er
to the emperor begging him to direct the Council of the Indies to come
to a decision upon it. This letter in which pathetically enough, he
speaks of himself as "old and poor and indebted," produced no result
and once again, worn out and bitterly disappointed, its writer turned
his face toward the land that he had won for Spain. But he was never
to behold it more. At Seville he was seized with dysentery and passed
away December 2, 1547, being then in his sixty-third year. His body
was taken to Mexico for burial.

In Hernando Cortes died one of the great men of the world, though how
much of his greatness was due to chance is difficult to determine. It
is certain that again and again fortune stood his friend in a manner
that was little short of miraculous, as in the instances of the
unexpected victory over Narvaez and of the death of the general at the
battle of Otampan. But if chance or fate gave him opportunities it was
Cortes' own genius and unconquerable will that enabled him to avail
himself of them. These qualities were the most striking
characteristics of the man. He showed them when having determined on
the conquest of Mexico he burnt his ships that there might be no
escape from the decision; when he hit upon the expedient of using
rival tribes to accomplish the overthrow of the Aztecs; when, driven
from Mexico with the loss of the half of his army he returned to the
attack; and in many another time and place. He had great good
qualities, he was a true friend, and according to his lights, an
honorable and even a religious man, and his faults were those of his
time and training, or at worst such as are not inconsistent with a
generous nature. His cruelties may be urged against him, but no
Spaniard of his age thought it cruel to slaughter enemies of the Faith
who practised human sacrifice; also having once embarked upon his
colossal undertaking he and his companions must either slay or be
slain. There is evidence to show that personally he was not a cruel
man. Thus when called upon to sign the death-warrant of a soldier he
lamented that he had ever been taught to write, and there are passages
in his will which show his conscience to have been troubled by
questions as to the right to enslave human beings. With a handful of
followers Cortes overthrew the fabric of the Aztec Empire, broke the
spirit of its people so effectually that to this day it has not
recovered itself, and swept away its religion. Whether for go