friendly, or appreciative of their abilities and qualifications,
would help them, nor did it appear that favor would
be extended unjustly. All the more now, when on
every hand is barred any one of this class of persons
who would desire to come; only those come whom some
misdeed or ill-fortune drives into this land, and
those who legally come to trade and live as merchants,
and those whom the royal Audiencia of Mexico sends
by way of condemnation, besides the people for our
defense, and who are levied in companies in the markets
and fairs of that city. And with these people
there would come no noblemen of good parts and honored
character, or many accomplished soldiers with merits
acquired in war, such as the viceroys, governors,
and other officers of this sort who come to serve
your Majesty are accustomed to bring with them—without
any suspicion that they ought not to do so, for the
importance of having such men is already known, and
is all the greater on account of the more occasions
for war and other emergencies. I assure your
Majesty that it is a well-known and evident fact that
there are in this city honored knights and persons
of excellent qualities, merits, and abilities, worthy
of esteem. I assure you that it is also true
that almost all of them came attached to the persons
who filled the said offices, and attracted by their
promises and expectations, whereby this country was
greatly distinguished. This could not have been
said if such persons had not come here, but we would
already be very destitute of nobility without them,
and would even have forgotten the way to carry on
and fulfil their duties.
That the sons and descendants of conquistadors and
original settlers should be preferred to those who
are more recent and have not rendered greater services
is a just and holy thing, especially in the peaceful
countries of the Indias. But if this preeminence
in life and in the favor of your Majesty is granted
to them in consideration of the services which their
ancestors have rendered in their conquests and pacifications,
and on occasions of wars which were there carried on,
it also appears just that present services which are
being rendered in this land on occasions of war here
and upon these seas, ought not to take their position
behind those of the ancestors. For it is certain
that the services of today are more important, on account
of the greater need which there is for them, and because
the creole sons and descendants of conquistadors or
colonists claim the favors entirely in consideration
of this (although there are not many who show their
deserts by continuing their services), going so far
as to demand that those who served Terrenate should
have no recognition in granting the favors and encomiendas
of this country, as if there were anything to provide
them with in those islands. I beseech your Majesty
to command that your royal will be declared in this
matter—although, for my part, I have understood
that it is those whose services are the greater, whether
in the present or the past, who should have the first
or greater reward, considering the quality of those
services, the rank of the persons, and their abilities
and character.