History of the Conquest of Mexico; vol. 4/4Prescott, William Hickling
History
History of the Conquest of Mexico; vol. 4/4
Prescott, William Hickling
Cortés, Hernán, 1485-1547; Mexico -- History -- Conquest, 1519-1540
“Túvole con las manos abraçado,
Y Francisco de Olea el valeroso,
Vn valiente Español, y su criado
Le tiró vn tajo brauo y riguroso:
Las dos manos á cercen le ha cortado,
Y él le libró del trance trabajoso
Huuo muy gran rumor, porque dezian,
Que ya en prision amarga le tenian.
“Llegáron otros Indios arriscados,
Y á Olea matáron en vn punto,
Cercáron á Cortés por todos lados,
Y al miserable cuerpo ya difunto;
Y viendo sus sentidos recobrados,
Puso mano á la espada y daga junto.
Antonio de Quiñones llegó luego,
Capitan de la guarda ardiendo en fuego.”
EL PEREGRINO INDIANO, Canto 20.
[50] “É aquel Capitan que estaba con el General, que se decia Antonio
de Quiñones, díxole: Vamos, Señor, de aquí, y salvemos vuestra Persona,
pues que ya esto está de manera, que es morir desesperado atender; é
sin vos, ninguno de nosotros puede escapar, que no es esfuerzo, sino
poquedad, porfiar aquí otra cosa.” Oviedo, Hist. de las Ind., MS., lib.
33, cap. 26.
[51] It may have been the same banner which is noticed by Mr. Bullock
as treasured up in the Hospital of Jesus, “where,” says he, “we beheld
the identical embroidered standard under which the great captain
wrested this immense empire from the unfortunate Montezuma.” Six Months
in Mexico, vol. i. chap. 10.
[52] For this disastrous affair, besides the Letter of Cortés,
and the Chronicle of Diaz, so often quoted, see Sahagun, Hist. de
Nueva-España, MS., lib. 12, cap. 33,--Camargo, Hist. de Tlascala,
MS.,--Gomara, Crónica, cap. 138,--Torquemada, Monarch. Ind., lib. 4,
cap. 94,--Oviedo, Hist. de las Ind., MS., lib. 33, cap. 26, 48.
[53] “El resonido de la corneta de Guatemuz.”--Astolfo’s magic horn was
not more terrible:
“Dico che ’l corno è di sì orribil suono,
Ch’ ovunque s’ oda, fa fuggir la gente.
Non può trovarsi al mondo un cor sì buono,
Che possa non fuggir come lo sente.
Rumor di vento e di tremuoto, e ’l tuono,
A par del suon di questo, era niente.”
ORLANDO FURIOSO, Canto 15, st. 15.
[54] “Por [~q] yo no lo sé aquí escriuir [~q] aora [~q] me pongo á
pensar en ello, es como si visiblemente lo viesse, mas bueluo á dezir,
y ansí es verdad, [~q] si Dios no nos diera esfuerço, segun estauamos
todos heridos: él nos saluo, [~q] de otra manera no nos podiamos llegar
á nuestros ranchos.” Bernal Diaz, Hist. de la Conquista, cap. 152.
[55] This renowned steed, who might rival the Babieca of the Cid,
was named Motilla, and, when one would pass unqualified praise on a
horse, he would say, “He is as good as Motilla.” So says that prince of
chroniclers, Diaz, who takes care that neither beast nor man shall be
defrauded of his fair guerdon in these campaigns against the infidel.
He was of a chestnut color, it seems, with a star in his forehead,
and, luckily for his credit, with only one foot white. See Hist. de la
Conquista, cap. 152, 205.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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