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The Mastering of Mexico

all at once for so long, that we called the town Villa Viciosa, or Luxury Town.

After we had finished our dinner the fat cacique sent word to Cortes that he wished to visit him and he shortly arrived with other Indian chiefs, each wearing gold plates set in their lips and richly wrought cloaks. Cortes, receiving them and their presents of gold trinkets and cotton stuffs of small value, told them, through Donna Marina and Aguilar, of his gratitude. He told also of our king, of his commands to us to redress wrongs wherever we came and to punish the bad, and he then added much about our holy religion.

The fat cacique sighed deeply when Cortes had spoken of evil doers, and complained bitterly of Montezuma and the caciques he sent to the provinces as governors, telling how their forces had recently subdued his people and robbed him of all his gold; how because the sway of Montezuma was over so vast a country and so many peoples and armies, he and his people dared not oppose the monarch's orders. Cortes endeavored to console him, in the end saying that he would relieve him of the oppression he suffered, after he could consider the matter thoroughly, but now he was on his way to visit his ships and to set up headquarters at Quiahuitztlan.

We left Cempoala the next morning, and the fat cacique pleased us very much by sending to our aid