o distinction, to apologise for not having visited us in
Tlascalla, and what further happened._

I mentioned in the preceding chapter that our captain had sent a message
to Cholulla, inviting the inhabitants of that town to visit us in
Tlascalla. When the caziques there received this message, they merely
thought proper to send us four Indians of mean rank, and apologised for
not appearing themselves, on account of indisposition. These messengers
neither brought any provisions nor anything else with them, but in a few
dry words offered the excuse just mentioned.

The caziques of Tlascalla who were present when these messengers
arrived, were struck with their appearance, and remarked to Cortes that
this message was a real insult to him and all of us, since these
messengers were _Macehuales_,[32] and people of mean condition.

This circumstance induced Cortes to despatch four Indians of Sempoalla
to Cholulla, telling them to acquaint the inhabitants there that he
should expect an embassy from them within the space of three days,
consisting of men of rank and authority. The distance between them and
him was merely twenty miles, and if no one appeared within the stated
time, he should consider the town of Cholulla in rebellion against us.
If, however, the embassy he required did make its appearance, it was his
intention to reveal matters of importance to them, for the salvation of
their souls, and salutary to their whole existence; he would then also
look upon them as friends and brothers, in the same way as he considered
their neighbours the Tlascallans. If, however, our proposals met with
their entire disapprobation, and if they did not consider our friendship
worthy of acceptance, we should be far from troubling them with our
presence.

When the inhabitants of Cholulla were made acquainted with this friendly
declaration, they sent word that the reason why they could not come to
Tlascalla was, because they were at enmity with the inhabitants, and
were well aware how they and their ruler Motecusuma had been slandered
by them: we had merely to quit the town of Tlascalla and the boundaries
of that province, and if then they did not do their duty towards us, we
might look upon them in the light we had threatened, and treat them
accordingly.

Our captain considered this excuse perfectly reasonable, and we
therefore resolved upon marching to Cholulla. When the caziques of
Tlascalla saw that our determination was fixed