Mutezuma receyued great pleasure at this aunswere, and sayd, your request shall be fulfilled: and incontinente he sent for many Carpenters. Likewise Cortes prepared certayne of his Marriners for Shipwrightes. All the which workemen went vnto great woddes of Pinetrées, and there cut downe the timber necessarye for the purpose. Mutezuma being a simple man, gaue credite to all Cortez his talke: Cortes likewise aduertised his men of his procéedings, and sayd vnto them, Mutezuma would haue vs departe out of his Countrey, bycause his vassals and the Diuell hathe entised him therevnto: wherefore it is néedefull that we build shipping, and therefore I praye you goe with these Indians, and procure to cut downe the best timber fit for oure purpose, and in the meane season God will prouide for vs, whose affayres we haue nowe in hand, of remedie and succour in suche sort that we lose not this frutefull countrey. It is also necessary, that whē you come vnto the wodde, that you make all the delay possible, giuing a shew that you are busie occupyed, and with great desire to make an ende, that those Indians may suspect nothing of oure pretence. Departe in Gods name, and aduise me alwayes what doth passe in your affaires.
The feare that our men stoode in to be sacrifised.
Eight dayes after their departure toward the woddes, arriued fiftéene saile of ships at the coast of Chalchicoeca. The Indians of that coast aduised Mutezuma therof, who was not a little afraide with the newes, & called Cortes vnto him, who feared asmuch some vprore there, and when they shewed Cortez yt Mutezuma was come forth into the yarde, he suspected that if Mutezuma pleased, they shoulde be all destroyed. Wherefore he said vnto his men, maisters and friends, Mutezuma hath sent me, considering what passed this other day, I hold it for no good token. I nowe goe to knowe his wyll: wherefore, whatsoeuer happen, be you alwayes vigilant and ready, commending your selues to God. Remember also whome ye are, and who are these Infidels, abhorred of God, and friends vnto the Diuel, without weapon, and experience in warre: if we chance to fight, the handes of each of vs shal shew by déede with sword, the vallor and courage of our heartes: yea, and although we all die, yet shall we remaine with victory, for that we haue fulfilled the thing we tooke in hand, and the seruice which we owe vnto God as faithfull Christiās, with our duetie as true subiects to our prince. They all answered, saying, we wil do all our possibilitie while life lasteth, withoute feare of perill or daunger, for we lesse estéeme deathe than honor. With this aunswere Cortes wente to Mutezuma, who sayde vnto him, Senior Captayne, you shall vnderstande that now you haue Shippes wherein you may departe, therefore now at your pleasure make you ready.
Cortez answered, not knowing of that shipping, saying, Mightie Sir, when my Shippes are finished I will depart, nay (quoth Mutezuma) I meane not those Shyppes, for there are ariued eleuen other Shippes at the coast néere vnto Zempoallan, and shortlye I shall be certifyed, whether the people that are come in them, are come a shore, and then shall we know what people, and how many they are in number. Blessed is Iesu Christe (quoth Cortez) vnto whome I giue most hartie thankes for his great mercies shewed vnto me, and to the Gentlemen of my company. One of Cortes his men went to shewe the glad tidings to their fellowes, who then receyued double strength, praysing God, and embraced one another wyth great pleasure and ioy. And Cortes with Mutezuma béeing in communication togither, came another poast, who broughte newes of fourescore Horsemen that were landed, with eyght hundred footemen, and twelue péeces of Ordinance, and shewed painted in a cloth the whole relation both of men, horses, shippes, and ordinance.
At the time of neede prouideth God.
Mutezuma hearing the newes that this poast hadde broughte, arose from his seate, and tooke Cortes in hys armes, saying, now do I more loue you, than I haue done héeretofore, and will this day dyne with you. Cortes gaue him thankes for the one and the other, and in this sorte wente hande in hand to Cortes his Chamber, who willed his Spanyards not to make any extraordinary ioy, or alteration, but that they shoulde kéepe all togither with vigilant watche, and to giue hartie thankes vnto God for the comfortable newes. Mutezuma and Cortes dyned togither with greate content and pleasure, the one thynking to abide and to enioy the kings state and Countrey, the other thinking that then they woulde auoyd the land. But notwithstanding all these ymaginations, a certaine Indian Captaine importuned Mutezuma secretely to kill all Cortes his menne, being but few in number, and then should he be the readier to dispatch the others that were newly come, and not to permitte them to ioyne one with another: yea and againe, when the newe come menne shoulde knowe of the deathe of their countreymen, they would not presume to abide in the lande.
A drunken reckoning.
With this counsell Mutezuma called many his friends and chiefe estates to counsell, propounding the case and iudgement of the Captaine, whych béeyng among them throughly hearde, there were many of sundrye opinions, but the conclusion was, to permitte the other Spanyards to come, saying, the more enimies, the more gaine, and if we kill but those whiche are héere, then the others wyll returne to their shippes, and so shall we not make the solemne sacrifice of them to the Gods, according to our desire. Mutezuma was occupyed in this counsell with fiue hundred noblemen and Gentlemen dayly, and accordyng to determination, they commaunded to cherish and serue Cortes and his company more than ordinary, saying their ioy was at an ende.