horsemen he diuided into foure squares, and his footemen into nine: he named & appointed captaynes, and other officers for the host, vnto whom in general he spake as followeth. The exhortation of Cortez to _his Souldiers_. My louyng brethren, I gyue moste hartie thankes vnto Iesu Christ, to sée you now whole of your woundes and frée from diseases: likewise I muche reioyce to sée you in good order trimly armed, yea and with suche desire to sette agayne vpon _Mexico_, to reuenge the death of our fellowes, and to winne that greate Citie, the whiche I truste in God shalbe brought to passe in shorte time, hauing the friendship of _Tlaxcallan_ and other prouinces, who haue as great desire to sée the ouerthrowe of the _Mexicans_, as we our selues, for therein they gette both honour, libertie & safegarde of life. Also it is to be considered, that if the victory should not be ours, they poore soules should be destroyed and remaine in perpetuall captiuitie. Also the _Culhuacans_ do abhorre them worse than vs, for receyuing vs into their houses and countrey: therefore sure I am that they will sticke vnto vs vnfaynedly. I muste néedes confesse their vnfayned friendship, for presente workes doe testifie the same. They will not onely be a meane to bryng others their neyghbours to our seruice, but also haue now in readinesse .100000. më of warre, to sende with vs, besides a great nüber of _Tamemez_ or carriers to carrie al our prouision. Ye also, are now the same which alwaies heretofore ye haue bene, for I as witnesse beying your captayne, haue had the victory of many battayles fighting with a .100. yea & 200000. enimies: we got also by strength of arme many strög cities, yea & brought in subiection many prouinces, not beyng so many in number as we are nowe, for when we came firste into this countrey we were not so many as now presently we are. Agayne in _Mexico_ they feare our cöing: it should also be a blot vnto our honour that _Quahutimoc_ should inherite y^e kingdome that cost our friëd _Mutezuma_ his life. Likewise I esteme al that we haue done is nothing, if we winne not _Mexico_, our victories shoulde also be sorowfull if we reuenge not the death of our déere fellowes. The chiefe and principall cause of our cöming into this countrey, was to set forth the faith of Iesu Christ, & therwithal doth folow honour & profite which seldome times do dwell togither. In those fewe dayes that we were in _Mexico_, we put downe the idols, we caused sacrifice and eatying of mans fleshe to bée layde aside, and also in those dayes wée beganne to conuerte some to the fayth. It is not therefore nowe reason to leaue of so laudable an enterpryse, so well begonne. Lette vs now goe whither holy fayth doth call vs, and where the sinnes of our enimies deserueth so great a punishment, and if yée well remember, the Citizens of that citie were not cötent to murder such an infinite number of men, women & children