The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo Vol. 2

1/25/22, 8:50 PM The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo written by himself, containing a true an…
[37]
The emperor arrived in Spain in the month of June 1522, at the same time that
Pope Adrian the Sixth repaired to Rome to take possession of the papal throne. (p.
197.)
[Pg 414]
[38]
[39]
[40]
[41]
[42]
[43]
This nobleman the emperor had appointed commander-in-chief of his troops in
Spain; but all his operations were attended with little success, and he lost all
influenceat court. (p. 198.)
Bernal Diaz means the emperor's chancellor, Mercurin Arborio de Gattinara,who
subsequently became a cardinal. (p. 200.)
Most likely in the year 1523. (p. 207.)
A town of Estremadura, and the native place of Cortes. (p. 212.)
Gomara, who had been domestic chaplain in Cortes' family, says, that Cortessent
his father on this occasion 25,000 castellanas de oro, and 800 pounds weight of
silver, but that it was seized by the emperor. (p. 219.)
According to Gomara, several others had tried their wits to compose a versefor
this field-piece, until Cortes himself engaged and hit upon those lines. Andreasde
Tapia by way of joke proposed the following:
A questo tiro a mi ver
Muchos necios a de hazer.
[44]
[45]
[45*]
[46]
The liberties which Cortes granted to all those who built houses in Mexico,drew
such vast crowds to the spot, that pestilential diseases broke out, which carriedoff
numbers of human beings. The labourers, while at work, were enlivened byvocal
and instrumental music. (p. 221.)
The real name of this excellent man was Toribio de Benavente. When he first
arrived in New Spain, the Indians thought his outward garments so mean that they
continually cried out when they saw him, "Poor man! poor man!" As he was then
unacquainted with their language, he inquired the meaning of the word
"Motolinia,"which they so often repeated; and, on being told what it was, he said,
"Well, sincethis is the first word of the language which I learn, it shall in future
be my name!"This monk was unremitting in his exertions to promote the welfare
of the Indians,and he alone baptized above 400,000. (p. 222.)
According to Gomara and Herrera, Cortes left Mexico in October, 1524. (p. 235.)
Herrera, who has otherwise merely transcribed Gomara's account of this
expedition, has the following passage, which we do not find elsewhere:
"Medrano, thehoboist," he says, "declared that, in order to still his hunger during
this campaign,he ate of the brain and inside of Bernardo Caldero, and of those of
a nephew of his,who was also a musician, and had died of hunger." I must here
take the opportunity,owing to an omission in the print, of offering a few remarks
on the executionof Quauhtemoctzin, and the king of Tlacupa.
Gomara, in his account of the expedition to the Honduras, positively asserts that
Quauhtemoctzin and the other chiefs were guilty of this conspiracy, and says that
they confessed it themselves, and were then tried by a court-martial, which passed
sentence of death upon them. Torquemada, however, differs widely with Gomara;
and, in speaking of the unfortunate end of Quauhtemoctzin, he has the following:
"So this matter is related by Gomara and Herrera, but I find it differently
representedin a history written in the Mexican language, and which I believe to
be perfectly correct.While Cortes (the Mexican author says) was quartered in a
certain township, the Mexican chiefs one evening began to discourse among
themselves aboutthe recent hardships they had suffered, and Cohuanacotzin said
to Quauhtemoctzin,to Tetlepanquetzaltzin, and to other distinguished Mexicans,
'Thus you see, gentlemen, from kings we are become slaves, and we suffer
[Pg 415]
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/32475/32475-h/32475-h.htm 274/282