APPENDIX.
435
an active and intrepid, but selfish, overbearing and perfidious man.
His
administration bears no marks of enlarged and liberal policy ; but is full of traits of arrogance and meanness.
H e opposed the benevolent attempts
of Las Casas to ameliorate the condition of the Indians, and to obtain the abolition of repartimientos ; treating him with personal haughtiness and asperity.*
T h e reason assigned is that Fonseca was enriching himself
by those very abuses, retaining large numbers of the miserable Indians in slavery, to work on his possessions in the colonies. T o show that his character has not been judged with undue severity, it is expedient to point out his invidious and persecuting conduct towards Hernando Cortez.
T h e bishop, while ready to foster rambling adventu足
rers who came forward under his patronage, had never the head or the heart to appreciate the merits of illustrious commanders like Columbus and Cortez. A t a time when disputes arose between Cortez and Diego Velazquez, governor of Cuba, and the latter sought to arrest the conqueror of Mexico in the midst of his brilliant career, Fonseca, with entire disregard of the merits of the case, took a decided part in favor of Velazquez.
Personal
interest was at the bottom of this favor ; for a marriage was negotiating between Velazquez and a sister of the bishop.-j-
Complaints and misrepre足
sentations had been sent to Spain by Velazquez of the conduct of Cortez, who was represented as a lawless and unprincipled adventurer, attempting to usurp absolute authority in N e w Spain.
T h e true services of Cortez
had already excited admiration at court, but such was the influence of Fonseca, that, as in the case of Columbus, he succeeded in prejudicing the mind of the sovereign against one of the most meritorious of his subjects. One Christoval de Tapia, a man destitute of talent or character, but whose greatest recommendation was his having been in the employ of the bishop,! was invested with powers similar to those once given to Bobadilla to the prejudice of Columbus.
H e was to inquire into the conduct of Cortez, and
in case he thought fit, to seize him, sequestrate his property, and supersede him in command.
Not content with the regular official letters furnished to
Tapia, the bishop, shortly after his departure, sent out Juan Bono de Q u e x o with blank letters signed by his own hand, and with others directed to various persons, charging them to admit Tapia for governor, and assuring
* Herrera, decad. ii. lib. ii. cap. 3. t Herrera, Hist. Ind., decad. iii. lib. iv. cap. 3 . X Idem, decad. iii. lib. i. cap. 15.
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