877 / 1070
BooK
V.
Royal
Commentaries.
CH A P.
XLI.
Óf
tbe Cloaths which
Francifco de Carvajal
wore, and
of
fo111e ·o¡
his quaint Sentences and Sayings.
F
Rancifco
de
Caroajal
did much value him[elf on the trade and fonrnilities of a
Souldier; he
commonly wore, iníl:ead 'ofa Cloak, a Moorifh
Bornoz.,
or Piad
_
of a brown
Colour, wich a Fringe and a Cape
to
it; in which habit
I
have of-,
ten [een him. On
his Head he wore a Hat, having the brims lined with black
Taffaty, anda plain Silk Hatband, with a plurne'of white and black Feathers ta–
keo from.the Wings and Tails of common Cocks or Hens, twined one within the
other in form ofan X, the which piece ofgallamry he affeéted, that his Souldiers
might follow bis example,
and
wear any Feathers whatfoever; for he would ofren
fay,
that Feathers were the proper badge of
a
Souldier and not of
a
Gitizen,
for
that wlüch was the dreís ofone was a fign of fantaíl:ical lighcneís in che ocher : and
that hethat wore this Device did thereby promife great valour and bravery; thac
is,
Tbat he would Jight with one jingly and kjll him, ft
qy
for two, and not fly from three :
and
though this was not
Carvajat's
faying,
bue
an old Proverb amongíl: the
Souldiery relating to their Feathers, yet he was a man who, on all occafions, ut–
tered many
qµainc
Sayings and Sentences
ful!
of wic and pleafantne[s:
I
wifh
I
could remember them
ali
for divertiíement of the Reader, bue füch as
I
can cal! to
rnind, and are modeíl: and civil, I fhall repeat ; for he u[ed much liberty in his
fpeecb, and fome undecencies which are noc
fic
ro
be mentioned.
Caroajal
meeting upon-a ce_rtain time with a Souldier who was crooked in bis
Body,
aod verv
ill
íhaped, asked him, Sir, ·What is your name ? to which he made
an[wer, that it
was
--Hurtado,
which is as much as a thing fioln.
1 for my
'part, faid
Carvajal,
fhould be troubled to findyou, much more to fteal.
Carvajal
march–
ing one day with bis Troops, chanced to meet wich a Friar, who was a Lay-bro-
ther, andas there were no Lay-Friars at that time in the Countrey, and
l
know–
not whether any of them are come chicher fince, he füípeéted rhat he was a Spie,_
and would have hanged him; bue to be the better aífured thereof, he inviced him
to dinner; and then to make an experimenc whecher he was a Friar or not, he or–
dered bis Servants to give him drink in a Cup fomething bigger than ordinary,
to
tcy if he cook ic with both hands, or wich one; and íeeing that he took it with
, borh hands., he became aífured thac he was a Friar, and fo called to him,
Drink_ it
·
up,
Father,
drink_
it
up, for
it
willgive you life :
meaning chac if he had not drank it
in thac manner
he
fhould have been confümed in bis füppofüion, and would moíl:
cmainly have hanged him.
Can;ajal
having one of his greateíl: enemies in his power, and imending to hang
him;
the Prifoner asked him in a kind of menacing way what reafon he had to
put him to death, and faid, Sir, Pray tell me plainly whac reafon you have to
kill
me?
Oh,
foid
Carvaj:il,
1
underftand you well, you are defirouJ to be efteemed
·a .·
Martyr,
and
l¡gyour death at my door : J(now then th_at
1
hang you for being a loyt_f,l ,Ser–
vant
to
his Majefty
;
go J'OUr wap then, and ta~e your reward for·you~ faithfulnefs and al–
ügim1ce,
and
with that he fent him to the Gallows,
C117'71a_
i.iltravelling in
Cqllao
mee with a Merchant who .had ernployed abouc four–
teen or fifteen tho1,1fand pieces of Eighc in Merchandife, which he had broughc
from
Sp11in
to
Panama,
and faid to him,
Brother, according to the cuftome of War, a/f
thtfa
goodsbelong propcr!J to me.
The Merchánt, _who was a cunning fellow, ficted
and
rea.dyfor
füch replies as füited beíl: wich Souldiers and bis humour, anfwered
him
chearfully, Sir, Wherher War or Peace chis Merchandife is yours, for we are
Partners, and in the name of both of us I craded at
Panama,
and intended
to
have
divided the gains between us
~
and in token chereof I have broughc wich me front
P:mama
two Barreis of red Wine, and two dozen of Iron Shoes, a~d Nails
fo~
your Mules ; for in thoíe times ( as we have before mentioned ) every·Shoe for
Horfe or Mule was worth a Mark in Silver ; which having faid, he fent for the
\Vine and Horfe-fhoes, and in che mean time produced the W riting of Parrneríhip
between them.
Carvajal
received che Wine and che Horfe-íhoes very kindly, and
Ppppp
1.
to