[1228] ‘Hiço herrar algunos Hombres, y Mugeres por Esclavos; à todos los demàs dexò en libertad.’ Torquemada, 573. ‘À muchos indios é indias, porque estaban dados por traydores,’ says Oviedo, iii. 517. Cortés stayed and punished those who took slaves, ‘aunque todavia herraron en la cara á algunos mancebos y mugeres.’ So states the native record of Sahagun, Hist. Conq. (ed. 1840), 231. But if he punished slave-takers it was for not declaring the capture to the royal official. Duran reduces his account of Spanish liberality to an absurdity, but more from politic reasons than because he had not at hand better evidence, Hist. Ind., MS., ii. 510.
[1229] Hist. Verdad., 156. ‘Io sospetto, che da’ Messicani lasciati fossero a bella posta insepolti i cadaveri, per iscacciar colla puzza gli Assediatori.’ Clavigero, Storia Mess., iii. 231. But this is unlikely. A severe siege will produce such results.
[1230] Bernal Diaz relates that although wine and provisions from Cuba were abundantly dispensed at the banquet, yet there was not room for one third of the soldiers, and much discontent grew out of it, partly from the utterances of drunken men. A dance followed. Father Olmedo complained of so much revelry before the rendering of due thanks to God. Cortés pleaded that soldiers must be allowed some license, but the following day was set apart for religious services. Hist. Verdad., 156.
[1231] Bustamante comments on the non-fulfilment of the promises to Tlascala, saying that the republic was rightly served for lending herself to the invaders. Sahagun, Hist. Conq., 144. On their way home, says Ixtlilxochitl, the Tlascaltecs and their neighbors plundered Tezcuco and other towns. With the slaves carried home by his namesake, he adds consolingly, the destroyed palaces of Tezcuco were rebuilt. Hor. Crueldades, 52-3. The Tlascaltecs ‘aun lleuaron hartas cargas de tasajos cecinados de Indios Mexicanos, que repartieron entre sus parientes ... por fiestas.’ Bernal Diaz, Hist. Verdad., 157.
[1232] ‘Non dubitamus quin justa sint bella ... in eos qui humanam carnem epulantur,’ etc. De Jure Belli, lib. ii. cap. xx.
[1233] Alvarado was Ajax; Maxixcatzin, Nestor; Quauhtemotzin, Hector. Chevalier, Mex. Ancien, 232-41.
Transcriber’s Note
Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have been preserved. Simple typographical errors have been corrected.
In some cases, Bancroft uses both “u” and “v” to spell an author’s name, e.g. Vetancurt and Vetancvrt.
Other archaic letter substitutions include “b” for “v”, “i” for “y”, “x for “j”, “i for “j”, “ç” or “c” for “z” and vice versa. These have been left as printed.