farther advance
was in vain attempted to be checked by an ambuscade laid by the
inhabitants of Cholula, on whom he took signal vengeance.

Surmounting all other obstacles he arrived, with 6000 natives and a
handful of Spaniards, in sight of the immense lake on which was built
the city of Mexico, the capital of the empire. Montezuma received him
with great pomp, and his subjects, believing Cortes to be a descendant
of the sun, prostrated themselves before him. The first care of Cortes
was to fortify himself in one of the beautiful palaces of the prince,
and he was planning how to possess himself of the riches of so opulent
an empire, when intelligence reached him that a general of the emperor,
who had received secret orders, had just attacked the garrison of Vera
Cruz and killed several of his soldiers. The head of one of the
Spaniards was sent to the capital. This event undeceived the Mexicans,
who had hitherto believed the Spaniards to be immortal, and necessarily
altered the whole policy of Cortes. Struck with the greatness of the
danger, surrounded by enemies, and having only a handful of soldiers, he
conceived and instantly executed a most daring project. Having repaired
with his officers to the palace of the emperor, he announced to
Montezuma that he must either accompany him or perish. Being thus master
of the person of the monarch, he next demanded that the Mexican general
and his officers who had attacked the Spaniards should be delivered into
his hands; and when this had been done he caused these unfortunate men,
who had only obeyed the orders of their sovereign, to be burned alive
before the gates of the imperial palace. During this cruel execution
Cortes entered the apartment of Montezuma, and caused him to be loaded
with irons, in order to force him to acknowledge himself a vassal of
Charles V. The unhappy prince yielded, and was restored to a semblance
of liberty on presenting the fierce conqueror with 600,000 marks of pure
gold, and a prodigious quantity of precious stones. Scarcely had he
reaped the fruits of his audacity, however, when he was informed of the
landing of a Spanish army, under Narvaez, which had been sent by
Velazquez to compel him to renounce his command. In this emergency
Cortes acted with his usual decision and courage. Leaving 200 men at
Mexico, under the orders of his lieutenant (Alvarado), he marched
against Narvaez, whom he defeated and made prisoner, and he then
enlisted under his