835 / 1060
BooK
V.
Royal
Comnientaries.
CH
AP.
How the
Prefident
and his
Army
received
the
i/J
nerrs
of the
VifJory of
Pi~arro
;
and
what
1Jeiv
Ordeis
he
112ade.
H
ow
vain and
!bore
are the
pr.
ofperitieS and fticcefies of this
life may
appear
by what happened in the Valley of
Saufa,
where we lefr
~he Pre(id~nt a~d
his Army full of joy and contentment upon the good news which
Francifco Vojfo
lcttely brought concerning the flourifbing condition of
Centeno's
Army, \
'h1ch vyas
much fuperiour
to
Pipirro's
both in Men, Arms and Horfe.
In
confidence of
which the Prefident, and thofe who were of his Council, refolved
to
raife
no
more men but to disband the Army which they had already formed, and difmifs .
the Souldlers who were come from fuch dHl:ant Countries and Provinces ; for that
it
feemed an unneceffiiry and
fruitlefs
expence to keep fo many men in pay in
e~peetacion of an Enemy already
p
fumed robe overcome and defeated. And this
courfe
was
fo
far refolved, that as
Augujlinc
Carate
faith in the fourth Chapter of
his feventh Book) the Army
was
jufi:
upon the pomt of being disbanded;
the
which
he
exprelfes in thefe words : Ac this time came intelligence to the Preli–
dent of
the Defeat
given to
Diego
Centeno,
which he took much to heart, though
he expreffed not
Co
much publickly;> but feemed to carry
it
out\~
ardly without
much concernment:
all
which happened fo contrary to the common expectation
of the Army, that many of the Officers were of opinion, that the Prefident
had
no need to raife an Army,
for
that
Diego Centeno
had a fufficient
force
to
overthrow
Pif_arro,
&c.
Thus far
Carate.
But as it was the good fortune of the Prefident,
fo
it was the misfortune of his
Enemies that this determination was not put in execution ;
nor
was it
fo
much
as
known that this matter was ever deliberated or defigned to
be
made publick ;
for
if the Army had been disbanded;>
it
had certainly been very difficult co have rai–
fed another of the like nature, or
fo
well provided with /Men and Ammunition
as
this was. As matters were in this agitation the BHhop of
Coz...co
arrived at
Sau–
fa,
with the
ill
news of the Rout and Defeat of
Diego Centeno,
ofall which he having
been
an
eye~witnefs
was bell able
tQ
give
a
relation. The Prefident, and ocher
Inhabitant
of
that Countrey, who had Baronies and commands over the
Indians,
were greatly furprifed and troubled
at
the news; finding that the heat ofWar,
which they confidered lately
as
extinguifbed,
was
now again inflamed, with fuch
advantage
to
the Enemy, that their caufe feemed almofi: defperate, and the Rebels
in a fiate not to be reduced. Howfoever the Captains and Souldiers, who live by
War,
were not in the leaO: difturbed at this news; for War is their livelihood
and.trade, from whence they derive their Ho.nours and Efiates, and efpecially
in
the Empire of
Peru,
where the reward ofSouldiers and Adventurers
is
Command,
and divilion of Lands, and a Barony over
Indians.
The Prefident being defirous
to
hol:i up the hearts of his people, which he found drooping, put the bell coun–
tenance he could upon the matter, and made them
a
(bore Speech in chis manner:
That Succeffes of this nature .were ufual and common over all the world, and were
incident to War; and that thefe things were intended
fqr
the good of God's
P~ople,
who were to give thanks to his Divine Majefi:y
for
having gr nted
to
P:9arro
a Victory, witn intent to bring greater mifchiefs on his head, an
that ha–
vmg filled up the meafure of his iniquity, his ruine and downfall would be the
greate~.. A~d
to obtain this great bleffmg, he advifed every Officer to lie vigilanr
and
~ihgent i~
his fiation, and to order and difpofe all things in fuch a method and
readmefs as might enable them to contend
with
fuch
an
Enemy. He added
far–
ther;> t_hanhere was no need for him to move and incite Cavaliers fo well experi–
enced
m War
as they_were
to
attions of bravery and to martial
exploi~;
for
that
he was
to
follow their example, and take their counfel and advice in matters of
greatefi importance
:
In
fine,
he
told them,
that
he was
well
affured
that they
would direct
~very
thing in the beft manne to the Service of his Majefiy, who
would gratifie their fidelity
with
rewards agreeable
to
their merits, and
make them
Lords of
that
whole Empire.
Lilli
z
Having
811