867 / 1060
Boox:
V.
Royal
Commentaries.
XLI..
Of
the
Cloaths which
Francifco
de Carvajal
wore,
and of
_
fome of his quaint Sentences and Sayings.
F
RAncifco
de
C;1rvllj11l
did
much va!ue himfelf on the trade
~d
formalities of
a
Sowdier ; he commonly wore, mfl:ead ofa eloak, a Moordh
Bornoz..
or Plad
of a brown Colour, with a Fringe and a Cape to
it;
in
which habit I have of–
ten feen
him.
On his Head he wore a Hat, having the brims lined with black
Taffacy,
and a plain Silk Hatband, with a plume
of
white and black Feathers ta-
:
ken from theWings and Tails of common Cocks or Hens, twined one within the
other ·in form of an X, the which piece ofgallantry he affeeted, that
his
Souldiers
/
might
follow
his
example, and wear any Feathers whatfoever; for be
would
often
fay, that Feathers wete the proper badge of a Souldier and not of a Citizen, for
that which was
the drefs ofone
was a
fign of fantafiical lightnefs in the other : and
that he
ch.atwore this Device did thereby promife great
valour
and bravery; that
is,
That
he
would fight with one jingly and kjll him,
ftay
for two, and not
fly
from three:
and though this was not
Carvajats
faying, but an
old
Proverb amongll: the
Souldiery relating to their Feathers, yet he was a man who, on all occafions, ut-
tered many quaint Sayings and Sentences full of wit and pleafantnefs : I wilh I
could remember them
all
for divertifement of the Reader, but
fud1
as I can call to
mind, and are modefl: and civil, I {hall repeat; for he ufed much liberty in his
fpeecb,
and fome undecencies which are not fit
to
be
mentioned.
CttT7Jajal
meeting
upon
a
certain
time
with
a
Souldier who was crooked
in
his
Body, and very illlhaped, asked him,
Sir,
What is your name?
to
which he made
arill
er, that
it
was
Hurtado,
which is as much as a thing fl:oln.
I
for
my
part,
faid
Carvajal,
fhould
be
troubled to find
you,
much more to
ff
ea/.
Carvajal
march–
ing
one
day with
his Troops, {:hanced to meet
with
a Friar, who was a Lay-bro–
ther,
and as there were no Lay-Friars at that time in the Countrey, and I know
not whether any of them are come thither fince, he fufpeeted that he was a Spie,
anc.I would
have hanged
him ;
but to be the better
affured
thereof, he invited liim
to dinner; and theq to make an experiment whether he was a Friar or not, he or-
. dered his Servants to give him drink in a Cup fomething bigger than ordinary, to
try
if he took
it
with
both hands, or with one; and
feeing
that he took it
with
"?
both hands, he became affured that he was a Friar, and fo called to him,
Drink..
it
up,
Father,
drink._
it
up, for
it
will give you life:
meaning that
if
he had not drank
it
in
chat
manner he fhould have been confirmed
in
his fuppofition, and would mofi:
certainly have hanged him.
Carvaj/,f,l
having one of his grearefi enemies in his power, and intending to hang
him ; the Prifoner asked him in a kind of mena ing. way what reafon he had co
put him to death, and faid, Sir, Pray tell me
~lainly
what reafon
you
have to
kill
me?
Oh,
faid
Carvajal,
1
underftand you
well.,
you
are
dejirou1
to
he
cfteemed
a
Martyr, and
lay
your
death
at
my
door :
J(11ow
then
that
1
hang you for heing a loyal Ser-
-
vant to his Maj efty; go )'our way.r then, and
ta~e
your
reward
for
your
faithfulnefl and al–
legiance,
and with
that he
fent him
to
the
Gallow!.
Carvajal
travelling in
Collao
met with a Merchant who had employed about four–
teen or fifteen thoufand pieces of Eight in Merchandife, which he had brought
from
Spain
to
Panama,
and faid to him,
Brother,
according
to the
cuftome
of
War,
all
thefe goods
belong
proper!J to
me.
The
Merchant, who was
a
cunning fellow,
fitted
and
ready
for fuch
replies
as fuited
befi: with Souldiers and his humour, anfivered
him chearfolly! Sir,
Whether War or
Peace
chis
Merchandife is yours, for we are
Partners, and m the name of both of us I traded at
Pana11Ja,
and intended to have
-Oivided the gains between us ; and in token thereof I have brought with me from
Panama
two Barrels of red Wine, and two dozen of Iron Shoes and Nails for
your Mules ; for in thofe times (as we have before mentioned ) 'every Slioe for
Ho_rfe or Mule was worth a Mark in Silver; which having faid, he fent for the
W me and Horfe-iboes, and in the mean time produced the Writing of Partne,r!hip
between them.
Carvajal
received the Wine and the Horfe.£hoes
very 'kindly,
ana
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