er place; for he was a good cavalier, and very devout to the Holy
Virgin, and also to St. Paul and other Holy Saints. God pardon him his
sins, and me mine; and give me a good end, which is better than all
conquests and victories over Indians.

OF DIVINE AID IN THE BATTLE OF SANTA MARIA DE LA VITORIA

In his account of this action, Gomara says that previous to the arrival
of the main body of the cavalry under Cortes, Francisco de Morla
appeared in the field upon a gray dappled horse, and that it was one of
the holy Apostles, St. Peter or St. Jago, disguised under his person. I
say that all our works and victories are guided by the hand of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and that in this battle there were so many enemies to
every one of us, that they could have buried us under the dust they
could have held in their hands, but that the great mercy of God aided us
throughout. What Gomara asserts might be the case, and I, sinner as I
am, was not worthy to be permitted to see it. What I did see was
Francisco de Morla, riding in company with Cortes and the rest upon a
chestnut horse; and that circumstance and all the others of that day
appear to me, at this moment that I am writing, as if actually passing
in view of these sinful eyes. But although I, unworthy sinner that I
am, was unfit to behold either of those holy Apostles, upwards of four
hundred of us were present: let their testimony be taken. Let inquiry
also be made how it happened that when the town was founded on that
spot, it was not named after one or other of those holy Apostles, and
called St. Jago de la Vitoria, or St. Pedro de la Vitoria, as it was
Santa Maria, and a church erected and dedicated to one of those holy
saints. Very bad Christians were we indeed, according to the account of
Gomara, who, when God sent us his Apostles to fight at our head, did not
every day after acknowledge and return thanks for so great a mercy!
Would to heaven that it were so; but until I read the chronicle of
Gomara I never heard of it, nor was it ever mentioned amongst the
conquerors who were then present.

CORTES DESTROYS CERTAIN IDOLS

There was on the island of Cozumel a temple, and some hideous idols, to
which all the Indians of the neighboring districts used to go frequently
in solemn procession.... Cortes summoned all the caciques and chief
persons to come to him, and as well as he could, by signs and
interpretations, explained to them that the idols which they w