CHAPTER LXVII.
_How we again sent messengers to the caziques of Tlascalla in order
to induce them to make peace, and the resolution they came to upon
this._
The two chief caziques to whom our messengers addressed themselves were
Maxixcatzin and the elder Xicotencatl, father of the captain-general of
the same name, who was commonly termed the younger. They fulfilled their
commission, and the caziques remained for a time silent and undecided,
when the Almighty inclined their hearts to conclude a peace with us.
They called a meeting of all the caziques and chief personages who had
weight in the townships, as also of their friends from the province of
Huexotzinco. All having met in the township of Maxixcatzin and the elder
Xicotencatl, which held the first rank, the latter who were men of good
understanding addressed the meeting to the following effect. Though we
may not, perhaps, give the exact words, yet, from what we afterwards
learnt, it was to this effect: "Brothers and friends! You yourselves
know how often these teules, who are now in our country, ready to fight
at a moment's notice, have offered us peace, and assured us that they
have come as friends to our assistance. Nor can you have yet forgotten
the numbers of prisoners they have taken, though they never do them any
harm, but always restore them to liberty. Thrice have we attacked them
with the whole of our forces, both by day and by night, but we have not
been able to conquer them. On the contrary, they have killed many of our
subjects, numbers of our sons, relations, and chiefs in these battles.
They now again request us to come to terms of peace, and those of
Sempoalla who are encamped with them, assure us they are enemies to
Motecusuma and the Mexicans, and have commanded them and the tribes of
the Totonaque mountains not to pay any more tribute to him. We all very
well know that the Mexicans for a space of more than one hundred years
have annually made incursions into our country. Indeed, they have
completely shut us up within our own territory. We cannot get beyond to
fetch salt for our victuals, nor cotton for our clothing. If any one of
us ever ventures beyond the mountains, he very seldom returns home
alive. The treacherous Mexicans and their allies kill all our people
that fall into their hands, or at least make slaves of them. Our
tacalnaguas, soothsayers, and papas have told us their opinion of these
teules; that they are very powerful and courageous we have experienced
ourselves. We feel, therefore, inclined to make peace with them. Whether
they are men or teules, in both cases an alliance with them will be
useful to us. Let us, therefore, despatch four of our chiefs to their
camp with good provisions, and show them love and an inclination to make
peace, that they may assist and protect us against our enemies. We will
invite them into our country, and present them with females from among
our countrywomen, that we may become one people with them; for,
according to the assurance of the messengers whom they have sent to
offer us peace, they have women with them." The caziques upon hearing
this proposition all declared they were agreeable to it, and resolved
that a treaty for peace should be set on foot, and the captain-general
Xicotencatl and the other commanders should be ordered to stay all
hostilities; for which end they instantly despatched messengers. The
younger Xicotencatl, however, would by no means listen to these orders,
but evinced excessive grief and used harsh language. "As affairs stood
there was no need of sueing for peace," he said. "Many of the teules
were already killed, besides one of their horses; he would fall upon us
the night following and destroy us all."
When the elder Xicotencatl, Maxixcatzin, and the other caziques received
this answer, they were so exasperated, that they immediately sent orders
round to all the officers and the whole army not to obey Xicotencatl in
anything which related to an attack upon us, and altogether to stay all
hostilities against us. Neither would Xicotencatl submit to these
orders, so that it was found necessary to send the four old men, who
were appointed to make a treaty of peace between us, the Tlascallans and
inhabitants of Huexotzinco, to these refractory fellows in order to
bring them to reason. These four men, however, stood in such awe of the
young hothead that they neglected to fulfil their commission.
As two or three different occurrences took place at the same time, I
must relate what comes first in order, and give an account of our
excursion to another township which lay in the neighbourhood.