Introduction

After the destruction of Cholula, the Spaniards continued to march toward the Valley of Mexico, accompanied by their allies from Tlaxcala. The texts by Sahagun's informants, from which the passages in this chapter are taken, describe two incidents of particular interest.

When the army was among the volcanoes, in what the Indians called the Eagle Pass, it was met by new envoys from Motecuhzoma, headed by Tzihuacpopocatzin. The envoys presented many objects of gold to the strangers, and then observed their reactions to the gifts: "The Spaniards burst intosmiles.... They hungered like pigs for that gold. - . ."

Second, the texts report the deceit of Tzihuacpopocatzin, who attempted-apparently on Motecuhzoma's orders-to pass himself off as Motecuhzoma. This effort failed, and another series of envoys was sent out-magicians again-in the hope of stopping the conquistadors. But the wizards retired before the mysterious presence of a pretended drunkard, who foretold the ruin of Mexico and showed them portents. They thought the god Tezcatlipoca had appeared to them, and they hurried back to Tenochtitlan to tell Motecuhzoma. The great Aztec tiatoani was even more depressed than before and waited fatalistically for what was to come.