Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/299

Rh and that I was glad it was he, as I had thought otherwise seeing that my messengers had not returned. I said, however, that, as he knew I was in this  Cortes Writes to Narvaez country in Your Highness's service, I marvelled that he did not write to me, or send me some messenger announcing his arrival, for he knew that I would be rejoiced at it, not only because of our old friendship, but also because he had come to serve Your Highness, which was what I most desired. Instead of which, I said, he had sent corruptors and letters of seduction to those under me in Your Majesty's service, inciting them to rebel against me, and join him, as if we were infidels the one, and Christians the other, vassals of Your Highness the one, and traitors the other. I asked him as a favour that from hence forward he would not use these means with me, but first let me know the cause of his coming. I said I had been told that he called himself Captain-General, and Lieutenant-Governor for Diego Velasquez, and that he had so proclaimed himself by the public crier, publishing it in the country, and had named alcaldes and municipal officers, and had executed justice, all of which was against the good service of Your Highness, and against all your laws; that this was so because this country belonging to Your Majesty, and being peopled by your vassals, and having tribunals and municipal bodies in it, he should not appropriate to himself the said offices without first having received them, inasmuch as to exercise them he should bring provisions from Your Majesty; that, if he had brought any such, I asked as a favour, and required him to present them to me, and to the municipal authorities of Vera Cruz, as they would be obeyed by those authorities, and by me, as letters and provisions of our King and rightful Sovereign, and complied with as far as it would profit to the service of Your Majesty; and that I was in that city, where I held the monarch prisoner, and