He had, in truth, a most munificent spirit. His enemies
accused him of avarice. But, if he were avaricious, it could have been
only that he might have the more to give away.
Each of the Spaniards had several Mexicans, male and female, who
attended to his cooking and various other personal offices. Cortes,
considering that the maintenance of this host of menials was a heavy
tax on the royal exchequer, ordered them to be dismissed, excepting
one to be retained for each soldier. Montezuma, on learning this,
pleasantly remonstrated with the general on his careful economy, as
unbecoming a royal establishment and, countermanding the order, caused
additional accommodations to be provided for the attendants, and their
pay to be doubled.
On another occasion, a soldier purloined some trinkets of gold
from the treasure kept in the chamber, which, since Montezuma's
arrival in the Spanish quarters, had been re-opened. Cortes would have
punished the man for the theft, but the emperor interfering said to
him, "Your countrymen are welcome to the gold and other articles, if
you will but spare those belonging to the gods." Some of the soldiers,
making the most of his permission, carried off several hundred loads
of fine cotton to their quarters. When this was represented to
Montezuma, he only replied, "What I have once given I never take back
again."
While thus indifferent to his treasures, he was keenly sensitive
to personal slight or insult.
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