IX. TRULY WONDERFUL.—A FORTUNATE MAN HATH A MEMORY.
CHAPTER X HOW THE IRON CROSS CAME BACK
CHAPTER XI THE CHRISTIAN TAKES CARE OF HIS OWN
CHAPTER I THE LORD HUALPA FLEES HIS FORTUNE
CHAPTER II WHOM THE GODS DESTROY THEY FIRST MAKE MAD
CHAPTER III THE PUBLIC OPINION MAKES WAY
CHAPTER IV THE ’TZIN’S FAREWELL TO QUETZAL’
CHAPTER V THE CELLS OF QUETZAL’ AGAIN
CHAPTER VI LOST IN THE OLD CÛ.
CHAPTER VII HOW THE HOLY MOTHER HELPS HER CHILDREN
CHAPTER IX LIFE IN THE PABA’S WORLD
CHAPTER X THE ANGEL BECOMES A BEADSWOMAN
CHAPTER XI. THE PUBLIC OPINION PROCLAIMS ITSELF.—BATTLE.
CHAPTER I THE HEART CAN BE WISER THAN THE HEAD
CHAPTER II THE CONQUEROR ON THE CAUSEWAY AGAIN
CHAPTER IV. MONTEZUMA A PROPHET.—HIS PROPHECY.
CHAPTER V HOW TO YIELD A CROWN
CHAPTER VII IN THE LEAGUER YET
CHAPTER VIII THE BATTLE OF THE MANTAS
CHAPTER IX. OVER THE WALL,—INTO THE PALACE.
CHAPTER X THE WAY THROUGH THE WALL
CHAPTER XII. IN THE INTERVAL OF THE BATTLE—LOVE.
CHAPTER XIII THE BEGINNING OF THE END
CHAPTER XIV THE KING BEFORE HIS PEOPLE AGAIN
CHAPTER XV THE DEATH OF MONTEZUMA
CHAPTER XVI ADIEU TO THE PALACE
CHAPTER XVII. THE PURSUIT BEGINS.
INTRODUCTORY.
Fernando De Alva,[1] a noble Tezcucan, flourished, we are told, in the beginning of the sixteenth century. He was a man of great learning, familiar with the Mexican and Spanish languages, and the hieroglyphics of Anahuac. Ambitious to rescue his race from oblivion, and inspired by love of learning, he collected a library, availed himself of his knowledge of picture-writing, became master of the songs and traditions, and, in the Castilian language, composed books of merit.
It was scarcely possible that his labors should escape the researches of Mr. Prescott, who, with such incomparable genius, has given the world a history of the Conquest of Mexico. From him we have a criticism upon the labors of the learned Fernando, from which the following paragraph is extracted.
“Iztlilzochitl’s writings have many of the defects belonging to his age. He often crowds the page with incidents of a trivial and sometimes improbable character. The improbability increases with the distance of the period; for distance, which diminishes objects to the natural eye, exaggerates them to the mental. His chronology, as I have more than once noticed, is inextricably entangled. He has often lent a too willing ear to traditions and reports which would startle the more sceptical criticism of the present time. Yet there is an appearance of good faith and simplicity in his writings, which may convince the reader that, when he errs, it is from no worse cause than the national partiality. And surely such partiality is excusable in the descendant of a proud line, shorn of its ancient splendors, which it was soothing to his own feelings to revive again—though with something more than their legitimate lustre—on the canvas of history. It should also be considered that, if his narrative is sometimes startling, his researches penetrate into the mysterious depths of antiquity, where light and darkness meet and melt into each other; and where everything is still further liable to distortion, as seen through the misty medium of hieroglyphics.”
Besides his Relaciones and Historia Chichemeca, De Alva composed works of a lighter nature, though equally based upon history. Some were lost; others fell into the hands of persons ignorant of their value; a few only were rescued and given to the press. For a considerable period he served as interpreter to the Spanish Viceroy. His duties as such were trifling; he had ample time for literary pursuits; his enthusiasm as a scholar permitted him no relaxation or idleness. Thus favored, it is believed he composed the books now for the first time given to the world.
The MSS. were found among a heap of old despatches from the Viceroy Mendoza to the Emperor. It is quite probable that they became mixed with the State papers through accident; if, however, they were purposely addressed to His Majesty, it must have been to give him a completer idea of the Aztecan people and their civilization, or to lighten the burthens of royalty by an amusement to which, it is known, Charles V. was not averse. Besides, Mendoza, in his difficulty with the Marquess of the Valley (Cortes), failed not to avail himself of every means likely to propitiate his cause with the