have the city's arms placed--as the houses of the cabildo, the prison,
and others built at the expense of the city--I have not allowed
the arms to be placed; for the arms which are now on some cloths
[14] on its cabildo, which are those used at the discovery of this
country, seem to me to have more meaning and to be more pleasing to
the natives of the country than to the Spaniards who settled it. For
they represent a bark or frigate in a river, with a shore lined with
cocoa-palms, which is a fruit of this country. If some memorial of
some king imprisoned, or some notable deed were to be placed on them,
they [the Spaniards] would consider them suitable. But of them, I say,
that should the Indians seek for a coat of arms as a memorial of their
native place and country, they could find none more suitable. Therefore
I believe that the city will adopt with ready compliance such design
as your Majesty may ordain. For this purpose, I have ordered that, on
the façades of the principal gate of this city, and in other places,
where I have had your Majesty's arms placed, collateral stones be
placed for those of the city, as yet left blank, until your Majesty
shall determine what shall be decreed in the matter.

The procession made here on Corpus Christi day, with the assent of the
bishop, passed before his residence; and although but twenty or thirty
paces from the royal buildings, the procession did not go to them,
which they could have done at the cost of so little time and space,
and would not, on that account, have been prevented from returning
to the house of the bishop. Will your Majesty order in this regard
according to your pleasure.

The city is concerned, and I believe I wrote to your Majesty, about
the ten per cent duty imposed in Mexico recently on merchandise from
this country; and although I desire nothing so much as that there be