onaries, who complacently broke the body of the converted
that Christ might the sooner receive his soul; palmers of pike and
shield, who, in care of the Virgin, followed the morning round the
world, assured that Heaven stooped lowest over the most profitable
plantations."

Just what Cortes at first proposed to do is not quite clear. Indeed,
he himself could not form any definite plan until the circumstances
under which he would be compelled to act, should be more precisely
ascertained. He was, therefore, an opportunist. For one thing, he
made up his mind to lead his troops to the capital city willy-nilly,
and there act as circumstances might determine. He was a statesman as
well as a soldier. It did not take him long to fathom the
peculiarities of the organization and composition of the Aztec Empire.
He knew that discord existed and he had only to introduce himself to
become a focus for the discontent and rebellion. By giving a secret
impression that he was for either side, he could play one party against
the other, as best suited his purposes. He came to bring freedom to
the one, to promote the revolt of the other, check the oppression of
the third, and destroy the presumption of the another {133} tribe, or
warring nation. So he caused his purposes to be declared.

Cortes's personal character was not by any means above reproach, yet
withal he was a sincere and devoted Christian, strange and inexplicable
as the paradox may seem, but it was an age of devoted Christians, whose
devotion and principles fortunately were not translated into daily
life. Neither Cortes nor any of his followers--perhaps not even the
priests were of different opinion--thought any less of themselves or
regarded themselves the less worthy Christians: if their conduct toward
the native races did not manifest that continence, restraint and
sympathy which their religion taught. Cortes was a child of his age;
the other great men of his age were much like him in these things.
Here and there a Las Casas appears, but he shines forth against a dark
and universally extensive background. Such as the great apostles to
the Indies were lonely exceptions indeed.

All the Spanish conquerors were cruel; but Cortes was not so cruel as
many others. He was not to be compared to the ruthless Pizarro for
instance. Save in daring and personal courage, he vastly surpassed the
Lord of Peru in every quality which goes to make a man. Cortes was
treacherous