" Montezuma was not more
successful in his application to Cacama to come to Mexico, and allow
him to mediate his differences with the Spaniards, with whom he
assured the prince he was residing as a friend. But the young lord
of Tezcuco was not to be so duped. He understood the position of his
uncle, and replied, "that, when he did visit his capital, it would
be to rescue it, as well as the emperor himself, and their common
gods, from bondage. He should come, not with his hand in his bosom,
but on his sword,- to drive out the detested strangers who had brought
such dishonour on their country."
Cortes, incensed at this tone of defiance, would again have put
himself in motion to punish it, but Montezuma interposed with his more
politic arts. He had several of the Tezcucan nobles, he said, in his
pay; and it would be easy, through their means, to secure Cacama's
person, and thus break up the confederacy at once, without
bloodshed. The maintaining of corps of stipendiaries in the courts
of neighbouring princes was a refinement which showed that the western
barbarian understood the science of political intrigue, as well as
some of his royal brethren on the other side of the water.
By the contrivance of these faithless nobles, Cacama was induced
to hold a conference, relative to the proposed invasion, in a villa
which overhung the Tezcucan lake, not far from his capital. Like
most of the principal edifices, it was raised so as to admit the
entrance of boats beneath it.
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