VINDICATION OF THE VICEROY. 



159 



Mexico, was indebted to the charity of some citizens for a carriage 

 in which he travelled to Vera Cruz. Here a fleet was waiting to 

 transport him to Spain. The late viceroy, the Marques de Falces, 

 departed in a ship of the same squadron, and, upon his arrival at 

 the court, soon found means to justify himself entirely in the eyes 

 of his sovereign. But it w^ent harder with Munoz. He vainly 

 tried his skill at exculpation with the king. Philip seems to have 

 despised him too much to enter into discussion upon the merits of 

 the accusations. The facts were too flagrant. The king returned 

 him his sword, declining to hear any argument in his justification. 

 " I sent you to the Indies to govern, not to destroy ! " said Philip, 

 as he departed from his presence ; and that very night the visitador 

 suddenly expired ! 



Whether he died of mortification or violence, is one of those 

 state secrets, which, like many others of a similar character, the 

 chronicles of Spain do not reveal ! 



Don Martin Cortez and his family took refuge in Spain where 

 his case was fully examined ; and whilst the investigation lasted, 

 from 1567 to 1574, his estates in Mexico were confiscated. He 

 was finally declared innocent of all the charges, but his valuable 

 property had been seriously injured and wasted by the officers of 

 the crown, to whom it was intrusted during the long period of 

 sequestration. 



