Cortez delayed the time to pitche his campe in the market place of Mexico, although daily his menn entrede and skirmished with in the Citie, for the causes before alleaged, and likewise to sée if Quahutimoc would yéeld himself. And also the entrie could not be but very daungerous, for the great multitude of enimies that filled vp the streates.
Al his company Spaniardes ioyntly, with the kings Treasurer, séeing the determination of Cortes, and the hurt already receyued, besought and also required him to passe his campe vnto the market place: who aunswered them, that they had spoken like valiaunt men, but as yet (quoth he) it is not time conuenient, & we oughte to consider better of the matter: for why? the enimies are fully determined to ende their liues in defence of that place. But his men replyed so muche, that hee was compelled to graunte to theyr requeste, and proclaymed the entraunce for the nexte daye following. Hee wrote also in his letters to Gonsalo de Sandoual, & to Pedro de Aluarado, the instructions of the things that they should doe, whiche was in effect, to Sandoual, that hee shoulde remoue hys campe wyth all hys fardage, as thoughe he woulde retire and flye, and that vppon the calsey he shoulde haue tenne horsemen in ambushe, behinde certaine houses to the intent that when the Citizens should espie thē flie, and would pursue after, thē to passe betwixt them and home with the said horsemen, & after the hurt done among them, in this sort, that then he with al his army shoulde come where Pedro de Aluarado aboade, with other tenne horsemen, a hundered footemen, and the Nauye of Vergantines, and leauing with hym his men, should then take thrée of the Vergantines, and to procure to winne that broken bridge, where Aluarado of late receiued the foyle: and if he fortuned to wynne that place, that then he should damme it vp, and make it sure, before he passed anye further: and the like order he gaue vnto him for al other broken places that he should passe.
Vnto Aluarado he gaue commission, that he shoulde passe as farre into the Citie as he myght possible, requyring him also to send vnto him eightie Spaniardes. Hée also appointed the other seauen Vergantines, to passe into both ye lakes, with thrée thousand Canoas. He deuided likewise all his army into thrée companies, bycause they had thre ways to enter into the citie. By the one of these wayes or streates, entred the Treasurer and Auditor, with seauentye Spaniardes, twentie thousande Indians, eight horsemen, twelue labourers with pickeaxes and Shouels, and many other ydle felowes, to cary earth and stones, and to fill vp the broken places, and to make the way plaine.
A kinde harted captaine.
The seconde streate he commended to George de Aluarado and Andres de Tapia, with eightie Spaniardes, tenne thousande Indians, two pieces of Ordinaunce, and eight horsemen. Cortes himselfe toke the thirde way, wyth a great number of friendes, and a hundred Spaniardes footemen, of the whiche were twentye fiue with Crossebowes and Harquebushes, and cōmaunded his horsemē which were eight in number, to abide there behinde, and not to falow after, vntil he shold sende for them. In thys order, and al at one instaut, they entred the Citie, shewing the harts of valiaunt men, greatly annoying the enemy, and wan many bridges, but when they came neare vnto ye towne house called Tianquiztli, there gathered togither such a number of the Indian friendes, who before theyr eyes scaled, entred, and robbed their houses, that they thought assuredly, that ye same day the citie had bin wonne. Cortez commaunded that they should procéede no further, saying, that they had done sufficientlye for that day, for also he feared afterclappes. He likewise demanded whether all the broken bridges were made sure, in the whych (quoth he) cōsisteth the peril and victorie. But those that went with the Treasurer, following victorie and spoyle, had left a bridge not well dammed vp, but verye hollowe and false, the whiche was of twelue paces broad, and two fadom in depth. When Cortez was aduertised hereof, he went thither to remedy the same, but he was no sooner come, when he sawe his men fléeing, and leaping into the water, with feare of the cruel enimies, which followed, who leapt after them into the water, to kill them. There came also along the calsey manye Indian boates of enimies, who toke many of ye Indian friends and Spaniards aliue. Then Cortes and other fiftéene persons, which were with him, serued for no other purpose but to helpe out of the water those that were fallen, some came wounded, and others halfe drowned, and without armour: yea and the multitude of enimies so beset Cortes, and his fiftéene companions, who wer helping their mē, and so occupyed in the same, that they had no regarde to their owne peril. Wherevpon certaine Mexicans layd hād vpō Cortes, who truly they had carried away if it had not bin for one Francisco de Olea his seruāt, who cut off at one blowe the armes of them that had hold of him, and he by the enemies was immediately slain, so that he died to saue his maisters life. Then came Antonio de Quinionez captaine of the guard, who caught Cortes by the arme, & by force pluckt him out of the throng of enimies, wyth whom valiantly he fought. But thē with the fame that Cortez was prisoner, came many spaniards, among whō was one horseman, who made some roome, but in shorte space they thrust him through the throte with a launce, and made him to retire. The fight ceassed a little, & Cortes had a horse brought vnto him, on the which he lightlye amounted, and gathering his men togither, came to the streate of Tlacopan, whiche was large and faire. There died Guzman his Chamberlayne, giuing a horse vnto his maister, whose death was much lamented among them all, for he was a man valiant, honeste, & welbeloued. There fel also into the water two horses, the one was saued, but the other was killed by the Indians. As the Treasurer and his company were Combatting a bulwarke, the enimies threw out of a window thrée Spaniards heads vnto them, saying, the like they would do with their heads, if they went not from thence the sooner. They séeing this sight, and likewise cōsidered the great hurte and spoyle made among them, began to retire by little and little.
The Mexican Priestes went vp into the Towres of Tlatelulco, and made their fiers in chafing dishes, and put therevnto the swéete gūme of Copalli in token of victorie, and forthwith stripped fiftie Spaniards captiues as naked as they were borne, and with their fine rasors opened them in the breastes, and pluckt out their hartes for an offering to the Idols, and sprinckled their bloud in the ayre. Our men seing before their eies the doleful sight, would fain haue gone to reuēge the cruel custome. But as time then required they had ynough to doe, to put themselues in sauetie through the great troupe of Indians which came vpon them, who now feared neither horse nor sword. This day as ye haue heard, were fortie Spaniards sacrificed, and Cortes wounded in one of hys legges, and thirtie moe of his men: they loste a piece of Ordinance, and foure horses. Also that day was slayne aboue two thousand Indian friends, and many Canoas lost and the Vergantines in great daunger, and the captain and maister of one of them were wounded. Whereof the captaine died within eight dayes, the same day wer also slaine foure of Aluarado his men, that daye was an vnfortunate or dismal day, and the nyght heauy, sorrowfull and replenished with lamentable griefe among the spaniardes and their friendes. On the other side, the Mexicās tryumphed with ioy, and made great bonefiers, blewe their hornes, stroke vp their drummes, daunced, banqueted and dranke themselues drunk: they also opened their streats and bridges, as they were before, and placed their scout and watch about the Citie. And as soone as it was day, the king Quehutimoc, sent two Christians heads, and two horse heads into al the comarcanes there aboute, to signifye their victorie and to require them to forsake the Christians friendship, promising in short space to make the like ende of all those that remayned, and deliuer the countrey from warre, these things encouraged some prouinces to take armour againste Cortes being his allied friendes, as Maliualco and Cuixco. This newes was soone blowen abroade into many prouinces, wherevppon our men feared rebellion among their new friends, yea and mutinie in their owne campe, but it pleased god that it fel out otherwise. The next day Cortes came out againe to fight, to shewe face to the enimies, but he turned again from the first bridge, without doing any great act.