Their idle tales brought no relief to the anxious monarch, and at length, when his artists showed him pictures of the bearded Spaniards and strings of glittering beads from Cortes, the emperor could doubt no longer, and exclaimed:  “Truly this is the Quetzalcoatl we expected, he who lived with us of old in Tula.  Undoubtedly it is he, Ce Acatl Inacuil, the god of One Reed, who is journeying."[1]

[Footnote 1:  Tezozomoc, Cronica Mexicana, cap. cviii.]

On his very first interview with Cortes, he addressed him through the interpreter Marina in remarkable words which have been preserved to us by the Spanish conqueror himself.  Cortes writes:—­

“Having delivered me the presents, he seated himself next to me and spoke as follows:—­

“’We have known for a long time, by the writings handed down by our forefathers, that neither I nor any who inhabit this land are natives of it, but foreigners who came here from remote parts.  We also know that we were led here by a ruler, whose subjects we all were, who returned to his country, and after a long time came here again and wished to take his people away.  But they had married wives and built houses, and they would neither go with him nor recognize him as their king; therefore he went back.  We have ever believed that those who were of his lineage would some time come and claim this land as his, and us as his vassals.  From the direction whence you come, which is where the sun rises, and from what you tell me of this great lord who sent you, we believe and think it certain that he is our natural ruler, especially since you say that for a long time he has known about us.  Therefore you may feel certain that we shall obey you, and shall respect you as holding the place of that great lord; and in all the land I rule you may give what orders you wish, and they shall be obeyed, and everything we have shall be put at your service.  And since you are thus in your own heritage and your own house, take your ease and rest from the fatigue of the journey and the wars you have had on the way.’"[1]

[Footnote 1:  Cortes, Carta Segunda, October 30th, 1520.  According to Bernal Diaz Montezuma referred to the prediction several times. Historia Verdadera de la Conquista de la Nueva Espana, cap. lxxxix, xc.  The words of Montezuma are also given by Father Sahagun, Historia de Nueva Espana, Lib. xii, cap. xvi.  The statement of Montezuma that Quetzalcoatl had already returned, but had not been well received by the people, and had, therefore, left them again, is very interesting.  It is a part of the Quetzalcoatl myth which I have not found in any other Aztec source.  But it distinctly appears in the Kiche which I shall quote on a later page, and is also in close parallelism with the hero-myths of Yucatan, Peru and elsewhere.  It is, to my mind, a strong evidence of the accuracy of Marina’s translation of Montezuma’s words, and the fidelity of Cortes’ memory.]