conquests, which he addressed to Charles V. The best edition of them
is that of Don Francisco Antonio Lorenzana, archbishop of Mexico,
entitled _Historia de Nueva-Espana escrita par su esclarecido
conquistador, Hernan Cortes, aumentada con otros documientos y notas_
(Mexico, 1770, 4to), a work the noble simplicity of which attests the
truth of the recital it contains. An English translation of the
letters, edited by Francis A. MacNutt, was published in 1908. The
conquests of Cortes have been described with pompous elegance by
Antonio de Solis in his _Historia de la conquista de Mejico_ (1684),
and with more truth and simplicity by Bernardo Diaz del Castillo in
his work under the same title (1632). See also Sir Arthur Helps's
_Life of Hernando Cortes_ (2 vols., London, 1871), F. A. MacNutt's
_Fernando Cortes_ ("Heroes of the Nations" Series, 1909), and the
bibliography to MEXICO.

CORTES, a Spanish term literally signifying the "courts," and applied to
the states, or assembly of the states, of the kingdom. (See SPAIN and
PORTUGAL.)

CORTI, LODOVICO, COUNT (1823-1888), Italian diplomatist, was born at
Gambarano on the 28th of October 1823. Early involved with Benedetto
Cairoli in anti-Austrian conspiracies, he was exiled to Turin, where he
entered the Piedmontese foreign office. After serving as artillery
officer through the campaign of 1848, he was in 1850 appointed secretary
of legation in London, whence he was promoted minister to various
capitals, and in 1875 ambassador to Constantinople. Called by Cairoli to
the direction of foreign affairs in 1878, he took part in the congress
of Berlin, but unwisely declined Lord Derby's offer for an Anglo-Italian
agreement in defence of common interests. At Berlin he sustained the
cause of Greek independence, but in all other respects remained
isolated, and excited the wrath of his countrymen by returning to Italy
with "clean hands." For a time he withdrew from public life, but in 1881
was again sent to Constantinople by Cairoli, where he presided over the
futile conference of ambassadors upon the Egyptian question. In 1886 he
was transferred to the London embassy, but was recalled by Crispi in the
following year through a misunderstanding. He died in Rome on the 9th of
April 1888.

CORTLAND, a city and the county-seat of Cortland county, New York,
U.S.A., in the central part of the state, on Tioughnioga river, at the
junction of its