Page:Vol 2 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/557

Rh families without sufficient means to endow them, the monarch enjoined that every encouragement and facility should be offered by the government toward their marriage. In some instances corregimientos and other means of support were given to men willing to enter wedded life. Such a policy was deemed necessary in order to increase the Spanish population, and so promote the better security of the country. With this patronage and the stimulus of such an example, the people began to prosper, and to add to the wealth of the community, rich mines with which the aborigines appear to have been familiar were rediscovered in different localities.

About this time a call by Pedro de la Gasca came from Peru for patriotic men, and a force of six hundred were soon under arms and ready to march under the viceroy's son, Francisco, with Cristóbal de Oñate as maestro de campo. But when equipped and on the eve of departure word arrived that they would not be needed. The city of Mexico was rewarded by the crown with new honors and titles for this zeal, and the municipality was vested with power to make ordinances for the city, which, if approved by the viceroy, became law.

The peaceful course of events, however, was again marred by revolt and conspiracy, not alone among the subjugated tribes and negro slaves, but in the ranks of discontented Spaniards. When the virulence of the epidemic of 1546 had subsided, a conspiracy among the negroes distributed about Tenocha and Tlatelulco came to light, through the weakness or cupidity of one of their number, and the instigators were summarily dealt with. But for this a massacre