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Royal
Commentarie1.
BooK
I.
CH AP.
IX.
Pi~arro
is forfak._en
by
all his
Sou/Jiers, onely
thirteen
Coni–
panions
reniain
with him.
. "11T
THen
Almagro
returned
to
Panttma,
it
was then
about
a
year fince
this
ED·
V_V
terprife was
firft
begun, at which time he found a new Governour,
called
Pedro de
/01 RJ01,
a
Gentleman of
Cordova,
who having received and perufed
the Peti–
tion of the Souldiers, he fent
a
certain Judge, called
T
ajHr,
to the
Cock
lfland,
with
Commiffion to free
all
fuch
as
!hould be defrrous
to
return unto
Panama.
This
Report being rumoured abroad, fuch
as
before had engaged themfelves to go with
Almagro,
began co withdraw them(elves, faying, that fince thofe who were
alrea–
dy on the place, were w€ary of their Employment, and defirous to return
home,
it would be to little purpofe
for
them to take up the Cudgels which the others
had laid down; the which misfo_rtune
Almagro
greatly lamented, having loll:
all
his hopes
s
and
Pifarro,
when he found himfelf abandoned , and forfaken of
all
his
Men, without regard to that Faith and Engagement of
Articles
by
which
they
had affOciared themfelves with him, he remained perplexed, and dillraeted
with
great confufion of Mind; at length plucking up his courage, that he might
di–
fiinguifh whp were
for him,
and who were againft
him;
he laid
his
hand
upon
his Sword, and drew it, and with the point thereof he drew
a
Line on
the
ground,
towards
Peru,
and turning to
his
Men, faid
to
them:
" Fellow Souldiers, This Line figriifies
the
Labours, Hunger, Thidl:, Weari–
cc
nefs, Wounds, Sickneffes, and all other Dangers and
Hazards
which are
to
be
" fufraine.d to procure .this great Conqueft, even to the lofs perhaps of Life ir–
e,
felf: Whofoever finds himfelfendued with Courage fufficient
to
undergo
this
~'
great Trial, and whofe
Heroick
Soul
is
capable of the generous Thoughts
of
'c
this Noble Conqaefi:, let him,
in
token, and
for
evidence
of
his brave
Spirit,
cc
pafs
on the other fide of this
Line,
which
fhall
ferve
for
a TeiHmony between
'' me and them of their Faith and Refolution; and let
fuch as
find in themfelves
" a
Cowardly Spirit, and
a
Soul too mean
for
fo fublime an Aetion,
let them
'' rernm to
Panama;
for
my
part
1
I
will force no Man, being refolved to
remain
u
here my felf with thofe few
cnar
will be
.my
Companions, not _doubting
but
cc
that
God, for the Glory and Honour of
his
moft holy Name,
w1U
fo
a1Iift
us
" with his Divine Providence, that we
fhall
find no want of thofe who
out of
'' Fear and Cowardife forfake
us.
The
Spaniards
having heard the conclufion of this Speech, immediately
hafi.edaboard with all fpeed imaginable, left any unlucky accident fhould prevent
theirreturn to
Panama
;
for as
tfie
difficulty and
fear
of Labour
is
always more
prevalent
in mean and poor Spirits, than the thoughts of Honour, or hopes of
Riches,
fo
thefe vile and abjett Souls forfook their generous
Captain,
who would have con–
dueted them to the height
of
eternal Fame, t-0 return ignomiflioufly with
rheir
Judge. Howfoever thirteen remained for Companions with
Pif arro,
who could
not be corrupted or difcouraged
by
the
ill
examples of the Fugitives, but
rather
having
their
Hearts and Spirits more enflarned
with
Difdain againfr the cowardly
and
bafe,
they
courageoufiy
paifed
the Line which
Pif arro
had drawn with
.his
Sword, and there renewed their Vows and Protefiations, of Confiancy and
Faith,
proinifing to live and dye with thetr Captain and generous Leader.
Pifdrro
having returned them Thanks, and prornifed them the
Prizes
and
Re~
wardS of their Conquefis, they paifed over
in a Boat
to
another H1and, called
the
Gergon1t,
where they endured great "'ant of
all
Provifions, living
for
feveral
monr~
and days on no other fufl:enance than with Sea-weeds, and great
Serpents, an.
other creeping Creatures , of which
that
liland yields great abundance; and
is
iferably
infefted
with
Rains , and fubjeet
to terrible
Lightnings
and
Thunde_r;
10