, even promised to appoint him
admiral of New Spain.

The admiral duly received these commands, but either from want of money
to fit out an armament sufficiently extensive for this purpose, or
whether he considered it a hazardous enterprise, he continually delayed
to act up to the emperor's commands. Certain it is, however, that his
friends cautioned him against Cortes' good fortune in arms, who, with a
handful of men, had defeated the large body of troops under Narvaez, and
they likewise assured him that he would not find Cortes or his
companions in arms guilty of anything wrong, but in every sense loyal
and faithful servants of his majesty. To all this was added, that it had
been observed to the emperor what a very distinguished appointment
admiral of New Spain would be, and that it was too great a reward to
bestow on any one for a mere expedition of this nature.

In the meantime while the admiral of St. Domingo was making preparations
for fitting out this armament, Cortes' agents, his father Martin Cortes
and father Melgarejo de Urrea, got information of all that was going
forward, and they no longer doubted from the letters they received from
Cortes himself, that the accountant Albornoz, or others of his enemies,
had been secretly plotting against him at court. These gentlemen,
therefore, called upon the duke of Bejar, to whom they gave a full
account of all the circumstances, and then laid before him Cortes' own
letters. When the duke saw how perilous the posture of affairs looked,
and how necessary it was to lend immediate assistance, he repaired to
his majesty without delay, accompanied by several of his distinguished
relatives, Martin Cortes, and father Melgarejo. After paying to his
majesty the deep respect which was due from them to their sovereign and
master, the duke humbly begged his majesty not to put any faith in what
the accountant Albornoz might say, who was the avowed enemy of Cortes,
and that his majesty would be pleased to countermand the orders he had
given to the admiral of St. Domingo, at least if less suspicious
witnesses than the accountant Albornoz did not come forward against
Cortes. As his majesty, continued the duke, was a monarch who loved
justice above all things, it was necessary to be doubly precautious in
taking proceedings against Cortes and his companions in arms, who had
rendered those services to their monarch, of which history could not
produce another example. He himself still co