Page:The despatches of Hernando Cortes.djvu/415
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CONQUEST OF MEXICO. 393 and importuned me with great earnestness on the sub- ject, I determined to comply with his wishes, by having drawn up with the consent of both parties and much formality, under oath, certain articles for the conclusion of the marriage, and the performance of the agreements on both sides ; especially providing that your Majesty should be assured of its being done in a loyal manner.* Thus besides the feelings inspired by our old friendship, the connexion entered into by our children gave rise to others, producing a mutual good will and a desire to promote the welfare of one another, and especially of the Adelantado. I have already, most powerful Sire, related to your Catholic Majesty the great exertions made by my alcalde mayor to collect the dispersed people of the Adelantado ; these efforts, however, proved insufficient to remove the disaffection that prevailed amongst them all; for believ- ing that they would be compelled to go with him in obe- dience to the order and proclamation that had been made, they retired into the interior of the country, and dispersed themselves about in different places, in small parties of three or six persons, with such privacy that it was im- possible to discover their retreats or bring them in. This state of things led to difficulties with the Indians of the province ; the sight of the Spaniards scattered in various directions, and the disorders committed by them in seiz- ing the native women and their supplies of food by force, with other outrages and irregularities, caused the
The daughter of Cortes who was married to a son of Garay, was by his first
marriage at Cuba. The second wife of Cortes, to whom he is said to have been privately married, was Dona Marina, his Indian interpreter, but some deny that he was married to her ; his third wife was Dona Juana de Zuniga, daughter of the Count de Aguilar, and niece of the Duke de Bexar. — L.
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