that they should not fear his threats as the greatest service to Your Majesty, and for which they would receive greater favours, was to resent the meddling of the Bishop and of any of his creatures in those parts; because his intention was to conceal the truth from Your Majesty, obtaining favours the while without your knowing what was given in exchange. I had much trouble to pacify them, especially as I was informed — although I dissembled at the time — that some murmured amongst themselves, saying that since thus far they had received nothing but threats in payment for their services they might better form themselves into comunidades[1] as had been done in Castile until Your Majesty should be informed of the truth; for the Bishop had so many fingers in this business and thus prevented their accounts from reaching Your Highness, as he held the office of the Casa de la Contratacion[2] at Seville in his hands, where their messengers were ill-treated, and their letters and monies were seized, and reinforcements, supplies, arms, and provisions were withheld from them. When I spoke to them as I have explained above, and told them that Your Majesty was not in any wise cognisant of this, and they might rest assured that, when Your Highness came
- ↑ Referring to the uprising of the Town Corporations in Spain, provoked by a grant of subsidies which the Cortes held in Galicia made to the king, without having first obtained from him the settlement of long standing grievances which awaited his adjustment. The Corporations were powerful bodies, governed by independent and democratic principles, possessing charters which granted them valuable privileges and immunities which they jealously defended against the Crown, the Church, and the Nobles. They sent representatives to the Cortes and could check the royal power by refusing funds. When, therefore, the Cortes subserviently voted the supplies asked by Charles V., who was in haste to leave for Germany where he had been elected Emperor, the cities revolted. Toledo, setting the example, under the leadership of Juan de Padilla was followed by Burgos, Segovia Zamora, and others, including Valladolid, where the cardinal-regent was then living.
- ↑ Casa de Contratacion, or India house as Prescott aptly translates the name, was created for the administration of affairs in America.
