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of his officer, whom he highly blamed. He gave them the moft hbf- 

 pitable entertainment, and treated them, with the greateft refpecSt ; and 

 having pretty well lined their pockets with gold, he in a few days fent 

 back, as tradable as lambs, thofc who had fet out againll him like 

 furious Hons. 



As our general was one of thofe whofe refources never are exhauft- 

 ed, fo alfo it is hardly necefTary to dwell upon the merits of thofe vali- 

 ant officers and foldiers, who accompanied him, and by our valour in 

 the field, and wifdom in counfel, fupport^d him through all his diffi- 

 culties. On this occafion it was determined by us, as moft expedient, 

 to fend letters to Narvaez and others, wliich fhould come to hand pre- 

 vious to the arrival of Guevara. In this we moft earneftly requefted, 

 that no ftep might be taken which would endanger our general interefts, 

 or encourage the Indians to rife upon us, and we alfo held out every 

 inducement that friendfliip or intereft could fuggeft, to bring them over 

 fo us. At the fame time, under thefe general offers of kindnefs, we 

 did not forget fecretly to treat with fuch as we thought likely to be 

 wrought upon, for Guevara and Vergara had both informed Cortes 

 that Narvaez was not well with his captains, and that gold would do 

 wonders with them. Cortes adjured Narvaez in his letters, by their 

 former intimacy, not to give caufe by his conduct for the Mexicans to 

 rife and deftroy them all, affuring him that they were ready to do any 

 thing to liberate Montezuma, whofe difpofition had alfo greatly altered 

 fmce the time that Narvaez had begun to correfpond with him j adding, 

 that he was convinced, that what was alledged to have been faid by 

 him never could have come from fo wife a man, but wa-s the fabrication 

 of fuch wretches as Cervantes the buffoon, and the others, who had 

 mifled and mifreprefented him. He at the fame time offered an unli- 

 mited fubmiffion to whatever Narvaez would order. Cortes alfo deter- 

 mined to write to the Secretary Andres de Duero, and the Oydor Lucas 

 Vafquez, and took care that the letters fhould be well accompanied with 

 prefents. When Narvaez received the firft letter he turned it into ridi- 

 cule, handing it about among his officers, calling us traitors, and fay- 

 ing 



