ment was provided for us, to which we sat down with much
satisfaction. This is a full and true account of our adventurous and
magnanimous entry into the city of Mexico, on the 8th of November 1519.

After Montezuma had taken a repast in his own palace, and was informed we
had done the same, he returned to our quarters attended by a great retinue
of nobles. Cortes received him in the middle of the hall, where Montezuma
took him cordially by the hand, and they sat down together on
magnificently ornamented seats. Montezuma made a very pertinent speech, in
which he observed, "That he rejoiced at the arrival of such valiant
captains and warriors in his dominions. He had before heard of a Spanish
captain who had arrived at Pontonchan, and of another who came upon the
coast in the preceding year with four ships, and had wished to see these
men, but was disappointed. Now that we were actually arrived in his
dominions, he was happy to offer every favour in his power to grant, being
convinced we were those men predicted by the gods to his ancestors, who,
coming from that part of the world in which the sun rises, were to acquire
the government of this country, as we had fought with such astonishing
valour ever since our arrival, representations of all our battles having
been sent him in painting." Cortes replied, "That he and all his brethren
could never sufficiently repay the many favours we had received from his
bounty; that we certainly were those men to whom the Mexican prophecies
related, being the vassals of the great and powerful emperor Don Carlos,
to whom many great princes were subject; and who, hearing of the fame and
magnificence of the great Montezuma, had sent us to request that he and
his subjects would embrace the Holy Christian religion, abandoning their
false gods and senseless idols, and abolishing their barbarous human
sacrifices, by which means he would preserve the souls of himself, his
family, and subjects from perdition." Cortes enlarged on this and other
topics in a most edifying manner, promising to communicate more
particulars hereafter. Montezuma then presented a quantity of valuable
ornaments of gold to our general, with a present of some gold, and three
loads of mantles to each of our captains, and two loads of mantles to each
of the soldiers. After this he asked Cortes if all his soldiers were
brothers and vassals to our emperor. To this Cortes answered that they
were all brothers in love and friendshi