Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/237

 Majesty, for everything will be paid to the treasurer and nothing expended without an order from the accountant or myself.

I have likewise, most Catholic Lord, been informed by ships from the island that Your Majesty's judges and officials living in the island of Hispaniola have  Trade Relations ordered a prohibition to be published by the public crier against exporting, under pain of death, any mares or other breeding animals to New Spain; and they have done this with the intention of forcing us always to buy beasts and cattle from them which they sell at excessive prices. This they should not do, and the mischief done to Your Majesty is notorious, for the peopling and pacification of this country are retarded; they know our need of horses, and have forbidden their exportation out of excessive love of gain, for it is clear that no need of their port has provoked this measure. I beg Your Majesty that it be revoked, by sending an injunction under Your Royal hand that everyone may export mares without being exposed to any penalty, for, besides that they would not miss the horses, Your Majesty has the greatest interest that we should have all we require, as we cannot otherwise continue our conquest, nor preserve what we have already conquered; moreover, I would pay very liberally for these mares. In any case, I could revenge myself in such a manner that they would gladly revoke their mandates and edicts, for, by retaliating and prohibiting all products of these islands from entering this country, save only what they had forbidden, they would gladly allow the one in order to be allowed the other. Their only resource is in trading with this country, and, heretofore, a thousand pesos of gold could not be found amongst all the householders of the island, while now they have more than they ever had at any time. Rather than give occasion to evil speakers and maligners, I have dissembled until I could