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.
And after a whyle that they had gone this euill waye, wyth their heare
standing with very feare, they espyed a little lyghte, and tooke the
way thyther, where they founde a little house, wherein were two Women,
and those Women, with other two women that afterwards they mette,
conducted them to the Wildernesse, where they had espyed the smoke, and
before day they sette vpon certayne Villages, and slewe many, yet they
burned not those Villages, bycause they should not be perceyued through
the lyght thereof. They receyued there aduyse, that néere at hand were
great populations and soone after he came to _Zimpanzinco_, a towne
of twenty thousand houses, as after dyd appeare by the visitation of
_Cortes_. These inhabitantes béeyng vnaduised of this suddayne happe,
were taken in their beddes, and came out all naked through the stréetes
to knowe what the great mourning and lamentation meante: at the first
entrance many were slayne, but bycause they made no resistance,
_Cortez_ commaunded to ceasse from killyng, nor yet to take any of
theyr goodes, or women.
The feare of these poore inhabitantes was so greate, that they fledde
without respect of the father to the child, or husbande to the Wyfe, or
yet eyther of house or goodes.
_Cortes_ commaunded sygnes of peace to be made vnto them, and with that
they stayed, and before the Sunne rising, the Towne was pacifyed.
_Cortez_ went vp into a Tower to descry the Countrey, and there
espyed a moste greate population: he then demaunded what it was:
aunswere was made that it was called _Tlaxcallan_, and the Townes
therevnto apperteynyng. Then he called hys Spanyardes, and sayd vnto
them: beholde, what woulde it haue preuayled vs to kyll these poore
soules, hauyng yonder so manye enimies? and wythoute doyng anye more
hurte in that Towne, hée wente to a fayre Fountayne there at hande,
and thyther came the Rulers of that Towne, and other foure hundred
menne withoute weapon, and broughte wyth them muche victuall, most
humbly they besought _Cortes_ to doe them no more hurte, gyuing hym
likewise greate thankes, that hée hadde so fauourablye vsed them,
offering both to serue and obey hym, and from that daye forwarde they
woulde not onely kéepe hys friendshippe, but also trauell wyth the
Lordes of _Tlaxcallan_ and others, that they should doe the same.
_Cortez_ replyed, that sure he was, howe they had foughte agaynste
hym before that time, although that nowe they broughte hym meate, yet
notwithstandyng hée pardoned them, and also receyued them into hys
seruice and friendshippe, to the vse of the Emperoure.
Wyth thys communication he departed from them, and returned to the
Campe verye ioyfull wyth so good successe, hauyng such a daungerous
beginning, wyth the suddayne fall of theyr Horses, wherein the Prouerbe
is fulfylled, whyche sayeth, Speake not euill of the daye, till it be
at an ende.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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