Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/264

240 or unpleasantness, but rather that, in addition to his own attendants, my companions would also obey his commands. We had much conversation and argument about this, which would be too lengthy to write, and even too prolix to recount to Your Highness, as well as of little bearing on the case, hence I will not say more than that finally he agreed to come with me, and immediately gave orders to prepare the apartment he wished to occupy, which was well fitted up, and put in order. This having been done, many lords came, and having taken off their vestments, which they carried under their arms, barefooted they brought the litter, not much adorned, and, weeping, they placed him on it, in profound silence. Thus we went to my quarters without causing any commotion in the city, although some had begun, but, when Montezuma heard of it, he ordered it to be stopped, and thus all was as completely quiet as though nothing had happened; and this continued all the time I kept Montezuma prisoner, for he lived at his entire pleasure, and with all his service, just as he had it in his own palace, which was great and marvellous, as I will hereafter say. And I, and those of my company, did everything we could to please him.

Some fifteen or twenty days having passed since his imprisonment, those who had been sent for Qual Monte- zuma in Chains popoca, and the others who had killed the Spaniards, returned, bringing the said Qualpopoca, and one of his sons, and with them fifteen other persons whom they said had taken part in the murders. Qualpopoca was carried in a litter, very much in the style of a lord, as he in reality was. They were delivered to me, and I kept them under guard in prison, and afterwards when they confessed that they had killed the Spaniards, I had them interrogated as to whether they were vassals of Montezuma. Qualpopoca answered, asking if there existed any other lord