Chap. III. for the ReduBwn of Spai n. ’ 6^ 
in the Ifle of Cui^a^ where the War was ftill Carried onj 
and having gained the Confent of his Kinfman, he en- 
deavoured to fignalize himfelf in that War, by Valour 
and ObediencCj which are the firft Virtues of a military 
Profeffion. He very foon acquired not only the Repu- 
tation of a valiant Soldier, but alfo that of an able Com- 
mander ; diilinguifhing both his Courage in AClion, and 
his Capacity in Council. Cortes was well made, of an 
agreeable Countenance, and, belides thefe common na- 
tural Endowments, he was of a Temper which rendered 
him amiable ; for he always fpoke well of the Abfent, 
and Was pleafant and difcreet in his Converfation. His 
Generohty was fuch, that his Friends partook of all he 
had, without being fuffered by him to publifh their 
Obligations. 
He married in that Eland, Donna Cathalina Suarez 
Pacheco^ a noble and virtuous young Lady. This Court- 
fhip brought him under many Difficulties, by the Inter- 
fering of Diego Velafquez^ who made him Prifoner till 
fuch time as all Differences were adjufted ; and then Ve- 
lafquez gave her to him in Marriage, after which they 
were intimate Friends, and the Governor, in a little time, 
gave him a Diftribution of Indians^ and the Poll of 
Alcalde or chief Magiftrate in the Town of St. Jago ; an 
Employment ufually conferred on thofe who had diftin- 
guifhed themfelves in the Conqueft of thofe Countries. 
In thefe Circumftances was Hernan Cortes^ when Amador 
de Laris., and Andres de Duero., propofed him for the 
Conqueft of New Spain : And they did it with fo much 
Addrefs, that the next time they waited upon Diego 
Velafquez., furniffed with frelh Reafons to enforce their 
Recommendation, they found him refolved on Cortes, 
and fo poffeffed with the Advantages of entrufting the 
Undertaking to his Care, that they changed their pre- 
meditated Arguments into Flattery ; and only endeavour- 
ed to oblige him by applauding a Refolution fo agreeable 
to their own Wifhes. They agreed with the Governor 
that it was convenient immediately to publifli the Choice, 
in order to put a Stop, at once, to all farther Preten- 
ftons ; and Andres de Duero was not flow in the Difpatch 
cf the Commiftion. 
Cortes received his new Charge from Velafquez with 
great Expreftions of Refpecft ; being as fenfibly affecfted 
with the Confidence the Governor repofed in him, as he 
was afterwards with his Diftruft. The Refolution was 
made public, and well received among thofe who defired 
to fee that Affair brought to a Conclufion j but occa- 
fioned much Difcontent among his Rivals for the Em- 
ployment. Thofe who had declared themfelves with the 
greateft Coldnefs, were the Relations of Diego Velafpuez j 
who made very ftrong Efforts to raife in the Governor 
a Diftruft in Cortes. His reported, that Diego Velafquez 
walking out with Cortes, and with his Friends and Rela- 
tions, a pleafant crack-brained Fellow, with whofe Whim- 
ffes he ufed to be diverted, faid to him. Thou haft done 
well Friend Diego j fliortly there will be Occafion for 
another Fleet to go in purfuit of Cortes. But Diego Ve- 
lafquez ftood firm to his Refolution, and Cortes wholly 
applied himfelf to haften the Preparations for his De- 
parture. The firft Step, was to ered his Standard with 
’ the Sign of the Crofs ; having this Infcription in Latin, 
Let us follow the Crofs, for with this Sign we Jhall over- 
come. 
. He appeared in the Habit of a Soldier, which became 
his Perfon well, and fuited his Inclinations better; he 
employed his own Stock liberally, and what he could 
borrow from his Friends, in the buying of Provifions, 
Arms, and Ammunition, to haften the Departure of 
the Fleet •, endeavouring, at the fame time, to draw to- 
gether a Number of Soldiers for the Expedition, in which 
he did not find much Difficulty ; for, the very Name of 
Liiterprize, and the Fame of the Captain, were fo great, 
that, in a few Days, were lifted three hundred Soldiers ; 
among whom, were Diego de Ordaz, the principal Confident 
of the Governor, Francifco de Morla, Bernard Diaz del 
Caftillo (who has written the Idiftory of this Conqueft) 
^nd other Gentlemen. The time for their Departure be- 
ing come, Orders were given for the Soldiers to embark, 
which they did in the Day-time, the People all running 
Vol.il Numb. LXXIV. 
to the Sight ; and at Night, Cortes^ accompanied by kU 
Friends, went to take leave of the Governor, who em- 
braced him in a very friendly Manner, and the next 
Morning accompanied him to the Sea-fide, and faw him 
embark. Small Circumftances, and of little Importance, 
if fome had not wrote, without any manner of Reafon, 
that he called tile Soldiers together from their IToufes, at 
Midnight, embarking with them by ftealth ; and that 
Diego Velafquez going out after him in the Morning, 
Cortes came up to him in a Boat well armed, and gave 
him to underftand, in a difrefpedlful Manner, that he no 
longer had regard to his Orders. 
3. The Fleet weighed from the Port of St. Jago, in 
Cuba, the i8th Day of November, 1518 ; and, having 
coafted along the North- fide of the Eland, failed tovrards 
the Eaftj and in a few Days arrived at the Port of la 
T nnadad, where Cortes had fome Friends; who gave hirn 
a very kind Reception. With this Reinforcement of Gen- 
tlemen, and an hundred Soldiers who .came from the two 
Settlements, th^ Strength of the Fleet was confiderably 
augmented ; and, at the fame time, Care was taken to buy 
up Provifions, Arms, and fome Horfes. Cortes affifted 
all who wanted with his Money ; but fcarce had left the 
Port of St. Jago, when his Enemies began to cry out 
againft him, talking of his Difobedience, after the Cuftom 
of Cowards, who always attack the Abfent. 
Diego Velafquez hearkened to their Difcourfe, and 
though he feemed to be difpleafed, they difcovered in 
his Mind Jealoufy, eafy to be worked up to an entire 
Diftruft ; to which end they made ufe of Juan Millan.^ 
who, notwithftanding he was very ignorant, pretended to 
the Knowledge of Aftrology. This Man, fet on by 
others, having engaged Velafquez to Secrecy, acquainted 
him in myfterious Terms, that this Expedition would 
have a fortunate and unfortunate Event, giving him to 
underftand that he had learned fo much from the Stars ; 
and though Diego Velafquez was a Man of fufficient Senfo 
to difcern the Vanity of fuch Prognoftications, neverthe^ 
lefs as his Foible was Jealoufy, this had ftich an Effedt, 
that, notwithftanding he defpifed the Aftrologer, he be- 
gan to be affedled by what he faid. From fuch flight 
Beginnings fprang the firft Refolution which Diego Velaf- 
quez took to break with Cortes, by depriving him of the 
Command of the Fleet ; he difpatched immediately two 
Couriers to la Lrinidad, with exprefs Orders to Francifco 
Verdago his Coufin, to difpoffefs him of his Captain Ge- 
neralfliip, in a judicial Way, as fuppofing his Commif- 
fion now revoked, and another Perfon named in his 
Room. 
Cortes w^as quickly informed of this Accident, and^ 
without being difcou raged at the Difficulty of the Re- 
medy, fliew^ed himfelf to his Friends and Soldiers, that 
he might know^ in what manner they would refent the Injury 
done to their Captain, and how far he might depend upon 
the Juftice of his Caufe, by the Judgment they paffed 
upon it : He found them all not only in his Intereft, but 
refolved to defend him from fuch an Injury, though it 
ftiould carry them to the laft Extremity of taking Arms 
in his Defence ; and though Diego de Ordaz, and Juan 
Velafquez de Leon were lefs warm, as depending more 
upon the Governor ; they were eafily brought to approve 
that which they had not Pov/er to hinder. Being thus 
fecure, he went to vifit the Alcalde. He laid before him 
the Danger to which he might expofe himfelf in fupport- 
ing fuch a Piece of Injuftice, by difgufting fo many Pcr- 
fon's of Diftindion as followed him ; and how much 
the Fury of the Soldiers was to be feared, wliofe Affedi- 
ons he had gained, that he might the better ferVe Diego 
Velafquez ; and that he already found it difficult to keep 
them within the Bounds of Obedience to him. 
Francifco Verdago approved his Reafons from a PrincN 
pie of Generofity, and offered not only to fufpend the 
Execution of the Order, but to write to Diego Velafquez 
to engage him to defift from a Refolution, which was 
now impradicable ; Diego de Ordaz, and the reft who 
had any Intereft with the Governor, offered to do the 
fame, and wrote immiediately. Cortes likewife wrote to 
him, complaining of his Diftruft, without fliewing how 
far he was dilgufted, or omitting his ordinary Refpe£L 
S Thef^ 
