
our helmets in his presence, which, as well as our weapons, we never
laid aside; and the monarch always treated us with great respect.

The severe example which Cortes had made of the Mexican generals had had
its full effect. The news thereof ran like wildfire through the whole of
New Spain; the tribes along the coast, by whom our troops of Vera Cruz
had been defeated, were seized with terror, and again offered their
services to the garrison there.

I must now beg the kind reader to pause a moment upon the heroic deeds
we performed, and consider their magnitude! First of all, we destroy all
our vessels, and thereby cut off all hopes of escaping from this
country. We then venture to march into this strong city, though we were
warned against it on all sides, and assured we should merely be allowed
a peaceable entrance to be the more easily destroyed. We then have the
audacity to imprison the monarch of this vast empire, the powerful
Motecusuma, in his own metropolis, in his very palace, amidst his
numerous troops. At last, we even fearlessly burn some of his generals
to death in front of his own palace, and throw the monarch himself in
chains while this was being executed! Even now, in my old age, the
heroic deeds we then accomplished come vividly to my memory. I imagine I
see all passing before me now, but must also acknowledge that, although
we had our hands full, we were aided by Divine Providence. When again on
earth will be found such a handful of soldiers, in all scarcely 550, who
would dare to penetrate, at a distance of above 6000 miles from their
native country, into the heart of such a strong city, larger than
Venice, take its very monarch prisoner, and execute his generals in his
very presence? These things, indeed, ought to be deeply pondered on, and
not mentioned so briefly as I here have done! But it is time I should
continue my history.

[69*] Bernal Diaz only mentions three of these generals by name:
Quetzalpopoca, Coatl, and Quiahuitle, which we thought better to insert
here. When Quetzalpopoca, says Torquemada, was brought into the presence
of the Spaniards, and asked whether he was a vassal of Motecusuma, he
replied: "Is it possible in this world to be the vassal of any other
monarch." (p. 253.)

CHAPTER XCVI.

 _How our general appoints Alonso Grado lieutenant of Vera Cruz, and
 Sandoval alguacil-major of the same place._

After the execution of the Mexican generals, and Motecusuma had become
pacified again, Cortes despatched one of our officers, named Alonso de
Grado, a very active, handsome, and sensible man, to Vera Cruz, with the
appointment of lieutenant, who, besides being an excellent musician, was
a capital penman.

This Grado was one of those who had always opposed our march to Mexico,
and particularly on the occasion when the intrigues were set on foot by
the disconten

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