and however unfortunate his conjectures may be proved by later investigators, it cannot be denied that he has brought the matter one step nearer to a final conclusion. The posthumous volume appeared in 1875, having been
edited by E. W. A. Kuhn.CORT, Cornelius (1536-1578), was born at Horn in Holland, and studied engraving under Jerom Cockx of Antwerp. About 1565 he went to Venice, where Titian employed him to execute the well-known copper-plates of St Jerome in the Desert, the Magdalen, Prometheus, Diana and Actieon, and Diana and Calisto. From Italy he wandered back to the Netherlands, but he returned to Venice soon a.fter 1567, proceeding thence to Bologna and Rome, where he produced engravings from all the great masters of the time. At Rome he founded the well-known school in which, as Bartsch tells us, the simple line of Marcantonio was modified by a brilliant touch of the burin, afterwards imitated and perfected by Agostino Caracci in Italy and Nicolas de Bruyn in the Netherlands. Before visiting the Peninsula, Cort had been content to copy Coxcie, F. Floris, Hemskerk, Mostaert, Spranger, and Stradm. In Italy he gave circulation to the works of Raphael, Titian, Polidoro da Caravaggio, Baroccio, Giulio Clovio, Muziano, and the Zuccari. His connection with Jerom Cockx and Titian is pleasantly illustrated in a letter addressed to the latter by Dominick Lampson of Liege in 1567. Cort is said to have engraved upwards of 151 plates.
CORTE-REAL, the name of a noble Portuguese family. In 1500 Gaspard Corte-Real sailed from Lisbon, landed on the coast of Labrador, and, having named the country, returned home with some of the natives whom he had captured. In 1501 he undertook a second voyage to the Arctic seas, from which he did not return. In the following year his brother Miguel led an expedition for the purpose of discovering him, but he also never returned. The king, Emmanuel, sent out two ships to the assistance of the brothers, but no traces of either could be found. A third brother, Vasco, was only prevented from risking the fate of Gaspard and Miguel by the king s command. To the same family belonged the poet, Jeronymo Corte-Real. He also was a sailor; for the first fact in his life that has come down to us is that, about 1571, he was appointed captain- general of a fleet fitted out for explorations in the Indies. The invasion of Philip II. in 1580 found him in retirement at Evora ; but of the rest of his life there is nothing satisfactorily known except that he died before 1594. His Diú, an epic founded on the siege of Diú, and his Amtriad, celebrating the victory won in 1571 by Don John of Austria over the Turks at Lepanto, have no great merit. His best work is the Naufragio de Sepulveda (published in 1594), a poem describing the shipwreck and death of Lionor de Sa (the mother of his wife) and of Manoel de Sonza. An edition of this story, which has been translated into both French and Spanish, appeared at Lisbon in 1849.
See Ferdinand Denis, Ckroniqucs clicrahrcsques de FEspagnc ct Portugal; and Sismondi, Litttrature dumidi de V Europe.
CORTES, a Spanish term literally signifying the “courts,” and applied to the States, or assembly of the States, of the kingdom. See Spain and Portugal.
Estremadura, in 1485. He belonged to a noble family of decayed fortune, and, being destined for the bar, was sent, at fourteen years of age, to the university of Salamanca; but study was distasteful to him, and he returned home in 1501, resolved to enter upon a life of adventure. He arranged to accompany Ovando, who had been appointed to the command of St Domingo, but was prevented from joining the expedition by an accident that happened to him in a love adventure. He next sought military service under the celebrated Gonsalvo de Cordova, but a serious illness frustrated his purpose. At last, in 1504, he set out according to his first plan, for St Domingo, where he was kindly received by Ovando. He was then only nineteen, and remarkable for a graceful physiognomy and amiable manners, as well as for skill and address in all military exercises. He remained in St Domingo, where Ovando had successively conferred upon him several lucrative and honourable employments, until 1511, when he accompanied Diego Velasquez in his expedition to the island of Cuba. Here he became alcalde of St lago, and displayed great ability on several trying occasions. An opportunity was soon afforded him of showing his powers as a military leader in an enterprize of the first importance. Grijalva, lieutenant of Velasquez, had just discovered Mexico, but had not attempted to effect a settlement. This displeased the governor of Cuba, who superseded Grijalva, and in trusted the conquest of the newly discovered country to Cortes. The latter hastened his preparations, and, on the 18th of November 1518, he set cut from St lago, with 10 vessels, 600 or 700 Spaniards, 18 horsemen, and some pieces of cannon. Scarcely had he set sail, however, when Velasquez, probably apprehensive that his lieutenant would carry off all the glory as well as the profit of the enterprize, recalled the commission which he had granted to Cortes, and even ordered him to be put under arrest ; but the attachment of the troops, by whom he was greatly beloved, enabled him to persevere in spite of the governor ; and on the 4th of March 1519 he landed on the coast of Mexico. Advancing along the gulf, sometimes taking measures to conciliate the natives, and sometimes spreading terror by his arms, he took possession of the town of Tabasco. The noise of the artillery, the appearance of the floating for tresses which had transported the Spaniards over the ocean, and the horses on which they fought, all new objects to the natives, inspired them with astonishment mingled with terror and admiration ; they regarded the Spaniards as gods, and sent them ambassadors with presents. Cortes here learned that the native sovereign was called Monte- zuma ; that he reigned over an extensive empire, which had lasted for three centuries ; that thirty vassals, called caciques, obeyed him ; and that his riches were immense and his power absolute. No more was necessary to inflame the ambition of the invader, who did not hesitate to undertake the conquest of this great empire, which could only be effected by combining stratagem and address with force and courage. He laid the foundation of the town of Vera Cruz, caused himself to be elected captain-general of the new colony, and, like Agathocles, burned his vessels to cut off the possibility of retreat and show his soldiers that they must either conquer or perish. He then penetrated into the interior of the country, drew to his camp several caciques hostile to Montezuma, and induced these native princes to facilitate his progress. The republic of Tlascala, which was hostile to Montezuma, opposed him ; but he routed its army, which had resisted all the forces of the Mexican empire, dictated peace on moderate terms, and converted the people into powerful auxiliaries. His further advance was in vain attempted to be checked by an ambus cade laid by the inhabitants of Cholula, on whom he took signal vengeance. Surmounting all other obstacles he arrived, with 6000 natives and a handful of Spaniards, in sight of the immense lake on which was built the city of Mexico, the capital of the empire. Montezuma received him with great pomp, and his subjects, believing Cortes to be a descendant of the sun, prostrated themselves before him. The first care of Cortes was to fortify himself in one of the beautiful palaces of the prince, and lie was planning
how to possess himself of the riches of so opulent an empire.