4000003870

Royal

Co.mmentaries.

BOOK

did ottentimes al>pear to go forth and -skirmifh, and with that occaiion yield-

. ed themG Ives Pnfoners, and called for

arter

the Enemy,

1ing

I fub–

mit

and furrender

felf, together with

Arms : And this

was

the fub–

tle defign of thefe SouJdiers to fave

thernfelve ;

for in cafi

the

King

over–

cam~,

they bad to alledge, That

they

re taken Prifoners

the Rebels .

and

the Rebels were vitloriou--, th

could plead, and

fay,

That they had

revolted to them, and had contributed to the.

fortune

of the Day. The

Ju–

ftices

fuf~~Cting

this piece of policy amoogft the crafty Souldiers, they gave

Orders,

forbidding

all

Skirmiflres

for

the

future,

and all Communications and

Conferences with the Enemy., though on pretence of Kindred,

ndlhip or

Alliance, for that no good effl:!lts did ever refult from Tuch Interviews.

Fran–

ct(co Hernande7v

obferving, that an end was put to the Skirmifhes and

Con

,..c–

rences between the Souldiers ; he gave

Orders

to his Major General, Cap ain

c_fohn de

Pi~drahtta,

to allarm the Kings Camp, think· g ther by to provoke

them to fight; and with eighty

Mafqueteers

to affail them

Night ; and

gave them particularly in charge to

obferve

with what readinefs and vigi–

lance they were. received

th Enemy; and with

fuch AlJarms

they

intend–

ed con.Jbrntly to moleft and di urb them, until in this manner harraffing the

Souldiets

they fhould with watchfolnefs and continual Duty tire them out.,

and

defeat~em.

Ptellrahita

accordingly allarmed the Enemy with his

So11l–

diers as far as

--he-

durfr adventAJre;

but

to little effect ; nor did the Kings For–

ces return any

anfwer,

feeing that all was bnc a Bravade, without

any

real

Defign

engage :. howfoever

Piedrahita

returned

Hernandez.,

boafting much

of the

great

Actions he had done, and how he found the Enemies Camp

without Guards or

Centinels')

and fieeping with fuch

fecurity,

that in

cafe

had had but two lnmdred and

fifty

Mufqueteers

with him, he

1hould

not have

doubted but to have defeated the

Enemy,

and have taken

the

Juftices and all

their Captains Prifoners.

Befides which he vapoured, and told

many

oth(i('

Stories

of the

nature, as is the cuftom of Bravadoes, who talk

than

they

do.; and though.

Piedrahita

was an eminent Captain in this Rebellion,

and had been

fuccefsful

many

Encounters;

yet

this

!aft

he did

.no–

thing more

than

what we ·

have mentioned,

and

talked

more than what he

had

aded.

Francifco Hernantiez.i

founding

himfelf much upon the Reports

be had received

from his

Major General,

conceiving them all to be true, and alfo upon the

Informations

which were given him

certain Souldiers, who were revolted

om th

Kin,;s

party

unto his, did really believe that the

Kings

Camp was

gre.at

want of Powder, Match, and all forts of Ammunitions: ·n confidence

whic

h, he

r~folved

one of thofe Nights to attack the Enemy, feeing that

they defigoed not to affault him within his Fortifications; which he

interpre–

ted to be.

fuch

a piece of Cowardife and. lownefs of Spirit in the

Enemy.,

that

he efteemed them already his own, and conquered

him. Hereupon he ca1 -

ed hi

Captains

to a Council of War,

la ying before

them the ftate

the E–

mies

Camp,

with the

Circumfrances

it,

aod hi Opinion

to attack

them,

defiring their Coo cu rence with him ;

alluring

them of Vietor , not

only

be-

aufe

tl1e

.nemy was weak and difcouraged, but alfo from certain Predicti–

on which Wife-M n had foretold of thefe

matters,

which he termed Prophe–

te ,

though they deferved no better name, than of Witchcrafts

~od

Sorceries.

he Captains hoyvever were of a different

Opinion,

and faid, That there was

no nee

fiity

of engaging the Enemy., and that their

bufine& was

only to remain

quiet, · nd on the defenhve part, which they could

eafily

do, being well for–

ti fied io a place inacceffible to aa Enemy, and provided with all things necef–

fary for their fubfiftance: when on the contrary, the Enemy labour d under

zrea t wants of

ittuals and Ammunition: And iu cafe they defired to

reduce

them t o gr a

r extremities,

they

had nothing to do bot to march

away

the

Cha-rca1;

where having

ized all the Silver of the Country, and therewith

paid th Souldiery., they might afterwards march along the

Coaft

the S a fide>

co the

City

~01

Reyes,

hich they

ould find open to th m, and without

Souldiers or Garrifon to d fend it. Moreover the Enemy wanting Horfes.,

an.d Beafts of Burden, and Iron to Shoe them with, wer not in a condition

to mak' a purfuit after them ; and in cafe they did, they migh t ea

ily

worft

m, wh

nfoever

they

made

Head to oppofo them. And

fince that,

th1s