Then they besought him to procure for them a licence to haue cotten wooll and salte out of his Countrey, for (sayd they) in time of the warres we stoode in greate néede thereof, and that they had none but suche as they boughte by stealthe of the Comercans verye déere, in change of golde: for _Mutezuma_ had made a straight lawe, whereby all suche as carried anye of those commodities to them shoulde be slayne. Then _Cortez_ enquired the cause of their disorder and euill neyborhood. They aunswered, that their griefes were olde, and cause of libertie: but as the Ambassadors did affyrme, and _Mutezuma_ afterward declare, it was not so, but for other matter farre differente. So that eache partye alleadging their causes, theyr reasons were, that the yong menne of _Mexico_ and _Culhua_ dyd exercise and bryng them vppe in warlike feates néere vnto them, and vnder theyr noses, to theyr greate annoyance, whereas they moughte haue gone to _Panuco_ and _Teocantepec_, hys frontiers a farre off. Lykewyse theyr pretence was, to haue warre wyth them béeyng theyr neyghbors, onely to haue of them to sacrifice to their Gods: so that when they would make any solemne feast, then would they send to _Tlaxcallan_ for men to sacrifice, with such a great army, that they might take as many as they néeded for that yeare: for it is most certayne if _Mutezuma_ woulde, in one daye hée moughte haue broughte them in subiection, and slayne them all, ioyning his whole power in effecte: but his purpose was, to kéepe them for a pray to hunt withall, for men to be sacrificed to his Goddes, and to eate, so that hée woulde neuer sende but a small armye againste them: whereby it did chance that sometimes those of _Tlaxcallan_ did ouercome. _Cortez_ receyued great pleasure to heare these discordes betwixt his newe friendes and _Mutezuma_, whiche was a thing fitte for his purpose, for by that meanes he hoped to bring them all vnder subiection, and therefore hée vsed the one and the other secretely, to build his pretence vpon a good foundation. At all this communication there stoode by certayne _Indians_ of _Vexozinco_, whiche had bin against our men in the late warres, the which Towne is a Citie as _Tlaxcallan_, and ioyned with them in league of friendship against _Mutezuma_, who oppressed them in like effect of slaughter for their Temples of _Mexico_, and they also yéelded themselues to _Cortes_ for vassals to the Emperoure. The solemne receyuing of the _Spanyardes into Chololla_. [Sidenote: A gentle offer.]