Steps were now taken for the founding of a city at the new settlement. The name of Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz was retained for the city, but the name to-day has been abbreviated to Vera Cruz. Every one in the Spanish army assisted in laying the walls and constructing the buildings of the new city. No one refused, and Cortes set an example for all by assisting personally. The work went on with incredible swiftness and in a short time the enclosed place was sufficiently secure against Indian assaults. Meanwhile Montezuma’s messengers had returned and performed the favorable offices expected by Cortes. Their report considerably mitigated the anger of the monarch, who in his first heat of passion had ordered the mustering of a mighty army to extirpate these strangers and their Indian auxiliaries by fire and sword. Now, however, he was greatly concerned and decided to employ kind measures to induce these dreaded strangers, if possible, to go away peacefully. To this end he sent messengers with gifts of great value, two young princes, relatives of the Emperor, being the bearers. They reached the Spanish camp just at the time of the completion of the fortifications. They discharged their duty, presented the costly gifts, thanked Cortes for the assistance he had rendered in releasing the prisoners, and concluded with the request that he would be pleased to leave the territory of their sovereign.
Cortes showed them the greatest honor and made the following reply: He was sorry that the Emperor had been caused trouble by the imprisonment of his messengers, and yet it must be acknowledged that they had brought it upon themselves by an inhuman demand, which he hoped had been made without the Emperor’s knowledge. In any event he must declare that the Christian religion did not recognize the cruel practice of human sacrifice and that he felt himself bound to prevent it wherever and however he could. As for the wrong which had been done the Emperor, that had been compensated for by the release of the prisoners, and, as he was under obligations to the allies he had accepted, he flattered himself that the Emperor would overlook the hasty act of the caciques of Zempoala and Chiahuitzlan, and pardon them. He was obliged to take these vassals of the Emperor under his protection for they had striven to make amends for Teutile’s incivility by giving him a hospitable reception. As to his departure from the country, he had already had the honor to assure their master that a mission of the utmost consequence bound him not to return to his fatherland until he had had a personal interview. A European soldier never feared to perform any duty imposed upon him by his superiors. The messengers, amazed at the cool and stately manner in which Cortes delivered his reply, returned, filled with admiration at his courageous firmness and with secret contempt for their own sovereign, to whom they reported all they had seen and heard.