ributes to the comfort of life, the regions they were now
traversing very far exceeded the best of those through which they had
passed. They were continually gaining more exalted ideas of the power,
wealth and glory of the great Montezuma, and more enlarged views of the
magnificence of their own adventure, and the importance of their
position and movements. The ambition of Cortez reached to the
viceroyalty of this splendid empire; and, though accompanied by a mere
handful of men, their past achievements inspired him with confidence,
that he could carry every thing before him.

Though entertained with lordly munificence in every place through which
he passed, and visited and complimented by envoys from all the states
embraced in the Mexican domain, the sagacious Spaniard relaxed none of
his vigilance, nor diminished aught of the strict discipline of his
little corps. With an eye ever awake to his own safety, and feeling that
the artful contriver of one stratagem could easily invent another, he
advanced from post to post, in martial array, always ready for the
exigency that might arise. His course, however, was unmolested. The
resources and hopes of the great king seemed to have been exhausted. In
passive despair, he was waiting for the hour of his doom.

The terror of the events we have described fell not alone upon the
unfortunate Montezuma; nor did they affect him only as monarch of the
realm. As a parent, fondly devoted to his children, whose destiny was
wrapped up in his, as the father of his people, to whom he had been a
kind of demi-god, the vicegerent of heaven, entitled to their
unqualified reverence, obedience and love, he felt with tenfold
intensity the bitterness of his humiliation. In all his sufferings and
distresses his wives and children shared, showing, by every token in
their power, their profound respect and affection, and their tender
sympathy in all his cares.

In these lovely demonstrations of filial affection, none were more
assiduous or warm-hearted, and none more successful in reaching the
heart of the broken spirited monarch, or winning from him an occasional
smile of hope, than Tecuichpo. Just ripening into womanhood, with every
gift of person, mind and heart that could satisfy the pride of the
monarch, and requite to the full the yearning love of the father, the
fair princess lavished on him all her powers of persuasion and
condolence. It was all in vain. It even aggravated his sorrows; for i