437 / 1060
·,
Royal
~Ommentaries.
I
•
-·
I
.
Of the three
Spaniards
of Noble
0f:ality,
who
undertoo~
the
Conquefl of
Peru.
)
·1·
N
the yth Book of the
firfi
part
of
tbefe
our
Royal Commentaries,
we
have fhewed how
the
refolute
Atahualpa
pleafed hirnfelfwith the thoughts
of having by
Tyranny
and Cruelty fecured to himfelf the Empire, little
dreaming that a firange and an unknown Nation (who were the
Spani-
.
ards)
fhould
in
the moft
calm
and profperous time of his Enjoyments
knock at
his
Gate, and by the fame methods of cruelty call: him from
his
Throne, and deprive
him
of
his
Life and Empire. That we may profecute
this Hill:oiy with die moft even thread ; it is neceffary for us to look fome years
back, and take our matters from their full: fource and beginning.
The
Spaniards
therefore, after they had difcovered this new World, were
fl:ill
defirous more and more of new and farther difcoveries, and though the Countries
they bad already poifeffed
were
rich and profperous, yet not being contented with
their prefent Enjoyments, nor wearied with their Labours, and Travails, nor
dif–
couraged with the fufferings of Hunger, Dangers, Wounds, Sickneffes, nor with
the bad
Days,
and worfe Nights, which they had endured both by
Sea
and Land
yet
frill
thirfl:ing after new Conquefis, and great Enterprifes, they arrived at;
length to that pitch of greatnefs, which hath for ever eternized their Fame and
Memory. For
fo
it happened in the Conquell: of
Pera,
That
Francu
Pifarro,
a
Native of
Truxillo,
living at
Panama,
one of a Noble Family, and
Diego de Alma•
gro,
a Native of
Malaga,
or (as
Carate
\\
1
ill
have
it)
of the Town of
Almagro,
which is mofi: probable,
a
Perfon (as
we
may believe) of like noble ExtraCtion;
for
though
his
Family be unknown, yet if we may know the Tree
by
its
Fruit,
the greatnefs ofhis Aetions, and the glory of his Enterprifes have rendred his Birth
and
Family
illufirious. They were both indeed rich and famous,
for
the brave–
ry
of their
pall:
aetions, efpecially
Pifarro,
who had been
a
Captain, and
in
the
Year
1
5
1 2.
had been Lieutenant Governour of the City of
Vrava,
of which he
was afterward5 made Lieutenant
eneral
by
the Governour
Alon(on
Hojeda,
having
been the
firfi
Spanifh
Captain whicl entred that Province, where he perforrnea
many brave Aetions, labouring under many Difficulties, and Dangers
1
which
Pedro de
Cie~a
Cornpendioufiy relates
in
thefe Words :
'' After (fays
he)
th
t
::
~his
had
nappe~ed,
the Governour
Hqjeda
_planted
a
new Colony of
C~rilt!ans
m that
part
which
they
call
Vr11'&la,
of whICh
he
made
Francis
Pi~drro
his
L1eue.
h h
enans