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138 into the town and taking the Cholulans prisoners, so deeply rooted was their hatred.

At last the Cholulans begged us to pardon them, saying we had punished the real traitors. Upon this Cortes desired them all to come back to their homes, and he promised no harm should befall them. The long feud between Tlaxcalans and Cholulans Cortes also at this time healed, and a good understanding grew between them that has never since been disturbed.

As soon as the town was again filled with its people and the markets open as usual, Cortes called together all the papas, caciques and other leaders of the city, and set clearly before them matters of our holy religion, telling them they must cease worshiping idols and committing other offences; that they now saw how their gods had lied only five days before when they promised them victory. They must pull down their idols, he told them, and clean and whitewash their temples that we might fit up a chapel and set a cross there. Through several days they kept delaying, though many times Cortes ordered them to do this. Finally Padre de Olmedo eased the mind of our captain by assuring him that it was too much to take away their idols before they had some understanding of our faith, that time would give us experience in the way to guide them, and we ought first to see how our expedition to Mexico