CHAPTER XIII
How Montezuma visited the chief temple; his nephew, Cacamatzin, conspired against him; and finally how the caciques swore allegiance to our king; what the Spaniards whom Cortes sent out to find gold, reported. Montezuma's gift of the vast treasure of his fathers and its division among us.
In these days, also, Montezuma told Cortes that he wished to pay his devotions and make sacrifices at his chief temple, not only in fulfilling his religious duties but also to convince his caciques, and especially his nephews, who daily begged him to permit them to rescue him, that by his own choice and the consent of Huitzilopochtli he stayed with us. Cortes told him he might go and welcome, but if the caciques and papas should attack our soldiers or make any disorder to release him, our men would at once take his life. Moreover, he must not sacrifice any human being, for that was a sin against the true God we had made known to him. Neither could Cortes refrain from adding that it would be better for him to pray before our altars and the image of Our Lady.
Montezuma pledged that he would not sacrifice any humans, and then set out in pomp of state, on his litter, with many caciques carrying his staff of
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