Montezuma Accordingly Sent Orders To His Officers In Those Districts Where The Mines Were Situated, Commanding Them Immediately To Transmit A Certain Quantity Of Gold Plates, Of The Size Usually Paid As Tribute, Two Of Which Were Sent As Patterns.

He remarked at the same time, that there were many districts of the empire from which gold was not to be expected in any considerable quantity, as they had no mines, and the natives had only such golden toys among them as they had inherited from their ancestors.

Much gold was immediately transmitted to Mexico from the rich provinces in compliance with the order; but when it was communicated to the refractory lord of Matlatzinco, formerly mentioned, he haughtily answered, that he would pay no tribute, for he had as good a right as Montezuma to the throne of Mexico. Montezuma was much enraged at this insolent message, and immediately sent some trusty officers with his signet, who succeeded in apprehending this redoubted chief. On being brought prisoner into the presence of the king, he behaved with so much insolence that Montezuma ordered him to be put to death; but Cortes interceded for him, and got his punishment transmuted to imprisonment. He even endeavoured to make a friend of this chief, and proposed to have him set at liberty, but Montezuma insisted that he should be kept in chains along with Cacamatzin.

Twenty days after the orders had been issued for collecting the tribute, it was all brought to Mexico, on which Montezuma summoned Cortes into his presence, along with the captains and the soldiers who formed his usual guard, and addressed us as follows:

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 110 of 796
Words from 29948 to 30222 of 221091