pearing; when, with one voice, officers and foldiers expreffed their aftonifhment and indig nation at the orders which they had received. It was unworthy, they cried, of the Caftilian courage, to be daunted at the first afpect of danger, and infamous to fly before any enemy appeared. For their parts, they were determined not to relinquish an enterprise, that had hitherto been fuccefsful, and which tended fo vifibly to spread the knowledge of true religion, and to advance the glory and intereft of their country. Happy under his command, they would follow him with alacrity through every danger, in queft of those settlements and treafures which he had fo long held out to their view; but if he chose rather to return to Cuba, and tamely give up all his hopes of diftinction and opulence to an envious rival, they would inftantly choose another general to conduct them in that path of glory, which he had not fpirit to enter.

Cortes, delighted with their ardour, took no offence at the boldness with which it was uttered. The fentiments were what he himself had infpired, and the warmth of expreffion fatisfied him that his followers had imbibed them thoroughly. He affected however, to be furprised at what he heard, declaring that his orders to prepare for embarking were iffued from a perfuafion that this was agreeable to his troops; that, from deference to what he had been informed was their inclination, he had facrificed his own private opinion, which was firmly bent on establishing immediately a fettlement on the fea-coaft, and then on endeavouring to penetrate

into the interior part of the country; that now he was convinced of his error; and as he perceived that they were animated with the generous fpirit which breathed in every true Spaniard, he would refume, with fresh ardour, his original plan of operation, and doubted not to conduct them, in the career of victory, to fuch independent fortunes as their valour merited. Upon this declaration, shouts of applause testified the excels of their joy. The measure seemed to be taken with unanimous confent; fuch as fecretly condemned it being obliged to join in the accla mations, partly to conceal their difaffection from their general, and partly to avoid the imputation of cowardice from their fellow-foldiers.

Without allowing his men time to cool or to reflect, Cortes fet about carrying his defign into execution, In order to give a beginning to a colony, he affembled the principal perfons in his army, and by their fuffrage elected a council and magiftrates in whom the government was to be vested. As men naturally transplant the in, Atitutions and forms of the mother-country into their new fettlements, this was framed upon the model of a Spanish corporation. The magistrates were distinguished by the fame names and enfigns of office, and were to exercife a fimilar jurifdiction. All the perfons chofen were most firmly devoted to Cortes, and the instrument of their election was framed in the king's name, without any mention of their, dependence on Velafquez. The two principles of avarice and enthufiam, which prompted the Spaniards to all their enterprises in the New World, feem to r B. Diaz. c. 40, 41, 42. Herrera, dec. 2. lib. v. c. 6, 7. have

N 3

have concurred in fuggefting the name which Cortes bestowed on his infant fettlement. He called it, The rich town of the true Cross $.

The first meeting of the new council was diftinguished by a tranfaction of great moment. As foon as it affembled, Cortes applied for leave to enter; and approaching with many marks of profound refpect, which added dignity to the tribunal, aud fet an example of reverence for its authority, he began a long harangue, in which, with much art, and in terms extremely flattering to perfons just entering upon their new function, he observed, that as the fupreme ju rifdiction over the colony which they had planted was now vefted in this court, he confidered them as clothed with the authority, and representing the perfon of their fovereign; that accordingly he would communicate to them what he deemed effential to the public fafety, with the fame du tiful fidelity as if he were addreffing his royal mafter; that the fecurity of a colony fettled in a great empire, whofe fovereign had already dif covered his hoftile intentions, depended upon arms, and the efficacy of these upon the subordination and difcipline preferved among the troops; that his right to command was derived from a commiffion granted by the governor of Cuba; and as that had been long fince revoked, the lawfulness of his jurifdiction might well be queftioned; that he might be thought to act upon a defective, or even a dubious title; nor could they trust an army which might dispute the powers of its general, at a juncture when it ought implicitly to obey his orders; that,

• Villa rica de la vera Cruz.

name, to

moved by thefe confiderations, he now refigned all his authority to them, that they, having both right to choofe, and power to confer full jurifdiction, might appoint one, in the king's command the army in its future operations; and as for his own part, fuch was his zeal for the fervice in which they were engaged, that he would moft cheerfully take up a pike with the fame hand that laid down the general's truncheon, and convince his fellow-foldiers, that though accuftomed to command, he had not forgotten how to obey. Having finished his difcourfe, he laid the commiffion from Velafquez upon the table, and after kiffing his truncheon, delivered it to the chief magiftrate, and with

drew.

nation

was

tenor of

The deliberations of the council were not long, as Cortes had concerted this important measure with his confidents, and had prepared the other members with great addrefs, for the part which he wished them to take. His refigaccepted; and as the uninterrupted afforded the moft fatisfying evidence of his their profperity under his conduct abilities for command, they, by their unanimous fuffrage, elected him chief juftice of the colony, and captain-general of its army, and appointed his commiffion to be made out in the king's name, with moft ample powers, which were to continue in force until the royal pleasure should be farther known. That this deed might not be deemed the machination of a junto, the council called together the troops, and acquainted them with what had been refolved. The foldiers, with eager applaufc, ratified the choice

which the council had made; the air refounded with the name of Cortes, and all vowed to fhed their blood in fupport of his authority.

Cortes having now brought his intrigues to the defired iffue, and fhaken off his mortifying dependence on the governor of Cuba, accepted of the commiffion which vested in him fupreme jurifdiction, civil as well as military, over the colony, with many profeffions of respect to the council, and gratitude to the army. Together with his new command, he affumed greater dignity, and began to exercife more extenfive powers. Formerly he had felt himself to be only the deputy of a fubject; now he acted as the reprefentative of his fovereign. The adherents of Velafquez, fully aware of what would be the effect of this change in the fituation of Cortes, could no longer continue filent and paffive fpectators of his actions. They exclaimed openly against the proceedings of the council as illegal, and against thofe of the army as mutinous. Cortes, inftantly perceiving the neceffity of giving a timely check to fuch feditious difcourfe by fome vigorous measure, arrested Ordaz, Efcudero, and Velasquez de Leon, the ringleaders of this faction, and fent them prifoners aboard the fleet, loaded with chains. Their depend ents, astonished and overawed, remained quiet; and Cortes, more defirous to reclaim than to punish his prisoners, who were officers of great merit, courted their friendship with fuch affiduity and addrefs, that the reconciliation was perfectly cordial; and, on the most trying occafions, neither their connection with the governor of Cuba, nor the memory of the indignity with