r nobles. They
were an agricultural people, and the fertility of their new country was
signified by its name--'Tlascala' meaning the land of bread. Presently
their neighbours began to be envious of their prosperity, and they were
frequently obliged to defend themselves against the Cholulans, and were
always successful. But when Axayacatl, king of the Aztecs, sent
demanding the same tribute and obedience from them which the other
people of the country paid him, threatening, if they refused, to destroy
their cities, and give their land to their enemies, they answered
proudly, 'Neither they nor their forefathers had ever paid tribute or
homage to a foreign power, nor ever would pay it. If their country was
invaded, they knew how to defend it.'

This answer brought upon them the forces of the Mexican monarch, and a
pitched battle was fought in which the republic was again victorious,
but from that time hostilities never ceased between the two nations,
every captive was mercilessly sacrificed, and the Tlascalan children
were trained from the cradle to hate the Mexicans with a deadly hatred.
In this struggle the Tlascalans received valuable support from a wild
and warlike race from the north, called the Otomies. Some of them
settled in the republic, and having proved themselves courageous and
faithful, were entrusted with the defence of the frontier. After
Montezuma became emperor of Mexico greater efforts than before were made
to subdue Tlascala. He sent a great army against it, commanded by his
favourite son, but his troops were defeated and his son killed. Enraged
and mortified, Montezuma made still greater preparations and invaded the
valley with a terrific force. But the Tlascalans withdrew to the
recesses of the hills, and watching their opportunity, swept down upon
the enemy and drove them from their territory with dreadful slaughter.
Nevertheless they were greatly harassed by these constant struggles with
a foe so superior to themselves in numbers and resources. The Aztec
armies lay between them and the coast, cutting off all possibility of
obtaining any supplies. There were some things, as cotton, cacas, and
salt, which they were unable to grow or manufacture, of which they had
been deprived for more than fifty years, and their taste was so much
affected by this enforced abstinence that they did not get used to
eating salt with their food for several generations after the conquest.
This was the state of affairs in Tl