50000. mē.
Faythfull friendes.
Being day, they iourneyed in plaine and straight way, directly to the Mountaynes and Prouince of Tlaxcallan, they passed by a swéete foūtaine of water, where they wel refreshed themselues, and after they came to Huazilipan, a towne of Tlaxcallan, of .4000. housholdes, where they were louingly receiued & abundantly prouided for thrée dayes, whiche they abode there refreshing & curing their weary bodies. Some of the townes men would giue thē nothing without payment, but the moste parte did vse them very gently: Vnto this Towne came Maxixca, Xicotencatlh, Axotecalth, and many other principall persons of Tlaxcallan, and Huexozinca with .50000. men of warre, who were going to Mexico to succour the Spaniardes, knowyng of their troubles, but not of their hurte and spoyle, yet some holde opinion that they hauyng certayne knowledge of all theyr mishappes and flight from Mexico, came only to comforte them, and in the name of all theyr communaltie and state, to offer them their Towne, in conclusion, they séemed sorrowfull for their misfortunes, and agayne ioyfull to sée them there: Yea some of them with anguishe of harte wepte, and sayde, wée did aduise and warne yée, that the Mexicans were Traytours and wicked persons, and yet yée woulde not beléeue vs: wée doe pyttie and bewayle your troubles, but if it please you, lette vs goe thither to reuenge your iniuries, and the death of your Christians, and our Citizens: and if now ye will not, that then it may please you to goe with vs home to our houses, for to recreate youre persons, and to cure your woundes.
Cortes did cordially reioyce, to heare and finde such succour and friendship, in such good men of warre, whereof he stoode in doubt as he came thitherward. He gaue them most hartie thankes for their louing offer, curtesie, and good will. He gaue vnto them of such Iewels as remayned, and sayd vnto them, the time will come, that I shall desire your helpe against the Mexicans, but now presently it is néedefull, to cure my sicke and wounded men.
The noble men that were there present, besought him to giue them leaue to skirmish with the Indians of Culhua, for as yet many of them wandered there aboute. Cortes graunted their request, and sente with them some of hys men, which were lustie, and in good health, who procéeded forth all togither, and in that iourney slewe many Indian enimies, so that after this time, the enimies appeared no more. Then with triumph, pleasure, and victory, they departed toward the Citie, and oure men followed. It is credibly reported, that twenty thousande men and women met them by the way with sundry kindes of meates: I do beléeue that the most of them came to sée them, for the great loue whiche they bare vnto them, and likewise to enquire of their friends which had gone with them to Mexico, of whome few returned. In Tlaxcallan they were honorable receyued, and well vsed. Maxixca gaue hys house to Cortes, and the residue of hys company were hosted at Gentlemens houses, who cherished them excéedingly, whereby they forgate the paynes, sorrowes, and trauels past, for in fiftéene dayes before, they lay on the bare ground.
Certaynely the Spanyardes were muche indebted to the Tlaxcaltecas, for their loyaltie and faithfull friendship, especially vnto that good and vertuous Gentleman Maxixca, who threwe Xicotencatl downe the stayres and steppes of the chiefe Temple, for giuing his counsell to kyll the Spanyardes, meaning to reconcile hymselfe with the Mexicans.
He also made two Orations, the one to the men, and the other to the women, in the greate fauoure and prayse of the Spanyardes, putting them in remembrance, howe that they hadde not eaten salt, nor worne cloth of cotten wooll in many yeares before, vntil now that their friends were come: and to this day these Indians doe muche presume of their fidelitie, and likewise of the resistance and battayle they made with Cortes in Teoacazinco, so that now when they celebrate any great feast, or receyue any Christian vizeking, there commeth of them out into the field sixtie or seauentie thousande men, to skirmishe and fight in the same order as they did with Cortes.
The protestation and request of the Souldyers to Cortes.
