Add MS 46413

CORTÉS DOCUMENTS

HERNANDO CORTÉS: two notarial instruments attested by Jerónimo de Alanys, notary public, relating to judicial proceedings conducted on behalf of Hernando Cortés at Segura de la Frontera (Tepeaca), Mexico; August- October 1520:-

(1) ‘Los ofiçiales de sus Altesas contra Diego Velásquez e Pánfilo de Narbaes’. ff. 1-20. As follows:- (a) Petition presented to Hernando Cortés, 'capitán general e justiçia mayor' of New Spain, from Alonso de Avila, 'thesorero', Alonso de Grado, 'contador', Bernardino Vásquez de Tapia, 'fator', and Rodrigo Alvarez Chico, 'veedor', royal officials, to proceed against Diego Velásquez, 'teniente de almirante en la ysla Fernandina [Cuba]', and Pánfilo de Narváez, on the charge that, of malice aforethought, they caused the natives of New Spain to rebel against the King of Spain and so caused the loss on 30 June 1520 (La Noche Triste) of the royal fifth of the treasure which Cortés had received from Montezuma and his vassals and of other sums, which the King would otherwise have received; 4 Sept. 1520. Signed by the petitioners. ff. 1b-3b;- (b) Twenty-two questions, relating to events in New Spain during the preceding eighteen months, to be put to the witnesses presented by the petitioners. ff. 4 - 6b;- (c) Signed depositions of ten witnesses, in reply to the twenty-two questions; 4, 7, 10 Sept. 1520. Among the witnesses are Juan Ochoa de Lexalde, Diego de Ordáz, Jerónimo de Aguilar, Cristóbal de Olid and Pedro de Alvarado. ff. 7-20;- (d) Note, signed by Jerónimo de Alanys, that on 28 Sept. 1520 Cortés issued a 'carta de justiçia' against Velásquez and Narváez. f. 20.

(2) 'Prouança fecha a pedimiento de Juan Ochoa de Lexalde, en nombre del magnífico señor Fernando Cortés, capitán e justiçia mayor en estas partes por sus Altesas, sobre las diligençias que puso por saluar el oro de su Majestad'. ff. 21-38b. As follows:- (a) Note that on 20 Aug. 1520 Juan Ochoa de Lexalde appeared before Pedro de Alvarado, Alcalde of Vera Cruz, in the name of Hernando Cortés . f. 21 b;- (b) Power from Cortés to Lexalde, dated 6 Aug. 1520, to act on his behalf in all proceedings. Copy attested by Jerónimo de Alanys. ff. 22-22b;- (c) Application by Lexalde to present witnesses to show that Cortés did all that was possible to save the lost treasure, which he was to send to the King. f. 24b;- (d) Fifteen questions, relating to the delivery of the treasure to Cortés, its extent, his custody of it, and its loss on the night of the retreat from Tenochtitián. ff. 25-26b:- (e) Signed depositions of twelve witnesses, in reply to the fifteen questions; 31 Aug., 3 Sept. 1520. Among the witnesses are Cristóbal de Olid, Fray Bartolomé de Olmédo, Jerónimo de Aguilar, Diego de Ordáz and Alonso de Avila. ff. 27-38b;-

(f) Note signed by Pedro de Alvarado and Jerónimo de Alanys relating to the drawing up of the instrument; 10 Oct. 1520. f. 38b. A notarial copy of the first document is in the Archivo General de Indias, Seville, No. 2-2-1/1 R⁰ 2, Patronato Leg. 180 (see Conway, below, pp. viii, 84). A summary of the second document, obtained by W. H. Prescott from the Vargas Ponçe collection in the Royal Academy of History at Madrid for his History of the Conquest of Mexico, was printed J. Garcia Icazbalceta, Coleccion de Documentos para la Historia de México, Mexico, 1858, i, pp. 421- 426. Both documents were printed in full, from the present MS., in reverse order, by the donor, G. R. C. Conway, in La Noche Triste Mexico, 1943. Paper; ff. 39. Folio. A.D. 1520. In 1926 the MS. was in the archive of the Marquesado del Valle (Hospital de Jesús), Mexico, and by 1927 was acquired by the donor from Prince Antonio Pignatelli, Marqués del Valle. Bound by Zaehnsdorf for the donor in 1927. Presented by George Robert Graham Conway, Esq.