Before Cortes his cōming into Spayne, Pamfilo de Naruaez his old enimy wēt vp & down in the Court, procuring the conquest of the riuer De Palmas & Florida, where at the laste he died, and alwayes when he saw time conuenient he made cōplaints against Cortes, yea and to the Emperours owne hand he deliuered a scrole of many articles, amōg the which was one, wherein he affirmed that Cortes had as many barres of gold and siluer, as in Biscay were barres of yron, and offered to proue the same: but although it was not true, yet it was suspicious. He also earnestly procured that he shold be punished, saying that he had plucked out one of his eyes, & killed with poyson the Licenciat Luys ponce de Leon, & Francisco Garay. Through his many and importunate petitiōs, it was determined to send to Mexico, Don Pedro de la Cueua, who was bothe fierce and seuere, and Lorde stewarde of the Emperour his house, and afterwarde made general of the ordinance, and chiefe Comendador of the order and knighthood of Alcantara, who findyng the accusation true, should cut off Cortes his head.
But as God would, in the meane season came the testimoniall from the Doctor Hoieda, and the Licenciat Pero Lopez, Phisitions, who had cured the persons that were reported to haue bene poysoned, whervpon that commission ceased. And when Cortes came into Spayne, Don Pedro de la Cueua would many times laugh and iest with him, saying, From farre places long lies.
Before the Iudges came, Cortez vvas gone to Spayne.
The Emperour and his councell of India prouided a Courte of Chancery in Mexico, as chiefe place, where as all controuersies and matters of righte throughout the new Spayne mighte there be determined, and also to correct the mutinies, and partes taking among the Spanyardes: likewise to take residence and accompte of Cortes, and to be satisfyed both of his seruice and offences. Moreouer that they should visite the officers, and royall Treasorie there. Munio de Gusman was appoynted president and gouernoure, with other foure Licenciates for Iudges to accompany him. He departed toward Mexico Anno 1529. and at his comming, he began to vnderstande in his regimente and office, with the Licenciate Iohn Ortiz, for the other thrée Iudges died by the way. Cortes béeing nowe absente, and vppon his iourney toward Spayne, this newe Iudge made a terrible residence and condemnation againste him, and commaunded all his goodes to be solde by out-thrappe, for a greate deale lesse then hys goodes were worth, and in his absence they called him by Proclamation: but if he hadde bin there present, his life had bin in daunger, although face to face some respect is had, and it is an ordinarie rule that the Iudge sheweth rigoure against him that is absent. This hatred was not only against Cortes, but also againste his friendes, for hée apprehended Pedro de Aluarado, who was newly come from Spayne, bycause he spake in the fauour of Cortez, laying to his charge the rebellion of Mexico, when Naruaez was there. He also apprehended Alonso de Estrada, & manye others, doing manifest wrongs vnto them.
A good sentence.
In shorte space the Emperour had more complayntes against Nunio de Gusman, and the other Iudge, than had bin héeretofore againste any other, wherevpon he was put out of office in the yeare 1530. His wrongful dealing in iustice was not onely proued in Mexico, but also in the Court of Spayne, with many persons that were come from thence, so that the nexte president and Iudges that went thither, did pronounce Nunio de Gusman and his fellowe for partiall Iudges, and enimies vnto Cortes, and condemned him to pay all his goodes whiche were euill solde. But whē Nunio de Gusman vnderstoode that he was put out of office, he then was afraide, and tooke his iourney against the Teuchichimecas, séeking after the Towne of Culhuacan, from whence the Mexicans descended. He caried in his company fiue hundred Spanyardes, whereof the most were horsemen, and many of them went as prisoners, and against their willes.
Abhominable fact.
In Mechuacan he tooke prisoner the King Caconcin, who was a great friende vnto Cortes, a seruitor vnto the Spanyards, and vassal to the Emperour, and as the same goeth, he tooke from him tenne thousande markes of plate, and much golde, and afterward burned him, and many other Gentlemen, and principal persons of that kingdome, bycause they shoulde not complayne, saying, that a dead dogge biteth not. He tooke from thence sixe thousand Indians for the seruice of his army, and with them conquered Xalixco, whiche is nowe called the new Gallizia. He abode there, vntill the Vizeroy Don Antonio de Mondoza, and Chancery of Mexico, caused him to be apprehended, who sent him prisoner into Spayne, to giue accompte of his office. If Nunio de Gusman had bin so good a gouernour and Iudge, as he was in bloud a Gentleman, he had then enioyed the best plot of all the West India, but he behaued himselfe euill, both with the Indians and Spanyards.
The same yeare that he came from Mexico, went thyther for president Sebastian Ramirez, who was a Bishop, and had in time past bin presidente in Santo Domingo, and the Licenciates Iohn de Salmeron, Gasco Quiroga, Francisco Ceynos, and Alonso Maldonado, for Iudges to accompany him.
These Iudges gouerned well the land, and caused the Citie of Angels to be inhabited which the Indians called Cuetlaxcoapan, that is to say a Snake in water. The reason was, bycause they haue two fountaynes, the one of euill water, and the other of good. This Citie standeth twentie leagues from Mexico, in the high way to Vera Crux. The Bishop set the Indians at libertie, and therefore many Spanyards departed from thence, who hadde inhabited there before, and wente to séeke their liuing at Xalixco, Hunduras, Quahutemallan, and other places where warre was.