Page:Historia Verdadera del Mexico profundo.djvu/209

 ''do everything what he ordered; and for this and for the reasons given to them, were very happy to do, and that from that time onwards they were vassals of his Highness and from there all together and each one promised it, and also promised, to make and fulfill all that under the name of the royal majesty was commanded of them, as good and loyal vassals must do, and to come with all taxes and services made before for Moctezuma and were obligated, and everything else that was ordered in the name of his highness. All of which was registered by the public scribe, and registered it in the form, and I asked for it as such for testimony in the presence of many spaniards.''

After this event and offer these gentlemen made of service to your royal majesty, spoke one day to the Moctezuma, and told him that your highness was in need of gold for certain works that were ordered, and that he begged for him to send some of his people, and that I would also send some spaniards over land and homes of those gentlemen that there had offered, to beg them for what they had served your Majesty with some of it." (Hernán Cortés, second relation letter of October 30, 1520).  [*Text added by the author for text clarity]

This testimony demystifies the "warrior feat" of spanish adventurers, and clarifies the real mexica tragedy. If there was subsequently a large massacre and fighting, it was only caused by the criminal stupidity and excessive ambition of the spanish. Shortly after this fact, Cortés ordered Moctezuma prisoner, who had hosted them in his own house and torture him forcing him to surrender the gold he possessed.

''The great massacre and the war origin. ''

At that time Panfilo de Narvaez arrives in Veracruz, sent by the Governor of Cuba with 19 ships and a thousand four hundred men to take him prisoner, by having escaped fugitive from Cuba and betraying him along with all investors who had financed the expedition. However, Cortés very cunning in corrupting the new adventurers, not soldiers; since Velázquez almost depopulated Cuba to form the capture expedition, and because