Long may you live and
justly may you rule, and may the glory be yours of beating back into the
sea those foes who would destroy us. Hail to you, Guatemoc, Emperor of
the Aztecs and of their vassal tribes.' And all the three hundred of the
council of confirmation repeated in a voice of thunder, 'Hail to you,
Guatemoc, Emperor!'
Now the prince himself stood forward and spoke:
'You lords of election, and you, princes, generals, nobles and captains
of the council of confirmation, hear me. May the gods be my witness
that when I entered this place I had no thought or knowledge that I was
destined to so high an honour as that which you would thrust upon me.
And may the gods be my witness again that were my life my own, and not a
trust in the hands of this people, I would say to you, "Seek on and find
one worthier to fill the throne." But my life is not my own. Anahuac
calls her son and I obey the call. War to the death threatens her, and
shall I hang back while my arm has strength to smite and my brain has
power to plan? Not so. Now and henceforth I vow myself to the service
of my country and to war against the Teules. I will make no peace with
them, I will take no rest till they are driven back whence they came, or
till I am dead beneath their swords. None can say what the gods have
in store for us, it may be victory or it may be destruction, but be it
triumph or death, let us swear a great oath together, my people and my
brethren.
Pages:
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371