9* 



His Misfortunes 



Chap. III. A M E T^l C A 



vaftSums of Money ; yet his Incomes were able to bear fuch cxccffivc Dif- 

 burfements. He kept in conftant Pay five thoufand Soldiers, and feveral Ships 

 ready rigg'd and prepared on all occafions, to hold in awe the enflav'd People, 

 or elfc for the Difcovery of New Countreys: Yet after all thefe extraordina- 

 ry Charges defrayed, to (hew his Wealth and Greatnefs, he caus'd a Piece of 

 Cannon to be cafe, all of maffie Gold : for the Kings which formerly acknow- 

 ledge Montezuma for their Sovereign, gave him a yearly Revenue, moil of 

 which were valu'd to be worth twenty three Tun of Gold ; for fo much the 

 King of Tefcufcus, a ftately City, paid, whofe Houfcs Plaiftcr'd with White- 

 Lime, feeind afar off to be rather a Chalky Hill or Mountain, covered with 

 Snow: Full as much did the King pay which reigned in Otumba, notwith- 

 ftanding he had received with his Chriftianity the Name of Ferdinand Qrrte£\ yet 

 others gave lefs : The King Guacinalgo, with his Mother, and fome Slaves, 

 bringing Gold, came to prefent it to Corte^^ and cntring the Palace, through 

 a Guard of five hundred Horfe and four Hundred Foot, which were always 

 ready Arm' d for fear of Infurreftions, he fell down proftrate on the Ground, 

 Thus all things even outwent whatever he could defire, hope for, or imagine, 

 And Aharedo, one of his Commanders, being fent Eaftwardly, brought great 

 Treafures back with him, which the conquer'd Kings were fore'd to raife. 



But Fortune, who feldom continues her Favors long,at laft began to frown- 

 for Cortex having fent an unvaluable Treafure of Gold and Pearls to the Em! 

 peror Charles the Fifth, Floryn the French Pyrate met with and took k, which 

 went fo much to his Heart , that for a confiderable time he fent no Advice to 

 the Spanijh Court, which made them grow jealous of him, doubting that he 

 intended to make himfelf King over J^e^-Spain - 7 and this Sufpicion was not a 

 little augmented by his Enemies. 



In the Neck of thefe, folio w'd another Misfortune \ for Chriftopher Olitus, 

 fent out by Corre^to difcover new Countreys, rebelling, took up Arms againft 

 him, being then in the Haven Figueras, five hundred Leagues beyond. Not- 

 withftanding the Spaniards, although amongft a new-conquer'd People, which 

 without doubt long'd for Revenge, were not to take notice of their danger, 

 but to go on with undaunted Refolution ; whereupon Corte^ drawing out a 

 ftrong Party, march 'd a long andtroublefom way to meet Olitus, making great 

 Slaughters where.ever he came. Francifco de las Cafas was commanded to go 

 upon the fame Account by Sea, and arriving firft, found him fetling his new 

 Colony, which he nam'd Triumph de Santla'Crux ; and notwithstanding the 

 Water with a Northerly Wind was very rough and boyfterous in the Haven 

 Viguera* (which the Spaniards call'd fo, becaufe they found Trees there, which 

 growing at the Foot of the Mountains, bore a Fruit not unlike a Fig) yet they 

 came to a prefent Engagement, wherein Cafa* wording Olitus, having funk one 

 of his Ships, flood out again to Sea- but furpriz'd by a violent Storm, and 

 driven on the Shore, fell into Olitus s Hands,who had a little before alfo taken 

 Egidius or Giles Gonfales. Thefe two Prifoners confulted together how they A £ Plot 9 f two su- 

 nlight poyfon or murder Olitus, which fell out according to their defires, be- 

 caufe the Servants of the Houfe where they lodg'd fided with them 5 fo taking 

 hold of the firft opportunity , as they were at Supper together, they ftabb'd 

 him with their Knives in feveral places ; yet the Wounds were not fo great or 

 mortal, but that he retain'd ftrength to efcape in the dark to a neighboring 

 Hut 5 but the Afla/finates immediately fent out Meffcngers,publifhing,Thathe 

 who did not,knowing where Olitus was immediately bring him to them,fhould 



receive 



Officers, 



