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.
At the Citie gate stoode many graue persons of nobilitie, as
Magistrates of the Citie, who solemnely welcomed the Strangers. Sixe
Horsemen, which hadde gone before the army to discouer, returned backe
as _Cortez_ was entring into the Citie, saying, that they had séene a
great house and Court, and that the walles were garnished with siluer.
_Cortez_ commaunded them to procéede on, willing them not to shew any
token of wonder of any thing that they should sée. All the stréetes
were replenished with people, whiche stoode gaping and wondering at
the horses and straügers. And passing through a great market place,
they saw on their right hande, a great walled house made of lyme and
stone, with loupe holes and towers, whited with playster that shined
lyke siluer, being so well burnished and the sunne glistering vpon it.
And that was the thing that the Spaniards thought had bene walles of
siluer. I doe beléeue that with the imagination and great desire whiche
they had of golde and siluer, all that shined they déemed to be the
same mettall.
[Sidenote: A vigilant Captayne.]
Within this great house was a long rew of lodgings, and on the other
side sixe or seuen Towers one higher than another. They procéeded on,
dissimulyng the errour of the siluer walles, and followed their guide
vntill suche time as they came to the Lordes lodging, who came forth
accompanied with many auncient persons, and better attired than the
other Citizens were, with twoo Gentlemen that ledde him by the armes.
They saluted eche other according to the vse of their countreys, and
then entred into the pallayce, where certayne principall men conducted
_Cortes_ and all his trayne to their lodgyng, and Captayne _Cortes_
was lodged in the house whiche had the glisteryng walles, situated in
the markette place, whiche house was sufficient for him and all his
company. And when they were placed, and behelde the walles, they were
ashamed of their owne folly: for where they thought those walles had
bene adorned with siluer, they founde them cleane contrary. _Cortes_
deuided his men, caused his horses to be trimmed, and planted his
ordinaunce at his dore, making himselfe as strong as though he had bene
in campe and néere his enimies. And commaunded, that none of his men
shoulde goe out of the house without his expresse licence vpö payne of
death. The officers of the Lorde prepared a plenteous supper for them,
and beddyng according to their vse.
The talke that the Lorde of Zempoallan
_had with Cortez_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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