The other Spanyards and _Indian_ friends skirmished continually, and slew many of their enimies. Likewyse the Horsemen so scoured the stréetes, that the enimies were forced to locke them vp in their houses & Temples. It was a notable thing to sée how our _Indians_ played the menne that daye againste the Citizens: sometimes they would chalenge them the fielde: other times they would conuite them to supper, and shewe vnto them legges, armes, and other péeces of mäs flesh, saying behold your owne flesh which shal serue for our supper and brekefast, and to morrow we wil come for more, therefore flye not, you are valiant fellowes, yet it were better for you to dye fighting than with hunger. And after all this spéech, euery one of them called vppon the name of his owne Towne with a loude voyce, setting fire vppon their houses. The _Mexicans_ were replenished with sorrow, to sée themselues so afflicted with Spanyardes, but yet theyr sorrowe was the greater, to heare their owne vassals so raile againste them, saying and crying at their owne dores, victory, victory, _Tlaxcallan_, _Chalcho_, _Tezcuco_, _Xochmilco_, and other Townes: the eating of the fleshe gréeued them not, for they did the like. _Cortes_ séeing the _Mexicans_ so stoute and hard harted, with full determination eyther to defend themselues or else to dye, therevpon he bethought himselfe vppon two things, the one was, that he shoulde not obteyne the treasure whiche he had séene in the time of _Mutezuma_: the other was, that they gaue him occasion totally to destroy the Citie. Both these things gréeued him much, but especially the destructiö of the citie. He ymagined with himselfe what he mighte doe, to bring them to acknowledge their error, and the hurt that mighte fall vpon them, and for these considerations he pluckt downe their Towers, and brake their idolles. He burned also the greate house wherein he was lodged before, and the house of foule which was néere at häd. There was not one Spanyard who had séene that magnificall building before, but lamented sore the sight: but to agréeue the Citizens, it was commaunded to be burned. There was neuer _Mexican_, that thought any humaine force, how much lesse so fewe Spanyards, shoulde haue entred into _Mexico_ in despite of them all, and to sette fire vpon their principallest edifices within the Citie. While this house was a burning, _Cortes_ gathered his men, and retired to his Campe. The _Mexicans_ would fayne haue remedyed the fire, but it was too late, and séeing our men retire, they followed wyth their noyse accustomed, and slue some of our men, who were laden with the spoyle, and came behinde the reste. The horsmen relieued our men, and caused the enimy to retire, in such wise, that before night al our men were in safetie and the enimies in their houses, the one sorte full of sorowe, and the others wearied with fighte and trauel. The slaughter was great that day, but the burning, and spoyle of houses was greater, for besides