O vvorthy Cortes.
The nexte day in the mornyng the Cholollans thinkyng that they had their determinate purpose in good readinesse, they came and brought many to carry their fardage, & other some to carry the Spaniardes vppon their backes, hopyng to apprehēd them in the same order. There came also many armed men of the most valiantest, to kill him that should disorder himselfe. Likewise that day their Priests sacrificed ten children of thrée yeares of age to their God Quezalcouatl, fiue of these children were menne, and the other fiue wemen, whiche was their custome when they began their warres: the Captaynes placed themselues at the foure dores of Cortes his house with some armed men. Cortes earely in the mornyng had secretely in a readinesse the Indians of Zempoallan and Tlaxcallan, and other friends: he cōmaunded his horsemen to take their horses, giuing them this watche worde, that when they hearde the noyse of the shotte of a handgun, that then they should play the mē, for it imported all their liues. And he seing the townes men approch néere his lodging, commaunded ye captaynes & chiefest of them to come vnto him, saying, yt he would take his leaue of them: there came many, but he would not suffer aboue thirtie persons to come in, who were the principallest, and declared vnto thē, that alwaies he had dealte truly with them, & they with him nothing but treason and lies. Likewise they had vnder colour requested that his friēds the Tlaxcaltecas shuld not come vnto their towne, & that he fulfilled therein their desire, & also cōmaunded his own men in no wise to be hurtful vnto thē, yea & although they had not prouided him of victuals as reason did require, yet he would not permit any of his men to take the value of one henne from them, so that in recompence of all his gentle dealings and good will, they had moste wickedly procured the death of him and all his companie. And bycause they coulde not performe it in their owne towne, they had prepared the slaughter in the high way, at those daungerous places whiche they had determined to leade them vnto, pretendyng also the helpe of thirtie thousand men, Souldiers of Mutezuma, whiche army stoode not fully two leagues from thence. And for this horrible and detestable wickednesse yée shall all die, and in memory of traytors I will destroy this cittie, and turne the fundations vpwardes, so that there shall remayne no remembraunce of you.
Their offence beyng manifest, coulde not be denied, and lookyng one vpon an other, their colours waxed pale and wanne, saying, this man is lyke vnto our Goddes, who knoweth all things, therefore lette vs not denie the truth, and openly before the Embassadours of Mutezuma confesse their errour and euill facte.
Then sayd Cortes to the Embassadours, you do sée that we should haue bene slaine by the Cholollans, and through the procurement of Mutezuma, but yet I beleue it not, cōsideryng that he is my friende and a mightie Prince, saying also that Noble men vsed neyther treason nor lyes, wherefore feare not you, but these dissemblyng Traytors shall be punished, for you are persons inuiolable and messengers of a Prince, whome he meante to serue and not offende, bicause he had an assured opinion in Mutezuma, to be a vertuous Prince, and one that woulde not committe villanie.
All these wordes he spake, bycause he woulde not fall out with Mutezuma, vntill he sawe himselfe within the Cittie of Mexico.
Incontinent he commaunded some of those Captaines to be slayne, and kepte the residue bounde. Then he shotte off hys handgun, whiche was the watch vnto his armye, who forthwith sette vppon the Townesmen, and within two houres slewe sixe thousand persons and more.
Cortes commaunded that they shoulde kill neyther woman nor childe: they foughte welnéere fyue houres: they sette fire on all the houses and Towers that made resistance, and draue all the inhabitantes out of the Towne. The dead carcases lay so thicke, that of force they must treade vpon them.
There were twentie Gentlemen, and many Priestes, who ascended vp to the high tower of the temple, whiche hathe a hundred and twenty steppes, from whence wyth arrowes and stones they did much hurt, and woulde not yéelde, wherevpon oure men set fier to the Tower, and burned them all. Then they exclaymed on their Goddes, who woulde neyther helpe them nor their Citie and holy sanctuary.