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.
[Sidenote: An euill Spirite appeared.]
[Sidenote: A couragious Captayne.]
In an euening _Cortes_ went vp to the toppe of his Tower, and looking
rounde aboute hym, he espyed aboute foure leagues distant in the
Mountaynes among rockes and procéeding out of a wodde dyuers smokes,
whereby he ymagined people to be there: he opened not his minde to
anye man, but commaunded two hundred of his men to followe hym, and
some _Indians_ hys friendes, and within thrée or foure houres of the
nyghte he toke hys iourney towarde the Mountaynes, béeing very darke.
He had not fully gone a league, when suddaynely appeared the lykenesse
of a great Bull whiche ouerthrewe them that they could not stirre.
The firste Horseman béeing fallen, they aduysed _Cortez_ thereof, who
aunswered, that he shoulde returne wyth hys Horse to the Campe: and
incontinente fell another, _Cortez_ commaunded hym the lyke: and when
thrée or foure were fallen, his company retyred, saying, it was an
euill token, desiring him to returne and abyde the morning, that they
myghte sée whether they wente. He aunswered, saying, yée oughte to gyue
no credite to witchcraftes or fantasies, for God, whose cause we take
in hande, is aboue all nature: wherefore I will not leaue my pretended
iourney, for I doe ymagine that of thys nyghtes trauell shall come
greate ease and pleasure, saying, that the Deuill hathe in this forme
of a Bull appeared, to disturbe vs. He hadde no sooner ended his talke,
when hys Horse fell likewise: then counsell was taken what was best to
be done.
It was determined that the Horses which were fallë, should be returned
to the Campe, and that of the residue, eache Horseman should leade hys
Horse by the bridle, and so proceede on theyr way, and shortly after
the Horses were well agayne, but they neuer knewe of what motion they
hadde fallen: wyth the darkenesse of the nyghte they lost theyr way
to the Mountaynes, and chanced into a cragged rockie waye, that they
thoughte neuer to haue come out thereof.
[Sidenote: A famous Cortez.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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