_Cortes_ hearing these newes, determined to knowe the troth thereof, so that the nexte night he commaunded the _Vergantines_ to goe round about the Citie, and he himselfe with fiftéene Horsemen, a hundred footemen, and manye _Indian_ friends, placed themselues betwixte certaine houses, with order to his espyes, to aduertise him what they shoulde sée. It was no sooner day, but manye poore folke came out to séeke for foode, and when _Cortes_ had intelligence thereof, he made a greate slaughter among them, whereas at that time of vnarmed men, women, and chyldren, were slayne to the number of eyght hundred: and the _Vergantines_ on their side made another spoyle. The pitiful noise being heard into the Citie, the Citizens were astonyed, and knew not what to doe, fearing the like ambushe that they had séene and fealt the day before, & also wondered, that at such an houre not accustomed, y^e Spanyardes were so nigh. The next day following, béeing S. Iames his euen, _Cortes_ entred againe into the Citie, according as he had done before, and wanne the stréete of _Tlacopan_, where he burned the riche and faire houses of king _Quahutimoc_, whiche were motted round aboute: so that nowe of foure partes of the citie, thrée partes were wonne, and the Spaniardes might safely passe from _Cortes_ his campe, to the campe of _Aluarado_, by reason that all the houses were burned, and beaten downe playne with the grounde. [Sidenote: A true prophesie.] But yet the poore _Mexicans_ would say to the _Indians_ of _Tlaxcallan_, goe to, go to, make hast, burne and destroy these houses, for time will come that yée shall buylde them againe at your owne coste. For if we haue victory then shall ye buylde them for vs, and if we be ouercome then shall yée buylde them for these straungers. Within foure dayes after, _Cortes_ entred the citie againe, and also _Aluarado_ on his side, who to shewe hys haultie stomacke, laboured all that was possible to gette two towers of the temple of _Tlatelulco_, the whiche at the length he wan, although he loste thrée horses in the cöbat. [Sidenote: An extreme penurie.]