CHAPTER II. B. XII. de Olid Honduras, CHRISTOVAL DE OLID SENT BY CORTES TO HONDURAS -HIS REBELLION-CORTES GOES TO HONDURAS TO CHASTISE CHRISTOVAL DE OLID-DISSENSIONS IN MEXICO DURING HIS ABSENCE-EXECUTION OF THE KINGS OF MEXICO AND TLACUBA RETURN OF CORTES TO MEXICO-PONCE DE LEON THE next great transaction of Cortes is one which led to the most disastrous consequences, and is not, as it appears to me, marked by his accustomed sagacity. Even the shrewdest men, however, are liable to singular errors of judgment, from the temptation to continue to do something similar to that which they have once done well. In the management of an expedition through a hostile or dubious country, Cortes was transcendent. But a sagacity of another kind was more in demand now; and for some years he would have served his country better as a statesman than as a soldier. Soon after the settlement of the affairs of Christoval Panuco, Cortes had despatched Christoval de Olid, sent to one of those captains who had distinguished themselves in the siege, to make a settlement in Honduras. This expedition started on the 11th of January, 1524. Christoval de Olid proved unfaithful to his trust, and gave undeniable Jan. 1524. Journey of Cortes to Honduras. 31 signs of setting up an independent government B. XII. for himself. Cortes was particularly indignant at Ch. 2. the conduct of Olid; and his rage, shown by the swelling of the veins in his throat and the dilating of his nostrils, must have been closely watched and reported to the Council of the Indies at home, for we find that Peter Martyr was well aware of it.* Cortes despatched an armament commanded by his cousin, Francisco de las Casas, to reduce Olid to obedience; and afterwards sent, to support Las Casas, a vessel laden with arms and provisions, under a certain Pedro Gonzalez, a native of Truxillo, and, therefore, a fellow-townsman of Cortes. Having, however, received no good tidings from Cortes these captains, the General resolved to go himself, to go to and bring Olid to a sense of his duty. The journey Honduras. was a most perilous one. The settlement which Olid had made was not less than fifteen hundred miles from Mexico, and the King's officers (who had arrived at Mexico in the year 1524) naturally remonstrated with Cortes upon his undertaking such an expedition. It is probable that their remonstrance did not meet the considerations which induced Cortes to undertake this expedition. Almost any other man in the world, if employed as Cortes had been since the conquest of Mexico, would have supposed, and justly, that he had been leading a very active and energetic life. But Super Christofori Oliti, de quo lata mentio facta est in superioribus, inobservantia, Cortesium tanta rabies invasit, ut vivere ulterius nolle videretur Olito impunito, cum narium et venarum gutturis summo tu resolved Ch. 2. Cortes provides for the 32 Journey of Cortes to Honduras. B. XII. Cortes felt that for some time he had been idle, and had done no new thing; and it now appeared to him that he "must engage in something.' Accordingly he determined to persevere in his expedition,† and made his preparations for quitting Mexico in the following manner. He appointed the Treasurer, Alonso de Estrada (a of Mexico natural son of Ferdinand the Catholic), and the during his Contador Albornoz as his Lieutenants in the absence. government. He named as Alcalde Mayor the Licentiate Zuazo, the same man who had been sent by Cardinal Ximenes to accompany the Jeronimites, and who had been a great friend of Las Casas. He left Rodrigo de Paz, a cousin of his, government Olid, the expedition would have another object, and that it was originally intended as much for further discovery and conquest as for chastising a disobedient lieutenant. * "Dada órden para en lo de Cristoval Dolid como á V. M. escribí, porque me pareció que ya habia mucho tiempo que mi persona estaba ociosa y no hacia cosa de nuevo de que V. M. se sirviese á causa de la lesion de GOMARA, indeed, says that mi brazo, aunque no muy libre Cortes got free from the requiside ella, me pareció que debia de tions of the King's officers by entender en algo."— Relacion promising to go to Coatzacualco hecha al EMPERADOR CARLOS V. only, and other provinces in that por HERNAN CORTÉS sobre la neighbourhood which were in expedicion de Honduras. De revolt.-"Ellos entonces le reTemixtitan (Mejico) á 3 de quirieron de parte del EmpeSetiembre, de 1526. Docu- rador, que no fuese; í él promentos Inéditos, tom. 4, p. 10. metió, que no iria sino á CoaçaA letter to the Emperor coalco, í otras Provincias por allí from Cortes about the Olid rebeladas; con tanto, se eximió affair is lost. I conjecture, de los ruegos, í requirimientos, í from some slight indications, aprestó su partida, aunque con that the letter in question in- mucho seso."-GOMARA, Crónica formed his Majesty that the de la Nueva-España, cap. 163 present expedition was not ne- (2). BARCIA, Historiadores, cessarily to proceed to Honduras, tom. 2. but that if Cortes received See ante, vol. 1, book 8, p. favourable intelligence about 515. Ch. 2. as his Major-domo, and as Alguazil Mayor. To B. XII. all of these officers, to his old friend and companion in the conquest, Father Olmedo, and to a Franciscan monk, named Toribio Motolinia, he left the charge of converting the natives, and of preventing insurrections.* In order further to secure the fidelity of the natives he carried with him the Kings of Mexico and Tlacuba, with other Mexican lords. The 12th of October, 1524, was Cortes quits the day on which Cortes quitted Mexico, and Oct. 12, commenced this expedition. Mexico, 1524. panions of It was a very gallant company that Cortes took with him on this memorable expedition. At the head of the old Conquistadores was Gonzalo de Sandoval, the former Alguazil Mayor, and the con- The comstant companion-in-arms of Cortes. As spiritual Cortes. advisers, the Spanish Commander had in his suite a friar of the Order of Mercy, named Juan de las Varillas, a clérigo whose name is not given, and two Flemish monks of the Franciscan Order, whom Bernal Diaz pronounces to have been good theologians. His The members of his own household who accompanied Cortes were his Master of the House-household. hold, his Chief Sewer (maestresala), his Vintner "Y encomendó á todos Olmedo, de mi tantas vezes aquellos oficiales de la hazienda nombrado, Fraile de la Orden de de su Magestad, á quien dexava Nuestra Señora de la Merced, é el cargo de la Governacion, que que tenia mucha mano, é estituviessen mui grande cuidado de macion en todo México, é lo la conversion de los naturales, y merecia, porque era muy buen ansimismo lo encomendó á un Fraile, é Religioso; y les enFrai Toribio Motolinia de la cargó, que mirassen no se alçasse Orden del señor San Francisco, México, ni otras Provincias."y al Padre Frai Bartolomé de BERNAL DIAZ, cap. 174. B. XII. (botillero),* his Pantler, his Steward (despensero), Ch. 2. and his Chamberlain.† He took with him a Cortes liked state. physician and a surgeon; and his suite included several pages, two equerries, eight grooms, and two falconers. He had, moreover, several players on the clarionet, sackbut, and hautbois, a dancer on the tight-rope, and a juggler who made puppets dance. He also took mules and muleteers; and, lastly, which was by far the most important thing, a great herd of swine. As an interpreter he had only Doña Marina, for, as before stated, Geronimo de Aguilar was dead. Finally, Cortes brought with him large quantities of gold and silver. Many reasons of policy might be adduced for all this pomp. It might be said that such pomp was necessary in order to convey to the Mexicans an idea of his power and grandeur: that it was adviseable, as tending to separate him a little from the familiarity of his old companions in arms: and, moreover, that it was a protection to him against sudden treachery or revolt. But the truth is, Cortes was fond of state, and always conducted himself as if he had been born to the use of it. He was a man in whose composition there was much of melancholy, and who probably made no human being a partaker of his thoughts. Such men, it may be observed, are fond of numerous retinues and large households. They like to have many people about "Botillero. Potionum ge- This would be an important lidarum conditor."-Diccionario officer in a hot country. por la Academia Española. See BERNAL DIAZ, cap. 174. |