chief favourite, to torture, in order to extort from them a discovery of the royal treasures, which it was supposed they had concealed. Guatimozin bore the refined cruelty of his tormentors with the invincible fortitude of an American warrior. His fellow sufferer, overcome by the violence of the anguish, turned a dejected eye towards his master, which seemed to implore his permission to reveal all that he knew. But the high spirited prince, darting on him a look of authority mingled with scorn, checked his weakness, by asking, "Am I now reposing on a bed of flowers?" Overawed by the reproach, he persevered in his dutiful silence, and expired. Cortes, ashamed of a scene so horrid, rescued the royal victim from the hands of his torturers. The provinces submitted one after another to the conquerors. Cortes now employed himself in securing his new conquests; but in the mean time the complaints made against him at the court of Spain, produced a commission to Christoval de Tapia for superseding him in the command, and even seizing his person and sequestrating his property. But this, by his policy and influence, he was enabled to elude; and, by a new application to the Spanish court, enforced by the splendour of his success, he obtained from the emperor Charles V. the appointment of captain general and governor of New Spain, as he entertained enlarged ideas of the advantages to be derived from these acquisitions, he began to rebuild Mexico upon a magnificent plan, made accurate researches after the mineral treasures of the provinces, and settled his principal officers as colonists in different parts of the country. But these projects all tended to the oppression of the poor natives, who were provoked to insurrections, which only augmented their calamities. They were punished with the greatest severity as rebels by their masters; and on one occasion, Sandoval; a Spanish captain of distinction, after a consultation with Cortes, committed to the flames in one execution 60 caciques and 400 nobles, compelling, their children and relations to be the spectators of the horrid scene. Guatimozin himself, with the two greatest caciques of the empire, on a slight suspicion of conspiracy, were hanged without trial by the order of Cortes; and by these cruelties, the Spanish name, however illustrious for deeds of valour, has been rendered execrable to posterity throughout both worlds. The mind of Cortes was far from losing its vigour in the possession of wealth and dignity. The revolt of one of his officers, Christoval de Olid, settled in a remote district, engaged him in a long expedition, during which he underwent more hardships, and displayed more fortitude and perseverance, than in any other emergency of his life. He was engaged in it, when a new commission arrived from Spain to make a rigorous enquiry into his conduct and designs, which had been represented by his enemies as dangerous to the au

thority of the crown. Indignant at this return for his signal services, he resolved in person to plead his cause before his sovereign; and he arrived in Spain, with a great part of his wealth, in 1528. His appearance dissipated the suspicions raised against him; and Charles decorated him with the order of St. Jago, and the title of marquis, and bestowed on him an ample grant of territory in New Spain. He returned to Mexico in 1530, with increased honours, but with diminished authority. His active disposition engaged him in new schemes; and adopting the notion of Columbus, of a communication between the two seas, he caused various researches to be made along the isthmus of Darien and the coast of Florida for a passage. He also fitted out several small squadrons for voyages of discovery; and being dissatisfied with their success, he himself took the command of an armament, with which he discovered the peninsula of California, and made a survey of great part of the gulf which separates it from New Spain. Were not his name distinguished as a conqueror, these spirited attempts would deservedly have perpetuated it among the class of navigators and discoverers. He returned to Spain in 1540, and had the mortification of being treated with coldness by the emperor, and neglect by his ministers. He consumed his latter years, in irksome and fruitless attendance upon the court, which disregarded his applications; and he died in 1547, at the age of sixty-three. He left an ennobled legitimate posterity, and also illegitimate children by his Indian mistresses, Marina, and a daughter of Montezuma. His actions have been celebrated by various writers, and his name is immortalised in the records of his country.

DON FRANCISCO DE BOVADILLA, or BOBADILLA, a Spaniard, governor-general of the Indies in 1500. His conduct was tyrannical, but when he loaded with irons and sent to Europe, Diego Columbus and his illustrious brother, to whose zeal the discovery of America was due, Ferdinand and Isabella repented their choice. The noble sufferers were heard with distinction, Ovando was sent to supersede Bovadilla, who, however, never reached home, as his fleet was shipwrecked, and with an immense quantity of gold sunk to the bottom, 1502.

MONTEZUMA, or MONTECUMA, was emperor of Mexico, when Cortes invaded that country in 1518, who defeated, loaded him with chains, and obliged him to acknowledge himself in public the vassal of Charles V.; in name of tribute for which homage, Cortes received 600,000 marks of pure gold. Montezuma soon afterwards fell a sacrifice to his submission to the Spaniards. He and Alvaro, the lieutenant of Cortes, were besieged in the palace by 200,000 Mexicans. The emperor proposed to show himself to his subjects, that he might per

suade them to desist from the attack; but the Mexicans no longer considered him in any other light but as the slave of foreign conquerors. In the midst of his speech, he received a blow on the temple with a stone, and the unhappy monarch fell to the ground. He was carried to his mean apartment, and every attention was paid him by Cortes, who perceived how important his life was to his own safety; but the wound had affected his mind as much as his body. He tore away the bandages, refused all nourishment, and in a short time expired, rejecting every solicitation of the Spaniards to embrace the Christian faith. This event took place in the summer of 1520. This unfortunate prince left two sons and three daughters, who embraced the Christian faith. The eldest son obtained from Charles V. lands, revenues, and the title of Count de Montezuma. He died in 1608; and his family is one of the most powerful in Spain.

GUATIMOZIN, the last king of Mexico, was nephew of Montezuma; on the death of whose brother Quetlevaca, in 1520, he was unanimously raised to the throne, as capable, by his courage and abilities, to rescue his country from the evil of the impending second invasion of the Spaniards. He exerted himself with vigour in the defence of his capital, and repulsed an attempt of Cortes to take it by storm. At length he was made prisoner, and brought before Cortes, in whose presence he conducted himself with the calmness and dignity which became a prince, who was conscious of having done all in his power to save his country, and was willing to fall along with it. Cortes, disappointed and mortified by the smallness of the treasures found in the captured city, inhumanly ordered Guatimozin to be put to the torture, in order to force a discovery of more. This unfortunate prince was finally hanged by order of Cortes. See the article Cortes for a full account of Guatimozin.

PORTUGAL.

ALPHONSO V., king of Portugal, surnamed the African, son of king Edward, was born in 1432. Alphonso being only six years of age at his father's death, the States conferred the regency on his uncle Don Pedro, who governed with great reputation, and married his daughter to the young king; nevertheless, on the expiration of his regency, he was put to death as a traitor, with several of his adherents. The king, however, afterwards did justice to his memory. The queen dying in 1455, Alphonso showed his attachment to her, by thenceforth renouncing all connections with the sex. His passion was military glory, which he indulged in a war against the Moors in

Barbary. In 1548, he crossed over into Africa, and took Alcazar; and his expeditions thither continued from time to time with various success till 1470, when he had reduced Arzilla and Tangier. He had an unsuccessful contest with Ferdinand and Isabella of Castile, in support of the claim of his niece Joan to the crown. He took a journey to France, in order to engage the assistance of Lewis XI.; and on discovering how much he had been duped by the empty promises of that faithless king, he was so affected, that he determined on resigning his crown, and making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He proceeded so far as to direct his son Don Juan to proclaim himself king, and his subjects to regard him as their sovereign. He was, however, prevailed upon to return home, when his son, who had ruled with great ability in his absence, reinstated him on the throne. But he had acquired a melancholy of which he could not divest himself, and which confirmed him in his resolution of retiring to a monastery; and he was on his way to put this into execution, when he was seized at Cintra with the plague, of which he died in 1481, in the 49th year of his age, and 43rd of his reign. He was greatly beloved for his benignity and affability of temper, and his bounty and charitableness, which he particularly displayed in the ransom of prisoners, so as to acquire the popular title of the redeemer of captives. He was likewise singularly temperate and fond of letters, and was the first king who formed a library in his palace. Guinea was discovered in his reign, under the auspices of his uncle, the celebrated Don Henry; and a very lucrative trade was established by the Portuguese to that country, which he vindicated against the claims and attempts of the Spaniards.

JOHN II., king of Portugal, son of Alphonso V., was born in 1455. During the absence of his father in France, in 1476, he acted as regent with great ability; and by his father's direction, who in a fit of chagrin had resolved to enter into a monastrey, caused himself to be declared king. But Alphonso returning, resumed the government, and held it till his death, in 1481. John, upon his accession, displayed that character of strictness which ever distinguished him. He performed with great punctuality all the injunctions of his father's will; but when a person presented to him a paper with a promise, signed by himself, of making him a count when he should become a king, John tore it, and said to the man, "I shall forget there was such a paper." He added, "That they who corrupted young princes, for the sake of future favours, by becoming the ministers of their pleasures might think themselves sufficiently rewarded if they escaped unpunished." Finding that the administration of justice was become shamefully corrupt, he appointed a commission to reform it and personally watched over the conduct of the judges. To one whom he knew to be a man of abilities, though tainted with

the prevalent vices, he said, "Take care, friend! I hear you keep your hands open, and your door shut;" and this timely warning sufficed for his reformation.

In all the countries of Europe at this time, the feudal aristocracy was perpetually contesting with the monarchy, and claiming privileges and exemptions inconsistent with regular government. The Portuguese nobles, alarmed with the prospect of a severe reign, began to cabal, and their chief, the powerful duke of Braganza, applied for support to Ferdinand, king of Castile and Arragon. His practices were discovered, and John pardoned him for the past, as a warning for the future; but being detected in fresh intrigues of the same kind, he caused him to be arrested, brought to a public trial, and, upon conviction, executed as a traitor. This stroke of authority, while it inspired terror into the body of the nobles, was probably the occasion of the conspiracy against the king's life, headed by the young duke of Visco, brother to the queen. The king, on being informed of it, sent for the duke to court, and taking him aside, charged him with his treasonable purpose. What passed between them is not well known; but the result was, that the king drew a dagger, and laid the duke dead at his feet. The other conspirators were seized, and several were executed, while some went into voluntary exile. John, willing to show that he was not unnecessarily severe, restored the forfeited estates of the duke of Visco, to his brother, whom he made grand-master of the order of Christ, and constable.

John patronized commerce, particularly that opened to the Portuguese by their settlements on the coast of Guinea. Conceiving this to be a kind of state mystery, he was extremely anxious to keep it from the knowledge of other nations, and promoted the most exaggerated ideas of the danger attending maritime expeditions thither. If in this respect his notions were narrow and illiberal, he displayed an enlightened mind on other points. Being told by Cano, the discoverer of Congo, that the natives concealed their gold mines; "Never look for them," said the king," treat the people with justice and humanity, carry them what they want, and you will get their gold without digging for it." He opened the ports of Portugal to foreign nations upon easy duties, and coined a large quantity of specie, to the just weight and fineness of which he was very attentive. He sent two persons to penetrate as far as they could into the east by land, whose reports were of great service towards the discovery of the passage by the Cape of Good Hope; but he had the mortification of reflecting, that by his refusal of the proposals of Columbus, he missed of adding the western world to his dominions. In 1489, a marriage was effected between John's only legitimate son, prince Alphonso, and the infanta Isabella of Castile; but the joy occasioned by this union was interrupt