When The Governor Was Going On A Sunday To Mass,
Accompanied By The Most Respectable People Of The Town And Neighbourhood,
He Placed Cortes On His Right Hand, On Purpose To Shew Respect To The
Person He Had Chosen For An Expedition Of Such High Importance.
There was
at this time one Cervantes at St Jago, a kind of buffoon, generally called
mad Cervantes, who used to assume great liberty of speech under pretence
of idiocy.
This man ran before the governor all the road to church,
shouting out many absurdities, saying among others, "Huzza for my master
Don Diego, who will soon lose his fleet, and huzza for his new captain;"
besides many similar expressions, all having a tendency to awaken
suspicion in Velasquez. Andrew de Duero, who was present, beat him and
ordered him to be silent, but he persisted so much the more, saying, "I
will dismiss my old master, and follow the fortune of Cortes." This man
was certainly hired by the relations of Velasquez, who wished the
appointment for some of themselves, that they might instil jealousy into
the mind of the governor, but all to no purpose; yet all that was now
uttered under the semblance of folly, turned out true in the end.
Immediately on receiving his commission, Cortes used the utmost activity
in preparing for the expedition; and though already much embarrassed with
debts, through his own extravagance and the expensive dress and
establishment of his wife, he procured the advance of 4000 crowns in money
and as much in goods, on the security of his estate, from Jeronymo Tria
and Pedro de Xeres, two merchants, who considered him as rising in the
world, and a favourite of fortune.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 715 of 789
Words from 198979 to 199265
of 219607
