710 / 1070
676
Royal
Commentariu.
BooK
IV.
his Title of Captain General or Procuratour General , fuppofing thac he might ,
according to our Prov_erb, be enabled hereby, To enter in at che íleeve, and cqme
out at che collar.
-
Thus was
Pifarro
chó[en and eleéted Procuratour General of
Co"'co,
which was
the Metropolis of
Peru;
in like manner the Corporations of
Guamanga,
the Town
of
Plate,
and ocher places concurred in che fame choice, a11d che Souldier}( gave
him che Title of their Captain General, .wich foil and ample Authoricy to be
cheir Agenc and Plenipotenciary, promifing to íl:and to whacfoever he fhould a–
gree.and confent unto in their names: And on che ocher fide he took che ufual
Oach which is commonly adminifl:red on fuch occafions.
After chis
Pir¡arro
fet up his Standard, beac up his Drums, and feized all the Gold
in che Exchequer belonging to che King: .and chere being a good Magazine of
Arms at
ChupM,
he made
u[e
of chem, and armed
400
meo tberewich both of
Horfe and Foot. Tho[e perfons who were concerned in che Government, name–
ly,
Altamirano, Maldonado, Garr¡ilaj[o de la Vega
and ochers, confidering farther of chis
matrer, did upon
fsmd
thoughts begin to repent of che power chey had paífed
over unto
Gonr¡alo Pir¡arro;
knowing how faíl: he had chem by the hand, when
they onely had hold of him by che finger ; howfoever they thought not
fit
to
revoke their power, chough privacely, and in cheir hearcs, they wil11ed that they
could handfomely have retraéted ir.
· Thus far are che words of
Francifco Lope~
extraéted
verbatim
from his
O'Níl
'Nri–
tings.
Bue,
to explain che meaning of chefe Auchours, who write fomething con–
fufedly upon chis point, and feem to defcribe the minds of thefe people , as if
they were overmuch prompced
to
rebellion, which afcerwards too manifefily ap–
peared by the fucceís. Howfoever we are
to
underíl:and that when
Gonfalo Pifar–
ro
was by confent of the people eleéted and chofen Procuracour or Adjurant Gene–
ral, they entertained no imagination or thought of vindicacing their rights and
privileges with che Sword; bue cheir meaning onely was in an humble and plain
manner to make cheir Addrefs and lay their cafe before the Chief Governour, re–
prefenring, as Loyal Subjeéts, their great merit in tbe conqueíl: of chat Empire,
and annexing of it co che Crown of
Spain:
fuppofing tbat in cafe che Vice-king
would onely vouchfafe to hear chem ; cheir caufe was
fo
juíl: as could not be rejec–
ted even ar che Bar or )udicature of the moíl: barbarous Nationsofche World.
This was certainly che true meaning and original intentions of the four Cities ac
the beginning, when they di[parched their Agems with
ful!
and :imple power to
fignifie their concurrence in the eleétion and choice of
Gonr¡alo Pir¡arro
to be cheir
Reprefentative: but füch was che rude and turbulenc fpirit of the Vice-king, and
the rumours and repotts which every day filled che City of
Couo,
concerning che
extravagances which he aéted; that
Gonr¡ala Pir¡arro
choughc it not
fic
to
cruíl:
the fafery of bis perfon to bare Papers or che dead letter of Laws, though ne–
ver
fo
much in bis favour; bue rather to provide in prudence
to
[ecure
bis perfon
wirh Arms and a forcible defence , as we fhall underíl:and by che fequel of chis .
Story.
·
And indeed herein
Gorrfalo Pir¡arro
wi[ely confidered,rhat he had to <loe with a wild
bruce Beaíl:, rigorous ánd pofüive to execuce che new Laws; againíl: whom there
.was nodefence bue power, for che Vice-king had often declared, _that he broughc
wirb him a Command from che Emperour to cake offhis head; to fecure which,
he re[olved
to
goe acrended with a company of abouc cwo hundred Souldiers ap–
poimed for a guard to his perfon ; bue that he would neither carry Enfigns or Co–
lours, or name Capcains, leíl: it lhould look too mucb like a martial force, or
fa–
vour of a rebellion. And this doétrine was nocified and interpreted by che Jud–
ges of every City, declaring rhac their inteotion was nothing, bue to aét by way of
Pecicion for confervacion of cheir own righrs, which being fo reafonable, rhey
could not doubE bue to obtain favour from cheir King and Prince therein; and
upon chis ground they advi[ed
Pir¡arro
to diípo(e himfelf to aét in form and man–
ner of one who was by wayof Addrefs to reprefent the fiare and condition of rhe
peoples aggrievances ; in regard 'chey encercained no other thoughts and incemi–
ons chan füch as became Joya! and obedient Subjeéts. To which
Pir¡flrro
made an-
7
fwer, cbat fince they were well acqqainted wich che implacable fpíric of che Vice–
king, who had often boafl:ed that he broúght a Commiflion with him to cake
off his head; he could not bue wonder, thacthey fhould fend him bound to che
}iands·of the Execurioner; and with che gloüous
title
of cbeir Rep1;efentative to
fiand