Fathers Diaz and Olmedo
exhausted all their battery of logic and persuasion to shake his faith
in his idols, but in vain. He, indeed, paid a most edifying attention,
which gave promise of better things. But the conferences always closed
with the declaration, that "the God of the Christians was good, but
the gods of his own country were the true gods for him." It is said,
however, they extorted a promise from him, that he would take part
in no more human sacrifices. Yet such sacrifices were of daily
occurrence in the great temples of the capital; and the people were
too blindly attached to their bloody abominations for the Spaniards to
deem it safe, for the present at least, openly to interfere.
Montezuma showed, also, an inclination to engage in the
pleasures of the chase, of which he once was immoderately fond. He had
large forests reserved for the purpose on the other side of the
lake. As the Spanish brigantines were now completed, Cortes proposed
to transport him and his suite across the water in them. They were
of a good size, strongly built. The largest was mounted with four
falconets, or small guns. It was protected by a gaily-coloured
awning stretched over the deck, and the royal ensign of Castile
floated proudly from the mast. On board of this vessel, Montezuma,
delighted with the opportunity of witnessing the nautical skill of the
white men, embarked with a train of Aztec nobles and a numerous
guard of Spaniards.
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