Five Letters 1519-1526

First published in 1928.

'These letters, well edited tell of a great conqueror, fighting for God and his king, and reveal the might proportions of the truly Elizabethan character that was Hernando Cort�s.' Times Literary Supplement.

Cort�s's letters to the Emperor from Mexico are half-letters, half-despatches. The letters were all written between 1519 and 1526.

Letter One: Despite the original never having been recovered, there is little doubt about the contents of this letter. The earliest discoveries of the mainland from 1517 onwards are outlined.

Letter Two: Arguably the most dramatic of the five, this letter opens with the advance into the heart of the hostile country and the capture of the monarch.

Letter Three: This letter covers the advance of Cort�s into Culua, the assault on the capital itself and the various enterprises undertaken by the Conqueror to extend his power throughout Mexico.

Letter Four: This letter is mainly concerned with organizational affairs, with the visit of Garay, causing rebellion in P�nuco, and concluding with the Frenchman's death, being the most important incident.

Letter Five: Beginning with the start of the expedition to Honduras, and chronicling the trials and tribulations of the daring journey, this letter ends with an account of Cort�s' triumphant return to the post of Governor after several years' absence.