Cortes Outside Tlaxcala; Beset By Both Sides, With Fever: Diaz, September 1519

Bernal Diaz writes that the first europeans spent twenty-four days in the surrounding province of Tlaxcala before entering that city of the same name. There was the ambush and attacks early in the month. There was the counterattacks and daytime negotiations and mutilations. But in the days leading up to and before entering the city of Tlaxcala, as Diaz tells it, there was a fair bit of drama that Cortes in particular endured and set up.

Twice, chieftains from Motecuhzoma brought much gold and entreaties to not go to the city, whether Tlaxcala or Tenochtitlan, because the way there was hard, they said.
Twice, the Tlaxcala named Xicotencatl returned to Cortes, both the elder and the younger, to ask Cortes to ignore the chietains from Motecuhzoma and instead, for him to come to their city. These entreaties were witnessed by the Mexican messengers who countered, urging Cortes not to trust them and not go to their city.
Twice, in providing all these details, including speeches offered, and even a clear physical description of the younger Xicotencatl, Bernal Diaz felt the need to explain that Cortes was suffering from fever. Cortes also felt the need to write a letter to Juan de Escalante in Villa Rica (Vera Cruz), to send more wine and communion wafers, and men. [ch lxxiii]

The first time emissaries from Motecuhzoma arrived, before they entered Tlaxcala, 1000 gold pieces were brought and much fine cloth. Cortes does mention this detail at this point in his second letter. But he doesn't go into their return or their staying with them before entering Tlaxcala as Diaz does. The first set of messengers though, from Motecuhzoma, Diaz tells us, wanted to be vassals of Cortes and offered that Montezuma wanted to be a vassal of 'our great emperor'. They also, Diaz says, tell how Montezuma wanted Cortes to receive their gifts as tribute and as a kind of promise that he would not try to go to Tenochtitlan. Cortes received their gifts warmly, grateful for their goodwill and the offer "to give tribute to His Majesty." This itself  is not what Diaz himself had just written and is not described by Cortes either. But Cortes encouraged them to stay until they entered the city and explained that he was sick: "... the day before he had purged himself with chamomiles from the island of Cuba, which are very good for anyone who knows how to take them." [ch lxxii]

Then, despite Cortes's sickness he got word that Xicotencatl had arrived and wished to speak to him. He was received, and with many bows and much burning of incense, had arrived with 'fifty other chieftains' dressed in 'red and white cloaks'. The Mexica then heard Xicotencatl explain to Cortes how deceptive the Mexica were, how steadfast they were now to Cortes because they knew he would kill them if they betrayed him and so, would remain as hostages if necessary rather than return to war. So the Tlaxcala would keep the peace with Cortes. At this Diaz says the Mexica chieftains felt great concern and 'nothing good would come for them because of it'.

"When Xicotenga [Xicotencatl the younger] had taken his leave, the ambassadors of Montezuma asked Cortes, half laughing, if he believed any of these promises they had made on behalf of all Tlaxcala; that it was all a trick; that we should not believe them; that they were the words of traitors, decietful; that they said them so that after they had us in their city, in a place where they could safely take us, they would attack and kill us; that we should remember how many times they had come to kill us with all their forces, and as they could not, and they lost many dead and wounded, they now wanted to avenge themselves by asking for a fake peace. Cortes answered them with a very brave expression, saying he did not care in the least whether they should have had such a thought as the Mexicans had said, and even if everything they said was true, he would take satisfaction in punishing them by taking their lives, and that this would be true whether they attacked by day or by night, in the fields or in the city, that it was all the same to him, and the reason he is determined to go there [Tlaxcala] is to see if it is true." [ch. lxxiii]

 The messengers asked Cortes to wait six days until word could be sent and received back from Montezuma.

"Cortes promised to do so, first, because as I have said, he had a fever, and also, even though he appeared not to heed the things those ambassadors [the Mexica] said to him, he understood that, if they were true, he had to take them into account until he saw greater certainty of peace." 

Taking stock, Cortes wrote a letter to Juan de Escalante and then ordered some from Cingapancingo to build a cross in camp and plaster it with lime and decorate it. In a few days, the Mexica messengers returned bringing more precious gifts and earnestly entreating Cortes not to to go to the city of Tlaxcala or trust them. They just wanted to rob him of his gold and cloth, he was told. Cortes again, Diaz tells us, received the gifts, said he was grateful, and

"... will repay the lord Montezuma with good deeds, that if he sensed that the Tlaxcalans had in their thoughts what Montezuma sent to warn them, he would pay them for it by taking all their lives; but he said with certainty they would not attempt such vile deeds and that he still wanted to go to see what they might do." [ch lxxiii]

But, as Diaz goes on, many more of the local chiefs and cacique came 'in litters, in hammocks, on men's backs' and with many other chiefs, 'with great respect' and burning of incense,

"... touched the ground with their hands, and kissed the earth." [ch lxxiv]

They called Cortes, 'Malinche', according to Bernal Diaz. Remember, that is the local name for Doña Marina, the translator they had acquired in Yucatan. Bernal Diaz spends some time explaining that this became the name used by the locals not just for her, but Cortes, as well as another, Juan Perez, but later. He will use these names interchangeably for Cortes and 'La Malinche'. Elsewhere Diaz says, he took her as his wife.
All these additional local chieftains had come in order to petition Cortes, personally, calling him Malinche, to come to their city where they would share with him everything they had. To serve him with their people and property.
In response, as Diaz tells, Cortes said he knew these were good people and explained that this was why he was astonished that they had attacked him before. He thanked them all for the provisions and courtesies and good deeds. Then he told them he had been waiting to go to the city but did not know who would carry the tepuzques,

"... which are the cannons. When they heard those words, they felt such pleasure that it showed on their faces, and they said: "So for this you have stayed and not told us?" In less than half an hour they brought more than five hundred Indian bearers. Very early the next day we began to march along the road to the head town of Tlaxcala in good order, ... Montezuma's messengers had already begged Cortes to let them go with us to see how this came out ... and put them in his lodging... not [to] be dishonored in any way, because... they were afraid of the Tlaxcalans." [ch lxxiv]

 Twice, Cortes had asked both sides to wait as he had to talk to their opponent. Even as they both tried to ensure that they were the party most in Cortes' favor. He had also set up a bit of theater for these messengers from Motecuhzoma. They were to witness his welcome into the city and the Tlaxcala would carry his great and terrifying guns in, for him. What an incredible way to project his personal power.
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All quotes, not otherwise listed are from Bernal Díaz de Castillo: The True History of the Conquest of New Spain translated with an introduction and notes by Janet Burke and Ted Humphrey, Indianapolis, Hackett Publishing Co, Inc. 2012