cr own readers

154 MONTEZUM A .
cordingly sent to offer presents, and congratul ations
on th e safe arrival of the whi te god, from his servant
Montezuma.
5. Th e presents were so magnificent that the
Spaniards determined to see the splendours of the
capital. No doubt their minds were set on the
conquest of a country containing such stores of
wealth. Th e messengers were sent back with a few
holland shirts and some toys of little valu e, along
with a message to the k ing that th e Spaniards could
not sail away without accomplishing th eir real object
- that of visiting the great king ~Ion tezuma and his
famous capital.
6. I n a week the ambassadors returned with large
presents of gold, but with a firm message from the
kin g that he ref used to see the Spa niards, and that
he wished them to return to Spain at once. Th e
golden presents, however, had so excited th e greed of
th e Spaniards that th ey car ed not for such messages.
" This is a rich and powerful prince ind eed," cried
Cort es; " but it will go hard with us if we do not
one day visit him in his capita l."
7. On the 16th of August 151 9, Cortes started on
his march to Mexico, just to see " what sort of a king
th e great ~Io n tezuma was , of whom they had heard
so much "-this tyrannical king before whom e\'ery
subject trembled, and who declined to be looked on by
the Spaniards. From tim e to tim e me engel'S reached
him from ~I ontezuma urging him to return to his own
country ; but to all th ese Cortes replied courteously
but firmly, " It is my duty to th e King of Spain,"
and pa 'sed on.
. \':ith th e first faint streak of dawn. on th e 8th