The protestation and request of the Souldyers to Cortes.

TOC

When Cortes departed firste from Tlaxcallon towardes Mexico to visit Mutezuma, hée lefte there twentie thousande Castlins of golde and moe, besides the Kings portion which was sent with Monteio and Portocarrero. He lefte there also manye other things if néede should haue happened in Mexico of money, or other things to prouide his men in Vera Crux, and this he lefte there also, to proue the fidelitie of his friendes in Tlaxcallon. And after he had obteyned the victory against Naruaez, he wrote vnto the Captayne that he shoulde sende for the same, for reason required that in all things they should haue their partes.

Exclamation.

The Captaine of Vera Crux sente fiftie Spanyardes and fiue Horsemen for the same, who at their returne, were slayne and taken prisoners with all that treasure, by y^e men of Culhua who had rebelled through the comming of Pamfilo de Naruaez, robbing and spoyling sundrye dayes. But when Cortez vnderstoode this newes, his ioy was turned to sorrowe, not onely for the golde and treasure so muche, as for the losse of his menne, fearyng also some other warre or vprore to haue bin in the riche Towne of Vera Crux, wherevpon hée sente a messenger thyther, who returned in shorte time, certifying that all the inhabitantes there were in good health, and also all the Comarcans quiet, and without any token of alteration. This newes and answere pleased Cortes and all his company, whiche desired to goe thither, but he woulde not permitte them, wherefore they began to murmure and to exclayme, saying, what thinketh Cortes, what meaneth he to doe with vs? why, will he kéepe vs héere to dye an euill death? what haue we offended him, that he will not let vs goe? we are alreadye full of wearinesse, our bodyes are yet ful of fresh woundes, we haue spente our bloude, and are nowe withoute strength and apparell: wée sée oure selues in a straunge Countrey, and full of miserye, enuironed with enimies, yea and without hope to come to that hygh place from whence we fell, yea then mighte wée bée accompted for worse than madde men, to come into the perils from whence wée escaped: wée meane not nowe to ende oure lyues so desperately, as he would haue vs, for wyth the insatiable thirste of honoure and glorye, hée estéemeth not hys life, neyther oures. He doth not lykewyse consider, that he wanteth menne, horses, artillerie, and armoure, things so necessarye for the warres, yea he also wanteth victuall, whyche is a thyng moste principall: what shall wée saye, but that, he erreth, and is deceyued, in giuing credite to these Tlaxcaltecas, who are, like vnto the other nations of India, which are light, changeable, and louers of newe things, yea and rather, in effecte of troth, they better loue the Culhuacans, than the Spanishe nation, yea and although they nowe dissemble, yet when they shall sée a greate army of Mexicans come vpon them, they will then deliuer vs aliue, to be eaten, and sacrificed, for it is an olde rule, that friendship dothe not long endure betwixte them that are of sundry religion, apparell, and spéech.

After all these complayntes and murmurations amōg themselues, they made a protestation and request, in forme as it were in the name of the King and all the company, praying him incontinent to departe frō thence, and to goe with them to the Towne of Vera Crux, before the enimies mighte disturbe their way and passage, and then they to remayne both bought and solde, and shutte vp as it were in a prison: also they declared, that in Vera Crux they should haue better opportunitie to make themselues strong, if that he meante to returne agayne vpon Mexico, or else to take shipping, if so it shoulde séeme conuenient.

Cortes hearing this request, and determination of hys Souldyers, was at his wits ende, ymagining that theyr pretence was, onely to procure him to goe from thence, and afterwardes to rule him at their pleasures, and béeing a thing cleane contray to his pretended purpose, hée aunswered them as followeth.