The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo Vol. 2
by John Ingram Lockhart
by John Ingram Lockhart
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1/25/22, 8:50 PM <strong>The</strong> Project Gutenberg eBook <strong>of</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Memoirs</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Conquistador</strong> <strong>Bernal</strong> <strong>Diaz</strong> <strong>del</strong> <strong>Castillo</strong> written by himself, containing a true an…<br />
<strong>the</strong> treasurer Alderete,(who fell ill here,) fa<strong>the</strong>r Melgarejo, and several soldiers, including<br />
myself, ascended to <strong>the</strong> top <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> great temple <strong>of</strong> this town, from which we beheld <strong>the</strong><br />
neighbouring city <strong>of</strong> Mexico, with <strong>the</strong> numerouso<strong>the</strong>r towns which stood in <strong>the</strong> lake. When<br />
fa<strong>the</strong>r Melgarejo andAlderete beheld all this splendour at once, <strong>the</strong>y could scarcely find<br />
words to express <strong>the</strong>ir astonishment; but when <strong>the</strong>y contemplated <strong>the</strong>great city <strong>of</strong> Mexico<br />
more minutely, and saw <strong>the</strong> numerous canoes hurrying up and down this immense lake<br />
laden with merchandize orprovisions for <strong>the</strong> city, or occupied in fishing, <strong>the</strong>y were actually<br />
terrified, and exclaimed to each o<strong>the</strong>r that our arrival in New Spain could not be by <strong>the</strong><br />
power <strong>of</strong> man alone, and that it was through <strong>the</strong> greatmercy <strong>of</strong> Providence that our lives<br />
were still preserved. <strong>The</strong>y hadonce before remarked, said <strong>the</strong>y, that no monarch had ever<br />
been renderedsuch signal services by his subjects as we had rendered to ouremperor; but<br />
now <strong>the</strong>y were more convinced than ever, and wouldduly inform his majesty <strong>of</strong> what <strong>the</strong>y<br />
had seen.<br />
Fa<strong>the</strong>r Melgarejo <strong>the</strong>n consoled our general for <strong>the</strong> loss <strong>of</strong> histwo grooms, which so greatly<br />
afflicted him. While we soldiers were thus gazing upon <strong>the</strong> city <strong>of</strong> Mexico, we again by<br />
degrees recognizedthose spots which had become so memorable to us, and we pointed out<br />
to each o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> great temple <strong>of</strong> Huitzilopochtli, <strong>the</strong> Tlatelulco, and<strong>the</strong> causeways, with <strong>the</strong><br />
bridges over which we made our disastrous retreat. At this moment Cortes sighed more<br />
deeply than he had previouslydone for <strong>the</strong> loss <strong>of</strong> his two grooms, whom <strong>the</strong> enemy had<br />
carried <strong>of</strong>f alive. And it was from this day our men began to sing <strong>the</strong> romance, which<br />
commences—<br />
"En Tacuba esta Cortes<br />
Con su esquadron esforsado,<br />
Triste estava y mui penoso<br />
Triste y con gran cuidado,<br />
La una mano en la mexilla<br />
Y la otra en el costado," etc.<br />
As our general was thus standing in deep contemplation, <strong>the</strong> bachelorAlonso Perez, who<br />
was appointed fiscal after <strong>the</strong> conquest <strong>of</strong> NewSpain, and lived in Mexico, stepped up to<br />
him and said, "General, youshould not thus give way to grief; it is ever so during war time,<br />
andmen will certainly never have occasion to sing <strong>of</strong> you as <strong>the</strong>y did <strong>of</strong>Nero,—<br />
[Pg 52]<br />
'Mira Nero de Tarpeya [18] <br />
A Roma como se ardia,<br />
Gritos dan niños y viejos,<br />
Y el de nada se dolia.'"<br />
To which Cortes replied, "How <strong>of</strong>ten have I not <strong>of</strong>fered peace tothat city! But it is not that<br />
circumstance alone which causes my grief;I am likewise thinking <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> dreadful scenes we<br />
have to go throughbefore we can subdue this place; though, with <strong>the</strong> assistance <strong>of</strong> God,we<br />
shall accomplish this also."<br />
I must now, however, quit <strong>the</strong>se discourses and romances; indeed<strong>the</strong> time was ill suited for<br />
such things. Our <strong>of</strong>ficers now <strong>del</strong>iberatedwhe<strong>the</strong>r or not we should march a short distance<br />
along <strong>the</strong> causeway,which lay near to Tlacupa; but as we had no powder left, and only a<br />
few arrows, besides that most <strong>of</strong> our men were wounded, and as asimilar attempt which<br />
Cortes had made a month earlier on this samecauseway had ended so disastrously, it was<br />
resolved we should continueour march, lest <strong>the</strong> Mexicans should fall upon us this very day,<br />
orduring <strong>the</strong> night. From <strong>the</strong> near vicinity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> metropolis it waseasy for Quauhtemoctzin<br />
to send a body <strong>of</strong> troops against us at any moment.We <strong>the</strong>refore broke up our quarters here,<br />
and marched straight forward to Escapuzalco, which we found entirely deserted by its<br />
inhabitants.From this place we came to Tenayucan, or <strong>the</strong> town <strong>of</strong> Serpents,as we called it;<br />
(<strong>the</strong> reader will remember what I related in aformer chapter respecting <strong>the</strong> origin <strong>of</strong> this<br />
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