792 / 1070
Royal
Commentariu.
BooK
V.
more, confidering thac he regained his E:mpire ~gain to his Majefiy, which was al–
mofi totally rujned, .and revolce_d fr<:m 1ts alleg1ance.
~
my felf knew him , and
particularly one eveomg I }Vas vi.;1th h1m when he íl:ood m the Court-yard of
my
Father's houfe, leading to the open place from whence he faw the Feaíl:s ofBulls and
Sports on Horfe-back with cheir Darts; bue he lodged chen in the houfes of
ThomM
Vafq11ez.,,
now in the poíleílion of his Son
Pedro Va/que~
;
where alío
Gonptlo Pif_arrr,
lodgedwhen he was in chat Town; and füuate on che oucfide of rheScreec which
is in the middle becween our houfe aod che Convent ofour Lady of che
Mercedes:
and though chofe Houfes have ar one comer Windows which look out into
che
Market-place, from whence
Licenciado Gafca
mighc have feen ali thofe Sports,
howfoever he chofe rarher to fee tbem from 'rny Father's Court-yard, which more
immediarely froncs wich che Market-place.
And now we íhall proceed to declare his Aétions which were not performed
by che Sword or Lance, but by the force of bis reafon and coúncil, which carried
him on with foch fuccefs as obtained all che poincs he defired borh in Peace and
War, and at lengch cooduéted him out ohhe Councrey wichouc any Cornplaints
or Accufacioos againft him of violence or opp~effioo. His weapons were, Paci–
ence to bear aod undergo ali che labours and difficulties which prefemed, and mild–
ly to fuffer the iofolences and affroncs of the Souldiery ; he alfo had a great fiock
of fubtlety, and craft, and good management to penetrare into che Plots and
Defigns of his Enemies, and
to
circumvenc and difappoiot chem ; from ali which
we have argumencs fufficienc
to
prove che difficulcy of his undercaking, efpecially
if we conftder che cooditioo of this Empire, when this wonhy perfon undercook
co íettle and reduce it co obedience. And here we fhall ornic co give an account
of che parciculars of the Voyage which che Prefideot rnade ro
Nomlm de Dios
(
co
whom hereafcer we fhall give chac Title ) referring the Reader co
Diet,o Fernande~
for chat relation, and
fo
{hall proceed to what fücceeded afcer his arrival there.
The Prefidenc received che firfi News of che death of the Vice-king in
SantA
Marta,
from
Licenciado Almandarez,
,
who was then Govemour of that Province
and of that new Kingdom; from whence boch
Gafca
and thofe wich him appre–
hended great difficulties in their defign; judging
it
almofl impoílible co reduce
a
People wichquc Anns who had proceeded
fo
far in their Rebellion, as co kili the
Vice-king
in
a pitched Battel. Bat the Prefident, noc
to
difcourage his People ,
concealed che opinion and apprehenfion he conceived thereof; and co prevenc
farcher diíl:urbances which mighc ariíe, he publickly declared, tbac he had fuffici–
enc power an<l authority
to
pardon all the Crimes of whac nature foever which
were already committed ,
fo
chac no man oughc to doubc of pardon or of a gene–
ral Aét of Oblivion. Moreover he confic.lered , chac by che death of the
Vice–
king, that general hacred was removed from the People, which chey conceived
againfl: his perverfe and untraétable humour , and that chereby they rnighc more
eaíily be reduced to che fervice of his Majeíly : Befides which another
difficulty
was obvfated in cafe ic íhould be thoughc neceífary for quieting che People, to
fend che Vice-king out of chat Councrey; who might objeét che injufüce of fuch
proceedings againíl: a perfon, who for no other reafon chan the Service of his Ma–
jefiy againíl: Rebels and Tyrants, was banifhed the Countrey, and deprived of
bis
Auchoricy. The Prefidenc
Gafca
comforting himfelf wich fuch Confiderations as
theíe failed co
Nom/;re de Dio,,
where he was received by the Souldiers of
Hernan
Mexia
and
by
the Iohabitaots ali well arrned ; bue chey íhewed him very little
reípeét and leís affeétion, fpeaking concemptibly of his perfon with aflroncing
words ; of ali which (-as
Diego Ftrnande~
faith) he took no notice, bue fpake
kindly and chearfully
to
all forcs of People. Bue the Clergy of the Cicy,
like
c-rue Servanrs of God, weot in proceílion wich che Croís to meet and receive che
P1
efidenc, whom they conduéted
to
the Church to fing che
Te
De11m
ú11da"""',
wirh which kindneís the Prefident was much pleafed, and chanked God,
that
fome People were remaioing, who were acquainced wich their ducy and good
manoers, and in fome kind made amends for the difreípeéts of others: bue rhac
which acjded mofi ro his fatisfaétion was, that the nighc following,
Hernan
Mexi11
who was one of the Caprains of
Gonfafo Pifarro,
and much obliged to him for fe–
veral favours, carne privareiy to {peal{ with him, offering himfelf to che fervice of
his Majeíl:y, and
to
uíe his ucmoíl: endeavours
to
engage other Capcains aod Soul–
diers to recuro unto their Loyalty and duty towards their Prince : Moreover he
gave him a large Narracive of che Scate of the Counm:y and of che Fleec which
was