to say, that the deeds of the
courageous and spirited Cortes would always be considered inestimable,
and might be compared to those of the most renowned generals; but that
the historians Gomara, doctor Illescas, and others, make all our
discoveries and conquests redound to the honour of Cortes alone, and
never so much as mention any of our names with praise; but at present
she was delighted to find that I had written a faithful account of the
conquest, without exaggeration or fulsome flattery, and not, as Gomara,
in the praise of one officer alone. Fame then promised, in the goodness
of her heart, that she would announce all this to the world; adding,
that wherever my book was published persons would everywhere recognize
in it impartiality and the naked truth.

A certain doctor, who is one of the members of the royal court of
audience, once asked me, how it came that Cortes, in his despatches and
during his personal interviews with his majesty, never strove to obtain
anything for us, the true Conquistadores, though it was with our
assistance he obtained the distinguished appointment of governor of New
Spain? To this I answered, and must still answer, that when Cortes
received the appointment of governor he immediately took the best
commendaries to himself, and imagined that he would remain uncontrolled
master of New Spain for life, and that the distribution of the
commendaries would continue in his hands. He therefore considered that
it would be superfluous to solicit anything for us, as he would have it
in his own power to do what he liked; but after his majesty had given
him a marquisate, his majesty refused to reappoint him governor: and so
it happened that Cortes, in soliciting honours for himself, allowed the
best opportunity to pass by of making some provision for us. It was
certainly not his majesty's fault that our services were never rewarded;
for when he was informed by several cavaliers of Mexico that Cortes had
taken the best townships and districts of New Spain to himself, and had
presented others to his relations and friends recently arrived from
Spain, his majesty issued commands that Cortes' companions in arms
should likewise be handsomely rewarded. Soon after this his majesty
left, for Flanders, where he most probably lost sight of the matter
altogether. If Cortes immediately after the conquest had divided the
whole country into five equal parts, and had set one of these with the
most lucrative townshi