This incident was commemorated by some poetic follower in a ballad
which became a favorite with the conquerors:
En Tacuba está Cortés,
Con su esquadron esforçado,
Triste estaua, y muy penoso,
Triste, y con gran cuidado,
La vna mano en la mexilla,
Y la otra en el costado.
Which may be translated literally:
In Tacuba stands Cortés,
With his troopers strong and brave:
Sad he was and deeply grave;
Sad, and heavily oppressed.
With one hand his cheek he pressed;
Against his side, the other.
So runs Bernal Diaz’ account, which appears a little exaggerated, for
recently Cortés had shown the greatest caution, and would hardly have allowed
himself to be so readily trapped on so memorable a spot. Hist. Verdad., 126.
Cortés states that not a Spaniard was lost, though several Mexicans fell.
Cartas, 187.
They begged permission to return home, says Chimalpain, Hist. Conq.,
i. 31. Herrera relates that the efforts of Ojeda, by Cortés’ order, to take from
the Tlascaltecs the gold part of their booty so offended them that they began
to desert. The extortion was accordingly stopped, dec. iii. lib. i. cap. vii.
Clavigero doubts the story. Prescott regards the departure of the allies as
distasteful to Cortés; but we have seen that he did not care at present to encumber
himself with too many unruly auxiliaries to prey upon the peaceful
provinces. The Tlascaltecs would willingly have remained to share in raiding
expeditions.