begged his holiness to remit a certain portion of
the tithes.

I ought also to mention that this Juan de Herrada was an excellent
soldier, and that he had accompanied us on our expedition to the
Honduras. After his return from Rome he went to Peru, where Don Diego de
Almagro appointed him governor to his younger son Don Diego, and
otherwise placed implicit confidence in him. He likewise commanded the
small but determined body of men who put the elder Pizarro to death, and
afterwards became a chief officer under Almagro the younger.

At Rome, Herrada, with his fine presents and Indian buffoons, met with
the best reception; and his holiness declared, during the audience which
he granted him, that he could not sufficiently thank the Almighty that
he lived in an age when so many extensive countries were discovered, and
so many heathens converted to our holy religion. He said that Cortes and
his troops had rendered the greatest services to God, to our master the
emperor Don Carlos, and to the whole of Christendom, and we were
deserving of the highest rewards. His holiness even ordered a solemn
procession and a day of thanksgiving, and sent especial bulls, by which
he granted us absolution of our sins, and gave other indulgences to the
cloisters and churches. He likewise confirmed and approved of everything
Cortes had done in New Spain, only he refused to grant the latter's
request with respect to the tithes.

This is all I know of the contents of the letter which his holiness
wrote to Cortes; but everything I have above related of this mission to
Rome I learnt from Herrada himself and from another soldier who had
accompanied him named Campo. They staid altogether eight days at Rome,
and his holiness, with the cardinals, were highly delighted with the
performances of the Indian buffoons. His holiness even created Herrada a
count palatine, presented him with a large sum of money for his journey
back, and gave him a letter to our emperor, in which he requested his
majesty to bestow upon him some lucrative commendary; but as Cortes, on
his return to New Spain, had no longer the power to distribute lands or
Indians, Herrada never derived any benefit from the pope's letter, and
he repaired to Peru, where he made a brilliant career.

CHAPTER CXCVI.

_How the royal court of audience arrive in Mexico during Cortes'
stay in Spain, and what their first occupations were._

While Cortes was staying in Spain, and had