4000003870

990

Royal

Commentaries.

BOOK

VIII.

Wives, under the notion of

mode.ft

and virtuous Ladies., though many of them

re known to be common S

trumpet

For which reafon moft of the Preten–

ders refufing their Society, gave occafion to malicious men, who were defi–

rous to make troubles ., to incenfe the Vice-King

again.ft

thefe Pretenders who

were men of greater merit than themfelves., infi

nuating

that they refufed thofe

Wives only out of obftinacy., and averfion to the Commands of Authority.

And hereupon this Author faith, That the

Vice~King

did look on thefe men, as

diffatisfied ; and believing, as was reported to him, that they let fall many

angry words tending to Sedition, he gave orders to apprehend feveral of them ;

and under a il:rong Guard fent them to the Port, and

Callao

Lima,

in order to

tranfport them to

Spain,

giving out, that

was to have fome perfons of me–

rit more amply rewarded

his Majefiy in

Spain,

than could be done in

Peru·

and

that

others of them, who had been infolent and dariag, might be

puni!bed

Bani!hment, rather than rewarded,

e'!rc.

The perfons taken, and font

away,

were thirty feven, all men eminently

known and fignalized for their loyalty and Service to his Majefl:y; one

which was

Gonpalo Silveffre.,

whofe Labours and Hazards are at large recorded

in our Hiftory of

Florida ;

and in this

al.fo

he is not mentioned without regard

to his Honour and R eputatioJJ.

Par

ticul

arly we have fignifi ed, how that at

the Battel of

Chuquinca

he had a Horfe killed under him, which fome

few

days

before be had bought of

Martin de

Robles

for

twelve thoufand Ducats.

the

fame degree and merit were feveral others in this Kingdom, of which I

wifh

had a particular lift. And though

Palentino

faith, that feveral of thefi Pre–

tenders were banilhed., I muft crave leave to

difient

from him, and

fa ,

That

none of them were banilhed for any Crime or Mifdemeanour, for all of them

were men of merit and dcfert. And as to what he

f~tther

faith; that fome per–

fons would have perfwaded the Vice-king to have font the Informations, and

Accufations again

tbefe men, together

with

their perfons into

Spam,

and that

he refufed

to do, faying, That he would rather be an Interce.tfor for them with

his Majefty, than their Accufer,

&c.

The truth of which matter was this . There

were not wanting Whifperers, who infinuated to the Vice-King jealoufies and

fears of Mutinies and Seditions amongft the Souldiers; who having for a long

time ferved the King at their own coft and charge, complained of'

t~ir

hard

ufage and ill tre-atment, and therefore ·advifed to have them banifhed : but otb rs

diffwaded this courfe as unjuft, and looking like Cruelty,

have men punifhed,

who deferved Rewards. That the

banilhment

out

Peru

into

Spain,

was worfe

than death to men, who were poor, and had confumed their

ates and Sub–

ftance in the fervice of his Majefty. Moreover, they added, That

became not

the

Quality

nor Office of a Vice- King to lend fuch men into

Spam with

their

Mouths foll of complaints, to which no doubt but his Majefty would lend an Ear

and give Credit; efpecially fince nothing could be objeeted againft them of

Crime or Mifdemeanour., and

that

in behalf of themfelves they were able to

make

a large relation of their Services and Sufferings for his Maje.fry, having

wafted

their Lives, and confumed their Efl:ates for the intereft of the Crown:

in proof and evidence of which they had their wounds, and th ir macerated

bodies to fhew, and plead for them before his

Majefry.

Howfoever thefe confi–

derations prevailed not fo much with the

Vice-

King., as a courfe of greater fe–

verity; for being made angry., and provoked by the evil fuggefl:ions of thofe

men., who pretended to difcover fecret Cabals and Confpiracies

among.ft

them.,

he refolved to fend.them

away~

as the beft expedient to fecure t

he Peace

of the

Empire ; and

that

what they could

fay

Spain,

or what they could

do,

their return from thence to

Peru.,

he little regarded : for in going to

Spain,

he,

they mu

pend a year., and in

their

Negotiations and Solicitations

there, another would pafs; and a third in their Voyage back: and when they

bring Letters and Orders in their own favour;

is then but killing them and

layin.g. them on

Head, and faying,

obey

;

and at the end tell them, That

the Krng hath no Money nor Means wherewith to reward them : and then

after they return back again with the tame complaints to the King, and

have traced the fame circle of bofinefs as before, they

will

then be, but where

they were before, only three years more

wiil

have paffed over their Heads,

which in aU

will

make up fix, and

that time, none but God knows what

will

become of us. With fuch thoughts as thefe, the

Pret~nders

were difpeeded

into

•I