Pleasant Historie of the Conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne,
Atchieued by the vvorthy Prince Hernando Cortes Marques of the valley of Huaxacac, most delectable to Reade:
Translated out of the Spanishe tongue, by T. N.
Anno. 1578.
¶ Imprinted at London by Henry Bynneman.
1578.
¶ TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE, Sir Francis VValsingham Knight, principall Secretary to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie, and one of hir highnesse most Honorable priuie Counsell.
Whilest I abode (right Honorable) in the Isle of Palma, in affaires of merchandize for the vvorshipfull Thomas Locke deceased, and his company, time then permitted me, to haue cöference vvith auncient gentlemen vvhiche had serued in the Conquest of the vveft India, novve called nevve Spaine, vnder the princely Captaine Hernando Cortez. By vvhom as present vvitnesses at many of the actes herein contayned, I vvas credibly informed, that this delectable and vvorthy Historie is a most true and iust reporte of matter paste in effect: vvherefore I did the more vvillingly turne ouer and peruse the same, vvhiche is a Mirrour and an excellent president, for all such as shall take in hande to gouerne nevve Discoueries: for here they shall behold, hovv Glorie, Renovvne, and perfite Felicitie, is not gotten but vvith greate paines, trauaile, perill and daunger of life: here shall they see the vvisedome, curtesie, valour and pollicie of vvorthy Captaynes, yea and the faithfull hartes vvhiche they ought to beare vnto their Princes seruice: here also is described, hovv to vse and correct the stubbern & mutinous persons, & in vvhat order to exalt the good, stoute and vertuous Souldiers, and chiefly, hovv to preserue and keepe that bevvtifull Dame Lady Victorie vvhë she is obtayned. And vvhere it vvas supposed, that the golden mettall had his beginning and place in the East and VVeast India, neare vnto the hote Zoane, (as moste learned vvriters helde opinion) it is novve approued by the venterous trauellour and vvorthy captaine Martin Frobisher Esquire, yea and also through the greate paynes, procurement, and firste inuention of the vvorshipfull Mychaell Locke Merchaunt, that the same golden mettall dothe also lie incorporate in the bovvelles of the Norvveast parties, enuironned vvith admirable Tovvers, Pillers and Pynacles, of Rockes, Stone, and Ise, possessed of a people bothe straunge, & rare in shape, attire and lyuing, yea suche a Countrey and people, as all Europe had forsaken and made no account of, excepte our moste gratious Queene and her subiectes, vvhome vndoubtedly God hath appoynted, not onely to be supreme Princesse ouer them, but also to be a meane that the name of Christ maybe knovven vnto this Heathenish and Sauage generation.
Not long since (right Honorable) I happened to trauayle from the famous Cittie of Tolledo in Spayne, tovvarde highe Castile, and by fortune ouertooke an auncient Gentlemen, vvorshipfully accompanied, vnto vvhö I vvas so bold as to approch, beseching his vvorship to aduertise me of his iourney: vvho (after he had beheld my white head & beard) ansvvered ful gentlely, that his intët vvas to trauayle vnto the king of Spaynes Court, and vvelcomed me vnto his company. In shorte space that vve had iourneyed togither, and communed of each other his Countrey, it pleased him to say as follovveth: My good friende, if you knevv my sute vnto the Kings maiestie, you vvould iudge that I vvere a mad man, and therefore to shorten oure vvay, I vvill declare my attempted sute vnto you. You shall vnderstande, that I am a Gentleman of lxx. yeares of age, and sometimes I serued in the ciuill vvarres of Pirru, vvhere I vvas vvounded in diuers parts of my body, and am novv thereby lame in one of my legges and shoulder. I haue neyther VVife nor childe, and at this presente (God be praised) I haue in the Contractation house in the Citie of Siuill, in golde and plate, the summe of thirtie thousande Duckates: and I haue also in Pirru in good lands and possessions, the yearely rente of tvvelue thousande Duckates, vvhiche rentes and readye money is sufficiente to mainteyne a poore Gentleman. But al this notvvithstanding, I do novv sue vnto the Kings Maiestie, to haue licence and authoritie to discouer and conquere a certayne parte of India, vvhyche adioyneth vvith Brazile, and is part of the Empire of Pirru, I pray you novve declare what you thinke of my sute. By my troth sir (quoth I) I trust your vvorship vvill pardon a rash and suddaine iudgemët, which you now demand at my häd: yea truly (quoth he) say vvhat you list. Then (quoth I) my opiniö is, that you are not wel in your wit, for vvhat vvould you haue? vvil not reason suffice you? or else would you now in your old days be an Emperour, considering that your Sepulchre attendeth for you. Novve truly I thanke you (quoth he) for of youre iudgement are most men: but I say vnto you, considering that all flesh must finish, I seeke for no quiet rest in this transitorie life: yea the vvise and Christian Doctors do teach and admonish, that euery true Christian is borne, not for his ovvne priuate vvealth and pleasure, but rather to help and succoure others his poore breethren. Likevvise doe I consider the greate number of Gentlemen, yonger brethren, and other valiät persons, vvho through vvant of liuing, do fall into many disorders. VVherefore to accomplish my dutie tovvard God and my Prince, and to releeue such poore Gentlemen, do I novv attempte this iourney, vvith the aduenture of my bodye and goodes, and for that purpose I haue in readinesse foure tall Shippes, vvell furnished in the porte of Saint Lucar de Barrameda, hoping assuredlye, that before the life depart from my body, to heare these valiante yong Gentlemen (vvhome novv I meane to haue in my company) say, oh happie day, vvhen olde Zarate (for so is my name) broughte vs from penurie, yea and from a number of perils that vve vvere like to fall into. I hope also, that the royall estate of my Prince shall be by my paynes and poore seruice enlarged: beleeue you me, this is the onely sumptuous Tumbe that I pretende to builde for my poore carkas. But yet I knovv there are some, vnto vvhome I may compare the Bore that lyeth vvallovvyng in his Stye, vvho vvill not lette to saye, vvhat neede vve any other vvorld, honor, or Kingdomes? let vs be contented vvith that vve haue: vvho may easily be aunsvvered, Sir glutton, your paunch is full, and little care you for the glory of God, honor of youre Prince, neyther the neede and necessitie of youre poore neyboures. VVith this conclusion the Gentleman ended his tale, the iudgement vvhereof I leaue to noble Gentlemen his peeres to be determined.
And vvhere oure Captayne Hernando Cortez, of vvhose valiant actes this historie treateth, hathe deserued immortal fame, euë so doubtlesse I hope, that vvithin this happie Realme is novv liuing a Gentleman, vvose zeale of trauayle and valiant beginnings dothe prognosticate greate, maruellous, and happie successe: for perfection of honor and profite is not gotten in one daye, nor in one or tvvo voyages, as the true histories of the East and VVest Conquests by Spanyardes and Portingalles do testifye. And calling to remembrance the greate zeale and good vvill vvhich your honor hath alvvayes extended to good and profitable attemptes, and especially in the proceedings of the nevv discouery, youre honor hath not only vsed liberalitie in your aduëtures, but also taken greate paynes in Courte, to aduance and further the voyage, a number I saye of Gentlemen, Marriners, and other artificers, shal haue great cause to pray for your honor. And vvhere I for my parte haue tasted of your honors goodnesse sundrye vvayes, I am novve most humbly to beseech youre honor to accept this poore gifte, the vvhiche I haue translated out of the Spanish tong, not decked vvith gallant couloures, nor yet fyled vvith pleasant phrase of Rhetorike, for these things are not for poore Marchant trauellers, but are reserued to learned VVriters: yet I trust the Author vvill pardon mee, bycause I haue gone as neere the sense of this Historie, as my cunning vvoulde reach vnto. I also craue, that it may please youre honor, vvhen your greate and vvaightie businesse vvill permitte, to beholde this vvorke, and that shall be for me an encouragemente to take in hande the translation of the East India, vvhiche is novve enioyed by the King of Portingall. Thus I ende, beseeching the Almighty to preserue your honorable estate.
(?)
Your honors most ready at commaundement Thomas Nicholas.
The Conquest of the Weast India.
The Byrth and lynage of Hernando Cortez.
In the yeare of our Sauiour, 1485. being kings of Castill and Aragon, the Catholike princes Fernando and Isabell his wyfe, was borne Hernando Cortez in a towne called Medellin, situated in the prouince of Andulozia: his Father was named Martyn Cortez de Monroy, & his mother was called Lady Katherin Pisarro Altamirano, they were bothe of good byrth, and procéeded from foure principall houses, that is to say, the house of Cortez, the house of Monroy, the house of Pisarro, and the house of Altamirano, which foure houses are auncient, noble and honorable: yet these parents but poore in goods, but riche in vertue & good life, for whiche cause they were muche estéemed and beloued among theyr neighbours. His mother was of inclination deuoute, but somewhat harde: his father was charitable and mercyfull, who in his youth applied himselfe to the warres, and was Liuetenant to a company of horsemen. Hernando Cortez in his childehood was very sickely, so that many tymes he was at the poynt of death: And when he came to .xiiii. yéeres of age, his parents sent him to the Vniuersitie of Salamanca, where he remayned twoo yeares, learnyng Grammar, and then returned to Medellin werie of his studie, yea possible for want of money: yet his parëts were much offended with him for leauing his studie, for theyr onely desire was to haue had him a student at lawe, whiche is a facultie both riche and worshipfull, consideryng their sonne to be of a good witte and abilitie: Yet he caused muche strife in his Fathers house, for he was a very vnhappy ladde, high minded, and a louer of chiualrie, for which cause he determined with himselfe to wander abroad to séeke aduentures. And at that instant happened two iorneys fit for his purpose & inclination. The one of them was to Naples wyth Gonsalo Hernandez of the Citie of Cordoua, who was a worthy man, & named the great captaine. And the other iourney was to the Weast India, with the Lorde Nicholas de Ouando, a knight of the order of Larez, who was then appointed for gouernour of those parties. And musing with himselfe which waye to take, determined to passe into India, chiefly bycause the gouernour was of his acquaintance, and such a one as would haue care of him. And likewise the great desire of gold made him to couet that voyage more than the Iorney vnto Naples. Now in the meane while that y^e fleet was preparing for India, it chaunced, Hernando Cartez pretended to go vnto a certaine house in the night season to talke with a woman, and clyming ouer a Wall whyche was of weake foundation, both he and the Wal fell togither: So that with the noyse of hys fall, and ratling of his armoure which he ware, came out a man newly married, and findyng him fallen at hys dore would haue slayne hym, suspecting somewhat of his newe married wife, but that a certaine olde woman (being his mother in lawe) wyth great perswasions stayed him from that fact. Yet with the fall he fell into a grieuous Ague, and continued sicke for a long season, so that he could not procéede vppon his voyage with the gouernour Ouando. And when he had obtained and fullye recouered his health, he mynded to passe into Italy, And so toke hys way towarde Valentia, wandering here and there almoste a whole yeare wyth much necessitye and penurie, and then returned home againe to Medellyn, with determination to procéed vppon his pretended voyage of India: Wherevppon hys father and mother waying their sonnes estate, desired God to blesse hym, and gaue him money in his purse for his iorney.
