(■ 373 ) 



diftancej and that he had given poifon to Francifco de Garay, to get 

 from him his troops and (hipping. There were many other accufations 

 brought forward, fo that his Majefty was at lafl tired of hearing them, 

 believing them to be true. 



Narvaez, when admitted into the Emperor*s prefeace addrefled him 

 in his pompoiis tone of voice, as follows. *' Your Majefty muft fur- 

 •* ther know, that on the night I was taken prifoner, having your 

 '* royal commifTion in my pocket, my eye put out, and in apprehenfion 

 of being burnt alive, for the apartment was in flames, one of Cor- 

 tes*s captains, Alonzo de Avila at prefent prifoner in France, violent- 

 '* ly tore your commiflion out of my pocket, and when I claimed it, 

 ** declaring what it was, he denied the fad, and faid that they were 

 *• bonds for money owing me by Spaniards in Mexico, and which I 

 was coming to enforce." At this the Emperor could not refrain from 

 laughing. In regard to the charges, his Majefty faid, he would give 

 orders that ftri(5t juftice fhould be done j and he forthwith commanded, 

 that certain perfons of his royal privy council ftiould be formed into a 

 court of enquiry to hear and decide upon thefe allegations. The per- 

 fons who compofed this court were Mercurio Catarinario grand chan- 

 cellor of Italy, DelaSoa, and Do6tor De la Roche, Flemings, Hernando 

 dt Vega lord of Grajales, the Doftor De Garavajal, and the Licentiate 

 Vargas. 



This court gave notice to the parties to come forward, and accord- 

 ingly they produced their charges in the fame form that they had been 

 laid before his Majefty. To the charges brought by Velafqucz it was 

 replied, that De Cordova was the difcoverer of New Spain, who did it 

 with his companions at their own coft, and that Velafquez was here 

 alfo criminal, in that he ordered him to go to the Ifland of Los Gua- 

 najes, to take Indians by force, and make flaves of them. Farther, that 

 admitting he fent Juan de Grijalva thither, it was not for the purpofe 

 cf colonization but only for trade. That for the expences incurred, the 

 principal part was born by the difterent captains, and not by Velafquez, 



and 



