Chap. II L ' for the ReduBion 
Some little Time after Ordaz and Mendof 'a arrived at 
Seville after a profperousYoyage •, and, without difcover- 
incr themfelves, or their Commiffion, they took Care 
to°be informed about ' Affairs, a Precaution 
which imported no iefs than their Liberty ; for they un- 
derftood,"to their great Surprize, that the Commiffioners 
of Trade had exprefs Orders from the Bifhop of Burgos^ 
to flop- and imprifon any Perfon who fnould be fent 
from New Stahh and to feize on the Gold and other 
Merchandize" that he fhould bring, either on his own 
Account, or by way of Commiffion. Upon which they 
only endeavoured to fecure their Perfons, and thought 
themfelves very happy in preferving their Letters and 
Difpatches, leaving the Prefent for the King, with every 
■rhino- elfe, in the Hands of thofe Judges, and to be dif- 
pofe3 of at the Pleafure of the Bifhop of Burgos. They 
parted from Seville^ not without great Apprehenfion of 
being difcovered ; determining, if poffible, to find out 
at Court either Martin Cortes, or the two Agents, 
in order to get Light how to proceed ; but hearing, on 
the Road, that they were retired to Medellin, they went 
on tothatTov/n, where their Arrival was welcomed with 
all the Demonftrations of Joy which fuch wonderful 
and wifhed for News could infpire. It was debated 
among them, whether it would be proper to carry the 
Difpatches of Cortes immediately to the Cardinal-Re- 
o-ent, without delaying to inform him of fuch important 
News : But, confidering the prefent Diflurbances of the 
Kingdom, they thought it would be to no Purpofe to 
fpeak of diftant Advantages, upon which they refolved 
to continue in their Retirement, till the Minifters were 
riiore at leifure. 
The Account which came foon after, 'of the Emperor’s 
Return, contributed very much to reftore the public 
Tranquility ; he gave Affurance, in his Letters, that he 
would leave all other Affairs, to come where his Prefence 
was fo neceffary. , This Affurance entirely fettled every 
thing, and Martin Cortes, judging it a proper Time to 
renew his Solicitations, let out . immediately for the 
Court, with the four Commiffioners from his Son j 
where, after fome fmall Delays, they had a particular 
Audience of the Cardinal-Regent. They informed 
him, in general, how far Matters were advanced to- 
wards the Conqueft of Mexico, and referred him to the 
Letters of Cortes for the Particulars. They gave him 
alfo an Account of the Orders they found at Seville, for 
imprifoning any one who fhould come from Cortes, and 
of the Seizure of the Prefent they had brought for the 
King. Upon this Occafion, they reprefented the Rea- 
fons they had to diftruft the Bifhop of Burgos, and, laft- 
ly, defired Leave to except againft him, in a legal way, 
as a Judge, offering to make good the Reafons of their 
Exception, or luffer the Penalty of their taking fuch a Step. 
The Cardinal heard them with Attention ; he feemed 
touched with their Misfortune, arid comforted them with 
Promifes of a fpeedy Difpatch : He was particularly dif- 
pleafed with the Orders given at Seville, and the Seizure 
of the Prefent, as being done without his Knowledge. 
And farther, the Cardinal anfwered them, with regard to 
their ReqUeft concerning the Bifliop, That they might 
take their Remedy againft him at Law. 
With thefe Encouragements to hope for better For- 
tune they immediately entered their Exception againft 
the Prefident of the Council of the Indies, in his own 
Court, delivering their Reafons in Writing, with all the 
Temper and Moderation neceffary to a due Refpebl. 
But their Reaftms were fo ftrong, and the Truth of what 
they- alledged fo well known to the other Judges, that 
they durft not deny Juftice in an Affair of that Import- 
ance, and more efpecially on the Approach of the Em- 
peror’s Return. After a full Hearing,- the Bifhop was 
abfolutely forbid to interfere in any Matter between Cortes 
and Velafquez. His Orders were revoked, the Embar- 
goes at Seville taken off, and the Importance of the Un- 
dertaking appeared in its true Light. The heroic Adli- 
ons of Cortes, which were almoft obfeured before by the 
Sofpicion of his Fidelity, were now celebrated as they 
deferved, and the Cardinal, by feveral Decrees, recom- 
mended the Difpatch of the Envoys, and was fo fmcerely 
dcfirous to forward the Affair, that, even after he had 
Yol, IL Numb. 77. 
Y'N’ewSpain. lit 
received the News of his Exaltation to St. Peter’s Chair^ 
he difpatched forae Orders favourable to Cortes, as he 
was on the Road to embark. 
II. In a fhort Time after the Emperor’s Arrival iii 
his Spanijh Dominions he gave Audience to the Envoys 
of Cortes, and notwithftanding thofe of Velafquez at the 
fame Time prefented their Requeft ; yet, as he had been 
well informed of the Cafe, on both Sides, by Letters 
from the Cardinal, now Pope, he, by a new Sentence, con- 
firmed the Recufation of the Bifhop of Burgos, and ap- 
pointed Commiffaries to determine this Affair. The firft 
thing the Council did was, to look over the Memorials, 
drawn from Letters and Relations produced at the 
Trial ; but there they were fo embarraffed by tohtra- 
didlory Accounts, that they thought it neceffary to order 
the Agents, on both ' Sides, to explain themfelves vivtz 
voce at the next Meeting , for they were all defirbus to 
difpatch this Affair, and examine ftridlly into the Accu- 
fations brought by the Parties againft each other, and 
into the Strength of their refpedtive Arguments, that fd 
they might come to the Knowledge of the Truth. , 
The next Day the Agents appeared before the Coun- 
cil, with their Advocates, and, amongft thofe for Velaf- 
quez, Andres de 'Duero fignified himfelf. But People 
were the iefs furprized to fee him unfaithful toffhis 
Friend, knowing he had been fo firft to his Mailer, 
The Memorials were read, and the Parties at the fame 
Time were examined, in order to difeover how they jufti- 
fied themfelves from their refpeblive Accufations. Frorri 
their Anfwers the Judges drew what was fufficient to 
decide the Affair ; and, after fome few Days Hearings, 
the Court unanimoufly agreed, “ That it was not reafon- 
“ able for Velafquez to appropriate to himfelf the Con- 
“ queft of New Spain, without a better Title than that 
“ of having expended fome Money in the Preparations 
“ for that Enterprize, and naming Cortes for Com- 
“ mander : That he could only have his Adlion for what 
“ he had laid out : That the Nomination of Cortes af- 
“ forded him no Pretence \ for befides that he gave 
“ him the Commiffion without the Authority of the 
“ Commiffioners of the Royal Audience, whofe Orders 
“ he fhould have received, or fo much as acquainting 
“ them with it, he loft thofe Prerogatives the Day that 
“ he revoked it, and could have no right to fay," that 
“ the Conqueft was made by his Order •, Cortes being,; 
“ by that Revocation, left free to a6t as he fhould judge 
“ moft advantageous for the Service of the King, with 
“ the Troops and Veffels, which for the moft Part he 
“ had equipped at his own Expence, and that of his 
Friends : And laftly, they cenfured Velafquez, as a 
“ Perfon who had fhev/n a very lingo vernabje Ambi- 
“ tion, in afpiring to ufurp the Glory and Advantage 
“ of the Actions of another^ and as having been guilty 
“ of a Raflinefs, which deferved a^. very fevere Repri- 
“ mand, in fending an Army againft Hernan Cortes^ 
“ without confidering the Confequences which might 
have attended fuch violent Proceedings, or regard- 
“ ing the Orders he had received to the contrary, front 
“ the Minifters of the Royal Audience of Santa Do- 
“ mingoV 
Thefe Conclufions were laid before the Emperor^ 
which being approved by his Majefty, Sentence waS 
pronounced, declaring Hernan Cortes to be a good Mini- 
fter and faithftil Subjedl, honouring with the like Appro- 
bation the Officers and Soldiers under his Command t 
impofing perpetual Silence on Velafquez, on the SubjeCl 
of having any Pretenfions to the Conqueft of New Spain; 
and ftriClly commanding him, on Pain of feVere Punifli- 
ment,‘ not to raife the leaft Obftacle to that Affair, di- 
reCIly or indireClly, with a Refervation to any Demand 
he might have, on account of Monies by him expended 
in the Armament of the Veffek which he was to ftie for/ 
in the ordinary way of Juftice. And thus' ended this 
Affair j the Judges referring the Elonours defigned for 
Cortesi the reprimanding Velafqiiez^ and other Conclu- 
fions of the Councilj to the Difpatches that were to be 
fent in the Name of the Emperor. The next thing” 
taken into ConfideratiOn was the Affiftance to be given 
Cortes, the Care of v/hich the Emperor referred to the 
fame Goiincih tie gave a very favourable Audience to- 
I i , Mt 
