History of the Conquest of Mexico; vol. 3/4Prescott, William Hickling
History
History of the Conquest of Mexico; vol. 3/4
Prescott, William Hickling
Cortés, Hernán, 1485-1547; Mexico -- History -- Conquest, 1519-1540
[405] “Y sus vaderas tēdidas, y el aue blāca [~q] tienen por armas,
[~q] parece águila, con sus alas tendidas.” (Bernal Diaz, Hist. de la
Conquista, cap. 149.) A spread eagle of gold, Clavigero considers as
the arms of the republic. (Clavigero, Stor. del Messico, tom. ii. p.
145.) But, as Bernal Diaz speaks of it as “white,” it may have been the
white heron, which belonged to the house of Xicotencatl.
[406] The precise amount of each division, as given by Cortés, was,--in
that of Alvarado, 30 horse, 168 Castilian infantry, and 25,000
Tlascalans; in that of Olid, 33 horse, 178 infantry, 20,000 Tlascalans;
and in Sandoval’s, 24 horse, 167 infantry, 30,000 Indians. (Rel. Terc.,
ap. Lorenzana, p. 236.) Diaz reduces the number of native troops to
one-third. Hist. de la Conquista, cap. 150.
[407] “Que se alegrassen, y esforzassen mucho, pues que veian, que
nuestro Señor nos encaminaba para haber victoria de nuestros Enemigos:
porque bien sabian, que quando habiamos entrado en Tesaico, no habiamos
trahido mas de quarenta de Caballo, y que Dios nos habia socorrido
mejor, que lo habiamos pensado.” Rel. Terc. de Cortés, ap. Lorenzana,
p. 235.
[408] Oviedo expands what he nevertheless calls the “brebe é
substancial oracion” of Cortés into treble the length of it as found in
the general’s own pages; in which he is imitated by most of the other
chroniclers. Hist. de las Ind., MS., lib. 33, cap. 22.
[409] “Y con estas últimas palabras cesó; y todos respondiéron sin
discrepancia, é á una voce dicentes: Sirvanse Dios y el Emperador
nuestro Señor de tan buen capitan, y de nosotros, que así lo harémos
todos como quien somos, y como se debe esperar de buenos Españoles, y
con tanta voluntad, y deseo, dicho que parecia que cada hora les era
perder vn año de tiempo por estar ya á las manos con los Enemigos.”
Oviedo, Hist. de las Ind., MS., ubi supra.
[410] According to Diaz, the desire to possess himself of the lands
of his comrade Chichemecatl, who remained with the army (Hist. de
la Conquista, cap. 150); according to Herrera, it was an amour that
carried him home. (Hist. general, dec. 3, lib. 1, cap. 17.) Both and
all agree on the chief’s aversion to the Spaniards and to the war.
[411] “Y la respuesta que le embió á dezir fué, que si el viejo de su
padre, y Masse Escaci le huvieran creido, que no se huvieran señoreado
tanto dellos, que les haze hazer todo lo que quiere: _y por no gastar
mas palabras, dixo, que no queria venir_.” Bernal Diaz, Hist. de la
Conquista, cap. 150.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account