720 / 1070
686
Royal Commentaries.
BooK
IV.
Bue whilíl: the[e Maccers were in agitation
Pedro de P11eUes
(
as the Aachours re–
porc) arrived very opporcunely _; _for; had his corning been delayed bue chree
days longer, it is th~ general opm~on, that·all the Arrny of
Gon
1
alo Pi
1
arro
had
of thernfelves been d1fperfed and d1sbanded. Howfoever, thefe new recruits did
hot alter and remove the intentions of
Gafpar Rodr~~ue"'
and bis Companions from
their former purpofe; in purfuance of which chey communicated their delign
to
a
certain Prieíl:, a Native of
M adrid,
calleg
Baltafar de Loayfa ,
wich whom
a
frer
I
was acquainred in
Madrid ,
in the year
1
5
o
3..
I
cannot fa
y
that
I
knew
him befare, being very young; chough he knew me very well when
I
was
a
child, being a friend of my father's, and one who had a general acquaimance
\'i'ich
all che noble families of cbat Empire.
.
Gafpar de RodrigHe"'
and his friends treated with chis Prieíl ( who was more
fit
for a Souldier than a Prieíl: ) and perfuaded him
to
take
a
journey in cheir behalf
lo
Lo1 Reyes,
and co obtain a Pardop for them, with a Lecrer of Licence for cheir
Security; a·nd with that occafion, that he íhould give an accounc of che number
of chofe who \.Vere come lately
to
join with
Pir¡arro
and of chofe who were gone
off; and to aífure him, thac che Affairs of
Pír¡arro
ílood on chac uncercain founda–
üon,
chac fo foon as he and hisaccomplices were gone off, that
ali
che other For·
ces of
Gonpt!o Pir¡arro
would fpeedily disband.
Wich chis Meífage
Baltafar de Loayfa
privacely departed from che Camp; of
which fo foon as
Pir¡arro
had notice, he immediately fent after him
to
fetch him
back; bue having taken a by-way out of che common road, chey miífed of him;
and he goc fafe to
Rimt?c
where che good news he broughc , made him welcome
ro che Vice-king ; for the inrencion of
Gafpar Rodrigue~
and bis Companions
was
of
greac imporcance
to
him: che joy whereof che Vice-king not beingable
ro
füp–
prefs, and eíl:eeming ic nece!Tary to be divulged for the encouragemenc of hís
people; che fecrec cook
air
and was rnacde publick; which being wich ali expedi–
tion wrore back
to
Gonr¡alo Pir¡arro, Gafpar Rodrigue:,;,
was feized wich his Compa–
nions, and were al! afcerwards put
ro
death. Howfoever, befare chac was known
Br1/rafar de Loayfa
was difpatched with rhe Pardon a_nd Let~ers of fafe-conduét ,
which he defired; which was no fooner done, bue 1t was d1vulged over ali che
City ( as
Carate
reports, whoíe auchoricy we racher follow in chefe paífages, chan
any ocher, becaufe he was prefent ac thefe traníaétions) and thereupon che Ci–
tizens , and ocher perfons who were inclined and fecretly well-affeéted
ro
rhe
·caufe of
Gonr¡a!o
Pi
farro
and his ?arcy, did 1:eally i_magine thac_in cafe he were de–
ferted by
Gafpar Rodrif!,_un
and h1s Accomphces,
It
would íl:nke
fo
great a damp
to
<7onf.alo Pir¡arro
and_ l~is Souldi~rs as would caufe chem to _difp~rfe and break up
che1r Camp, as deípamng of cheir defign ; and then che VJCe:k111g would remain
criumphant, to execuce his new Laws withouc any concradiétion or reíl:rainc upon
hirn:
to
prevent wbich fome of che Citizens and Souldiers refolved amongíl chem–
felves
ro
fend a parry of light Horfe after him ; hoping fpeedily
to
overrake him.
le was in rbe month of
Septcmber
1544,
when
LoaJfa
with one perfon onely in
his company called
Hernando de Cava/los
lefc the Town; and che nexc nighc af–
cerwards was purfued by twenty five light Horfemen, che princip~l of which were
Don Ba!rtJfar de Cajfilla ,
che Son of Count
Gomera , Lorenyo M exia, Rodrigo deSa–
/a"'ar ,
well known for his crouch-back, and was che perfon famous for taking
Don Diego de Alma,gro
Junior in
Couo
;
there were alío wich them
Dic1,o de Carvajal,
furnarned :Che Gallant, and
Francifao de Efcobedo, Franciflo de Caruacal,. Pedro
A.far–
tin de Cici!ia
alias
PedroMartin de Don Benito,
wich oth~rs to che nrnr.ber
of
cwen–
ty five, ali which company cogecher travailed wich fo much expedition and,dili–
gencr, that in lefs rhan fourty Leagues di/lance from
Los Reys
rhey overcook
Lo-_
aJfa,
and took ali his papers and difpatches from him; and fenc chem away by
a
Souldierj who croffing rbe Countrey carne by a íhorcer
cut
rhan che common
road
ro
che Camp of
Pir¡arro
,
and acquainced him with che wbole maccer , who
at
firíl:
fecretly communicaced it
to
Francifco de Carvajal,
who was lately made his
Major Cenera! in the place of
Alonfo de PQro ,
who was fallen fick: chen he im–
parted
it
to
ocher Captains and Perfons of quality, who were not privy nor
conc:erned in che Confederacy: and having confidered of che rnacter amongíl:
thernfelves, chey all generally agreed , fome from a p~inciple of pa1:cicular enmi–
cy,
others from envy , others from covetoufnefs, feanng
to
loíe the1r
I11dian1
and
their Poffeffions; cha
e
it was neceífary for example. unto others,
and
co decer
them from the like perfidioufnefs,
to
puniíh chis aét of Treachery with che grea-
teíl