Contreras went to the Viceroy’s lodging, and said: “I cannot believe that your Lordship is ignorant of the alarm caused by your arrival with these new laws, among the Spaniards in this empire of the Indies, from the islands to this part. Even if your ears are deaf to this, as the tumult has not yet ended, you must have heard the clamour that is made over it. Neither I nor those here complain that his Majesty has sent the new laws for, like so very Christian a prince, he desires that affairs here should be ordered with rectitude and moderation. For we hold for certain that his ministers who come to execute laws, zealous for his service, will see that the state of affairs renders it advisable not to enforce them. I regret, therefore, that your Lordship has publicly declared that you will not have landed in New Castille before the new laws are published and enforced. The ordinances which I brought out, not only did I not publish, but I was in the province a year and more and had not promulgated them. Later, when it is clear that the provinces are quieted and that there is no trouble, I shall decide what should be done. For if the ordinances were hastily enforced it might cause great evils. In this country the Spaniards are not of low degree, but all consider themselves great lords of noble parentage, and would be ready to die rather than submit to the new laws, nor would dissensions and wars be wanting, the discontent being so great.” When Contreras said this, the Viceroy replied: “If on all sides the evil is preferred to the good, and tyranny comes before loyalty, and if the King has no more part in these realms than those who are here like to give him, I can believe that what you say is correct. But if you say that his Majesty’s intention is not altered, how is it that they do not wish to comply with the royal order? You know very well the poverty under which our fathers came to discover this empire. It is not so many years since Columbus sailed from Spain, and avarice has grown rapidly among those who have settled here. To gain riches they have done many evil things, almost totally ruining the provinces. If these laws had not been enacted, in ten years there would be nothing left but ruins, and the rivers and mountains. Let no one think that ministers of the King will be guided by the appetites of those here, nor be surprised if I behead them as traitors.” Saying this the Viceroy retired into his chamber: and the Governor Rodrigo de Contreras departed.