[8] On some former occasions the xiquipil has been already explained as
    denoting eight thousand men.—­E.

[9] Clavigero, II. 180, supplies the brevity used by Diaz on this occasion. 
    He says that the chiefs of the districts of Matlatzinco, Malinalco,
    and Cohuixco came to Cortes and entered into a confederacy with him
    against Mexico; by which means, added to his former alliances, he was
    now able to have employed “more warriors against Mexico than Xerxes
    did against Greece.”  Clavigero everywhere deals in monstrous
    exaggeration, while Diaz is uniformly modest, and within due bounds of
    credibility.  Even in the few miracles of which Diaz makes mention,
    his credulity is modestly guarded by devout fear of the holy
    office.—­E.

[10] The whole western division of Mexico called Tlaltelolco was now in
    possession of the Spaniards, and probably destroyed by them to secure
    their communications; and the miserable remnant of the brave Mexicans
    had retired into the eastern division, named Tenochtitlan.—­E.

[11] According to the genealogy of the Mexican kings in Clavigero, I. 240,
    this princess, whose name was Tecuichpotzin, was queen successively to
    her uncle Cuitlahuatzin, and her cousin Guatimotzin.  After the
    conquest, she became a Christian, by the name of Donna Elizabeta
    Montezuma, marrying three noble Spaniards in succession; and from her
    descended the two noble families of Cano Montezuma, and Andrea
    Montezuma.  Montezuma left likewise a son, Don Pedro Johualicahuatxin
    Montezuma, whose male descendants failed in a great-grandson; but
    there are several noble families both in Spain and Mexico descended
    from that sovereign of Mexico in the female line.—­E.

[12] We have formerly said, on the authority of Clavigero, that the siege
    of Mexico commenced on the 30th of May, and as it ended on the 13th of
    August, the siege, by this mode of reckoning, could only have lasted
    76 days.  It is highly probable, therefore, that the commencement of
    the siege must have been on the 13th of May, and the 30th of Clavigero
    may only be an error of the press.—­E.

SECTION XIV.

Occurrences in New Spain immediately subsequent to the reduction of Mexico.

As soon as Cortes had leisure to think of objects of internal regulation, he gave orders to have the aqueduct restored by which the city of Mexico was supplied with water, and to have the city cleared of the dead bodies and repaired, so that it might be again habitable within two months.  The palaces and houses were ordered to be rebuilt, and a certain portion of the city was allotted for the natives, while another part was reserved for the residence of the Spaniards.  Guatimotzin made application