The requests of Cortez to Mutezuma.
Thomas Nicholas translation
TOC
Oh vvise Cortes.
After al his talk & answer of his souldiers, he wēt to visite & to comune wt Mutezuma for to departe on his iourney, wt somewhat ye lesser care, & also to proue the minde & wil of Mutezuma, vnto whome he vttered his mind as foloweth. Sir, you know ye loue yt I haue, & desire to serue you, & chiefly the trust againe, that you will haue to my cōpanions whē I am gone frō this citie. Therfore I pray you, that it may please you to remaine here in this lodgyng, & to haue regard vnto these strangers, which I leaue with you: also I cōmend vnto you, the gold & iewels whiche is in their custodie, and gyuen vnto vs of your owne liberalitie. For I doe now goe to signifie vnto those which of late are comen in the new fléete, how your highnesse doth commaunde that I departe from this land, and that they doe not agrauate or molest your subiectes, nor yet presume to enter into your countrey, but that they remayne on your coast, vntill we be ready to departe with them, according to your will and pleasure. And if in the meane season, any of your subiects be so vnaduised, as to molest my men, whiche now remayne in your power and Guarde, that then it may please you to be their shielde, succour, and onely defence. Mutezuma promised to fulfill his request, wishing him moreouer, that if any in his iourney shoulde offende him, then immediatly to aduise him, and that he would sende his men of warre to chasten thē, yea and also (if it pleased him,) he woulde giue vnto hym guydes to salfe conduct him through his owne dominion to the Sea coast, who should prouide him of all necessaries by the way. Cortes kissed his handes for his curtesie, with moste hartie thankes for the same, and gaue vnto him certayne Spanishe apparell, and other glasen Iewels, and also other like treasure to his Noble men, which stoode by at all the talke. But in effect he tolde him not what he pretended to doe, nor yet the newes of Pamfilo de Naruaez his procedings was not come to his eare, or else, it may be that Mutezuma dissumuled the matter with inwarde pleasure, that one Christian should kill the other, thinkyng thereby to haue most sure his libertie, and the Goddes pleased.
