The taking of Mexico.
In the order before declared, wanne Hernando Cortes the famous cittie of Mexico, on tuesday being the .xiij. of August, An. 1521. in remembraunce wherof, and of the great victory, euery yéere on that day they make a sumptuous feast & solemne procession, wherin is carried the standart royall, with the whiche the cittie was won. The siege endured thrée moneths, & had therein .200000. Indians .900. Spaniardes .80. horses .17. péeces of ordinaunce, 13. Vergantines, & 6000. Canoas. In this siege were slayne fiftie Spaniardes & sixe horses, & no great number of the Indians their friends. There was slaine on the cōtrary side a hundred thousand, and some affirme many moe: but I speake not of them that died with hunger and pestilence.
At the defence of the citie were al the nobilitie, by reason wherof many were slayne. The multitude of people was great, who eate litle, dranke salte water, and slepte among the dead bodies, where was a horrible stenche: for these causes the disease of pestilence fell among them, and thereof died an infinite number. Wherevpon is to be considered, their stedfaste determination, for although they were afflicted with such hunger, that they were dryuen to eate boughes, ryndes of trées, and to drinke salte water, yet woulde they not yéelde themselues. But at the laste they would haue submitted them, and then their kyng Quahutimoc woulde not, bycause at the begynnyng they refused his will and counsell, and also with their generall deaths, should appeare no cowardise, for they kept the dead bodies in theyr houses to kéepe that secrete from theyr enimies. Here also is to bée noted, that although the Mexicans eate mans fleshe, yet they eate none of their owne Cittie or friendes, as some doe thynke: for if they had, there woulde not so many haue died with hunger. The Mexican women were highly commended, not onely bycause they aboade with their husbandes and Fathers, but also for the greate paynes they tooke with the sicke and wounded persons, yea and also they laboured in makyng slings, cuttyng stones fitte for the same, and throwyng stones from the soties, for therein they dyd as muche hurte as their men. The Cittie was yéelded to the spoyle, and the Spanyardes tooke the Golde, Plate and Feathers, the Indian friends had all the rest of cloth and other stuffe.
Cortes commaunded greate bonfiers to be made in token of victory, and also to mortifie the horrible stenche of the dead bodies, whome he lykewise commaunded to be buried, and some of the prysoners menne and women he caused to be marked in the face, for the Kings slaues, and pardoned all the residue. He commaunded the Vergantines to bée brought ashore, and appoynted one Villa fuerte, with .80. men to guarde thē, fearyng least the Mexicans shold set fire or otherwise destroy them. In this businesse he occupied himself foure dayes, & then remoued his campe to Culhuacan, where he rendred hartie thanks to all the Gentlemen his friendes, promysing to gratifie their good and faythfull seruice, desiryng them to departe home to theyr houses, cōsidering ye warre was at an end, wherevpon they departed almost all in generall, both rich and iocond with the spoyle of Mexico, and also to remayne in the fauour and grace of Cortes.
Maruellous signes and tokens of the destruction of Mexico.
Not long before Hernando Cortes came vnto the newe Spayne, did many nightes after the midnighte appeare in the aire, and in the same port and place where Cortes entred into that land, great lightning of fire, whiche amounted vpward, and suddaynely vaded away. The Mexicans at that time saw flames of fire toward the orient, where now Vera Crux standeth, with a great and thicke smoke, that séemed to touche the heauen and earthe: thys sight was fearfull vnto them.