Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

The malcontents chufe Gonzalo Pizarro to be their leader.

But however general the indignation was against fuch proceedings, it is probable the hand of authority would have been ftrong enough to fupprefs it, or to prevent its burfting out with open violence, if the malcontents had not been provided with a leader of credit and eminence to unite and to direct their efforts. From the

time that the purport of the new regulations was known in Perú, every Spaniard there turned his eyes towards Gonzalo Pizarro, as the only perfon able to avert the ruin with which they threatened the colony. From all quarters, letters and addreffes were fent to him, conjuring him to ftand forth as their common protector, and offering to fupport him in the attempt with their lives and fortunes. Gonzalo, though inferior in talents to his other brothers, was equally ambitious, and of courage no lefs daring. The behaviour of an ungrateful court towards his brothers and himself, dwelt continually on his mind, Ferdinand a ftate prifoner in Europe; the children of the governor in cuftody of the viceroy, and fent aboard his fleet, himfelf reduced to the condition of a private citizen in a country, for the discovery and conqueft of which Spain was indebted to his family. Thefe thoughts prompted him to feek for vengeance, and to affert the rights of his family, of which he now confiROBERTSON Vol. III.

H

dered himself as the guardian and the heir. But as no Spaniard can eafily furmount that veneration for his fovereign which is interwoven in his frame, the idea of marching in arms against the royal ftandard filled him with horror. He hefitated long, and was ftill unrefolved, when the violence of the viceroy, the univerfal call of his countrymen, and the certainty of becoming foon a victim himself to the severity of the new laws, moved him to quit his refidence at Chuquifaca de la Plata, and repair to Cuzco. All the inhabitants went out to meet him, and received him with transports of joy as the deliverer of the colony. In the fervour of their zeal, they elected him procurator general of the Spanish nation in Peru, to folicit the repeal of the late regulations. They empowered him to lay their remonftrances before the royal audience in Lima, and upon pretext of danger from the Indians, authorifed him to march thither in arms. Under fanction of this nomination Pizarro took (1544.) poffeffion of the royal treasure, appointed officers, levied foldiers, feized a large train of artillery which Vaca de Caftro had depofited in Guamanga, and fet out for Lima, as if he had been advancing against a publick enemy. Difaffection having now affumed a regular form, and being united under a chief of fuch diftinguifhed name, many perfons of note reforted to his standard; and a confiderable part of the troops, raised by the viceroy

to oppofe his progrefs, deferted to him in a body. o)

Diffentions of the viceroy and court of audience.

Before Pizarro reached Lima, a revolution had happened there, which encouraged him to proceed with almost certainty of fuccefs. The violence of the viceroy's adminiftration was not more formidable to the Spaniards of Peru than his overbearing haughtiness was odious to his affociates, the judges of the royal audience. During their voyage from Spain, fome fymptoms of coldness began to appear. p) But as foon as they entered upon the exercffe of their respective offices, both parties were fo much exafperated by frequent contefts, arifing from interference of jurifdiction, and contrariety of opinion, that their mutual difguft foon grew into open enmity. The judges thwarted the viceroy in every measure, fet at liberty prifoners whom he had confined, juftified the malcontents, and applauded their remonftrances. At a time when both departments of government should have united against the approaching enemy, they were contending with each other for fuperiority. H 2

Zarate, lib. v. c. I. Gomara, c. 156, 157. Vega, p. II. lib. iv. c. 4-12. Fernandez, lib. I. c. 12-17. Herrera, dec. 7. lib. vii. c. 18, &c. lib, viii. c, I-5.

P) Gomara, s. 171.

The viceroy imprisoned.

The judges at length prevailed. The viceroy, univerfally odious, and abandoned even by his own guards, was feized (Sept.18.1544.) in his palace, and carried to a defert ifland on the coaft, to be kept there until he could be fent home to Spain.

Views of Pizarro.

The judges, in confequence of this, having affumed the fupreme direction of affairs into their own hands, iffued a proclamation fufpending the execution of the obnoxious laws. and fent a meffage to Pizarro, requiring him, as they had already granted whatever he could request, to dismiss his troops, and to repair to Lima with fifteen or twenty attendants. They could hardly expect that a man fo daring and ambitious would tamely comply with this requifition. It was made, probably, with no fuch intention, but only to throw a decent veil over their own conduct; for Cepeda, the prefident of the court of audience, a pragmatical and afpiring lawyer, feems to have held a fecret correfpondence with Pizarro, and had already formed the plan, which he afterwards executed, of devoting himself to his fervice. The imprisonment of the viceroy, the ufurpation of the judges, together with the univerfal confufion and anarchy confequent upon events fo fingular and inexpected, opened new and

He now beheld the

Nor did he

vaft profpects to Pizarro. fupreme power within his reach. want courage to pufh on towards the object which fortune prefented to his view. Carvajal, the prompter of his refolutions, and guide of all his actions, had long fixed his eye upon it as the only end at which Pizarro ought to aim. Inftead of the inferior function of procurator for the Spanish fettlements in Peru, he openly demanded to be governor and captain-general of the whole province, and required the court of audience to grant him a commiffion to that effect. At the head of twelve hundred men, within a mile of Lima, where there was neither leader nor army to oppofe him, fuch a requeft carried with it the authority of a command. But the judges, either from unwillingness to relinquifh power, or from a defire of preferving fome attention to appearances, hefitated, or feemed to hefitate, about complying.

He affumes the government.

Carvajal, impatient of delay, and impetuous in all his operations, marched into the city by night, feized feveral officers of diftinction obnoxious to Pizarro, and hanged them without the formality of a trial. Next morning the court of audience iffued a commiffion in the emperor's name, appointing Pizarro governor of Peru, with full powers, civil as well as military, and he entered the town that day

1

« ElőzőTovább »