zuma and his allies. In the presence of the royal secretary, Godoy, and by formal deed, they pledged obedience to his majesty, our king. Messengers now bore the news to other towns of the province, and when they heard they were no longer to pay tribute and no longer to suffer the robbery of their families for sacrifice, the people were almost out of their senses from excessive joy.
Meanwhile report of what had happened reached Montezuma in Mexico, and he was so angry that he ordered a great army to march against the Totonacs and not leave one alive, while he himself determined to come against us with unnumbered warriors. Just at this moment the two tax gatherers Cortes had freed got back, and when Montezuma learned the promises our captain had sent, the Almighty softened his heart and he resolved to ask what we intended to do. To this end he despatched two young nephews in the charge of caciques of rank, sending with them thanks to Cortes for freeing his tax men and also a present of gold and cloth. On the other hand he made heavy complaints how it was owing to our protection that the Totonac people had revolted. In our persons, he said, he recognized those who, his ancestors had foretold, were coming to his country; we must therefore be of his own lineage, but how did it happen we were uniting with traitors?
Cortes embraced the messengers and accepted their
