Sun, who never dies. As to the story of the creation and the fall of the first man, where did you learn things which happened so long ago?" Here Valverde interrupted him by replying, in an arrogant tone, holding up his breviary, "In this book!" The Inca seized the volume, examined it attentively, turned over the leaves, and put it to his ear. 'This," said he, with a disdainful smile, "tells me nothing;" and contemptuously threw it on the ground. Herrera asserts that he heightened the insult by requesting Pizarro to return the gold and silver of which he had robbed the Peruvians.

Without doubt every circumstance of this interview had been foreseen, and the last act of the Inca was waited for as a signal for the massacre. No sooner had the book touched the ground, than the infuriated monk cried out, "Vengeance! my countrymen, vengeance! Christians! the gospel is insulted! Kill these impious dogs, who trample under foot the law of God!" Pizarro gave the signal, by waving a white handkerchief, and the massacre began. From all parts, the cannon and muskets were fired, the drums beat, and the trumpets sounded. The cavalry rushed upon the astounded Peruvians, who, deeming themselves in perfect safety, had crowded within the enclosure to the number of eight thousand men. Not the slightest attempt at resistance was made by the timid natives, who thought of nothing but flight. The Spaniards, with unrelenting barbarity, made the most terrible slaughter among the defenceless fugitives. Pizarro, at the beginning of the onset, rushed with his chosen band upon the Inca, and, after massa

cring the nobles who surrounded him, seized him by the arm, dragged him from his throne, and carried him off, a prisoner, to his own quarters.

The consternation of the Peruvians was inexpressible. In every quarter they fled with precipitation; yet the Spaniards, from a savage thirst of blood, continued to pursue and slaughter the trembling fugitives with unabated ferocity. Valverde, during the whole massacre, ran up and down among the soldiers, animating them to bloodshed, and exhorting them to strike the infidels, "not with the edge of the sword, but with the point." The carnage lasted till the close of the day, and would have continued longer, had not a heavy shower of rain put an end to the horrible scene. Four thousand of the Peruvians were killed; the wounded were not counted. Not a single Spaniard fell, nor was any one wounded except Pizarro, who received a trifling hurt in the hand.

From bloodshed the conquerors proceeded to pillage. Gold, silver, jewels, fine garments, and other valuable commodities lay before them in every quarter. The booty collected by them was immense, and far surpassed even their own immoderate expectations. They were so transported with this sudden acquisition of enormous wealth, that, without the slightest remorse for the horrible and unprovoked cruelties they had exercised upon the simple and confiding natives, they gave themselves up to the most extravagant manifestations of joy, with rioting, drunkenness. and debauchery. It is difficult to conceive that these men were Castilians, a race distinguished for magnanimity, probity, and chivalrous honor; but there is

no perversion of the heart which may not be accomplished by the pernicious thirst of gold.

The unhappy Atahualpa, thus precipitated from the pinnacle of grandeur to the lowest depths of misery, could hardly believe these occurrences real; all appeared to him but a bewildering dream. As the sad reality became evident to his mind, he sunk into a profound melancholy. Firmness and elasticity of mind appear to have formed no part of his character: nor are we to be surprised that he should have been overwhelmed by a catastrophe which seemed to be brought about by the exercise of a supernatural power. The Peruvians were inconsolable, believing at first that their sovereign was slain; but learning, presently, that he was only a prisoner, they flocked in crowds to Caxamalca, to attend him in his confinement and console him in his affliction. Nothing could be more moving than the fidelity with which they attended the captive monarch, and the amiable assiduity they displayed in their attempts to soothe his grief and pour comfort into his wounded heart. But their consolations were ineffectual. The hypocritical Pizarro, fearing that his victim would pine away and die of sorrow, by which means he should be deprived of all the advantages he enjoyed in the possession of his person, endeavored to encourage him by professions of friendship and formal testimonies of respect. These unmeaning manifestations, which were only so many insults to a person whom he had basely betrayed, had no effect in deceiving the Inca, who had now become apprized of the perfidious character of the Spaniards. He replied simply with

a request that his wives and children might be protected.

In the first moments of surprise and consternation that followed his imprisonment, the wretched Atahualpa was at a loss to determine the motive which had induced the Spaniards to leave their own country upon so distant and perilous an expedition. The conversion of the Peruvians to Christianity, appeared to him little more than a pretence. It was not long before the sagacity of the Inca discovered that the love of gold was the ruling passion of the conquerors, and he did not delay turning this to account, with a view to the recovery of his liberty. He opened a negotiation with Pizarro for his ransom, and offered to fill his apartment, which was twenty-two feet long and sixteen wide, with vessels of gold as high as he could reach. The avaricious Spaniard caught eagerly at the proposal, and a line was drawn upon the wall to mark the measure. Atahualpa despatched his officers to Cuzco, Quito, and other places where gold had been amassed in great quantities. His orders were obeyed with the greatest alacrity. Transported with the hopes of obtaining the liberty of their sovereign, the generous and loyal Peruvians permitted their palaces, their temples, and their private dwellings to be stripped of their wealth and ornaments, and thus to gratify the insatiate cupidity of their treacherous invaders. Meanwhile the Spaniards remained at Caxamalca, without any hostile spirit being manifested toward them by the inhabitants.

Atahualpa, in distrust of his crafty and perfidious enemies, had taken the precaution to stipulate that

the golden vessels should not be broken up or put out of shape, to increase their quantity in the measurement. This agreement was observed by the Spaniards with their usual faith: the gold was melted, and the unfortunate prince, after having been robbed of his liberty, was cheated in his ransom. Gold enough, however, was collected to fulfil the stipulation, even on these unfair terms. The value of the treasure amounted to nearly two million of dollars.

While this affair was in progress, a party of Spanards had penetrated to Cuzco, where Huascar had been kept in confinement. The captive prince related his story to the Spaniards, and dwelt at great length on the wrongs he had endured. He solicited them to embrace his cause against Atahualpa, and promised them, as a recompense, a quantity of treasure vastly greater than what they were to receive from Atahualpa. Intelligence of this intrigue being conveyed to Caxamalca, the Inca was thrown into great alarm. He well knew that the prospect of superior gain would induce the greedy Spaniards at once to violate their engagements with him, and that he, therefore, stood on the brink of ruin. He saw that his life would immediately be sacrificed, should the proposal of Huascar be received with approbation, and he resolved to save himself by putting his brother to death. His order to this effect was executed with scrupulous punctuality. Having now paid his ransom, and removed what appeared to be the only obstacle in the way of his enlargement, he demanded to be set at liberty.

But as it cost the Spaniards no scruple to imprison and rob the Inca by the most flagrant treachery, it