and pleasant, and very well peopled country, and there made to the inhabitants their accustom'd remonstrances; that they were peaceable men, who were come from a very remote country, and sent on the behalf of the king of Castile, the greatest prince of the habitable world, to whom the pope, God's vicegerent upon earth, had given the principality of the Indies. That if they would become tributaries to him, they should be very gently and courteously us'd, at the same time requiring of them victuals for their nourishment, and gold whereof to make some pretended medicine. They moreover remonstrated to them the belief of the only God, and the truth of our religion, which they advis'd them to embrace, to which they also added some threats. To which they receiv'd this answer: "that as to their being peaceable, they did not seem to be such, if they were so. As to their king, he scem'd to be necessitous and poor, because he ask'd, and he who had given him that dividend, a man that lov'd dissension, to go give away that to another, which was none of his own, to bring it into dispute against the ancient possessors. As to victuals, they would supply them; that of gold they had little, it being a thing they had in very small esteem, as being of no use to the service of life, whereas their care was only bent to pass it over happily and pleasantly but that what they could find, excepting what was employ'd in the service of their gods, they might freely take. As to one only God, the proposition had pleas'd them well, but that they would not change their religion, because they had so happily liv'd in it, and that they were not wont to take advice of any but their friends, and those they knew. As to their menaces, it was a sign of want of judgment, to threaten those whose nature and power was to them unknown. That therefore they were to make haste to avoid their coast, for they were not us'd to take the civilities and remonstrances of arm'd men and strangers in good part; otherwise they should do by them as they had done by those others," shewing them the heads of several executed men round the wall of their city. A fair example of their gibberish, and beginning to speak of this infancy. But so it is, that the Spaniards did neither in this nor several other places, where they did not find the merchandize they sought for, make any stay or any attempt, whatever other conveniences were there to be had; witness the canibals.

Of two the most puissant monarchs of that world, and peradventure of this, kings of so many kings, and the last they exterminated; that of Peru, having been taken in a battle, and put to so excessive a ransom as exceeds all belief, and it being faithfully paid, and that he had by his conversation given manifest signs of a frank, liberal, and constant spirit, and of a clear and setled understanding; the conquerors had a mind, after having exacted a million, three hundred twenty five thousand, and five hundred weight of gold, besides silver, and other things which amounted to no less; (so that their horses were shod with massie

724

HEROISM AND SAD FATE OF THE KING OF MEXICO.

gold) yet to see (at the price of what disloyalty and injustice whatever) what the remainder of the treasure of this king might be, and to possess themselves of that also. To which end a false accusation was preferr'd against him, and false witnesses brought in to prove that he went about to raise an insurrection in his provinces, by that means to procure his own liberty. Whereupon, by the vertuous sentence of those very men who had by this treachery conspir'd his ruin, he was condemn'd to be publickly hang'd, after having made him buy off the torment of being burnt alive, by the baptism they gave him immediately before execution. A horrid and unheard of barbarity, which nevertheless he underwent without going less either in work or look, with a truly grave and royal behaviour. After which, to calm and appease the people, daunted and astonished at so strange a thing, they counterfeited great sorrow for his death, and appointed most sumptuous funerals.

The other king of Mexico, after a long time defending his beleaguer'd city, and having in this siege manifested the utmost of what suffering and perseveration can do, if ever prince and people did, and his misfortune having deliver'd him alive into his enemies hands upon articles of being treated like a king; neither did he in his captivity discover any thing unworthy of that title. His enemies, after their victory, not finding so much gold as they expected, when they had search'd and rifled with their utmost diligence, they went about to procure discoveries by the most cruel torments they could invent upon the prisoners they had taken but having profited nothing that way; their courage being greater than the torments, they arriv'd at last to such a degree of fury, as contrary to their faith, and the law of nations, to condemn the king himself, and one of the principal noble-men of his court to the rack, in the presence of one another. This lord finding himself overcome with pain, being environ'd with burning coals pitifully turn'd his dying eyes towards his master, as it were to ask him pardon that he was able to endure no more; whereat the king darting at him a fierce and severe look, as reproaching his cowardize and pusillaninity, with a rude and constant voice said to him thus only: "And what dost thou think I suffer," said he, "am I in a bath, am I more at ease than thou?" Whereupon the other immediately quail'd under the torment, and died upon the place. The king, half rosted, was carried thence; not so much out of pity, (for what compassion ever touch'd so barbarous souls, who, upon the doubtful information of some vessel of gold to be made a prey of, caus'd not only a man, but a king so great in fortune and desert, to be broil'd before their eyes) but because his constancy rendred their cruelty still more shameful. They afterward hang'd him, for having nobly attempted to deliver himself by arms from so long a captivity, where he died with a courage becoming so magnanimous a prince.

Another time they burnt in the same fire, four hundred and sixty men

alive at once, the four hundred, of the common people, the sixty the principal lords of a province; no other but meer prisoners of war. We have these narratives from themselves: for they do not only own it, but boast of it. Could it be for a testimony of their justice, or their zeal to religion! Doubtless these are ways too differing, and contrary to so holy an end. Had they propos'd to themselves to extend our faith, they would have considered, that it does not amplifie in the possession of territories, but in the gaining of men, and would have more than satisfied themselves with the slaughters occasion'd by the necessity of war, without indifferently mixing a massacres, as upon wild beasts, as universal as fire and sword could make it, having only, by their good will, sav'd so many as they intended to make miserable slaves of for the work and service of their mines: so that many of the captains were put to death upon the place of conquest, by order of the king of Castile, justly offended with the horror of their deportments, and almost all of them hated and disesteem'd. God did meritoriously permit that all this great plunder should be swallow'd up by the sea in transportation, or by civil wars wherewith they devoured one another, and the greatest part was buried upon the place, without any fruit of their victory. As to what concerns the revenue, that being in the hands of so parsimonious and so prudent a prince, it so little answers the expectation was given to his predecessors of it, and that first abundance of riches which was found at the first landing in those new discovered countreys, (for tho' a great deal be fetch'd from thence, yet we see 'tis nothing in comparison of that ought to be expected) it is, that the use of coin was there utterly unknown, and that consequently their gold was found all hoarded together, being of no other use but for ornament and shew, as a furniture reserv'd from father or son, by many puissant kings, who always drain'd their mines to make this vast heap of vessels and statues, for the decoration of their palaces and temples; whereas our gold is always in motion and traffick: we cut ours into a thousand small pieces, and cast it into a thousand forms, and scatter and disperse it a thousand ways. But suppose our kings should thus hoard up all the gold they could get in several ages, and let it lie idle by them. Those of the kingdom of Mexico were in some sort more civiliz'd, and greater artists than the other nations that were beyond them: therefore did they judge as we do, that the world was near its period, and look'd upon the desolation we brought amongst them for a certain sign of it. They believ'd that the existence of the world was divided into five ages, and the life of five successive suns, of which four had already ended their time, and that which gave them light was the fifth. The first perish'd, with all other creatures, by an universal inundation of water. The second, by the heavens falling upon us, which suffocated every living thing to which age they assign the giants, and shew'd bones to the Spaniards, according to the proportion of which, the stature of men

726 NEITHER GREECE, ROME, NOR EGYPT, SUPERIOR TO PERU.

amounted to twenty hands high. The third by fire, which burnt and consum'd all. The fourth, by an emotion of the air and wind, which came with such violence as beat down even many mountains; wherein the men died not, but were turned into baboons; (which impressions will not the weakness of human belief admit)? After the death of this fourth son, the world was twenty five years in perpetual darkness; in the fifteenth of which a man and a woman were created, that restored human race: ten years after, upon a certain day, the sun appeared newly created, and since the account of their years take beginning from that day. The third day after his creation, the ancient gods died; and the new ones are since born daily. After what manner they think this last sun shall perish, my author knows not. But their number of this fourth change agrees with the great conjunction of stars, that eight hundred and odd years ago, as Astrologers suppose, produc'd great alterations and novelties in the world. As to pomp and magnificence, upon the account of which I am engag'd in this discourse, neither Greece, Rome, nor Egypt, whether for utility, difficulty, or state, compare any of their works with the way to be seen in Peru, made by the kings of the country, from the city of Quito, to that of Cusco, (three hundred leagues) straight, even five and twenty paces wide, pav'd, and enclos'd on both sides with high and beautiful walls; and close by them on the inside, two clear rivolets, border'd with a beautiful sort of a tree which they call molly: in which work, where they met with rocks and mountains, they cut them through, and made them even, and fill'd up pits and valleys with lime and stone to make them level. At the end of every days journey are beautiful palaces, furnish'd with provisions, vestments, and arms as well for travellers, as for the armies that are to pass that way. In the estimate of this work, I have reckon'd the difficulty which is particularly considerable in that place. They did not build with any stones less than ten footsquare: and had no other conveniency of carriage, but by drawing their load themselves by force of arms, and knew not so much as the art of scaffolding, nor any other way of standing to their work, but by throwing up earth against the building, as it rose higher, taking it away again when they had done. Let us here return to our coaches, instead of which, and of all other sorts of carriages, they caus'd themselves to be carried by men, and upon their shoulders. This last king of Peru, the day that he was taken, was thus carried betwixt two upon staves of gold, and set in a chair of gold in the middle of his battle. As many of these Sedanmen as were kill'd to make him fall, (and they contended for it) took the place of those that were slain, so that they could never beat him down, what slaughter soever they made of those people, till a light horse man seizing upon him, brought him down.

CHAP. CI.-OF THE INCONVENIENCE OF GREATNESS.

SINCE we cannot attain unto it, let us revenge our selves by railing at it and yet it is not absolutely railing against any thing to proclaim its defects, because they are in all things to be found, how beautiful, or how much to be coveted however. It has in general this manifest advantage, that it can go less when it pleases, and has very near the absolute choice of both the one and the other condition. For a man does not fall from all heights, there are several from which one may descend without falling down. It does indeed appear to me, that we value it at too high a rate, and also over-value the resolution of those whom we have either seen, or heard have contemn'd it, or displac'd themselves of their own accord. Its essence is not so evidently commodious, that a man may not without a miracle refuse it; I find it a very hard thing to undergo misfortunes, but to be content with a competent measure of fortune, and to avoid greatness, I think a very easie matter. Tis, methinks, a vertue to which I, who am none of the nicest, could without any great endeavour arrive. What then is to be expected from them that would yet put into consideration the glory attendingthis refusal, wherein there may lurk worse ambition, than even in the desire it self, and fruition of greatness? Forasmuch as ambition never comports it self better according to it self, than when it proceeds by obscure and unfrequented ways. I incite my courage to patience, but I rein it as much as I can towards desire. I have as much to wish for as another, and allow my wishes as much liberty and indiscretion: but yet it never befell me to wish for either empire or royalty, for the eminency of those high and commanding fortunes. I do not aim that way, I love my self too well. When I think to grow greater, 'tis but very moderately, and by a compell'd and timorous advancement, such as. is proper for me; in resolution, in prudence, in health, in beauty, and even in riches too. But this supream reputation, and this mighty authority oppress my imagination. And, quite contrary to some others, I should peradventure rather choose to be the second or third in Perigourd, than the first at Paris; at least, without lying, the third, than the first at Paris. I would neither dispute, a miserable unknown, with a nobleman's porter, nor make crowds open in adoration as I pass : I am train'd up to a moderate condition, as well by my choice, as fortune; and have made it appear in the whole conduct of my life and enterprizes, that I have rather avoided than otherwise, the climbing above the degree of fortune wherein God has plac'd me by my birth : all natural constitution is equally just and easie. My soul is so sneaking and mean, that I measure not good fortune by the height, but by the facility. But if my heart be not great enough, 'tis open enough to make amends