It was readily believed that he had secured for himself, besides the fifth granted to him by the agreement at Villa Rica, and a sum to repay him for certain losses, the richest treasures revealed by the tortured captives. The exaggerated estimate of Aztec wealth, based on native testimony, and impressed by the bombast of the adherents of Cortés, was too deeply rooted in the minds of the soldiers to be eradicated by argument, although a little reflection convinced a few of the more thoughtful how unreasonable their expectations had been.
The general occupied at this time a palace at Coyuhuacan, and on its white coating the soldiers found an outlet for their feelings which they dared not openly express. Inscribed upon the wall, for several mornings, in prose and verse, appeared honest complaints and malicious attacks. Most of them were from the men of Narvaez, to judge from the allusions to Cortés as an upstart and usurper, who had come to reap what Velazquez had sown, and who would soon descend to his proper low level. Priding himself both on his wit and poetry, Cortés stooped to add his couplets of retort, only to encourage the libellers to more outrageous utterances. Finally, at Father Olmedo's suggestion, a notice was posted forbidding such pasquinades under heavy penalty.[1]
The discontent was partly due to the inability of
- ↑ Bernal Diaz names several Velazquez men who led in this word skirmish. Alvarado, Olmedo, and others proposed that the total treasure should be set apart for the wounded and disabled, and it was hoped that this would induce Cortés to surrender a goodly share; but nothing was done. Bernal Diaz, Hist. Verdad., 158.
ing allies must have secured a portion, and the fortunate white sackers another. Hence the amount secured for the expedition cannot be considered much below what should have been expected. Little could have been cast into the lake, or purposely hidden by the Aztecs, although a contrary opinion is still widely cherished even by staid historians. As for the amounts supposed to have been privately secured by Cortés, chiefly from the treasures taken away during the Sorrowful Night, no proof was ever brought to substantiate them. He no doubt took care to obtain a certain share, but he also expended it freely, in sending to the Islands for war stores, horses, and provisions, in supplying agents in bribery, and what not. It is not likely that he could have secured any large amounts for himself from the present spoils.
