pacity. You shall grant the offices in such a way that they
be filled by the old inhabitants who have lived in the country at
least three years, and have become citizens of it. You shall grant
the encomiendas to soldiers who shall have lived in the islands in
actual military service and duty, always giving the preference to
those who merit it with most cause. You shall take into consideration
their length of residence, the quality of their services, and all
other circumstances of their services, greater and lesser, in the
country. These men must not be sons, brothers, relatives, servants,
of friends of yours, or of the auditors or other officials of the
Audiencia; for you are warned not to grant encomiendas of Indians to
such men, or appoint them to offices--and to this end a sufficient
salary is paid you to enable you to support them--and also it is not
right that those who go last should profit by the sweat of another's
labor. Moreover, if rewards are dealt out where they are due, all
will serve assiduously, as they will hope to attain like rewards. My
will is that this order be observed, and that it be kept so rigidly,
that, now and henceforth, the said sons, brothers, and servants of
yours are declared incapable of holding the said encomiendas and
offices. Inasmuch as certain men who already hold encomiendas in
the said islands and have therein a sufficiency of what they need,
are begging for further bounty, you are advised not to grant them
anything more, until many others have been provided and rewarded with
encomiendas and other posts and rewards. These others, as I have been
informed, are as old residents, and as meritorious as they, and have
performed many more services in conquering and maintaining the country
than those who are begging now; and yet they have not been rewarded. On
this account they are poor, irritated, and querulous. However, if when
any good repartimiento falls vacant, you think it advisable to grant
it to one who, because he has an encomienda already, deserves it less,
you may do it, providing you deprive him of the one he had before,
so that you may grant it in the form above stated.

You shall provide for and reward all these men, according to the
seniority, merits, and capacity of each one. You shall prefer such
men to any others who do not possess these requisites, in the said
allotment of encomiendas and governmental and military positions, and
all other rewards of the country. I charge