Ponce's death so soon after his arrival revived the charge of poisoning, although the doctors under oath declared malignant fever the cause. The disease was even regarded as a pest, for a large number of those who came with Ponce died from the same malady, and also several settlers.[1]
A. few days before his death Ponce had summoned the town council and substituted Marcos de Aguilar as alcalde mayor in place of Ortega, with instructions that he should be recognized as his successor. This recognition was made on the 30th of July;[2] but immediately after, the adherents of Cortés raised the question whether the late judge had a right to transfer his power as governor, and the council, together with the delegates from the other towns, formally called upon Cortés to reassume the post till the king could decide. He refused, however, to take a step that might imperil the opinion of his obedience, and he even counselled Sandoval to decline the proposal to associate him with Aguilar. The latter was accordingly received as governor the 26th of August,[3] and
- ↑ Writing in the beginning of September, Cortés states that 30 of Ponce's companions had died, including two friars and two settlers, a large number of both classes being still in a critical condition. Cartas, 482. Bernal Diaz places the mortality about three times higher. Hist. Verdad., 219. The alcalde, Pedrada, was among the dead. Gomara states that most of Ponce's travelling companions died. Hist. Mex., 277. It was assumed by those who testified to the belief in poisoning that the custard at the banquet brought about the death. Cortés, Residencia, i. 161, 239, 288-90, 442. The charge was revived in 1543-5. See Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., xxviii. 245-80. The doctors who attended Ponce and gave a statement of the nature, progress, and treatment of the disease, were Ojeda and Licentiate Pedro Lopez, protomédico of Mexico, who presented his appointment as such on January 1], 1527. Libro de Cabildo, MS. Gonzalez Dávila, Teatro, i. 7, wrongly claims the protomédico title for Doctor Olivaras, who came with a royal license dated July 8, 1524, as he says. The belief in a murder was sustained to some extent by malicious verses sung in Mexico. Peralta, Not. Hist., 138.
- ↑ Libro de Cabildo, MS. His appointment as alcalde mayor was made on July 16th. Ocaña writes that he had offered to assure him 10,000 pesos de oro a year as lawyer; but when the royal interest demanded his services he threw aside this brilliant prospect. Carta, in Icazbalceta, Col. Doc., i. 529.
- ↑ Cortés, Escritos Sueltos, 111; Libro de Cabildo, MS. The negotiations
surrender all I have for 20 [on the next page he says 10] rent-rolls in Spain and go to serve Y. M. there, where none can accuse me of securing further revenues.' If this is not agreed to, he begs permission to keep what he has for himself and his heirs, so that he may not be obliged to go to Spain and beg his bread, the purity of his motives being proven. Letter of September 3, 1526, in Cartas, 482-9.
