Degradation - 4

Degradation   - 4

"A certain Adrian about this time endeavoured to rise in rebellion again, as he had done

previously, but our Lord did not permit his evil purpose to succeed. I had purposed in

myself never to touch a hair of anybody's head, but I lament to say that with this man,

owing to his ingratitude, it was not possible to keep that resolve as I had intended: I

should not have done less to my brother, if he had sought to kill me, and steal the

dominion which my King and Queen had given me in trust.

"This Adrian, as it appears, had sent Don Ferdinand to Xaragua to collect some of his

followers, and there a dispute arose with the Alcalde from which a deadly contest ensued,

and he [Adrian] did not effect his purpose. The Alcalde seized him and a part of his band,

and the fact was that he would have executed them if I had not prevented it; they were

kept prisoners awaiting a caravel in which they might depart. The news of Hojeda which

I told them made them lose the hope that he would now come again.

"For six months I had been prepared to return to their Highnesses with the good news of

the gold, and to escape from governing a dissolute people Who fear neither God nor their

King and Queen, being full of vices and wickedness.

"I could have paid the people in full with six hundred thousand, and for this purpose I had

four millions of tenths and somewhat more, besides the third of the gold.

"Before my departure I many times begged their Highnesses to send there, at my

expense, some one to take charge of the administration of justice; and after finding the

Alcalde in arms I renewed my supplications to have either some troops or at least some

servant of theirs with letters patent; for my reputation is such that even if I build churches

and hospitals, they will always be called dens of thieves.

"They did indeed make provision at last, but it was the very contrary of what the matter

demanded: it may be successful, since it was according to their good pleasure.

"I was there for two years without being able to gain a decree of favour for myself or for

those who went there, yet this man brought a coffer full: whether they will all redound to

their [Highnesses] service, God knows. Indeed, to begin with, there are exemptions for

twenty years, which is a man's lifetime; and gold is collected to such an extent that there

was one person who became worth five marks in four hours; whereof I will speak more

fully later on.

"If it would please their Highnesses to remove the grounds of a common saying of those

who know my labours, that the calumny of the people has done me more harm than much

service and the maintenance of their [Highnesses] property and dominion has done me

good, it would be a charity, and I should be re-established in my honour, and it would be

talked about all over the world: for the undertaking is of such a nature that it must daily

become more famous and in higher esteem.

"When the Commander Bobadilla came to Santo Domingo, I was at La Vega, and the

Adelantado at Xaragua, where that Adrian had made a stand, but then all was quiet, and

the land rich and all men at peace. On the second day after his arrival, he created himself

Governor, and appointed officers and made executions, and proclaimed immunities of

gold and tenths and in general of everything else for twenty years, which is a man's

lifetime, and that he came to pay everybody in full up to that day, even though they had

not rendered service; and he publicly gave notice that, as for me, he had charge to send

me in irons, and my brothers likewise, as he has done, and that I should nevermore return

thither, nor any other of my family: alleging a thousand disgraceful and discourteous

things about me. All this took place on the second day after his arrival, as I have said, and

while I was absent at a distance, without my knowing either of him or of his arrival.

"Some letters of their Highnesses signed in blank, of which he brought a number, he

filled up and sent to the Alcalde and to his company with favours and commendations: to

me he never sent either letter or messenger, nor has he done so to this day. Imagine what

any one holding my office would think when one who endeavoured to rob their

Highnesses, and who has done so much evil and mischief, is honoured and favoured,

while he who maintained it at such risks is degraded.

"When I heard this I thought that this affair would be like that of Hojeda or one of the

others, but I restrained myself when I learnt for certain from the friars that their

Highnesses had sent him. I wrote to him that his arrival was welcome, and that I was

prepared to go to the Court and had sold all I possessed by auction; and that with respect

to the immunities he should not be hasty, for both that matter and the government I would

hand over to him immediately as smooth as my palm. And I wrote to the same effect to

the friars, but neither he nor they gave me any answer. On the contrary, he put himself in

a warlike attitude, and compelled all who went there to take an oath to him as Governor;

and they told me that it was for twenty years.

"Directly I knew of those immunities, I thought that I would repair such a great error and

that he would be pleased, for he gave them without the need or occasion necessary in so

vast a matter: and he gave to vagabond people what would have been excessive for a man

who had brought wife and children. So I announced by word and letters that he could not

use his patents because mine were those in force; and I showed them the immunities

which John Aguado brought.

"All this was done by me in order to gain time, so that their Highnesses might be

informed of the condition of the country, and that they might have an opportunity of

issuing fresh commands as to what would best promote their service in that respect.

"It is useless to publish such immunities in the Indies: to the settlers who have taken up

residence it is a pure gain, for the best lands are given to them, and at a low valuation

they will be worth two-hundred thousand at the end of the four years when the period of

residence is ended, without their digging a spadeful in them. I would not speak thus if the

settlers were married, but there are not six among them all who are not on the look-out to

gather what they can and depart speedily. It would be a good thing if they should go from

Castile, and also if it were known who and what they are, and if the country could be

settled with honest people.