A valiant Captayne.
Cortes being aduertised of this newes, withoute anye more respect to his purgation taken, tooke his horse, and with his menne came to the encounter, and foughte with his enimies all day till it was nighte, and draue them a good way off, to their great hurt, and then returned to his Camp, and the next day following, he purged as fresh, as though it had bin newly taken. I doe not rehearse thys for a miracle but to declare what he passed: for Hernando Cortez was a greate sufferer of trauell and paynes, and one of ye firste that alway was at any assay or brunt of enimies, and he was not onely a good man of his handes, but also graue in counsell. And hauing thus purged hym selfe, and taken rest those dayes, he watched euery night that fell to his lotte, as well as any other souldier, and so continually he vsed to do. He was not for this the lesse estéemed, but rather muche the more beloued among hys men.
Hovv Cortez vvan a great Citie called Zimpanzinco.
An euill Spirite appeared.
A couragious Captayne.
In an euening Cortes went vp to the toppe of his Tower, and looking rounde aboute hym, he espyed aboute foure leagues distant in the Mountaynes among rockes and procéeding out of a wodde dyuers smokes, whereby he ymagined people to be there: he opened not his minde to anye man, but commaunded two hundred of his men to followe hym, and some Indians hys friendes, and within thrée or foure houres of the nyghte he toke hys iourney towarde the Mountaynes, béeing very darke. He had not fully gone a league, when suddaynely appeared the lykenesse of a great Bull whiche ouerthrewe them that they could not stirre. The firste Horseman béeing fallen, they aduysed Cortez thereof, who aunswered, that he shoulde returne wyth hys Horse to the Campe: and incontinente fell another, Cortez commaunded hym the lyke: and when thrée or foure were fallen, his company retyred, saying, it was an euill token, desiring him to returne and abyde the morning, that they myghte sée whether they wente. He aunswered, saying, yée oughte to gyue no credite to witchcraftes or fantasies, for God, whose cause we take in hande, is aboue all nature: wherefore I will not leaue my pretended iourney, for I doe ymagine that of thys nyghtes trauell shall come greate ease and pleasure, saying, that the Deuill hathe in this forme of a Bull appeared, to disturbe vs. He hadde no sooner ended his talke, when hys Horse fell likewise: then counsell was taken what was best to be done.
It was determined that the Horses which were fallē, should be returned to the Campe, and that of the residue, eache Horseman should leade hys Horse by the bridle, and so proceede on theyr way, and shortly after the Horses were well agayne, but they neuer knewe of what motion they hadde fallen: wyth the darkenesse of the nyghte they lost theyr way to the Mountaynes, and chanced into a cragged rockie waye, that they thoughte neuer to haue come out thereof.
A famous Cortez.