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BooK
IV.
R
~ya!
C
ommeritarie
r,
arrived at length at
Los Reyes :
the perfonswho were his aífociates were
l orenfº de
.A!dana, Pedro de los Ríos, Benito de Car-vajal,
a civil Lawyer,
Don Alonfo de Monte–
M ajor
and
Hernandode Bachichao;
whofe arrival ac
the
City oí
Los Reyes
was
fo–
lemnized wich greac joy, chough much abaced by che apprehenftons chey concei-
. ved of che fevericy of che newStacuces, and che inexorable and inflexible humour
of
che Vice-king,
(o
differe11cfrotT\ che remper of bis Predeceífour. So foon as he
was arrived he irnmediacely difparcbed away from tbence bis Sceward called.
'/ero–
nimo de Serena,
and his Secrecary
Pedro Lope:t de Cafalla
with Lecters
to
the Vice–
king, congraculacing bis fafe arrival, wich offers both of his life and forcune to
ferve boch his Majeíl:y and.., his Lordíhip. Whilíl: thefe matters paífed on the
way between
C8:tco
and thl ticy ,of
Los Reyes,
other more unpl€aftng paffages oc–
curred in che Journey between
Tumpi:t
and
Rimac,
where che Vice-king, wicl1out
any difference or conftderation of circumíl:ances, put che new Rules inco executi–
on wirh ali che rigour and fury imaginable, witbout giving ear to che def~nce or
_reafons which che Conquerours and Gainer~of chat great Ernpire could make or
alledge in rheir own favour and bebalf, faying, that fo was the King's will and
pleafore, which admitted of no delay or contradiél:ion, or any thing beftdes pure
obedience : Hereuponali che _Citizens and Inhabicants, being generally concerneá,
were inflamed and inraged ; for as
Fernande:t
faith, there was not a man amongíl:
them unconcerned ;
fo
chac people began to talk lo~dly and fcandalouíly againft
rhofe newLaws, fay1ng, chat chis courfe was the effeét of the pemícious Counfels
of evil men, and of fuch as being envious of che riches and power which chofe
Conquerours had acquired, lrad for their own ends put his Majeíly uporr indiretl:
means, and upon rigorours courfes very prejudicial to the publick welfare, and
períuaded him to fee them executed by Officers inflexible and without reafon :
alt
which
is
fully
reporced by
Gomara
in the
1
55th Chapter of his Book, the Title
of which is this,
·
.
.
'Ibe
manner how
Blafco Nunnez
treated with thofe
of
Truxillo,
and
of
the Reafons and
Objeétions which the People gave~againft the new Rules
a'nd
Statutes.
" At length
Blafco Nunne~
encred into
T~uxillo
to
the great difcontent and general
" forrow of the
Spaniards;
for he immediately made Proclamation to impofe anew
" fort
ofTribute, and to affi-ightenmen from bringing che
Indians
under vaífalage ;
" forbidding al! people from oppreffing, or cauftng them
to
labour wirhout pay or
'' againíl: their !nclinations : in fine, the
Jndians
were all brought under vaffa!age
"
to
rhe King and no other. And though the peo~le and feveral Corporations
" petirioned againíl: che moíl: oppreffive Arrides of th(! new Rules, being willing
" to admit of che Tributes and Taxes which were impofed upon them, and~o
" free che
IndlanJ
from their Cervices; yet che Vice-king woald hearken
to
no
. '' terms of compofition or rnoderation, but pofüively perftíl:ed in che execurior.
" of the exprefs commands of thé Emperour, without any Appeal : Ali that they
" could gecof
hii .
was chis, that he would write and infottn his Majeíl:y how
ill
" he had been advifed in che coofütútion and eílablifhment of thofe new Laws.
" Notwithíl:anding which
fair
words, che Inhabitants, who o&ferved his inRe_xible
" difpofüion, beganto mutiny
1
fome faid chat chey woúld abandon their Wives;
" others declared thac rhofe Wornen or Wenches which, by cotnmand of che
" Government, they had rparried and caken for Wives, .they ~ould renouhcé and
" cm chem offfrom alimony and maincenance ; orhers faid it were,better to have
" no Wives or Children to maincain than
to
want che fubfülence and benefic of
'' Slaves who might labour in the Mines for them, and in che yvorks ofHúsba,odry
" and orher f~tvile Offices, foritheir fupport and eaftnefs of living; others~reqúi.
'' red money, and the príce of their Slaves, .for which having paid che fifchs unto
' 1
che Kipg, their brand and mark had been fet upan them ; ochers murmured and
" complained chactheir Services were
ill
rewarded, and their time
ill
employed,
" to have
f
pent their youth and flower of their years in hardíhips and difficulcies,
" and at laíl:
to
be deprived of their Servanrs,and conve·niem attendances in their
" old age; fome fhewed how their Teech were
fallen
out wirh eacing rnaíl:ed
" Mayz during che time of War in
Peru,
and orhers opened and difplayed their
" wounds and fratl:ures of thei.r Bones, and che bites of Serpents and venemous
" Creatures received in che enterprifes chey umlettóo~ co gain chat Etnpire;
in
'' which alfo they had fpennheir Eíl:ates and fhed cheír Bloud, and
al!
to increafe
''.
the Dominions
of
the Emperour,
in
reward
for
which he was pleafed
co
de-
. ~~
prve
661