The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne: atchieued by the vvorthy Prince Hernando Cortes, marques of the Valley of Huaxacac, most delectable to readeLópez de Gómara, Francisco
History
The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne: atchieued by the vvorthy Prince Hernando Cortes, marques of the Valley of Huaxacac, most delectable to reade
López de Gómara, Francisco
Cortés, Hernán, 1485-1547; Mexico -- History -- Conquest, 1519-1540; Nahuatl language -- Glossaries, vocabularies, etc.
of them lept out of the Tower, and stood hanging vpon the listes of the
wall, which were thrée in number, the one higher than the other, and a
foote broad. Some fell downe to the ground, who besides their falles,
were receyued vpon the swordes poynt, and in this sorte they left none
aliue. Thrée houres they fought on the top of the Tower, bycause y^e
multitude of _Indians_ wer great. In conclusion, the whole fiue hundred
men there dyed very valiantly, and if their weapon and knowledge had
bin equall, the victory had bin doubtfull. _Cortes_ set fire on all
the Chappels, and other thrée Chappels, where infinite Idols were, yet
those sely _Indians_ lost no poynte of courage with the losse of their
Temple and Gods, which touched them at the hearte, but rather began
with more furie to assault the Spanish house.
Hovv the Mexicans refused the offer
_of peace made by Cortez_.
_Cortez_ considering the great multitude of _Indians_ his enimies,
and also the greate courage, with desire of reuengement: and waying
also how his men were weake and wéeryed with fight, yet (I may say)
with great desire to goe frö thence, if that the Citizens would haue
suffered them: he began againe to require them with peace, and to
desire them of truce, saying vnto them also, that they should consider,
how that many of their side were slayne, and yet they coulde kill
none of them. They béeing more hard harted than before, answered that
they vtterly refused his offer, saying, that they neuer woulde haue
peace with those who had slained their men and burned their Gods:
yea (quoth they) and although some of vs are killed, yet wée also do
both kill and hurt, for ye are mortall men, and not immortall, as we
are: beholde ye also the number of vs, vpon _Zoties_, in windowes and
stréetes: assure youre selues there are thrée tymes as manye within
the houses. So wée shall sooner make an ende of you by kyllyng one and
one, than you shall doe of vs by killing a thousande by thousande, or
ten thousand by ten thousand: for ending all these whome you sée, there
wyll come so many more, and after them so manye more: but if ye were
once killed, there woulde come no more Spanyardes, yea and when oure
weapons can not throughly destroy you, that then we will sterue you to
deathe with hunger and famine, yea and though nowe you would depart,
it is too late, bycause y^e bridges are throwen downe, and the calseys
broken, and succoure by water you haue none. In this communications
the daye was spente, and night at hand, their heads occupyed, and
heartes full heauie, for hunger alone hadde bin ynough to finish theyr
dayes, without any further warre. That nighte, the one halfe of the
number of Spanyardes armed themselues, and late in the euening came
forthe into the Citie. The _Indiäs_ now being not accustomed to fight
at such houres, the Spanyardes burned aboue thrée hundred houses in
one stréete, and in some of them found many Citizens, of whome they
left not one aliue.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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