Chapter 13: The Massacre Of Cholula.
The Tlascalans had, from the moment when they admitted themselvesbeaten by the Spaniards, laid aside all hostility; and had, indeed,accepted the alliance with enthusiasm. They had a right to be proudof their own valor, for they had resisted all the attempts of thegreat Aztec monarchy to conquer them, and had defeated, withslaughter, greatly superior forces; and that a mere handful ofwhite men should be able to withstand their attacks, day after day,and to defeat their best and hardiest troops, led by generals whohad hitherto been always successful, excited their surprise andadmiration in the highest degree. They were not gods, they knew,for some had been killed in the conflict; but as men they seemed tothem infinitely superior, in strength and courage, to any that theyhad before heard of; and they were proud to enter into an alliancewith such heroes. Moreover, they saw they would now have anopportunity of turning the tables upon their enemies of the plains.
They did not believe, for a moment, that Montezuma would admit thewhite men to his capital, and in that case there would be greatbattles, and perhaps much plunder to be gained; and therefore, whenthe Spaniards were again ready to advance, the whole fighting forceof Tlascala was placed at their disposal. Cortez, however, declinedto take with him so large an army. The appearance of such a force,composed of the bitter foes of the Aztecs, would have combinedagainst him the whole strength of that empire, and would havedestroyed any hope that might remain of peaceful arrangements.Moreover, the difficulty of feeding so large a body of men would begreat, indeed; and as his authority over them would be but feeble,constant broils with the Aztecs would be the inevitable result. Hetherefore, with many thanks, declined the offer; but said that hewould gladly take with him a force of six thousand volunteers.
The first march was to be to Cholula, whose people had sent a warminvitation to Cortez to visit them; and Montezuma, by his lastenvoys, also requested them to journey forward by way of that city.
The Tlascalans had strongly urged him to refuse the invitation. TheCholulans were, they said, a treacherous people and not to betrusted. They were bigoted beyond the people of other cities,Cholula being the holy city of Anahuac. It was here the godQuetzalcoatl had remained for twenty years on his way down to thecoast, instructing the people in the arts of civilization. Here wasthe great temple of the god, a pyramid whose base coveredforty-four acres, and whose height was a hundred and eighty feet;the platform on its summit, where the sacrifices took place, beingan acre in size.
Cortez, however, decided upon visiting Cholula. He deemed thereports of the Tlascalans to be prejudiced, as there was along-standing animosity between the two peoples; and he thoughtthat, were he to avoid visiting this important town, which layalmost on his road to Mexico, it might be set down by the Aztecs todistrust or fear.
The departure from Tlascala was witnessed by the whole of thepopulation of the state, who assembled to bid the white menfarewell, and to wish them success upon their way. A day's marchtook them to within a mile or two of Cholula. Here they were met bymany nobles from the city, who urged them to enter it that evening;but Cortez, bearing in mind the warnings he had received, andthinking it dangerous to enter the streets of an unknown andpossibly hostile city after dark, declined to move forward untilmorning. Seeing the hostility and distrust excited in the minds ofhis visitors at the sight of the Tlascalans in his camp, he orderedhis allies to remain in camp when he advanced in the morning, andto join him only when he left the city on his way to Mexico.
The Spaniards, as they entered Cholula, were greatly struck withthe appearance of the city and its inhabitants, it being a verymuch larger and more highly civilized place than any they had yetmet with. The buildings were large and handsome, the streets wide,the population very large, and exhibiting in their dress every signof wealth and luxury. There was, too, a great variety among thepopulation; for, as it was the sacred city of the empire, peoplefrom all other parts were in the habit of making pilgrimages there,and most of the towns had their own temples and establishments. Sonumerous were the temples that fully two hundred towers could becounted, rising above the city, with the stupendous pyramidtowering above them all.
The Spaniards were quartered in the court of one of the temples,and in the surrounding buildings. As soon as they were establishedthere, the principal nobles of the town paid them visits ofceremony; and presents of everything necessary for their comfortand accommodation, and stores of provisions of all kinds, pouredin.
Roger had, in the line of march, taken his place among the troops;but Cortez directed that he should, at other times, be near at handto him, as he alone of those in the army had any personal knowledgeof the country they were to traverse, and could give information asto the size of the towns, the nature of the roads, and theadvantages which these offered, respectively, in the supply ofprovisions likely to be obtained, the facilities for getting water,etc. Cortez therefore, Father Aquilar acting as interpreter,enjoined him to ramble about the city, releasing him from allguards and exercises.
"Now that you are dressed like the rest of us," he said, "none willdream that you understand their language, and as you pass alongthey will express freely before you the sentiments they mayentertain of us. I do not expect them to love us, and doubtlessthough they may flatter us to our faces, they curse us heartilybehind our backs. But we care nothing for their curses, or fortheir ill will, so long as they do not proceed to plots andconspiracies against us.
"They seem courteous and friendly, and I think that the Tlascalanshave spoken far too strongly against them. Nevertheless we will beon our guard. These men are not like our mountain friends, who wererough fighters, but hearty and honest people. They are traders, ornobles, or priests, accustomed to let their faces hide theirthoughts, but through you we may get nearer to them than weotherwise should do.
"But go not alone. One man can easily be jostled into one of thetemples, and made away with, without any being the wiser. I willchoose two comrades for you; men of discretion, and courageouswithout being quarrelsome. With them, too, you will, ere long,begin to recover your mother tongue; which you will never do, solong as you only talk these heathen languages with Marina andFather Aquilar."
Cortez struck the table with his hand, and an attendant entered.
"Summon Juan Algones and Pedro de Gasconda."
In a minute two men entered. Juan was a weatherbeaten soldier,whose face bore the marks of several deep scars, and who had foughtfor Spain on most of the battlefields of Europe. Pedro was youngenough to be his son. Juan had saved his life in a fight with thenatives of Cuba, and since then they had been inseparable.
"Juan, I have sent for you to ask you and Pedro to take our newcomrade into your party. I know you are always together, and thatyou are quiet and peaceable, and not given either to quarrel inyour cups or to spend your evenings in gambling and dicing. He has,as you know, almost forgotten his own language; and it will be forour advantage, as well as his own, that he should learn it as soonas possible; for as he knows the country and people, it is wellthat he should be able to communicate with the rest of us, withouthaving to hunt up an interpreter.
"But that is not the principal thing, just at the present moment.We know not whether the people of this city mean treacherouslytowards us, or not. They will not speak in the presence of DonnaMarina or of the good Father here, knowing that they are acquaintedwith the language; but as they will not imagine that this tallSpanish soldier can know aught of what they say, they will not mindspeaking out their thoughts before him. Therefore, while he is hereit will be his duty to wander about the streets, and learn what thepeople are saying, and what they think of us. But here, aselsewhere, I have ordered that not less than three men shall go outtogether.
"I have chosen you to accompany him. You will be free from allother duty."
"That we will do, right willingly," Juan said. "It is pleasanter towalk about the streets, and look at these strange peoples, than itis to be cooped up here. As to the other part of the business, wewill do wh
at we can towards teaching him Spanish; but as to beingour comrade, that must depend upon himself. I like the youngfellow's looks much. He looks honest and straightforward, thoughwhere he got that light wavy hair and that fair skin from I can'tguess--they are rare enough in Cadiz, where I heard one say that hecame from."
"We don't know that he came from there, Juan. He may have come fromthe mountains of Biscaya, where fair skins are commoner than theyare in the south. It is only that he described to us a port, whichmust have been Cadiz, as the last thing he recollected in Spain."
"Ah, well, his skin matters nothing!" the soldier said. "His faceis an honest one, and as to height and strength one could wish nobetter comrade. He is young yet, not more than nineteen or twenty,I should guess; but I will warrant that there is not a man in theexpedition he could not put on his back, if it came to a tussle. Atany rate, we will try him.
"What do you say, Pedro?"
"I like his looks," the young fellow said. "At any rate, we are notlike to quarrel with him. As to more than that, we can say betterwhen we know more of each other."
Father Aquilar, who had listened attentively to all that had beensaid, explained to Roger the purport of the conversation betweenCortez and the men. When he had finished, Roger held out his handto the two soldiers, and gave them a hearty grasp, expressive ofhis willingness to join in the arrangement that had been made.
"He will do, General," Juan said. "We will look after him, neverfear."
Cortez gave orders that the three men were to be allowed to leavethe quarters and go into the town at all times, without furtherquestion; and they at once started for a turn through the streets.
"How are we to begin to teach this young chap to talk, Pedro? It isout of the regular line of duty, altogether."
Pedro shook his head.
"I don't know, comrade. I have heard women teaching their babies totalk, but I should hardly think that would be the way with him."
"No, no, that is quite different, Pedro. You see the little oneshave not got their tongues twisted rightly, and they can't talkplain, do as much as they will; but this young fellow could say,plain enough, what we told him. The question is, what are we totell him?
"Suppose I say to him, 'They are a curiously dressed lot of peoplehere.'
"Well, he might say it after me, but as he would not have an ideawhat we meant, I don't see that we should be getting anyforwarder."
Roger, however, had already gone through the work of learning thetwo native languages, and knew how to begin. He touched Juan'ssword, and gave the Mexican word for it.
"What does he mean by that, Pedro?"
Roger repeated the action.
"Perhaps he wants to know what you call your sword," Pedrosuggested.
"Perhaps it is that. I will try him, anyhow.
"'Spada.'"
Roger nodded, and repeated the word after him, and then touched hisown helmet.
"That is what he means," Juan said, with great satisfaction. "Whathe has got to do is to touch things, and for us to tell him thenames."
"That is capital. I had no idea teaching a language was such easywork."
However, after a few more words had been said, and a methodestablished, Roger asked no more questions; his companions beingnow fully occupied in gazing at the houses, the temples, and thecrowd in the streets, while he himself was busy listening to theremarks of the people.
It was curious to him, to hear everyone around freely discussingthem, assured that no word they said was understood. Had he beenvain, he would have felt gratified at the favorable comments passedon his personal appearance by many of the women and girls; but heput them down, entirely, to the fact that he differed more fromthem than did the Spaniards, and it was simply the color of hishair, and the fairness of his skin, that seemed wonderful to theMexicans.
"Ah!" he heard one woman say to another, "I marked that tallsoldier when they came into the town, this morning. They are allgrand men, and look wonderfully strong and brave with their armsand armor. I know that such fighters as these were never heard ofbefore; for have they not, few as they are, beaten the Tlascalans?Who, as we all know, are good fighters, though they are littlebetter than savages. But as to their faces, they were not what Iexpected to see. They are lighter than ours, but they are notwhite.
"But I noted this soldier. He is just like what I expected--justlike what they said the white man, who has been at Mexico for sometime, is like."
"I am sorry for them," the girl said. "They say that Montezuma willoffer them all up at the temples, when he gets them to Mexico."
"Perhaps they will never get there," a man standing next to hersaid. "At least, unless they enter the town as captives.
"Perhaps some of them will stay here. Why should not our god havehis share of victims, as well as the war god of Mexico?"
The speaker was a priest, who was scowling angrily at the threeSpaniards; who, after stopping to look at the carving over the gateof a temple, were now moving on again.
But although Roger heard occasional remarks that showed it was theopinion of the inhabitants that Montezuma had only allowed thesestrangers to enter his country for the purpose of destroying them,there was no general feeling of hostility to them--the satisfactionat the defeat they had inflicted upon Tlascala far outweighing anyother feeling.
After wandering about for some hours, the party returned to theirquarters, where Roger gave, through Malinche, to Cortez an accountof what he had noticed.
"There is nothing new in that," Cortez said. "We know thatMontezuma has done all in his power to prevent us from coming, andthat now he knows he has wasted his treasures in vain, he must feelno goodwill towards us. However, we shall be prepared for him.
"But continue your search. There may be a change come. Montezumamay, even now, be preparing to crush us. If so, as soon as thepeople here know it, you will see a change in their demeanor. Thepriests are all powerful here, and the devils whom they worship aresure to set them on to do us mischief, if they can. Therefore,relax not your watchfulness. Marina and yourself are the only twoamong us who understand their language, and it is upon you boththat we have to depend, to shield us from treachery. Against anopen assault I have no fear, but in a crowded town like this, anattack at night might be fatal."
Cortez had, indeed, taken the precaution upon his arrival ofstating to the nobles that, as it would be inconvenient for Marinato reside in buildings occupied solely by men, he should be glad ifone of their wives would receive her as a guest; and she wasaccordingly installed, at once, in the house of one of theprincipal nobles.
Some days passed, as Cortez was waiting for the arrival of a freshembassy from Montezuma. During that time Roger was unable to detectany change in the attitude of the population. The Spaniards weregreeted courteously when they went abroad, and their leaders wereentertained at fetes and banquets by the nobles.
Roger and his two comrades were well satisfied with each other.Juan was a taciturn soldier, but he was amused at the efforts ofPedro and Roger to converse.
"I am glad, Pedro," he said, on the third day of their makingacquaintance with Roger, "that this young fellow has joined. If Ihad had my will, I should have said nay when Cortez proposed it;but it is good for you, lad. It is well enough for an old soldierlike me to toil along all day without speaking, under a burningsun; and to say but little, even over his cup of wine, at the endof the march. But it is not good for a lad like you. You weregetting old before your time. I could sing a song, and dance ameasure with the best of them, when I was at your age; and you seewhat has come of my campaigning for, like yourself, I took to anold soldier for a comrade. This young fellow seems to have acheerful spirit, and when he can talk our language well will be agay companion, and will do you good.
"Yes, and do me good, too, Pedro. You are too apt to get into mymoods, and be silent when I am silent; and thus I make you dull,while you do not make me bright. Only I want to see this youngfellow at work, before I quite give him my heart. I believe that hewill bear
himself bravely. It were a shame, indeed, if there shouldbe faint heart in a body of such thews and muscle. Truly he is astately figure, and has the air of the great noble rather than arough soldier; but that, I take it, comes from his being brought upamong these Mexicans; who, though in most respects ignorant, carrythemselves with much dignity, and with a stately and gentlemanlymanner, such as one sees, in Europe, chiefly in men of good blood."
On the evening of the fourth day, the embassy arrived fromMontezuma. The emperor had apparently again changed his mind, forhe expressed his regret at their determination to visit thecapital, and begged them to relinquish the idea. Upon leavingCortez, the ambassadors had an interview with several of the chiefnobles of Cholula. They left for the capital again in the night.
The next morning a change was visible in the behavior of thepeople. They no longer visited the Spanish quarters, but held alooffrom them. The nobles, upon being invited to come to see Cortez,sent in excuses on the ground of illness, or that they were aboutto undertake a journey, or other pretexts, and the supply ofprovisions sent in fell off greatly.
Roger and his comrades also marked a great difference in the mannerof the people in the streets. The buzz of talking and laughing washushed, as they approached. People turned away, as if desirous ofavoiding the sight of them. The priests regarded them with aninsolent air. On one or two occasions they were roughly jostled,and on arriving at the end of a street the people gathered round,and by words and gesture told them to go no farther.
Cortez had particularly enjoined in Roger and his companionsagainst embroiling themselves, in any way, with the people; andthey therefore suffered themselves to be turned back, withoutexhibiting any air of concern; but Juan muttered many oaths beneathhis mustache, and Roger and Pedro had difficulty in restrainingtheir anger.
Cortez looked very grave upon hearing Roger's report, on theirreturn.
"I fear that treachery is intended," he said, "and if I did butknow it, I would be beforehand with them. You had best not goabroad again, for it may be their intention to provoke a quarrel,by an affray in the streets. I will send some of the Cempoallanswho are with us out. They will be less observed, and may find outwhat is going on."
"I think," Marina said, "that if we go up to the flat roof, we maysee something of what is going on. This house is more lofty thanmost."
Cortez, with Roger and the girl, ascended to the roof. From it theycommanded a considerable prospect. On some of the roofs they couldmake out bodies of men at work, but these were too far off to seewhat they were doing.
In the evening the Cempoallans returned, and said that they hadcome upon barricades erected across several of the streets, andthat on many of the roofs great stones and beams of timber werepiled; while they had discovered holes dug in the streets, andcovered with branches, and apparently intended to entrap cavalry.
A portion of the troops were ordered to remain under arms allnight, in case of attack, but the city remained quiet. In thecourse of the following day some Tlascalans came in from theircamp, and informed Cortez they had heard that a great sacrifice ofchildren had been offered up, in one of the temples, a custom whichprevailed whenever an enterprise of a serious nature was about tobe undertaken. They said, too, that large numbers of the citizens,with their wives and children, were leaving the town by the variousgates. The situation had now become very grave, and Cortez and hisofficers were at a loss to know what had best be done, as they hadstill no positive proof that treachery was intended.
This proof was, however, furnished by Marina next day. The wife ofthe cazique had taken a great fancy to her, and urged her to takeup her abode altogether at her house, hinting that it would besafer for her to do so. Marina at once pretended that she should beglad to leave the white men, who held her in captivity in orderthat they might use her as an interpreter. The Cholulan then gaveher a full account of the conspiracy.
It was, she said, the work of the emperor, who had sent richpresents by the ambassadors to the great nobles, and had urged uponthem the necessity of making an end of the white intruders. Twentythousand troops had been marched down to within a short distance ofthe city, and these were to enter and take part in the assault onthe Spaniards.
The attack was to be made as these left the city. The streets wereto be barricaded, and impediments to prevent the action of thecavalry placed in the way; and the Spaniards were to be overwhelmedwith the missiles from the roofs, while the troops would pour outfrom the houses to the attack. Some of the Spaniards were to besacrificed at the altars at Cholula, the rest to be marched inchains to the capital, and there put to death.
This scheme was unfolded to Marina in her apartment in the Spanishquarters, and she appeared to assent to the proposal that sheshould, that night, leave the Spaniards altogether. Making anexcuse to leave the room for a few minutes, Marina hastened toCortez and informed him of what she had heard. The cazique's wifewas at once seized, and being in terror of her life, she repeatedthe statements she had made to Marina.
The news was alarming, indeed. The position of the Spaniards in themidst of a hostile city seemed well-nigh hopeless--the barricadesand pitfalls would paralyze the action of the cavalry andartillery, every house would be a fortress, and under suchdifficulties even the bravery of the handful of Spaniards wouldavail but little against the overwhelming force by which they wouldbe attacked.
Before deciding as to the best course to be adopted, Cortezdetermined to obtain further confirmation of the story of thecazique's wife. He accordingly sent an invitation to two priests,who resided in the temple close to his quarters, to visit him. Whenthey came he received them most courteously, but informed themthat, by the powers he possessed, he was perfectly aware thattreachery was intended. He bestowed upon them some very valuablepresents, from the gifts he had received from Montezuma, andpromised that none should be aware that he had received anyinformation from them. The rich bribes had their effect, and thepriests confirmed the report Marina had heard.
They said that the emperor had, since their arrival, been in astate of vacillation, constantly consulting the oracles, and unableto make up his mind whether to fight them, or to receive them withhonor. He had, when he heard that they were going to Cholula, firstissued orders that they should be well received; but since then theoracles had again been consulted, and had declared that Cholulawould be the grave of the white men, for that the gods wouldassuredly lend their aid in destroying the enemies who had dared toviolate the sanctity of the holy city. He had, therefore, orderedthe attack to take place in the manner described; and so certainwere the Aztecs of success that the manacles to secure theprisoners had already been sent to the city.
Cortez dismissed the priests, telling them that he intended toleave the city the following morning, and requested that they wouldinduce the principal nobles engaged in the plot to pay him a visit,at once. As soon as the priests had left, he summoned his principalofficers, and disclosed to them the plot he had discovered. Therewas much difference of opinion between them. Some were in favor ofreturning at once to the friendly city of Tlascala. Others votedfor still advancing, but by the northerly route their allies hadrecommended. But the majority agreed, with their general, thattheir only chance of safety was in taking a bold course; for thatretreat would raise the whole country against them, and ensuretheir destruction.
When the nobles arrived, Cortez rebuked them mildly for theiraltered conduct and for the failure of supplies; and said that theSpaniards would no longer be a burden upon the city, but wouldmarch out on the following morning; and requested that they wouldfurnish a body of two thousand men, to transport his artillery andbaggage. As this suited admirably the designs of the natives, theyat once agreed to furnish the required force.
Upon their leaving, Cortez had an interview with Montezuma'sambassadors, who had accompanied him from the coast, and told themthat he was aware of the treacherous plot to destroy him and hisarmy, and that he was grieved to find that this vile act oftreachery was instigated by Montezuma. The ambassadors,
astoundedat what appeared to them the supernatural knowledge of Cortez, andterrified at the position in which they found themselves, madeearnest protestations of their entire ignorance of the scheme; anddeclared that they were convinced that the emperor was whollyinnocent of it, and that it was entirely the act of the Cholulans.Cortez pretended to believe them, as he was desirous, as long aspossible, of keeping up a semblance of friendship with Montezuma;and declared that he was willing to believe that, after thefriendly messages and gifts the emperor had sent, he could not beguilty of such baseness and treachery. His anger therefore would bedirected chiefly against the Cholulans, who were guilty not only offoul treachery to himself, but of dishonoring the emperor's name bytheir conduct.
As soon, however, as the ambassadors had retired, a strong guardwas placed over them, to prevent them from communicating with thecitizens. Every precaution was taken, in case the plans of theenemy should be altered, and an attack made during the night. Theguns were placed so as to command the approaches. The horses werekept saddled, and ready for action. Strong guards were placed, andthe troops lay down in their armor. Orders were dispatched, to theTlascalans, to hold themselves ready to march into the city in themorning, and join the Spaniards.
As soon as daylight broke, the troops were under arms. A portion ofthose, with the guns, were posted outside the building, so as tosweep the streets. A strong body were told off to guard the threegates of entrance. The rest were drawn up in the great court, whichwas surrounded partly by buildings, partly by high walls.
Soon after the arrangements were completed the caziques arrived,having with them a body of men even larger than they had agreed tobring. As soon as they entered, Cortez called them to him, andinformed him that he was acquainted with all the particulars of theconspiracy. He had come to that city upon the invitation of theemperor, had given them no cause of complaint, and had left hisallies outside the walls. Under the guise of kindness andhospitality, they had prepared a snare to cut off and destroy them.
The Cholulans were astounded. It seemed to them useless to denyanything to men who could thus read their thoughts, and theyconfessed that the accusation was true.
Cortez raised his hand. A gun gave the signal, a terrible volleywas poured into the Cholulans, and the Spaniards then fell uponthem with pikes and swords. The unfortunate natives, thus taken bysurprise, and penned up like sheep in the enclosure, scarcelyoffered any resistance; some tried to escape through the gateways,but were repulsed by the troops stationed there. Others strove, butin vain, to scale the walls, and the only survivors of the massacreowed their lives to hiding under the great piles of dead.
In the meantime, the Mexicans without, being made aware by theheavy firing of the failure of their plan of surprise, rushed fromthe buildings in which they had been stationed, and poured up tothe assault. They were swept down by the discharges of the guns,but the places of the slain were rapidly filled, and with recklessbravery they pressed up to the Spaniards; although Cortez, at thehead of his cavalry, charged them again and again, so as to givethe gunners time to reload.
The struggle was still proceeding when the Tlascalans entered thegates of the city and, coming up at a run to the scene of conflict,fell upon the rear of the Mexicans. These could no longer resisttheir terrible opponents and, breaking their ranks, took refuge inthe houses, or fled to the temples.
One large body, headed by the priests, made a stand upon the greatcentral teocalli. There was a tradition among them that, if itsstones were removed, the god would pour out an inundation of waterto overwhelm his enemies. The Cholulans tore down some of thestones, and when the expected miracle did not take place, wereseized with despair. Many shut themselves up in the wooden towerson the platform of the summit, and poured down missiles on theirfoes as they climbed the great staircase; but the darts and arrowsfell harmless upon the armor of the Spaniards, and when thesegained the platform, they snatched up the blazing arrows shot atthem, and fired the turrets. The Cholulans fought to the last, andeither threw themselves over the parapet, or perished in theflames.
In the meantime, many of the wooden houses in the town had caughtfire, and the flames spread rapidly. The Spanish cavalry chargingthrough the street trampled the Mexicans under foot, while theTlascalan allies gratified their long enmity against the Cholulansby slaying them without mercy.
When all resistance had ceased, the victors burst into the housesand temples, and plundered them of their valuables. The sackcontinued for some hours, and then Cortez, at the entreaties ofsome Cholulan caziques who had been spared at the massacre, and ofthe Mexican ambassadors, consented to call off his troops; and twoof the nobles were allowed to go into the town, and to assure thesurviving inhabitants that no further harm would be done to them,if they would return to their homes.
The Spaniards and Tlascalans were drawn up under their respectiveleaders. The division of the booty offered no difficulties. Themountaineers attached no value to gold or jewels, and were wellcontent with wearing apparel and provisions; while to the share ofthe Spaniards fell the valuables taken. Cortez had given strictorders that no violence should be offered to the women or children,and his orders had been respected; but many of these and numbers ofmen had been made prisoners by the Tlascalans, to carry away intoslavery.
Cortez, however, now persuaded them to liberate their captives; andso great was his influence that they acceded to his request. Thedead bodies were now collected, and carried outside the city by theinhabitants.
Cortez, in his letter to the Emperor Charles, says that threethousand were slain; but most contemporary writers put down thenumber of victims at six thousand, and some at even a higherfigure. Order was promptly restored. The inhabitants who had leftthe town speedily returned, and the people of the neighborhoodflocked in with supplies. The markets were re-opened, and only thelines of blackened ruins told of the recent strife.
The massacre was a terrible one, and is a stain upon the memory ofCortez; who otherwise throughout the campaign acted mercifully,strictly prohibiting any plundering or ill treatment of thenatives, and punishing all breaches of his orders with greatseverity. The best excuse that can be offered is, that in desperatepositions desperate measures must be taken; that the plot, ifsuccessful, would have resulted in the extermination of theSpaniards; and that the terrible lesson taught was necessary, toensure the safety of the expedition. Moreover, a considerableportion of those who fell, fell in fair fight; and after the actionwas over, the inhabitants were well treated. It must, too, be takeninto consideration that the Spaniards were crusaders as well asdiscoverers; and that it was their doctrine that all heretics mustbe treated as enemies of God, and destroyed accordingly.
Such was not the doctrine of their Church, for as the greathistorian Bede writes of King Ethelbert:
"He had learned, from the teachers and authors of his salvation,that men are to be drawn, not dragged, to heaven."
Roger, with his two companions, had formed part of the forcestationed outside the gates to resist the attack of the citizens;and he had taken his share in the fierce fighting that went onthere. He was not free from the prejudices of his times, and thehorrible sacrifices of the temples, and the narrow escape hehimself had had in being offered up as a victim, had inspired himwith a deep hatred of the religion of the people; although againstthem, personally, he had no feeling of hostility. Even in theheight of the conflict he felt pity for the men who, in theircotton armor, rushed so fearlessly to the attack of the iron-cladSpaniards, armed with their terrible weapons. But at the same time,he knew that if they were successful, the most horrible fateawaited him and his companions; and the treacherous plot, of whichthey had so nearly been the victims, excited the same feelings inhis mind as in that of the Spaniards.