, of which not one fifth part ever existed;
and if we sum up what he says of the population, we shall find there are
more millions than there are villages in Spain. Wherever he speaks of
80,000, we must really write down 1000. Everything certainly sounds very
fine in his work, because he never at any time relates all that
happened. When, therefore, the reader compares his account with mine, he
must not allow himself to be blinded by the ornaments of his beautiful
style, for mine is plain and rude, but truth supplies the place of art
and eloquence. How much it is to be regretted that Dr. Illescas and Paul
Jovio should have copied him so closely!

I must, however, return to my history on the campaign of Tepeaca.

[97] According to Torquemada, Cortes had left one of his officers, named
Juan Perez, with eighty Spaniards in Tlascalla, when he first marched to
Mexico. On learning from this officer that Maxixcatzin had offered to
march at the head of 100,000 men to his assistance, he grew excessively
angry with him, and reproached him in the severest terms for not having
accepted of the offer. (p. 359.)

[98] Torquemada throws more light on the reason of the younger
Xicotencatl's wishing to form an alliance with Mexico. The Mexicans
being aware that the Spaniards would derive great advantages by their
alliance with Tlascalla, sent an embassy of six distinguished personages
to draw this republic into an alliance with them. The matter was
formally discussed by the Tlascallan chiefs in council, and though the
Mexican ambassadors tried their utmost to persuade them into an
alliance, the majority decided against it.

At the head of the minority stood the younger Xicotencatl, and the
debate was carried on with such asperity that the young hero, who had
more penetration than the rest, was at length forcibly expelled the
meeting. (p. 362.)

CHAPTER CXXX.

_How we marched into the province of Tepeaca, what we did there, and
of other things which happened._

Cortes had desired the caziques of Tlascalla to furnish him with 5000
men to join him on his march into the province of Tepeaca, whose
inhabitants he was going to punish for the murder of several Spaniards.
It was the township of Tepeaca, Quauhquechola, and Tecalco, which lay
from twenty-four to twenty-eight miles from Tlascalla, against which
our arms were particularly bent. If our desire to be revenged upon them
was great, that of Maxixcatzin and the elder