THE CONQUEST OF NEW SPAIN.
The Conquest of New Spain. By Bernal Diaz del Castillo. Translated by A. P. Mandalay, M.A. Vol. U. (Haklnyt Society.) —This narrative includes the march to Mexico, the stay in the city, the conflict with Narvaez, the Mexican insurrection with the death of Montezuma, and the retreat. The historical matter con- tained has long since become public property. Diaz, we see, tells a very doubtful story about the death of Montezuma, that ho was wounded by a shower of stones thrown by his own people, and died of the injuries. He is very scornful about " Alvarado's Leap,"—evidently Alvarado was not a favourite with his comrades. He betrays dissatisfaction at the distribution of the spoils of the conquest. Cortes, he evidently thinks, took too much ; but when was a soldier satisfied in such distributions ? The pictures of Court life are carious. It was costly and luxurious to a high degree; the rulers exercised their power with as little concern for the ruled as has ever been seen.
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