History of Mexico, Volume 1, 1516-1521Bancroft, Hubert Howe
History
History of Mexico, Volume 1, 1516-1521
Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Mexico -- History
[16] As upon this point, that is to say, the orders and their
fulfilment, turned the destiny, not only of Grijalva, but
of the conquest, there has been much controversy over it.
‘Si Iuan de Grijalua supiera conocer aquella buena vẽtura,
y poblara alli como los de su compañia le rogauan, fuera
otro Cortes, mas no era para el tanto bien, ni lleuaua
comission de poblar.’ _Gomara_, _Hist. Ind._, 57-8. Partisans
of Cortés regard Grijalva with disdain, while no one seems
greatly to care for Velazquez. Bernal Diaz was of opinion
that the matter of founding a colony was left to Grijalva’s
discretion; but Las Casas, who had much better opportunities
for knowing, being intimate with the governor, and at special
pains to ascertain the truth of the matter, states clearly
that Grijalva’s instructions were positive, that he should
not settle but only trade. ‘Bartolome de las Casas, autor
de mucha fe, y que con particular cuydado lo quiso saber, y
era gran amigo, y muy intimo de Diego Velazquez, dize que
fue la instruccion que espressamente no poblasse, sino q̄
solamente rescatasse.’ _Herrera_, dec. ii. lib. iii. cap.
i. So hold Torquemada, Solis, and all careful writers on
the subject.
[17] Or as he calls himself, ‘capellano maggior’ of the
armada. Long before the soldier, Bernal Diaz, published
his ‘True History,’ Juan Diaz had given to the world an
account of the voyage, _Itinerario de la isola de Iuchatan_,
following the _Itinerario de Ludovico de Varthema Bolognese
nella Egitto_, etc., in a volume printed at Venice in 1520.
Juan Diaz disputes the honor with Bartolomé de Olmedo of
having first said mass in the city of Mexico.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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