Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/188

154 nor tell the truth; and we well knew that in this quarter of the world there was not another so illustrious monarch, and not without reason had he been praised to our king."

While this conversation went on Montezuma had secretly sent one of his nephews with orders to his stewards to bring certain pieces of gold and ten loads of cotton, which he now divided between Cortes and the four officers present; and to each of us five soldiers present he gave two chains of gold for the neck and two loads of cotton cloth. Everything he gave was with the best of will, and with an air of dignity befitting a great monarch.

It was now past noon and Cortes began to fear that our longer stay might prove tedious, so rising from his seat he said, "Montezuma, in your kindness you have the habit of every day heaping favor on favor. But it is now your dinner hour." The monarch in turn thanked us for coming to visit him, and taking our leave with many courtesies we returned to our lodgings.