ants of land and honorable escutcheons,
with those brave men of former times who were so honoured by their
monarchs!

With respect to the beautiful field-piece, we further received
information that it was presented to his majesty by the
comendador-mayor of Leon, Don Francisco de las Cobos, but that it was
never removed from Seville, for it was smelted there and the value of
the metal was altogether estimated at 20,000 ducats. This present, with
all those which Cortes sent on former occasions to Spain, though some
unfortunately never reached their place of destination, not only spread
the fame of Cortes to all parts of the empire, but throughout the whole
of christendom, and his name was in every person's mouth. Neither must I
forget to mention, that after Martin Cortes had in vain demanded of the
squinting Ribera to deliver up the money to him which had been sent by
our general, he commenced an action against him; to which, however, an
end was speedily put by the death of Ribera, who fell ill on a journey
to the town of Cadahalso, after eating too heartily of fat bacon. His
death was so sudden that he had not even time to confess his sins; may
God have mercy on his poor soul! Amen!

While all this was going on in Spain, Cortes was very busily employed in
rebuilding the city of Mexico, and he strove by every possible means to
increase its population by holding out rewards to the inhabitants of the
country to settle there. For this purpose he declared the town free from
all tribute, until all the buildings should be completed, the causeways,
aqueducts and bridges repaired, and the churches and the hospitals were
entirely finished both inside and out.[44] The superintendence of the
latter he gave to the excellent father Olmedo, who had already brought
together all the Indians who were suffering from ill health, and
attended to them with the most affectionate care. But about this time
there likewise arrived in Vera Cruz twelve Franciscan monks from Spain,
who were accompanied by the very pious father, Martin de Valencia, whom
his holiness had appointed vicar-general of New Spain. He was a native
of the village of Valencia de san Juan, in the district of Campo, and we
shall see in the following chapter how this reverend father was received
in Mexico.

CHAPTER CLXXI.

_How twelve monks of the order of St. Francis, with the
vicar-general and father-superior Martin de Valencia, arrive at Vera
Cruz, and ho