4000003871

Royal

Comméntariq.

OOK

VIII.

ives, under the notion of mode!t and virtuous Ladies, tht,ugh many of them

were known to be comroon Srirumpets.

For which reafon moll: of

d1é

Preten-

•.

ders refuung their Society, gave occafion to malidous mea, who were defi–

rous to make troubles, to incenfe the Vice-King againft thefe Pretenders, who

were roen of greater merit than themfelves, inünuating that they refufed thofe

Wives only put of obftinacy, and averfion to the Commands of Author,cy.

And hereupon thjs Author

faitl¡,

That the Vice-King di~ look on thefe men, as

<liffatisfied ; and believing, as was reporced to him, that they lec fall many

angr-y words tending to Sedition, he gave orders to apprehend feveral of them ;

and unde~ aftrong Guard fent them .to the Porc, and

C11llao

Lima,

in pt'der to

tranfport them to

Spain,

giviug out, that it was to have,fome perfons of me–

rit rnorn amply rewarded by bis Majefiy

.in

Spain,

than could be done in

Pene;

.and that others of them, yvho had been infolent and daring, might be punifhed

by Banifhment, rather than rewarded,

t::7c.

The perfons taken, and foit away, were thirty feven, ali ·meo eminently

known and fignalited "for their Loya)cy and Service to his Majefty; one

·w~ich was

Gonp,1/0

Silveftre,

whofe Labours and Hazards are at large recordtd

in our Hiíl:ory of

Flortda

;

and in this alío !Je is not mentioned withont regard

to his Honour and Reputation. Particulatly we have fignified, how that at

the Battel of

Chuquinca

he had a Horíe killed under him, which fóme few days

·before he had bought of

Martin de Robles

for twelve thoufand ~ats. Of the

farne degree and merit were feveral others in this Kingdom, of whicb 1,wilh 1

hada particular lift. And though

Palentino

fajth,. thatl feveral óf thefe Pre–

tenders were banifhed, I muft crave_leave to 4ifrent from him, and fay, That

none of them were banilhed for any Crime or Mifdebleanour, for all of them

were men of merit and defert. And as to wbat he farther

faith,

that fome per–

fons would have perfwaded che Vice-King

have fent the Ioforniatiorts, and

Accufations againft thefe meo, together with their perfons

intoSpain,

ánd 'that

he refofed

to do, faying, That he would ratber be an lnterceffor for them with

bis Majefty, than their Accufer,'eN. Thc truthof which matter was this. There

were not wanting Whiíperers, who infinuated to the Vice-King jealoufies and

fears of Mutinies and Sediti_ons amongft the Souldie,s, who having for a long

time ferved the King

their own coft and charge, complained of their hard

ufage artd

ill

treatment, ano therefore advífed to have them banilhed: but otbers

dilfwad~d this courfe as unjuft, and looking Iike Cruelty, to have meo punifhed,

who deferved Rewards. That the banifh1Pent out of

Peru

Íl}to

Spain,

was worfe

t_han death to men, who were poor, and had confümed their Eftates and Sub–

íl:ance in che fervice of bis Majeíl:y. Moreover, they _added, That it becaive not

the Quality norOffice of a Vice-King to fend fuch men into

Spain

with tbeir

Mouchs

foil

of complaints, to which no doupt but his Majefty ·would lend an Ear

and give Credit; efpecially fince nothing ·could ~e ob¡etted againft them of

Crimeor Mifdemeanour, and that in behalf of themfelv'es they

were

able to

make a large relatioo of their Services and Sufferings for bis Majefty, having

walted rheir Lives, and confumed their Eftates for the interefr of the Crown:

in proof and evidence of which·chey had théir wounds, and their macerated

bodies to lhew, and plead for them before his Majefi:y. Howfoever thefe confi–

derations prevailed not

much with the Vi'ce-.King, as a courfe of greater fe.

verity; for being made angry, and provoked by che evil fuggeflions of thofe

. mcn, who pretended to difcover fecret Cabals and Confpiracies amongfi: them,

he refolved to fend them away, as the beft expedient to fecure che Peace

of the

Empire; and chatas to what they could

fay

inSpain,-

or what they could

do.at

thei_r return from theoce to

Pcru,

he .little regarded: fbr in going to

Spain.,

faid he, they muft fpend a year, and in their Negotiations and Solicitations

there., an.oth

er.w

ould país; anda third~in their Voyage back: .and when they

bring Letters

a.id

Orders in their own favour; it is then bue kiffing them and

laying tliem

on m

y Head, and faying, /

obey

;

and at the end tell them, That

the King hath no Money nor Means wherewith to reward them : and then

aftcr they return back again with the fame complaints to the King, and

have·traced the fame circle of bufinefs as before, they will then·be, bnt where

they werc before, only three years more

wiH

have paffed over their Heads.¡

which in aU will make up fix, and by that time, none.buc God knows what will

become o.f us.

· W_ith foch thoughts as theíe, the Pretenders were difpeeded

into