The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne
TekstHovv there ioyned a hundred and fiftie thousand men against Cortez
The next morning at Sunne rising, Cortez departed with his army in good order, and in the middest of them wente the fardage and artillerie, and as soone as they were come to a little Village there néere at hande, they mette with the other two messengers of Zempoallan, who departed from them at Zaclotan: they came with pitifull chéere, exclayming of the Captaynes of the power of Tlaxcallan, who had bounde them, and deteyned them from returning: but with good fortune, that nighte they hadde broken loose, and escaped, for otherwise in the morning following, they had bin sacrificed to the God of Victory, and after the sacrifice, to be eaten, for a good beginning of their warres, protesting the like to be done with the berded men, and with as many as came with them.
They had no sooner tolde their tale, when there appeared behinde a little hill about a thousande Indians, verye well appoynted after their fashion, and came with suche a maruellous noyse and crye, as though theyr voyces shoulde haue pearced the Heauens, hurling at oure menne stones, dartes, and shotte wyth bowes and arrowes.
First battayle
80000. mē
Seconde battayle
Cortes made many tokens of peace vnto them, and by his interpreters desired them to leaue the battell. But so much the more as he entreated for peace, the more hastie and earnest were they, thinkyng either to haue ouercomen them, or else to holde them play, to the entēt that the Spanyardes should haue folowed them to a certaine ambushe that was prepared for them, of more then .80000. men, whiche they had planted in a créeke of a riuer which abutted vpō the high way. Then our men began to cease from wordes, and to lay hande vpon their weapons, for that company of a thousande were as many, as on our side were fighting men, they were well practised in the warres, very valiāt, and also pitched in a better place for fight. This battell endured certaine houres, and at the ende the Indians being eyther wearied, or else meanyng to take our men in the snare appointed, began to flie toward theyr maine battell, not as ouercome, but to ioyne with their owne folke. And our men being hote in the fight and slaughter whiche was not litle, followed them with all their fardage, and vnwares fell into the ambushe among an infinite number of Indians armed, they stayde not bycause they would not put themselues out of order, and passed through their campe with great haste & feare. The enimies began to sette vpon the horsemen, thinkyng to haue taken their lances from them, their courage was so stoute: many of the Spaniardes had there perished, had it not bin for the Indian friends. Likewise the courage of Cortes did much animate them, for although he ledde his army making way yet, diuers times, he turned him backe to place his men in order and to comforte them, and at length came out of that daungerous way into the playne fielde, where the horses mought helpe, and the ordinaunce stande in stéede, whiche two things did greatly anoy the enimie to their great wonder and maruell, and at the sight thereof began to flie.
In bothe encounters remayned many Indians slayne and wounded, and of the Spaniardes some were hurt, but none killed, giuyng moste hartie thankes vnto God for their deliuery from so great a multitude of Indians their enimies with muche ioye and pleasure of the victory. Then they wente to pitche their campe in a village called Teoacazinco, where was a little Tower and a Temple, and there fortified themselues, and buylte cotages of bowes and strawe. The Indians of Zeampoallan, and those of Iztacmixtlitan did play the valiant men that day, wherfore Cortes honoured them with harty thankes.
The care of good souldiers
This day was the first of September. The night followyng our men slepte not quietly with feare of inuasion of their enimies, but they came not, for they neuer vse to fighte in the nighte season. And as soone as it was day Cortes sente to the Captaynes of Tlaxcallan, to requyre them of peace and friendshippe, willyng them quietly to suffer the passage through their countrey to Mexico, for that they meant them no hurte but rather good will. This done, hée lefte twoo hundreth Spanyardes and the Carreirs in the campe. And tooke with him other twoo hundreth, with seuen hundreth Indians, and wente with them abrode to skirmishe in the face of their enimies, and at that tyme burned fiue or sixe villages, and returned with foure hundreth prysoners, without receyuyng any hurte, although they followed him to his campe. At his returne he founde the answere of the Captaynes his enimies, whiche was, that the next day they would come and talke with him and declare theyr mindes.
150000. men
Cortes was well preuented that night, for the answere liked him not, but rather séemed braue, and a matter determined to be done as they had sayde: lykewise those whiche were taken prysoners, certified that his enimies were ioyned togither to the nūber of a .150000. mē to giue him battaile the next day folowing, & to swallow thē aliue whom so mortally they did hate, thinking thē to be friēds to Mutezuma, vnto whom they wished all euil & mischief.
Indian armour
It was moste true that the Tlaxcaltecas had gathered all their whole power to apprehende the bearded menne, and to make of them a more solemne sacrifice vnto their Goddes, than at any time heretofore they had done, with a generall banquet of their flesh, which they called Celestial. The Captaines of Tlaxcallan deuided their souldiers into foure battayles, the one to Tepeticpac, another to Ocotelulco, the third to Tizatlan, and the fourth to Quiahuiztlan, that is to say, the men of the Mountaynes, the men of the Lymepittes, the men of the Pinetrées, and the water men, euery of these had their Lardes and Captaynes whome they shoulde repayre vnto and obey, and all these foure sortes of men dothe make the body of the common weale and cittie, and also commaunde both in tyme of warre and peace. So that euery of these Captaynes had his iust portion or number of warriers, but the general of al the whole army was called Xicotencatl, who was of the Limepits: and he had the standart of the cittie, which is a Crane of gold with his wings spred, adorned with Emeralds & siluerworke, which standart is according to their vse, either caried before the whole host or else behinde thē all. The second Captaine or Lieuetenant was Maxixcazin, & the number of the whole army was .150000. men. Such a great number they had ready against .400. Spaniardes & yet at length ouercome: neuerthelesse after all this broyle, they were most greatest friends. These foure captains came wt their cōpany that the fields where they were séemed a forest. They were trimme felowes & well armed according to their vse, although they were paynted so that their faces shewed like diuels with great tuffes of feathers and triumphed gallantly. They had also slinges, staues, speares, swordes, bowes and arrowes, skulles, splintes, gantlettes all of wood, gilte or else couered with feathers or leather, their corselets were made of cotten woolle, their targettes and bucklers gallant and strong, made of woodde couered with leather, and trimmed with laton and feathers, theyr swordes were staues with an edge of flint stone cunningly ioyned into the staffe, which woulde cutte very well and make a sore wounde.
The host (as is declared) was deuided into foure parts, their instrumentes of warre were hunters hornes, and drummes called attabals made like a caldron and couered with vellam. So that the Spanyardes in all the discouery of India did neuer sée a better army togither nor better ordered.
The threatning of the Indian campe agaynst the Spanyardes
A present
A reckning made before the hoste
Battayle
These Indians were great braggers, and sayde among themselues, what madde people are these that threatneth vs and yet knoweth vs not. But if they will be so bolde to inuade our countrey without our licence, let vs not sette vpon them so soone, it is méete they haue a litle reste, for we haue tyme inough to take & binde them, let vs also sende them meate for they are commen with empty stomackes: And againe they shall not say that we do apprehende them with wearinesse and hunger. Wherevpon they sent vnto the Christians thrée hundreth Gynnea cockes, and two hundreth baskets of bread called Centli. The whiche present was a great sucker for the néede that they stoode in. And soone after (quoth they) nowe let vs goe and sette vpon them, for by this time they haue eaten their meate, and nowe wée will eate them, and so shall they pay vs the victuals that we sent: likewise we wil know if Mutezuma commaunded them to come into our countrey, or who else. And if he sente them, then let him come and deliuer them: and if it be their owne enterpryse, they shall receyue theyr reward accordingly. These and such like bragges they vsed, seing so fewe Spaniardes before them, and not knowyng their strength. Then the foure Captaynes sente twoo thousande of their valiantest men of warre and olde Souldiers, to take the Spanyardes quietly, with commaundement that if they did resist, either to binde them or else to kill them, meanyng not to sette their whole army vpon them, saying that they shoulde gette but small honour for so great a multitude, to fight agaynst so fewe. The twoo thousande Souldiers passed the trench that was betwixt the twoo campes, and came boldely to the Tower where the Christians were. Then came foorth the Horsemen, and after them the footemen, and at the first encounter they made the Indians féele howe the yron swordes woulde cutte: and at the seconde, they shewed of what force those fewe in number were, of whome a little before they had so iested: But at the thirde brunte they made those lusty Souldiers fly, who were come to apprehende them, for none of them escaped, but onely suche as knewe the passage of the trenches or ditche.
Then the mayne battell and whole army sette foorth with a terrible and maruellous noyse, and came so fierce vppon our menne, till they entred into our campe without any resistaunce, and there were at handye strokes and wrastlyng with the Spanyardes, and in a good space coulde not gette them out, killyng many of them whiche were so bolde to enter: and in this sorte they fought foure howers, before they coulde make way among their enimies. And then the Indians began to faynt, seyng so many dead on theyr side, and the greate woundes they had, and that they coulde kill none of the Christians: yet the battayle ceased not till it drewe neare night and then they retyred. Whereof Cortes and his Souldiers were excéedyng gladde, for they were fully weried with killyng of Indians, so that all that nighte our men triumphed with more ioy than feare, consideryng that the Indians fought not by night, they slepte and tooke their reste at pleasure, whiche they had not done til that tyme, but alwayes kept bothe watche and warde.
The Indians finding many of their hoste missyng, yet they would not yéelde themselues as ouercome, as after did appeare. They coulde not well tell howe many were slayne, nor yet our men had leasure to count them.
Cortes vvas a painfull man
The nexte day in the mornyng Cortes wente forth to runne the fieldes as he had done before, leauing halfe his menne to kéepe the campe, and bicause he shoulde not be espied he departed before day, & burned aboute .x. townes, and sacked one towne, whiche was of thrée thousande houses, in the whiche were founde but few folke of fight, bycause the moste of them were gone to their campe: After the spoyle, he set fire on the towne and came his way to his campe with a great pray by noone time. The enimies pursued thinkyng to take away their pray, and followed them into the camp, where they fought fiue houres and could not kill one Spaniarde, although many of their side were slaine: for euen as they were many and stoode on a throng togither, the ordinaunce made a wonderfull spoyle among them, so that they lefte off fighting, and the victory remayned for our men. The Indians thought that the Spanyardes were inchaunted bycause their arrowes coulde not hurte them.
A straunge presente
The nexte day followyng, the foure Captaynes sente thrée seuerall things in present to Cortes, and the messengers that brought them sayd: Sir behold here fiue slaues, and if thou be that rigorous God that eatest mans fleshe and bloud, eate these whiche we bring vnto thée, and we will bring thée moe. And if thou be the gentle and méeke God, beholde here Franckinsense and Feathers. And if thou be mortal man, take here foule, bread, & Cherries.
Cortes answered, that both he and his were mortal men euen as they were. And bicause that alwayes he had vsed to tell them trouth, wherfore did they vse to tell him lies, and lykewise to flatter him, for he desired to bée their friende, aduising them not to be madde and stubborne in their opinion, for if they so did, assuredly they shoulde receyue great hurte and dammage. Likewise (quoth he) it is apparant vnto you how many of your side are slayne without the losse of one of mine, and with this answere sent them away. Notwithstanding the answere sent, there came aboute .30000. of them euen to Cortes his campe to proue their Corselettes, as they had done the day before, but they returned with brokē pates. Here is to be noted, that although the first day the whole host of Indians came to combat with our men, & finally all they came to fight, yet the next day they did not so, but euery seueral captaine by himselfe, for to deuide the better the trauayle & paynes equally amōg them: & bicause that one should not disturbe another through ye multitude, considering that they should fight but with a few, & in a narrow place, & for this consideration, their battayles were more fresher & stronger, for eche captaine did contende who should do most valiantly, for to get honour, & especially in killyng one Spaniarde, for they thought that all their hurtes shoulde be satisfied with the death of one Spaniarde, or taking one prisoner.
Indian policie
Likewyse is to bée considered, the straungenesse of their battayle, for not withstandyng their controuersse all those fiftene dayes that they were there, whether they fought or no. The Indians sente vnto the Spanyardes cakes of breade, Gynnea cockes and Cherries. But this polycie was not to giue them that meate for good will, but onely to espie and sée what hurte was done amongst them, and also to sée what feare or stomacke they had to procéede: but the Spanyardes fell not into that reckenyng, for the espies of Tlaxcallan sayde, that none had fought with them but certayne outlawes and knaues called Otomies, who lyued as vagaboundes without a Lorde or other ruler: And that they were théeues, who had theyr abyding behinde a hill, whiche they poynted vnto with their hande.
Hovv Cortez cut off the handes of fiftie Indian espies
The nexte day after these presentes were sente vnto them as Goddes, whiche was the sixte of September, there came to the Campe fiftie Indians of Tlaxcallan, whiche séemed after theyr sorte honest menne, and gaue vnto Cortes bread, cherries, & Gynnea cocks, as they ordinarily vsed to do, enquiring how all his Spaniardes did and what they meant to doe, and whether they stoode in necessitie of any thing. And after this communication they went vp and downe the camp, gasing and beholding the horses, armour and artillery, and seemed amased to sée such things. But the effect of their cōming was the office of espies.
The good aduise of a friende
Teuche of Zempoallan marking these things, who being of a childe brought vp in wars, by reason wherof he was expert and wise, came vnto Cortes, saying, sir it semeth not well, yt these Tlaxcaltecas wander vp & downe your campe beholding the entrance and going out of the same, to beholde likewise the fortitude and weakenesse of youre power, I like it not: It may please you to make enquirie whether they be espyes or no. Cortez hauing heard hys tale, gaue him hartie thankes for his good aduice, yea and maruelled, that neyther he himselfe, nor none of his Spanyardes had noted the thing, the Indians hauing so many dayes come vnto them after this sort, yea and that only Indian of Zempoallan had considered it.
Confessiō
Nowe the originall cause was not bycause Teuch was more wise than the Christians, but by reason that hée had séene and heard those Indians commune with the subiectes of Iztacmixtlitan to féele their mindes, and wyth craft and subtiltie to obteyne their desire: whereby Cortez vnderstoode that those fellowes came not to any good purpose: he apprehended that Indian whiche stoode nexte vnto him, and hauing him alone from his fellowes, by his interpreters examined him effectually, who incontinent confessed that he was a spye, and that his comming thither was to view the way how to enter their Campe for to spoyle and burne their Tentes: and for so much as they hadde proued fortune all the houres of the day, and all happened contrary to their desire, against their auncient fame and glory which they hadde obteyned by noble exploytes in warres, they now meant to proue their successe by nighte, hoping of better fortune: and also bycause their souldiers shoulde not feare the Horses, with the darkenesse of the nighte, nor the blowes or stripes of the bright swordes, nor yet the fire and terrible noyse of the Ordinance: and that Captayne Xicoteucatl was alreadye appoynted for that enterprise, with prouision of manye thousand souldiers which lay in ambush in a vale behind certayne hilles, right ouer against their Campe.
A good correction
After this confession taken, Cortes full prudently commaunded to take also the severall confessions of other foure or fyue, who likewise confessed that they were all espies, vppon whose confessions the were al fiftie taken prisoners, and iudgmente giuen, that their one hande should be cut off, which was forthwith executed, and then were returned to their Camp, signifying vnto them that the like iustice should be executed vpon as many espyes as they might take. And also they were charged to shew vnto their Generall who had sente them, that both daye and night he would be ready for them.
When the Tlaxcaltecas sawe their espyes come in thys pickle, they were in a maruellous feare, and it séemed a newe world vnto them: they also beléeued that oure men hadde some familiar spirites that did instructe them of their thoughtes, and with feare of cutting off hāds, there went no moe espies with victuals.
An embassage that Mutezuma sente to Hernando Cortez
A carefull Captayne
When these espyes were gone, oure men espyed out of our Campe a great multitude of men goe crossing ouer a hill, and it séemed that they were those that the Captayne Xicotencatl hadde in ambush: and although it was néere night, Cortes determined to followe them, and not to abide their comming, fearing that at a first brunt they mighte set fire among his cotages, as was pretended among them, whiche pretence hauing taken effecte, myght haue bin the destruction of all his men, eyther by the fier or otherwise: wherefore he put all his men in good order, and commaunded the Horsemenne to decke the brest plates of hys Horses with belles, and then procéeded towarde their enimies, who durst not abide their comming, hauing intelligence of the cutting of their espyes hands, and likewise hearing the new noyse of belles: yet oure men followed them tyll two houres within night, through many sowen fieldes of Centli, and slew many of thē, and then returned with victorie to the Campe.
Ambassage from Mutezuma
At that season were come sixe noble men from Mexico, who brought two hundred seruing men to wayt vpon them. They brought vnto Cortes a present, whiche was a hundred garments of cotten, and some of feathers, and a thousand péeces of golde.
Excuses
These ambassadors on the behalfe of Mutezuma, declared, that their Lord would be friende with the Emperoure, and also with him, and his company, requestyng to knowe what tribute he woulde yearely demaunde, in golde, plate, pearles, slaues, or garments, or of any other thing that was within his kingdome, and the same tribute he woulde well and truly pay withoute delay, wyth such condition, that neyther he nor his company shoulde come vnto Mexico. And this request (quoth they) is not only bycause you should bée disturbed to come into hys countrey, but chiefly bycause the waye is euill, barren, and full of euill rockes, whyche lette dothe gréeue Mutezuma, that suche valiant menne as ye be shoulde suffer in his Countrey, lying not in hys power to remedie it.
Cortez dyd thankefully receyue the present and gentle offer for the Emperoure King of Castile, but (quoth hée) my earnest desire is, that you depart not til ye sée the end of these warres whyche I haue nowe in hande, bycause yée shall carrie newes thereof to Mexico, what I pretende to doe againste these mortall enimies of Mutezuma.
Then Cortez fel into an ague, for which cause he went not out to skyrmish as he was wonte to do, but only prouided to make his Camp strong against certaine flockes of Indians, whiche came dayly to skirmishe, for that was as ordinarie, as the meate that was wont to be broughte to thē: but yet these skirmishes nor furie of ye Indiās were not like to their fierce beginning.
Cortez now meaneth to take a purgation for his ague: and tooke certayne pilles whiche he broughte with him from Cuba, at suche houre of the nighte as is vsed for purgations.
It happened that the nexte daye following, before hys purge had wrought, came thrée great companies of Indians to besiege his Camp. It should séeme that those Indians had some intelligence of his sicknesse, or else thinking with feare that he durst not come abroade as he was wont to doe.
A valiant Captayne
Cortes being aduertised of this newes, withoute anye more respect to his purgation taken, tooke his horse, and with his menne came to the encounter, and foughte with his enimies all day till it was nighte, and draue them a good way off, to their great hurt, and then returned to his Camp, and the next day following, he purged as fresh, as though it had bin newly taken. I doe not rehearse thys for a miracle but to declare what he passed: for Hernando Cortez was a greate sufferer of trauell and paynes, and one of ye firste that alway was at any assay or brunt of enimies, and he was not onely a good man of his handes, but also graue in counsell. And hauing thus purged hym selfe, and taken rest those dayes, he watched euery night that fell to his lotte, as well as any other souldier, and so continually he vsed to do. He was not for this the lesse estéemed, but rather muche the more beloued among hys men.