Of all the details of this war I do not purpose to write, for were
I to do so, there would be no end to this book, and I have my own tale
to tell. These, therefore, I leave to the maker of histories. Let it be
enough to say that the plan of Cortes was to destroy all her vassal and
allied cities and peoples before he grappled with Mexico, queen of the
valley, and this he set himself to do with a skill, a valour, and a
straightness of purpose, such as have scarcely been shown by a general
since the days of Caesar.
Iztapalapan was the first to fall, and here ten thousand men, women, and
children were put to the sword or burned alive. Then came the turn of
the others; one by one Cortes reduced the cities till the whole girdle
of them was in his hand, and Tenoctitlan alone remained untouched. Many
indeed surrendered, for the nations of Anahuac being of various blood
were but as a bundle of reeds and not as a tree. Thus when the power of
Spain cut the band of empire that bound them together, they fell this
way and that, having no unity. So it came about that as the power
of Guatemoc weakened that of Cortes increased, for he garnered these
loosened reeds into his basket. And, indeed, now that the people saw
that Mexico had met her match, many an ancient hate and smouldering
rivalry broke into flame, and they fell upon her and tore her, like
half-tamed wolves upon their master when his scourge is broken.
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