squez de Leon,
an impetuous young man exclaimed, "Why waste more time in vain? Let us
seize him instantly, or stab him to the heart." The threatening voice
and fierce gesture with which these words were uttered, struck Montezuma
with a sense of his danger, and abandoning himself to his fate, he
complied with their request: his officers were called, he communicated
to them his resolution. Though astonished and affected, they presumed
not to question the will of their master, but carried him in silent
pomp, all bathed in tears, to the Spanish quarters.

Cortez at first pretended to treat Montezuma with great respect, but
soon took care to let him know that he was entirely in his power. Being
thus master of the person of the monarch, he demanded that the Mexican
general who had attacked the Spaniards, his son, and five of the
principal officers who served under him, should be brought prisoners to
Mexico, and delivered into his hands.

As Cortez wished that the shedding the blood of a Spaniard should
appear the most heinous crime that could be committed, he then ordered
these brave men, who had only acted as became loyal subjects in opposing
the invaders of their country, to be burnt alive, before the gates of
the imperial palace.

The unhappy victims were led forth, and laid on a pile composed of the
weapons collected in the royal magazine for the public defence.

During this cruel execution, Cortez entered the apartments of Montezuma,
and caused him to be loaded with irons, in order to force him to
acknowledge himself a vassal of the king of Spain. The unhappy prince
yielded, and was restored to a semblance of liberty on presenting the
fierce conqueror with six hundred thousand marks of pure gold, and a
prodigious quantity of precious stones.

The Mexicans driven to desperation, all at once flew to arms, and made
so sudden and violent an attack that all the valour and skill of Cortez
was scarcely sufficient to repel them.

The Spaniards now found themselves enclosed in a hostile city, the
whole population of which was exasperated to the highest pitch against
them, and without some extraordinary exertion they were inevitably
undone. Cortez therefore made a desperate sally, but after exerting his
utmost efforts for a whole day, was obliged to retreat to his quarters
with the loss of twelve men killed, and upwards of sixty wounded; Cortez
himself was wounded in the hand.

The Spanish general now betook himself to the