wn expense;
without being assisted in anything, on the contrary, being much
hindered by many jealous and evil and envious persons who, like
leeches, have been filled to bursting with my blood.'

"He then proceeds to say that for the part which God has had in his
labors and watchings he is sufficiently paid, because it was His work;
and it was not without a reason that Providence was pleased that so
great a work should be accomplished by so weak a medium, in order that
it might be seen that to God alone the good work must be attributed.

"Cortes then says that for what he has done for the King, he has always
been satisfied with the remuneration he has received. The King has
been grateful to him, has honored him, and has rewarded him, and he
adds that His Majesty knows that the rewards {222} and honors which the
Emperor offered were, in the opinion of Cortes, so far greater than his
merits, that he refused to receive them.

"What, however, His Majesty did mean him to receive, he has not
received. That which His Majesty has given has been so completely
without fruit, that it would have been better for Cortes not to have
had it, but that he should have taken care of his own estate, and not
spent the fruit of that in defending himself against 'the Fiscal of
Your Majesty, which defence has been, and is, a more difficult
undertaking than to win the land of the enemy.'

"He then implores His Majesty that he will be pleased to render clear
the good will which he had shown to reward him. 'I see myself,' he
exclaims, 'old, poor and indebted. Not only have I no repose in my old
age, but I can foresee labor and trouble until my death.' And he adds,
'Please God that the mischief may not go beyond death; but may finish
with the body, and not exist forever, since whosoever has such toil in
defending his bodily estate, cannot avoid injuring his soul.'

"All that he asks is that his appeal may be heard; that members of the
King's Council be added to the Council of the Indies; and that the
cause may be determined, and judgment given, without further delay.
'For, otherwise, I must leave it and loose it, and must return to my
home, as I am no longer of the age to go about to hostelries; and
should withdraw myself to make my account clear with God, since it is a
large one that I have, and little life is left to me to discharge my
conscience; and it will be better for me to lose my estate than my
soul.' He concludes by saying that