Czytaj książkę: «The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne», strona 31
The death of Hernando Cortes
There was a greate contention betwéene Hernando Cortes, and Don Antonio de Mendosa, the Vizeroy, as concerning the prouince of Sibola, for each of them pretended a title vnto the same through the Emperoures gift, the one by meanes of his office of Vizeroy, and the other by his office of Captayne Generall, vpon the whyche matter they grewe into such hatred, that perfyte friendshippe coulde neuer after take place betwéene them, although at the beginning they were familiar and louing friendes: but malice grewe to such extremitie, that eache of them wrote vndecently agaynste other, to the Emperoure theyr maister, the whyche theyr doyngs blemished both theyr credites.
Cortes wente to lawe with the Licenciat Villa Lobos the Kings Attourney, aboute certayne of his vassals, and also the Vizeroy assisted agaynste him as muche as hée myghte. Vpon consideration whereof, he was enforced to come into Spayne in Anno 1540. and broughte Don Martin his sonne and heyre, béeyng a childe of eyghte yeares of age, and hys sonne Don Luys, to serue the Prince: he came very riche, but not so riche as the fyrste time. He entred into great friendship with the Cardinal Loaisa, and the Secretarie Cobos, but it preuayled not, for the Emperoure was gone into Flanders about matters of Gant.
In the yeare 1541. the Emperoure personally wente to the séege of Argell with a mightie armye, and Cortez with his two sonnes went also thither to serue him with a good companye of men and Horses, but it pleased God to raise vp suche a tempest, wherewith the most parte of the fléete perished. Cortes then being in the Galley of Don Henrike Enrikes, called the Esperanca, and fearing to lose his rich emraldes and other Iewels at the time that the Galley was driuen by violence of weather vpon the shore, he then bound about him the sayde fyue rich emraldes, estéemed in a hundred thousande Duckates, yet notwithstanding through the throng of people, and hast to escape out of oese and mire, the Iewels fell from him, who could neuer heare more of them, so that the present warres cost hym more than any other, except the Emperoures maiestie, although Andrea de Oria lost eleuen Galleys.
But the losse of treasure gréeued hym not so much, as the excluding hym out of the Counsell of the warres, whereas other yong Gentlemen of lesse knowledge and abilitie were accepted, which was a cause of greate murmuryng among the host. And where in the counsell of warre it was determined to leaue the séege and to depart, it gréeued manye, whereupon Cortes made an open offer, that he alone with the Spanishe nation would presume to take Argell, hauyng but the one halfe of the Tudescos and Italians, if it woulde please the Emperoure to graunte vnto hym the enterprise. The Souldyers on the lande dyd hyghly commende hys courage, but the Sea menne woulde giue no eare vnto him, so that it is thoughte that the offer came not to the Emperoures knowledge. Cortes wente vp and downe in the Courte a long season, being sore afflicted in a certaine sute aboute hys vassals, and also the processe and allegations of Nunio de Guzman, layde vnto hys charge in hys residence. The whole processe was séene in the counsell of Indias, but iudgemente was neuer pronounced, whyche was a greate hartes ease for Cortes. And then hée departed from the Courte towarde Siuill, with determinate wyll to passe vnto the newe Spayne, and to ende his lyfe in Mexico, and also to receyue the Lady Mary, Cortes hys daughter, who was come from India, and promised in marriage vnto Don Aluar Perez Osorio, with a hundred thousande Duckates in dowry, and hyr apparell, but the marriage tooke no effecte, through the faulte of Don Aluar and hys father.
He then fell sicke of a flixe and indisgestion, whiche endured long, so that on hys iourney towarde the Citie of Siuill, he departed thys transitory lyfe, in a little Village called Castilleia de La Cuesta, whyche standeth a myle from the Citie of Siuill, on the seconde of December Anno 1547. béeyng thréescore and thrée yeares of age.
His body was deposited wt ye dukes of Medina Sidonia.
He left a Sonne and thrée Daughters begotten of the Lady Iane de Zuniga his wife, his Sonne was called Don Martin Cortes, who did inherite his fathers estate, and was married vnto the Lady Ana de Arellano, his cousine, daughter to the Countie De Aguilar, by order of his father.
The doughters vnto Cortes were named as foloweth, the lady Donea Maria, Donea Catalina, and Donea Iuana who was the yongest. He had another Sonne by an Indian woman, and he was called Don Martin Cortez. He had also another base sonne by a Spanish woman, who was named Don Luys Cortez, and thrée daughters by thrée seuerall Indian women.
Cortez buylt an hospitall in Mexico, and gaue order for a Colledge to be also erected there. He builte also a Temple in Coioacan, where he willed in his Testament that his bones shoulde be buried at the charges of his Sonne and heyre. He situated foure thousand Ducates of rent, whiche yéeldeth yéerely his houses in Mexico for the purpose aforesayd, of the which foure thousande Ducates, two thousand should be to maynteyne the Studients in the Colledge.
