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treafure of Cortes, whofe major domo he had been, and becaufe he 

 could not, or would not declare, or make difcovery concerning it, he 

 caufed his feet and part of his legs to be burnt ; and not content with 

 giving hirp the torture, and knowing alfo that if left alive he might 

 complain to his Majefty, he ordered him to be hanged, which was 

 accordingly done. He alfo arrefted moft of the friends of Cortes. Ta- 

 pia and Jorge de Alvarado, however, took fand:uary with the Francif- 

 can fathers ; but feveral of them went over to him, partly becaufe he 

 gave them Indians, and partly becaufe it is natural to wifh to be with 

 the ftrongeft power, or, as the faying is, to cry, "fuccefs to the con- 

 *• querors." He emptied the arfenal of arms, and brought them to his 

 palace, in the front of which he alfo planted all the artillery, which was 

 commanded by Captain Don Luis de Guzman, fon in law to the Duke 

 of Medina Sidonia. He next formed a body guard for his own protec- 

 tion, compofed in part of the foldiers of Cortes, to the command of 

 which he appointed one Artiaga. 



Zuazo alfo wrote to Cortes to inform him, that he had reported 

 many fcandals of him to his Majefty, fuch as defrauding him of the 

 duty upon gold ; and as an inflance to what extent he carried his tyran- 

 ny, he mentioned a circumftance of a travelling Spaniard having in- 

 formed a woman, and given her proofs, that her hufband who was 

 gone with Cortes was alive. This coming to the ears of the fad:or, he 

 caufed him to be feized by four alguazils, and would have hanged him, 

 but that he, to excufe himfelf, declared that what he had faid 

 was all a falfehood, and that he had only invented it to comfort the 

 poor woman, feeing her weeping for the lofs of her hufband. The 

 bufinefs which brought this man to Mexico was, to obtain a plantation, 

 , this was immediately fettled to his fatisfad:ion, and he was difmiffed 

 with a hint to hold his tongue, as he valued his life. This letter alfo 

 informed Cortes of the death of the reverend father Bartholome, a holy 

 man, and much regretted by all the natives of Mexico, who in token 

 of their refpedt fafted from the time of his death, until he was buried. 



Zuazo 



