_How the licentiate commences the investigation against Cortes, and
all those persons who had filled judicial offices; and how he fell
ill shortly after and died._
Ponce de Leon publicly announced that a commission of inquiry would be
set on foot, against Cortes, and against all those who filled military
commands, or held judicial authority. As Cortes had many enemies, and
among them several who had real cause of complaint, various old
grievances were harrowed up, to substantiate which witnesses were
required, and thus it may be imagined the whole city presented one
continued scene of lawsuits. One brought his accusations against our
general respecting his unjust division of the gold; another complained
that, notwithstanding his majesty had particularly ordered Cortes to
give him a fair portion of the Indians, in their distribution, the
latter had neglected to do so, but had bestowed them on persons whose
only merit consisted in their having been servants of Martin Cortes and
of the grandees of Spain. Others again demanded an indemnification for
their horses which had been killed in the several campaigns, for they
did not consider the gold they had received a sufficient compensation
for their losses. Lastly, there were also persons who preferred their
charges against Cortes for injuries which they had suffered by his
orders. These investigations had, however, been scarcely set on foot,
when, to our great misfortune, it pleased the Almighty that the
licentiate Leon should fall ill.
It appears that he had been attending mass in the Franciscan cloister,
on leaving which he was seized with so malignant a fever that he was
obliged to be put to bed immediately, and he became so prostrate in
strength that he lay in a state of unconsciousness for four successive
days. He received every attention from his medical attendants, the
licentiate Pedro Lopez, the Dr. Ojeda, and a third physician, who had
come with him from Spain; but they were of opinion from the very first
moment that his illness was of a dangerous nature, and they advised him
to confess and make the holy communion. For this Leon was quite
prepared, and he received the holy sacrament with the greatest humility,
and then made his last will, in which he appointed the licentiate Marcos
de Aguilar, who had accompanied him from Hispaniola, to succeed him in
the government.
There were many persons who maintained that this Aguilar was not a
licentiate, but that he had only the degree of bachelor; and that,
properly speaking, he was not qualified to fill an appointment of this
nature. Ponce de Leon, however, seems to have been of a different
opinion, and he had his commission drawn out in such a manner that all
the actions and inquiries, including the criminal suits against the
factor and veedor, should remain as they then were, until his majesty
had been informed how far he himself had progressed in these matters;
for which purpose a vessel was immediately to be despatched to Spain.
After he had thus arranged his earthly affairs, and had performed the
last duties for the salvation of his soul, he died on the ninth day
after he had fallen ill, and delivered up his immortal soul into the
hands of his Maker. Great, indeed, was the grief and despondency which
his sudden death occasioned to all the Conquistadores. They mourned his
loss as if he had been their common father, because they were convinced
that it had been his real intention to reward and honour all those who
had proved themselves faithful servants to his majesty; for which
purpose his majesty had given him the necessary powers and instructions.
The Conquistadores, therefore, sincerely lamented the untimely end of
this gentleman; and even Cortes himself and the greater part of the
cavaliers in Mexico put on mourning for him. His interment took place in
the Franciscan cloisters with every pomp and ceremony.
Luis Ponce was very fond of music, and several cavaliers who attended on
him told me that, in the last days of his illness, he desired some one
to play on the guitar at his bedside, in order to cheer him up. In his
last moments even he desired the musician to play a dance, but as he was
not able to move his legs from excessive weakness, he at least
accompanied the movements with his lips, and this he continued to do
until he breathed his last.
The enemies of Cortes and Sandoval, on this occasion, again began to
whisper their calumnies abroad, and asserted that they had poisoned Leon
in the same manner as they had Garay. Loudest among these slanderers was
father Thomas Ortiz, but the latter himself, with several brothers of
his order, died of the same infectious disease a few months after. It
appears that the vessel which brought Leon from Spain was infected with
a kind of pestilential fever; for of above one hundred persons who were
on board, many had died during the passage, and a still greater number
perished of the same disorder soon after their arrival in Medellin. Most
of the monks, likewise, fell victims to this disorder; and it was even
said that the disease had spread to Mexico.