ting a feeble and momentary front, poured
forth upon the fatal causeways to escape. Drowned and suffocated in the
waters of the lake, mowed down by the fire from the brigantines, and
butchered by the brutal Tlascalans, women, children, and men struggled
and shrieked among that frightful carnage; upon which it were almost
impious to dwell further. Guatemoc, with his wife and children, strove
to escape, and the canoe containing them was already out upon the lake,
when a brigantine ran it down and captured him. All resistance was at
an end. No sign of life or authority remained among the ruined walls;
the fair city by the lake was broken and tenantless, its idols fallen,
and its people fled. The Homeric struggle was over; the conquest of
Mexico was accomplished.

CHAPTER VI
MEXICO AND THE VICEROYS

General considerations--Character of Viceroy rule--Spanish
civilisation--Administration of Cortes--Torture of Guatemoc--Conquests
of Guatemala and Honduras--Murder of Guatemoc--Fall of Cortes--First
viceroy Mendoza--His good administration--Misrule of the _Audiencias_--
Slavery and abuse of the Indians--The Philippine islands--Progress
under the Viceroys--Plans for draining the Valley of Mexico--British
buccaneers--Priestly excesses--Raid of Agramonte--Exploration of
California--Spain and England at war--Improvements and progress in the
eighteenth century--Waning of Spanish power--Decrepitude of Spain--
Summary of Spanish rule--Spanish gifts to Mexico--The rising of
Hidalgo--Spanish oppression of the colonists--Oppression by the
colonists of the Indians--Republicanism and liberty--Operations and
death of Hidalgo--The revolution of Morelos--Mier--The dawn of
Independence--The birth of Spanish-American nations.

The history of Mexico, like its topography, shows a series of intense
and varied pictures. Indeed, it ever occurs to the student of the
Spanish-American past, and observer of Spanish-American hills and
valleys, that the diverse physical changes seem to have had some
analogy with or to have exercised some influence upon the acts of
mankind there. Whether in Mexico, Peru, or other parts of North,
Central, and South America, formed by the rugged ranges of the Andes,
the accompaniments of prehistoric civilisation, daring conquest, bloody
and picturesque revolution, and social turmoil are found. Amid these
great mountain peaks and profound valleys strange semi-civilised
barbarians raised their temples, and European