there was a benignity in his whole demeanour
which was not to have been anticipated from the reports of his character
which had reached the Spaniards. The army halted as Montezuma drew near,
and Cortes dismounted and advanced to meet him with a few of the
principal cavaliers. The emperor received him with princely courtesy,
and expressed his satisfaction at seeing him in his capital. Cortes
responded by the most profound expressions of respect and gratitude for
all Montezuma's munificence to the Spaniards; he then hung round the
emperor's neck a chain of coloured crystal, making at the same time a
movement as if to embrace him, but was restrained by the two Aztec
lords, who were shocked at the idea of such presumption. Montezuma then
appointed his brother to conduct the Spaniards to their quarters in
the city, and again entering his litter was borne off amid prostrate
crowds in the same state in which he had come. The Spaniards quickly
followed, and with colours flying and music playing entered the southern
portion of the city of Mexico. The great wide street facing the causeway
stretched for some miles in nearly a straight line through the centre of
the city. In the clear atmosphere of the tableland it was easy to see
the blue mountains in the distance beyond the temples, houses, and
gardens which stood on either side of it. But what most impressed the
Spaniards was the swarm of people who thronged every street, canal, and
roof, and filled every window and doorway. To the Aztecs it must indeed
have been a strange sensation when they beheld the fair-faced strangers,
and for the first time heard their well-paved streets ringing under the
iron tramp of the horses--those unknown animals which they regarded with
superstitious terror. But their wonder changed to anger when they saw
their detested enemies, the Tlascalans, stalking through their city with
looks of ferocity and defiance.

As they passed along the troops frequently crossed bridges which spanned
some of the numerous canals, and at length they halted in a wide open
space, near the centre of the city, close to the huge temple of the
war-god. Facing the western gate of the temple enclosure stood a range
of low stone buildings, spreading over a large extent of ground, once a
palace belonging to the emperor's father. This was to be the lodging of
the Spaniards. Montezuma himself was waiting in the courtyard to receive
them. Approaching Cortes he took from one of his s