Viceroy of Sicily. Edward the Sixth being at Hampton Court in 1551, created the Marquis of Dorfet, Duke of Suffolk; and the Earl of Warwick, Duke of Northumberland. Philip and Mary kept their Christmas at Hampton Court with great folemnity in 1558. "The great hall of the palace was illuminated with 1000 lamps curioufly difpofed; the Princefs Elizabeth fupped at the fame table with the King and Queen, next the cloth of itate, and after fupper was ferved with a perfumed napkin and plate of confects by the Lord Paget; but The retired to her ladies before the revels, malkings, and difguifings began. On St. Stephen's day he heard marins in the Queen's clofet, when the was attired in a robe of white fatin, ftrung all over with large pearls. On the 29th of December, fhe fat with their Majefties and the nobility at a grand fpectacle of jufting, when 200 fpears were broken. Half of the combatants were accoutred in the Almaine, and half in the Spanish fashion." Queen Elizabeth, after the came to the throne, frequently refided at Hampton Court. She kept her Chriftmas there in 1572, and again in 1593.

"On the 14th of January, 1603-4, began the celebrated confer ence between the Prefbyterians and the members of the Established Church, held before King James as moderator, in a withdrawing-room within the privy chamber at Hampton Court, on the fubject of conformity. The divines who appeared on the part of the Prefbyterians, were Dr. Reynolds and Dr. Sparks; Mr. Knewftubs and Mr. Chaderton on the part of the Etablished Church, Archbishop Whitgift, Bithops Bancroft, Matthew, Bilfon, Babington, Rudd, Watfon, Ro biníon, and Dove; Drs. Andrews, Overall, Barlow, Bridges, Field, King, &c. All the Lords of the Council were prefent, and spoke occafionally on the fubject of the conference, which lafted three days. In confequence of this conference a new tranflation of the Bible was ordered, and fome alterations made in the Liturgy.

"King Charles I. retired to Hampton Court, on account of the plague in 1625, when a proclamation was publifhed, prohibiting all communication between London, Southwark, or Lambeth, and this place. On the 11th of July that year, Paul Rozencrantz, Ambassador from Denmark, had his audience at Hampton Court. The Marquis of Bleinville, Ambaffador from France, about the fame time, being very defirous of refiding during his attendance on the Court in this palace, his petition, fupported by the earnest requeft of the Queen, was at length, with much reluctance, granted; for it was contrary to ufage for an Ambaffador to be lodged in any of the Royal Palaces. The Judgings affigned him "were all thofe next the river, in the garden, which were fometimes the Lady Elizabeth's." On the 21ft of September, an Ambaffador from Denmark had his audience in the prefence at Hampton Court, although the chapel had been originally affigned for it. About the fame time, an Ambaffador from Bethlem Gabor, Prince of Tranfilvania, had his audience." He was received by Lord Compton at the fecond gate, and there turning up the great ftairs through the great hall and guard-chamber, the King was already under the State in the Privy Chamber expecting him." On the 11th of October the fame year, Monf. de Baffompierre, Ambassador from France, was carried through the great hall to his audience in the pre

fcene

fence chamber, where the King and Queen ftood under the State to receive him. Charles I. was brought by the army to Hampton Court, on the 24th of Auguft, 1647. Here he refided in a ftate of fplendid imprifonment, being allowed to keep up the ftate and retinue of a Court till the 11th of November, when he made his efcape, accompanied by Sir John Berkeley, Mr. Afhburnham, and Mr. Legge.

It has already been mentioned, that the Honour and Palace of Hampton Court were fold, in 1651, to John Phelps and others, creditors of the state; but, previously to 1657, it came into the poffeffion of Cromwell, who made the palace one of his principal refidences. On the 18th of November in that year, his daughter Elizabeth's marriage with Thomas Lord Falconberg was publicly folemnized there. His favourite child, Mrs. Claypoole, died there on the 6th of Auguft in the following year, and was conveyed with great funeral pomp to Weflminfler Abbey.

"This palace was occafionally inhabited by Charles II. and James II. King William, who was very partial to the fituation, and refided much at Hampton Court, pulled down a great part of the old palace, which then confifted of five quadrangles, and employed Sir Christopher Wren to build on its fite the Fountain Court, which contains the itate apartments. Queen Anne, (being then Princefs of Denmark) was brought to bed of the Duke of Gloucefter at Hampton Court, July 24, 1689. She refided there occafionally after her acceffion to the throne, as did her two fucceffors, George I. and George II. but the palace has never been inhabited by his prefent Majefty. His Serene Highness the Prince of Orange, having quitted his own dominions in the month of January, 1795, in confequence of the revolution which then took place in Holland, found an afylum in this palace, where he ftill refides with his family." P. 58.

The engravings which accompany this elegant work deferve the highest commendation; and thofe which reprefent the va rious parts of Hampton-Court Palace, in particular, will be exceedingly acceptable to the antiquarian. We are by no means among thofe who are inclined to depreciate the value of topographical labours; on the contrary, we efteem them ufeful in an eminent degree to hiftorical refearch, and other branches of useful learning. We would fometimes perhaps check the too elaborate invefligation of minute and trifling objects; and the want of this refcive is perhaps the only defect which can be imputed to Mr. Lyfons. If this fmall alloy of our praise fhould be at all unpleafing to the author, we thall not be the lefs inclined to exprefs our fincere defire again to fee his talents and his induftry exercifed in fimilar parfoits; from which a multitude of readers will undoubtedly derive an abundant fhare of profit and amufement.

ART.

ART. VI. The true Hiftory of the Conqueft of Mexico.

(Concluded from our last, p. 160.)

WHILE Cortes was thus actively engaged in plundering his

own foldiers, as well as the Mexicans, a ftorm was gathering against him in a diftant quarter, which, if properly di-gotten rected, could not fail to ftrip him at once of his illtreasures, his troops, and perhaps his life. Velafquez, juftly enraged at Cortes, for throwing off his dependance on him. the inftant he affumed the command, had levied a large body of regular forces, and difpatched them under Pamphilo de Narvaez, with orders to arreft Cortes and his principal officers, and fend them prifoners to Cuba.

naivetè

great The account of this expedition is given with and fpirit by the author. It ended, as every one knows, in the defeat of Narvaez, and the immediate junction of the two armies; and indeed nothing lefs was to be expected from the different difpofitions of the two chiefs; Narvaez, rafh, haughty, and unfufpecting; Cortes, fupple,wary, and intriguing. The foldiers of the former were feduced by the emiffaries of the latter, and the battle was rather a feint than a ferious engagement.

After the junction, Cortes led back his army, now amounting to near fourteen hundred effective men, by forced marches, to Mexico; where Alvarado, a most excellent foldier, but actuated by the diabolical fpirit of his fuperior, had thrown every thing into confufion.

"The wheel of fortune making sudden turns, evi! follows clofely upon good, as was our cafe at prefent, our late fucceffes being contrasted by melancholy news from Mexico. We now received intelligence by express from that city, whereby we were informed, that an infurrection had broken out, and that Alvarado was befieged in his quarters, which they had fet on fire, having killed feven of his men, and wounded many; for which reafon he earnestly called for fuccour and fupport. When we received this news, God knows how it afflicted us! We fet out by long marches for Mexico, leaving Narvaez and Salvatierra prifoners in Villa Rica, under the custody of Rodorigo Rangel, who also had directions to collect all the fragglers, and to take care of the inAt the moment we were ready to valids, of whom there were many. march, arrived four principal noblemen from the court of Montezuma, to lodge a formal complaint againtt Alvarado, for having affaulted them when dancing at a folemn feftival in honor of their gods, which he had permitted them to hold, whereby, in their own defence they had been forced to hill feven of his foldiers, Cortes replied to them in terms

not

hot the most pleafing, faying he would foon be at Mexico, and put all in proper regulation; with which anfwer they returned, very little in. deed to the fatisfaction of Montezuma who felt the infult strongly, many of the natives being killed." P. 206.

Montezuma was perfectly innocent of the tumult, as appears by Alvarado's own confeflion; yet hear with what infolence the monarch is treated, in confequence of it, by his brutal gaoler.

Cortès during our inarch had expatiated to the new comers upon the power and influence he poffeffed, and the refpect with which he was treated in Mexico, and had filled their minds and heightened their expectations, with promifes and golden hopes. When on his return therefore he experienced the coldness and negligence of his reception in Tezcuco, and equal appearances thereof in Mexico, he grew very peevish and irritable; and the officers of Montezuma coming to wait upon him, expreffing the wifh of their Sovereign to fee him, Cortes angrily exclaimed," Away with him! the dog! why does he neglect to fupply us." When the captains De Leon, De Oli, and De Lugo, heard this expreffion, they intreated him to be moderate, and reminded him of the former kindness and generofity of the King. But this feemed to irritate Cortes the more, confidering it a kind of cenfure, and he indignantly faid; "What compliment am I under to a dog who treated fecretly with Narvaez, and as we fee neglects to fend provifions?" This the captains admitted ought to be done; and Cortes, confident in the great reinforcement of numbers he had obtained, continued a haughty demeanour. He in this manner now addreffed the noblemen fent to him by Montezuma, bidding them tell their mafter, immediately to caufe markets to be held and provisions fupplied, and to beware of the confequences of neglect. Thefe lords very well understood the purport of the injurious expreffions which he had ufed, and on their return informed the King of what had paffed. Whether it was from rage at the ftory told by them, or the confequence of a preconcerted plan to fall upon us, within a quarter of an hour after, a foldier entered our quarters, wounded dangerously, and in great hurry, and told us that the whole people were in arms. This man had been fent by Cortes to bring to our quarters fomne Indian ladies, and amongst them the daughter of Montezuma, whom Cortes, when he marched againft Narvaez, had left in the care of their relation the Prince of Tacuba. He was on his return with them when he was attacked by the people who were assembled in great numbers, had broken a bridge upon the causeway of Tacuba, and had once had him in their hands and were hurrying him into a canoe to carry him off for facrifice, but that he extricated himself from them, with two dan→ gerous wounds." P. 209.

Thefe expreffions, however, coft him dear: the patience of the Mexicans was now exhaufted, and they arofe against their oppreflors as one man. The first attempt to fupprefs them failed; a fecond was equally unfortunate.

T

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XVII, MARCH, 1801.

"As foon as the next morning dawned we fallied out with out whole force upon the enemy, being determined if we could not con quer, to make them fear us. The Mexicans came to meet us with their whole force, and both parties fought defperately; but as the numbers of our opponents were fo immenfe, and as they conftantly brought up fresh troops, even if we had been ten thousand Hectors of Troy, and as many Roldans, we could not have beaten them off; nor can I give any idea of the defperation of this battle; for though in every charge we made upon them we brought down thirty and even forty, it was of no avail; they came on even with more spirit than at firft, nor could we, by our cannon or fire arms, make any impreffion on them. If at any time they appeared to give ground it was only to draw us from our quarters, in order to enfure our deftruction. Then the ftones and darts thrown on us from the terraces of the houses were intolerable. But I defcribe it faintly; for fome of our foldiers who had been in Italy fwore, that neither amongft Chriftians nor Turks, nor the artillery of the King of France, had they ever feen fuch defperation as was manifefted in the attacks of thofe Indians. We were at length forced to retreat to our quarters, which we reached with great difficulty." P. 211..

Cortes became at length fenfible of his folly, or rather madnels; and was mean enough to folicit the interceffion of the man whom, in the arrogance of prosperity, he had fo wantonly infulted. As this is the laft time the amiable and unhappy Prince appears on the fcene, we fhall give the whole tranfaction.

"Cortes perceiving how defperate our fituation was, determined that Montezuma fhould addrefs his fubjects from a terrace, and defire them to defit from their attacks, with an offer from us to evacuate Mexico. He accordingly fent to the King to defire him to do so. When this was made known to Montezuma, he burst out into violent expreffions of grief, faying "What does he want of me now? I neither defire to hear him, nor to live any longer, fince my unhappy fate has reduced me to this fituation on his account." He therefore difmiffed thofe fent to him with a refufal, adding as it is faid, that he wifhed not to be troubled any more with the falfe words and promifes of Cortes. Upon this the Reverend Father Fray Bartholome and Chriñoval de Oli went to him, and addreffed him with the most affecionate and perfuafive language, to induce him to appear, to which he replied, that he did not believe that his doing fo would be of any avail, that the people had already elected another fovereign, and were determined never to permit one of us to quit the city alive. The enemy continued their attacks, and Montezuma was at length perfuaded. He accordingly came, and stood at the railing of a terraced roof, attended by many of our foldiers, and addreffed the people below him, requestng, in very affectionate language, a ceffation of hoftilities, in order that we might quit the city. The chiefs and nobility, as foon as they perceived him coming forward, called to their troops to defift and be lent, and four of them approached, fo as to be heard and spoken to

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