Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/240

216 Your Highness. It was thus set down by a notary public, through the interpreters whom I had.

I still determined to go with them, not only to avoid showing any weakness, but also because from there I thought to treat affairs with Montezuma, as they bounded upon his country, as I have already said, and there was unimpeded intercourse between the two countries.

When the Tascaltecas saw my determination, they were much grieved, and told me repeatedly that I erred, but inasmuch as they had given themselves as vassals to Your Sacred Majesty, and my friends, they wished to go with me, and help me in any emergency. Although I forbade them, and prayed them not to go inasmuch as there was no necessity for it, still as many as about a hundred thousand men, well furnished for warfare, accompanied me to within about two leagues from the city, when after many importunities, they returned, though some five or six thousand of them still remained with me.

I slept in a dry river bed about two leagues distant, to disperse the people, fearing they might cause some scandal in the city, and also because it was already late, and I did not wish to enter the city at a late hour. The next morning, the citizens came out to receive me on the road, with many trumpets, and drums, and also many priests from their mosques, clothed in their vestments, and chanting in the fashion they are accustomed to do in the said mosques. With this solemnity they brought us into the city, where they housed us in a very good dwelling place, where all the people of my company