ntil his majesty issued orders for him to be seized, and
brought back a prisoner to Mexico, at Guzman's own expense, there to
render an account of his government to the new court of audience which
his majesty had appointed. It was at the particular request of Matienzo
and of Delgadillo that these steps were taken against him. We will now,
however, leave him to his own fate, and see who the new members of the
royal court of audience were.

CHAPTER CXCVIII.

_The arrival of the new members of the royal court of audience in
Mexico._

I have above mentioned the orders which his majesty issued with respect
to the formation of a new court of audience, which was solely composed
of men of intelligence and strict justice, and choice was made of the
following persons: Don Sebastian Fuen Leal, as president, who at that
time was bishop of St. Domingo; auditors, the licentiate Maldonado, of
Salamanca; Francisco de Cainos, of Toro or of Zamora; Vasco de Quiroga,
of Madrigal, subsequently bishop of Mechoacan; and Salmeron, of Madrid.
The auditors arrived in Mexico before the president, and they, as well
as the latter, who came a few days after, were received with great
splendour.

These gentlemen immediately instituted a general inquiry into the
government of the late auditors. Numbers of the inhabitants, with the
procuradores from every town of New Spain, besides several Indian
chiefs, repaired without delay to Mexico, and brought such a mass of
accusations against the late auditors, of oppression, extortion, and of
injustice, that the present auditors were utterly astounded. Cortes'
agents also complained of the illegal manner in which Nuno de Guzman and
his colleagues had seized part of the former's property, and sold it by
public auction to the highest bidder. The agents then claimed damages to
the amount of 200,000 pesos. As Nuno de Guzman refused to appear in
Mexico at the summons of the auditors, obstinately refusing to leave the
province of Xalisco, Delgadillo and Matienzo had alone to answer all
these accusations; they, however, threw all the guilt on the shoulders
of Guzman, who, in his capacity of president, they said, had acted on
his own authority, and therefore was the only responsible person.

As Guzman refused to appear before the auditors, all they could do for
the present was to forward his majesty an account of the state of
affairs in New Spain; for they feared, by employing open force, to
crea