Chap. III. 
ftr the ReduSlibn ^New SpaiN^ 
and before this Ardour cooled they went t6 him, at^ 
tended by many of the Soldiers, in whofe Prefence 
they told him in a high Strain, That the Troops were 
upon the Point to mutiny on Account of his Order: 
They complained that he had taken fuch a Refolution 
without the Advice of their Captains ; They put him 
in mind of what had happened to Juan de Grijalva^ 
whofe Difgrace was occafioned by his not making a Set- 
tlement in the Country he had difcovered, and maintain- 
ing him felf there; for which he was treated as a pufila- 
nimous Perfon, and the Command of the Fleet taken 
from him : They told him, in fhort, what he had di- 
refted fhould be told him, which he received as if it 
had been unexpedted News. When they had done, he 
faid that he had been mifiriformed, that he would pro- 
ceed with fuch as were willing, that he would conftrain 
nobody, but, on the contrary, would caiife a Ship and 
every thing neceffary to be provided for carrying back 
to Cuba, fuch as found they had not Courage enough to 
follow him and his Friends. 
This Refolution met with great Applaufe, for fome 
made Rejoicings becaufe they were fmcerely glad, and 
others that they might not be diftinguilhed from thofe 
that really were fo. None were fo bold, at that time, 
as to contradidl the making of a Settlement: Nor did 
t'hofe very Men who had before been Malcontents know 
what to lay for themfelves. But Cortes admitted thofe 
Excufes they offered without enquiring further into the 
Affair, laying that up for a better Opportunity. It 
happened that whilft Bernal Diaz del CaftillOi with 
another Soldier, flood at one of the Avenues, they 
faw five Indians coming along the Road next the Sea-fide, 
towards the Quarters, and thinking them too fmall a 
Number to alarm the Army, they fuffered them to ap- 
proach. 
They flopped at a little Diftance, and fignified by' 
Signs that they came in a peaceable Manner, with a 
Meffage to their General ; Diaz went with them, leav- 
ing his Companion in the fame Pofl to obferve if any 
more followed. Cortes received them very civilly, or- 
dered them to be well treated before he heard them, 
and obferved they were of another Nation, as differing 
from the Mexicans in their Habit, though, like them, 
they had Rings in their Ears and Lips, with Jewels 
hanging to them. Their Language alfo had a different 
Sound, and when Aguilar and Donna Maria came, it 
appeared that they fpoke in a different Idiom, and it 
fell out happily that one of them underflood, and with 
fome Difficulty pronounced, the Mexican Language, by 
which means, and not without fome Trouble, it was 
known that they were fent by the Lord of Zempoalla to 
vifit the Captain of thofe valiant People, whofe great 
Aflions in the Province of Hahajco had reached his Ears, 
and to inform him, that being a warlike Prince, and a 
Friend to brave Men, he defired his Friendfhip. 
They dwelt much upon the V alue their Mafler had 
for good Soldiers, as doubting leafl the Spaniards fhould 
attribute that to his Fear, which they would have 
thought the Effe6ls of his Inclination. Cortes very cour- 
teoufly accepted of the Friendfhip propofed to him on 
the Part of their Cazique, looking upon it as a parti- 
cular Favour from Heaven, that this Embaffy ffiould ar- 
rive at a time when the Mexicans had left him, of whom 
he was now growing jealous ; and he put the more Value 
upon it when he underftood that the Province of Zem- 
poalla was in the Road to that Place which Francifco de 
Montejo difcovered from the Coafl whither he was think- 
ing to remove his Quarters. He aflced the Indians fome 
Quefdons, to inform himfelf of the Forces of the Ca- 
zique. 
It being aficed how it came to pafs that they (being fo 
near) had fo long delayed coming with this Propofal, they 
anfwered, that the Zempoallans had nothing to do where 
the Mexicans appeared, whofe Cruelties were abhorred 
by their Nation. This Intelligence was not difagreeable 
to Cortes^ and diving farther into it, thro’ Curiofity, he 
underitood that Motezuma was a cruel Prince, abhorred 
for his Pride and Tyranny, that many of his People were 
fubjedl out of Fear; and' that fome Nations were defi- 
loiis to free themfelves from his Yoke. This made his 
Power appear the lefs formidable, and fevelal Stratagefti§ 
and Means of increafing his Army came into 'his Head^ 
which gave him fome Sort of Encouragement. 
The Hrfl that occurred; was to take part with thof^ 
afflidled People, believing it would not be difficult to 
form a Party againft a Tyrant, among his own Rebels^ 
So he reafcned then; and it fell out afterwards accordingly : 
He immediately difmiffed thofe Indians with fome Gifts, 
in token of Friendfhip ; and told them he would foon 
come and pay their Mafler a Vifit, in order to eflablifhi 
a Friendfhip with him, and give him the Affiflance he 
ffiould fland in need of. 
His Intent was to pafs through the Province, and 
take a View of Fluiabijlan^ where he had Thoughts of 
fixing his firfl Settlement, from the good Account he 
had received of its Fertility ; but it behoved him, for 
other Ends, which he was then contriving how to com- 
pafs, to haften the forming his imall Corporation in his 
prefent Quarters, although he was to remove the Troops 
to a Place more commodious ; He communicated his 
Refolution to thofe Captains that were his Confidents, 
and having by this Means fmoothed the Way for 
what he had to propofe, he affembled the Men in order 
to name the Officers of the new Government. At which 
ffiort Conference, thofe that were acquainted with the 
Mind of Cortes prevailed ; and Alonfo Portocarrero, and 
Francifco de Montejo were appointed Alcaldes, Alonfo 
Davila^ Pedro, and Alonfo de Aherado, and Gonzalo de 
Saudoval were Regidores. The chief Alguazil and Pro- 
curator General Juan de Efculante, and Francifco Alve- 
rez Chico, 
They alfo appointed other inferior Officers ; and, 
having taken the accuflomed Oath, to obferve Reafon 
and Juflice, according to their Duty, for the greater 
Service of God and the King, they took PoffefTion, and 
began to exercife their Employments with the ufual So- 
lemnity, calling their new Settlement by the Name of 
Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz ; which Title it .received in 
the Place where it was afterwards fixed, being called 
Villa Rica, in Remembrance of the Gold they had feen 
in that Country, and de la Vera Cruz, in Acknowledg- 
ment of their landing there, on the Friday of the Crofsy 
or Good Friday, as we call it. Cortes was prefent as a 
private Perfon among the other Members of the Colony, 
and, though he could not eafily lay afide that kind of 
Superiority which is wont to confifl in the Refpedl which 
others pay, he endeavoured to fupport the Authority 
of thofe new Miniflers, and by his Refpedl to reduce thei 
others to obey them. 
4. The next Day in the Morning the Council met, 
under colour of confulting about fome Points relating 
to the Prefervation and Augmentation of the new Settle- 
ment, and foOn after Hernan Cortes defired Admittance, 
to propofe an Affair which concerned the public Good. 
The Council rofe up to receive him, and he, paying hi» 
Refpecl to the Magiflracy of the Town, went and took 
his Seat immediately next to the firft Regidore,. and then 
laid open the Reafon which induced him to difapprovc 
that Commiffion under which he had hitherto ailed ; and 
having finifiied his Difcourfe, he threw upon the liable 
the Commiffion given him by Diego Velafquez, kiffed 
the Truncheon, and delivered it into the Hands of the 
Alcalde, and retired to his Barrac. 
He was under no Uneafinefs about the Event, for he 
had fo difpofed Matters that he ventured but little in the 
Refolution ; but it imift be confeffed, that the Manner of 
ailing was very handfome and noble, and no lefs com- 
mendable, than the Art he ufed to fupply the Defeils in 
his Authority. The Council foon refoived upon the 
Eleilion, for fome had confidered what they were to 
propofe, and others had nothing to reply : They all 
voted to admit the Refignation of Cortes ; but that he 
ought to be obliged to take upon him the Command of the 
Army again, the Town giving him his Commiffion 
in the Name of the King, during the Time, and in the 
Interim, until his Majefty ffiould otherwife order. And 
they refoived to communicate the new Eleilion to the 
People, either to fee how they would receive it, or, in 
order to be fatisfied of their Approbation. The People 
were called together by the Voice of a Cryer; and the 
Re- 
