Cortes pretended to enter the Citie, and to gette what he could, & also to sée what stomacke the enimy had: he sent to aduise his captaines, that eche of them should do the like, requiring them to sende vnto him some of their horsemen and footemē. He gaue speciall commaundement to Cristoual de Olid to haue regard to the kéeping of his calsey, and to forsée that the inhabitants of Xochmilco, Culhuacan, Iztacpalapan, Vitzilopuchtli, Mexicalcinco, Cuetlauac, & other cities thereaboutes come not that way behinde them and vnwares. He commaunded that the Vergantines should goe along the calsey on bothe the sides, if any néede shoulde happen. Cortes early in the morning came out of his campe with .200. Spaniardes and .80000. Indian friends: they had gone but a small space, when they met with their enimies well armed, keping the gappe where the calsey was brokē, which broken place mought be a speares length, and as much in depth. They fought with them, who for a great space defended themselues behinde a bulwarke, but in fine he wanne the passage, and followed them vnto the entrance of the citie, where was a Tower, and at the foote thereof a bridge drawen, where a good streame of water passed. This place was very strong to combat, yea and fearefull to behold the passage where the draw bridge was. They ceased not shotyng of arrowes and hurlyng of stones, so that our men coulde not come neare, vntill the Vergantines came, and by meanes of them they wanne that fort with lesser paynes than they imagined: for without the Vergantines it had not bene possible to haue entred the Cittie.
The enimies being now fled from that holde, our men alanded there, with the Indian friendes, who incontinent dammed vp the broken place with stones and earth. The Spaniardes of the vantgarde, tooke another bulwarke, which was planted in the largest and fayrest streate of the Citie, and pursued the enemy to another draw bridge, which remayned, but with one poste or beame, vppon the which many of the Indians passed ouer, and then toke ye beame awaye and aboue to defende the place: but when our men approched & sawe how the matter went, Cortez commaunded two pieces of Ordinaunce to be broughte, with the whiche, and with their Harquebushes, they did great hurt among the Mexicans, who began to fainte, and lose their courage, the which being vnderstoode, certayne Spaniards swā ouer where the draw bridge was, wt their weapons in their mouthes. But when the enimy sawe them passe ouer, they began, as well from that place as from the house toppes, zoties and bulwarke, whiche they had defended for the space of two houres, to flie. Cortes and his whole army beyng passed ouer, he commaunded to damme vp that broken place of the drawe brydge, with earth, rubbishe and stones, and procéedyng forwarde they came to an other bridge whiche had no bulwarke, but was neare one of the chiefest places of the cittie, and there placed a péece of ordinaunce wherewith they dyd greate hurte, and seyng them now past all the bridges, they determined to enter into the harte of the Citie. When the Mexicans perceyued their determination, they beganne to prouide euery one for himselfe, for some fledde one way and some another, but the moste wente to the great temple of Idols. The Spaniardes and theyr friends pursued after them, and among the throng gotte into the Temple, where they slewe many, and at length they wente vp into the high tower, and there threwe downe the idols, among whome they made a great spoyle.
Quahutimoc beganne to reprehende his men for their cowardie and flight, who gathered themselues togither, and considering theyr ouersight, and that there were no horses, began a freshe to sette vppon the Spanyardes, and with force and strength draue them out of all the circuite of the Temple, and made them truste to their féete. But when Cortes sawe his menne come flying, he caused them to returne and to shewe face vnto the enimy, declaryng vnto them how shamefull a thyng it was to flie: But seing the strength and multitude of their enimies, they had no other remedie but onely to retire to the greate market place, yea & from thence also they were expelled, and lost a péece of their ordinaunce. But beyng nowe in this extremitie, there came thrée horsemen who played the valiant men and made way through the troupe of enimies, who at the sight of the horses began to flie, and our men to follow with suche harte and courage, that in short time they wan the great temple agayne: then came other sixe horsemen who ioyned with the other thrée, and lay in ambushe, where they slew .30. Mexicans. The day being now farre spent, and the nighte at hande, Cortes commaunded his army to retire, and they obeying his commandemēt, hadde not so soone turned their backes, but an infinite number of enimies were at their héeles, who if it hadde not bin for the Horsemen, had slayne many Spanyardes, for they came vpon them like rauening dogges without any feare, yet with the succoure of the Horsemen, the enimie was putte agayne to flighte, and our men burned many houses, to auoyde at their next comming the daunger of stones whiche were throwen from their toppes. The other Captaynes, who were Sandoual and Aluarado, fought valiantly on the other side of the Citie.
The great hurt and dammage in the houses of Mexico with fire.
In this meane while, Don Hernando of Tezcuco, wente throughout his Lordship, to allure his vassall to the seruice and friendship of Cortes, according to his former promise: and whether it were seyng the Spanyards prosperitie in the séege of Mexico, or otherwise, he broughte almost the whole prouince of Culhuacan, whiche is vnder the gouernemente of Tezcuco, with sixe or seauen of his owne bréethren, for more he could not, although he had more than a hundred bréethren, as héereafter shall be declared. One of them named Iztlixuchilh béeyng a valiant yong man, of the age of foure and twenty yeares, he appoynted generall Captayne ouer fiftie thousande men of warre, well armed and trimmed according to their fashion. Cortes dyd friendly receyue and welcome them, giuing them greate thankes for their ayde and good willes. Of these newcome men, he tooke into his owne host thirtie thousande, and deuided the residue equally among the other Captaynes.
This was a sorrowfull newes to the Mexicans, to heare of the succoure which Don Hernando hadde sente to serue Cortes, and with holden the same from them, yea and also among them were come kinsmen, bréethren, and fathers to many of them which were in Mexico in the seruice of Quahutimoc.
Two dayes after that these menne were come, there came also men of Xochmilco, and certayne husbandmen of the Moūtaines, who spake the Otomitlh spéech, beséeching Cortes to pardon their long tarrying, offering also both men and vittayles for the séege. Cortes was pleased wyth their cōming and gentle offer, for they being his friēds, he was assured of them of Culhuacan, and sayd vnto them, within these thrée daies (God willing) I wil combate the Citie, therefore againste that time I praye you prepare your selues accordingly, and therein shall I knowe whether you are my friendes or no: and with this aunswere they departed, promising to fulfill his request, as they did in déede. This done, he sente thrée Vergātines to Sandoual, and other thrée to Aluarado, for to disturbe anye succoure that mighte come from the land to the Citie, and likewise to defende and ayde the Spanyardes at all times, when they would land vpon the calsey, to combate the Citie, for he well vnderstoode howe profitable those vessels would be néere vnto the bridges.
The Captaines of the Vergantines ceased not night and day to runne the coast and Townes of the lake, where they tooke manye boates from the enimies, laden with men and victuall, and permitted none to come into the Citie, nor yet any to come out.