Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 13, MAT-MIC

M E X
M exico
t 752 ]
M E X
v, 35
Dangerous
embafiy
undertaken
by Monte¬
zuma.
36
Maxtlaton
declares
war againft
Mexico.
between the exiled prince and the king of Mexico ;
and this was foon followed by the commencement of
hoftilities on the part of the former. His firft enter-
prife was againft the city of Tezcuco, which lie de¬
termined to take by affault, but was prevented by the
fubmiftion of the inhabitants. He put to death, how¬
ever, all the officers eftabliffied by the tyrant; and all
the Tepanecans he found there. The very fame day
another large city named Acolman was furioufly at¬
tacked by a detachment of his army 5 great numbers
put to the fword, and among the reft the governor,
who was brother to Maxtlaton ; and the fame day alfo
Coatlichan was taken by the Chalcefe.
The Mexican monarch, hearing of the fuccefles of his
ally, fent an embafty to congratulate him upon them.
His ambaftador was a fon of king Huitzilihuitl, named
Montt%urmt, who for his invincible courage and great
qualities was furnamed the man of great heart and the
archer of heaven. The journey was extremely danger¬
ous *, but Montezuma undertook it without any fear,
accompanied by another nobleman. They got in fafety
to the place where the prince rvas; but had the misfortune
to be taken prifoners, and were carried to Chaleo \ the
lord of which city, named Toteotzin, was an inveterate
enemy to the Mexicans. By him he was immediately put
in clofe confinement, under the care of one Quateozin,
who was inviolably attached to the Mexican interefl.
Orders were given to the latter to provide no fufte-
nance for the prifoners but what was preferibed by his
lord, until the mode of death which they were to fuffer
fliould be determined. Toteotzin then fent his pri¬
foners to them, that they might be facrificed there if
they thought proper. Thefe people, however, rejefted
the propofal with difdain ; on which Toteotzin, think¬
ing to regain the favour of Maxtlaton, informed him of
the prifoners he had in his polfeffion. But Maxtlaton
called him a double minded traitor, and commanded
him inftantly to fet the prifoners at liberty. Before
this anfwer arrived, however, Quateozin had inftrufted
the prifoners how to make their efcape, and dire&ed
them aifo not to return by land left they ftiould again
be intercepted, but to embark at a certain place, and
proceed by water to Mexico. They followed his ad¬
vice exactly \ and having got to the place to which
they were direfted, arrived fafely at their city, to the
great furprife and joy of the inhabitants.
Toteotzin, enraged at the lofs of his prifoners, put
Quateozin to a cruel death, deftroying alfo all his fa¬
mily excepting one fon and a daughter 5 of whom the
latter fled to Mexico, where ffie was highly honoured
on her father’s account. Maxtlaton, too, notwith-
ftanding his generofity to the prifoners (which Clavi-
gero derives from mere oppofition to Toteotzin), pre¬
pared to W'age a formidable war with the Mexicans,
who had agreed to unite their troops with thofe of the
prince. The Mexican populace, terrified at engaging
fo powerful an enemy, demanded that their king ffiould
fubmit and beg for peace. So great was the tumult,
that the king himfelf W'as obliged to confent j and
it required the utmoft exertions of Montezuma’s elo*
quence to perfuade the people to agree to a com¬
mencement of hoftilities. This being done at laft, the
king next called together the chief nobility, and alked
■which of them would have the courage to carry an
embafly to the king of the Tepanecans ? This adven¬
ture appeared fo hazardous, that all of them kept a Mexico,
deep filence, until Montezuma declared himfelf willing1 v
to undertake the arduous enterprife. fie was ordered
to propofe peace to Maxtlaton, but to accept of no
diihonourable conditions ; to which he punctually ad¬
hered. Maxtlaton refufed to give any immediate an¬
fwer, but promifed to give one next day, after he had
confulted his nobility. Montezuma, dreading fome
treachery if he ftaid all night, promifed to return next
day 5 which he did, and was told that Maxtlaton had
determined upon war. Montezuma then performed
the ceremony of challenging him, by prt fenting him
with certain defenfive weapons, anointing his head,
and fixing feathers upon it, as was cuftomary to do
with dead perfons. Laitly, He protefted, in the name
of his mailer, that as Maxtlaton would not accept of
the offered peace, he and all the Tepanecans would in¬
fallibly be ruined. Maxtlaton Ihowed not the leaft
fign of difpleafure, but gave Montezuma arms in like
manner to prefent to the king of Mexico ; and direct¬
ed him, for his perfonal fecurity, to return in difguife
through a fmall outlet from the palace. Montezuma
followed hi- advice } but as foon as he found himfelf
out of danger, began to infult the Tepanecan guards ;
and though they ruflied violently upon him, he not
only efcaped from their attacks, but killed one or two
of them.
On his return to Mexico, the populace were again
thrown into the utmoft confternation by the newrs
that war w?as inevitable, as the chiefs of the two na¬
tions had challenged one another. They norv requeft-
ed the king to allow them to retire from their city, of
which they fuppofed the ruin to be certain. The king
encouraged them with the hopes of victory. “ But if
we are conquered (replied they), vffiat rvill become
of us ?” “ If that happens (anfwered the king), we
are that moment bound to deliver ourfelves into your
hands, to be made facrifices at your pleafure.” “ Be it
fo (replied they), if wre are conquered \ but if we ob¬
tain the victory, we and our defeendants are bound to
be tributary to you ; to cultivate your lands and thofe
of your nobles j to build your houfes j and to carry
for you, when you go to Avar, your arms and bag¬
gage.”
Matters being thus fettled, intelligence avhs fent to jjc ;s tfe*
Prince Nezahualcojotl to repair with his army to Mexi-feated and
co, which he did Avithout delay •, and the day after his killed,
arrival a furious engagement took place. The Tepa¬
necan army was commanded by a general named Ma-
•zatl; Maxtlaton himfelf not judging it proper to quit
his capital. The foldiers on both Tides fought Avith
the utmoft bra\-ery *, but towards night the Mexicans,
diffieartened by feeing the army of their enemies con¬
tinually increafing in number, began once more to
lofe their courage and talk of furrendering. The
king, greatly concerned, alked Montezuma what Ihould
be done to diflipate the fears of the people ? That
brave prince replied, that they muft fight till death j
that if they died Avith their arms in their hands, it
would be honourable *, but to furvive their defeat,
Avould be eternal ignominy. Nothing could be more
falutary than this advice at fo critical a junClure : for
the Mexicans Avere already begun to implore the mer¬
cy of their enemies, and to promife to facrifice their
chiefs, whofe ambition had brought the Avhole nation
into