ible respect, and allowed him to dine every day at his
own table. While Guzman was staying here, the licentiate De la Torre
arrived, who was commissioned by his majesty to take Guzman prisoner,
and, after communicating with the viceroy, to bring him to trial. The
licentiate De la Torre finding, however, that the viceroy was very
unwilling to assist him in this matter, repaired in person to his
palace, seized the person of Guzman, and threw him into prison, where he
remained for several days, until he was set at liberty again by the
viceroy.

When the disaffected portion of the inhabitants of Mexico found that the
licentiate De la Torre was determined to make the minutest inquiry into
the late conduct of Guzman, if they could do nothing else, they at least
resolved to injure his good name, for which the licentiate's gambling
propensity gave them the best opportunity. At that time it was the
fashion (particularly for those persons who practised in the law courts)
to wear a kind of loose coat with very wide sleeves. In one of the
sleeves of such a coat belonging to the licentiate, one of Guzman's
partisans ingeniously managed to fasten a small pack of cards in such a
manner that they should not fall out immediately. When the licentiate,
accompanied by several distinguished personages, was walking across the
large square at Mexico, the person who had concealed the cards so
contrived it that they dropped one after the other out of his sleeve on
the ground, so as to mark his way as he went along. At length this was
observed by those who accompanied him, and they drew his attention to
what was falling from his coat. This malicious piece of frolic, as may
he imagined, annoyed the licentiate excessively, and he exclaimed, "It
appears to me that the people here are not exactly pleased with the
impartial justice I exercise; however, if I live, his majesty shall
certainly be made acquainted with the insult which has thus been offered
to me."

A few days after this trick had been played off upon him, he actually
fell ill from downright vexation, and died.

CHAPTER CXCIX.

_Cortes returns to New Spain as marquis del Valle Oaxaca, and
captain-general of New Spain and of the South Sea, accompanied by
his wife Dona Maria de Zuniga, and father Leguizamo and other
monks._

Cortes having now been so long absent in Spain, and having married a
second wife, was very desirous of returning to New Spain, in order to