inn on the road.  The litter and everything were ready.  The weather became so violent that it appeared impossible to every one to start when it was getting so bad, and that it was better for so well-known a person as myself to take care of myself and try to regain my health rather than place myself in danger.  I told you in those letters what I now say, that you decided well in remaining there (at such a time), and that it was right to commence occupying yourself with our affairs; and reason strongly urges this.  It appears to me that a good copy should be made of the chapter of that letter which their Highnesses wrote me where they say they will fulfil their promises to me and will place you in possession of everything:  and that this copy should be given to them with another writing telling of my sickness, and that it is now impossible for me to go and kiss their Royal feet and hands, and that the Indies are being lost, and are on fire in a thousand places, and that I have received nothing, and am receiving nothing, from the revenues derived from them, and that no one dares to accept or demand anything there for me, and I am living upon borrowed funds.  I spent the money which I got there in bringing those people who went with me back to their homes, for it would be a great burden upon my conscience to have left them there and to have abandoned them.  This must be made known to the Lord Bishop of Palencia, in whose favour I have so much confidence, and also to the Lord Chamberlain.  I believed that Carbajal and Jeronimo would be there at such a time.  Our Lord is there, and He will order everything as He knows it to be best for us.

“Carbajal reached here yesterday.  I wished to send him immediately with this same order, but he excused himself profusely, saying that his wife was at the point of death.  I shall see that he goes, because he knows a great deal about these affairs.  I will also endeavour to have your brother and your uncle go to kiss the hands of Their Highnesses, and give them an account of the voyage if my letters are not sufficient.  Take good care of your brother.  He has a good disposition, and is no longer a boy.  Ten brothers would not be too many for you.  I never found better friends to right or to left than my brothers.  We must strive to obtain the government of the Indies and then the adjustment of the revenues.  I gave you a memorandum which told you what part of them belongs to me.  What they gave to Carbajal was nothing and has turned to nothing.  Whoever desires to do so takes merchandise there, and so the eighth is nothing, because, without contributing the eighth, I could send to trade there without rendering account or going in company with any one.  I said a great many times in the past that the contribution of the eighth would come to nothing.  The eighth and the rest belongs to me by reason of the concession which their Highnesses made to me, as set forth in the book of my Privileges, and also the third