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dilcpvered," and "Coitcs conquered;*' the captains and foldiers remaining 

 unnoticed; but fhe has been very happy to find that all which I have 

 narrated in my hiflory is ftrid:ly conformable to the truth, and that I 

 follow matter of fad: clofely and literally, without running into fervile 

 praifes, and that I do not depreciate many valiant captains and foldiers 

 to' exalt one, as is the cafe with Gomara and the other hiftorians. The 

 good goddefs alfo promifes me, that flie will proclaim thefe truths 

 wherever fhe fliall be, and further, that if this my hiftory is publifhed, 

 it fliall be credited, and its authenticity acknowledged wherever it is 

 feen or heard, and that it fhall obfcure and annull all others. 



Befides what I have here propofcd by way of dialogue, a cfertain 

 do6lor, an oydor of the court of royal audience of Guatimala, alked me 

 how it happened that when Cortes wrote to his Majefty, and alfo when 

 he went the firft time to Caftille, he did not folicit for us, fmce we 

 were, under God, the means whereby he acquired his marquifate and 

 government. To this I then replied, and now fay, that when his 

 Majefty gave him the government, he therewith received the better part 

 of this whole country, believing ihdt he was to remain abfolute mafter 

 thereof, and to have unlimited liberty to beflow or deprive as he thought 

 proper; and tl^is, it is fuppofed, was the reafon why he would not and 

 did T\ot write on the fubjeCt, Alfo, at the'time his Majefty gave him 

 his marquifate, he folicited the government in the fame manner that 

 he had held it before; but it was then refufed him, and he did not 

 think of afking any thing that might be ferviceable to us, but only to 

 himfelf. 



, Further, the vecdor and factor, together with other cavaliers of 

 Mexico had reprefented to his Majefly, that the Marquis had taken for 

 himfelf the bef!: provinces and towns of New Spain, and had affigned 

 others to his friends and relations newly come from Caftille, leaving 

 very little for the royal patrimony ; whereupon, as we afterwards learned, 

 his lyiajefty was pleafqd to order that all the overplus fliould be divided 



amongft 



