There was one thing above all, however, that Cortés longed for — a title. Wealth he possessed, and lands he could acquire, but the credential of nobility, to raise him above the rank of adventurer, give him a place in the select circle of the court, and even to admit him into the fellowship of grandees, this the sovereign alone could confer, and charily enough it was dispensed to the man of inferior connection, however great his merits. The emperor understood the longing, and perceiving the necessity for some such recognition of great services, since the grant of estates was really a mere confirmation of what Cortés already possessed, he gave him the title of Marqués del Valle de Oajaca.[1] Henceforth the name of Cortés gave way gradually to the designation Marqués del Valle, Oajaca being rarely used, though the mere term 'the marquis' was his common appellation in New Spain, just as 'the admiral' was set apart for Columbus.[2] The title and authority of captain-general of New Spain and provinces, and coasts of the South Sea, were also conferred on him, with power to appoint and remove lieutenants.[3]
Cortés had evidently expected a dukedom, with a proportionately larger domain, for when the several documents for title and estates were presented, he declined to receive them, declaring the reward unequal
- ↑ This grant is dated July 6th, the 'July 20th,' in Col. Doc. Inéd., i, 105-8, being an error. Yet in a cédula of April 1st he is already called Marqués. Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., xii. 379-80.
- ↑ The grant of marquisates became more common after this, chiefly in connection with services in the Indies. Pizarro received it, and Cobos was made Marqués de Cameraza, shortly after Cortés, There was an evident disinclination to increase the number of dukes, and so this half-way concession was tendered where the merits really deserved a dukedom.
- ↑ This commission is also dated July 6th, but is merely a formal repetition of one issued April 1, 1529, in answer to an appeal for his reinstatement, both as governor and captain-general. He was told that the governorship could not be granted till the residencia reports arrived. Real Cédula and Titulo, in Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., xii. 379-80, 384-6; Panes, Vireyes, in Monumentos Domin. Esp., MS., 71; Col. Doc. Inéd., 1. 103-5.
given in Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., xii. 376-81; Reales Cédulas, MS., i. 48-9. See also Carriedo, Estudios Hist., ii. 7. The grant of the isles is dated 6th of July, that of the lots, July 27, 1529, though Icazbalceta, Col. Doc., ii. 28-9, prints July 23. Among the lands was the Tlaspana, afterward known as Rancho de los Tepetates.
