that he immediately ordered a solemn sacrifice to his gods, and shut
himself up for two days with ten of his chief priests, engaged in rigid
devotional exercises, on purpose to obtain a response from his gods
respecting his future destiny; and we afterwards learnt that the priests
advised him, as from their gods, to send an embassy to exculpate himself
from having any connection with what had passed in Cholula, and to
inveigle us into Mexico; where, by cutting off the supply of water, or by
raising the bridges on the causeways, he might easily destroy us, or
detain us in slavery to breed people like ourselves for his service.

Having remained fourteen days in Cholula, Cortes consulted in regard to
our future operations with a council of those officers and soldiers who
were most sincerely attached to his person, as indeed he never engaged in
any matter of importance without taking our advice. In this consultation,
it was determined to send a respectful message to Montezuma, informing him
that we were on our way to pay our respects to him by the orders of our
own sovereign. Our messenger was likewise desired to relate the whole late
events which had occurred at Cholula, where the treachery which had been
concerted against us had come to our knowledge, from which nothing could
be concealed which concerned our welfare, and that we had desisted from
punishing the people of that city to the full extent which they deserved,
entirely out of respect to him, whose vassals they were. That the chiefs
and priests had given out that all they had done or intended to do was by
his orders; but we could not possibly believe that so great a monarch,
after the many marks of friendship with which he had honoured us, could be
guilty of such infamous proceedings; being convinced, if he had meditated
hostility, he would have met us honourably in the field of battle: But at
the same time to assure him, that day or night, field or town, fair battle
or villainous stratagem, were all the same for us, as we were always
prepared for every emergency. Montezuma had become exceedingly thoughtful