the royal coffers; they must have something for themselves. But Cortés neither possessed the treasures, nor was he inclined to share his receipts with the cormorants. He preferred to extend the inflowing revenues on further expeditions, whereby to enhance his fame and his credit with the king. "So," they said, "this upstart ignores us; then shall he suffer." And while still bending low to pour the oil of flattery, they prepared a venomous sting behind his back. Soon rivalry was displayed in their efforts to catalogue his defects, and build a reputation for zeal in his overthrow. In this work of libel the vanity and presumption of the royal bastard Estrada were added to the insidious caution of Albornoz, and the subtle cunning and ambition of Salazar, supported by Chirinos, Though divided among themselves they were united in their opposition to Cortés.
Despatches were sent by every opportunity partly in cipher,[1] repeating every tale that could in any way injure their opponent. The treasures of Montezuma, and those lost during the retreat from Mexico, were all in his possession, they said, to the value of three or four millions, buried in different spots, and vessels were building in the South Sea to carry them to France or to lands that were to be wholly under his control. Countless provinces with vast rent-rolls had been seized for himself; caciques were made to swell his wealth with presents, and common natives to work in the mines for his benefit, while to the king he sent a few jewels which might please the royal fancy. He thwarted their every effort to increase the royal revenue, partly by marking his gold with false stamps, so as to avoid paying the fifth.[2] Worse than this, he was preparing vast armaments which could not be
- ↑ 'Arcanæ vero ac particulares litteræ a solo computatore Albornozio, regio a secretis, veniunt sub ignotis caracteribus, quos Zifras nuneupat usus.' Peter Martyr, dec. viii. cap. x.
- ↑ Ixtlilxochitl of Tezcuco had given him presents worth 60,000 castellanos, and since this was a royal province, the acceptance of such gifts was robbery. These and similar statements are given also in Cortés, Residencia, i. 209.
