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Royal _Commentarier. BooK l.
CH A P. XXVI.
The Authozt'r coh1pares his own Writings with the Hiflories
of Spaniards.
N Ü'W to compare what we have faid with the Writings of Spanifh Hifiori–
ans, we fay, chat che D1ícourfe of Friar Va,l.verde, and the ~nfwer of Ata–
hualpa, are delivered very brief, and in few words, in all the printed Hifiories :
For che cruth is, che General and Captains were noc very.fincere, or faichfull in
che Narracive chey gave ofpafiages wfiich occurred ; for to pm che befi gloís and
colour chey could on cheir aétions, chey !efe out all their cruel and unjufüfiable
proceedings, and added wliacfoever chey judged to have che befi appearance.
Whac we have alledged concerning Atahualpa, how chac he ordered his Subjeéts
to refiíl: che Spaniards, is confirrned by che auchoricy of feveral Hiílorians, and par–
ticularly by Lope:{, de Gomara, wh0 in che 113th Cbapter of his Book, hach thefe
Words: " le is very obfervable (faich he) chat chough che . carne all arm–
" ed, yec nota Man lifted up his hand, becaufe che'word o rnand was not·
" given, nor che Signal íhewed for Fight, as was. ágreed, in cafe that matters·fo
" required ; for it is probable che furprize was fo fudden, and the affiightrnent fo
" great by cl1e found of che Trurnpets, che Vollies 6f che Mufquecs, and roaring
" of che Cannon, che mfhing of the Horíes, and clattering of Arrnour; things
" fo unknown to theíe poor people, as diílratl:ed chern, and puc them beíides cheir
'' underfiandings and reafon. And a lictle farcher he adds : Great nurnbers of
" chem periíhed, becaufe rhey did not fighc, whilfl: ours killed them wich cheir
" Daggers, ílaíhing and fiabbing thern ; for Friar Va/verde adviíed chern not to ufe
" cheir Swords, leíl: in chac fervice they íhould be either blunted or broken. Thus
far are che Words of Gomara ; che which is likewife confirmed by other AuJ
tbours, who report, rhac che lndians fled fo foon as they faw their King taken Pri–
foner, and chac Atahualpa comrnanded chem not to refül: che Spaniards : The which
we may actribuce to a Miracle ofGod's Providence, who was pleafed to conferve
che Chriíl:ians, and not fuffer them to perifh, whórn he had deíigned to preach
che Gofpel : For if che Inca had not commanded them not to fight, cercainly chey
would never have endured to fee cheir Prince overthrown and taken ,, for having
Weapons in cheir hands, they Would ratber have died ali in his defence, chan have
fuffered 160 Spaniards (whom chey were able to have fubdued with fiones) to com–
mit fuch Oucrages upon them ; infiead whereof there was noc one Spa11iard eicher
killed or wounded, unlels it were Francifco de Pifarro, who received a little hure
in his hand by one of his own people, as he wenc to feize Atahua!pa. The cruch
is, rhe Jndians did not fighc, becaufe chey held every Command of cheir Inca to be
a pare of their Religion, and of che divine Law, chougb it were to che lofs of their
Lives and Eíl:ates. And as to what Hiíl:orians report of Friar Va/verde, rhat he
hirnfelf ufed his Weapons, and encouraged che Souldiers to kili and defiroy the
Indians, and fiab chem wich Daggers to fave cheir Swords, and conferve chem to
another opporcunity, is a falfe repon of chofe who wroce thefe paífages into Sp11i11
where chey rnighc eaíily at 3000 Leagues diíl:a,nce obtrude what fiories they pleafed
on the rninds of Men ~ for otherwife ic is not to be imagined, thac a religious
Friar, a good Catholick, and aDivine, would utter füch oucragious words of Cru–
elty, whlch became a Nero, {acher chan a Perfon of his Coat and Profeffion.
and one who deferved che Dignicy of a Biíhop, in thac he died by che hands of
the India11s, for preaching che Cacholick Faith: Which having faid, lec us return
to che Series of our Hiíl:ory.
CH A P.