that he muft either boldly aim at all, or attempt nothing. From the time that Pizarro obtained poffeffion of the government of Peru, he inculcated the fame maxim with greater. earneftnefs. Upon receiving an account of the victory at Quito, he remonftrated with him in a tone ftill more peremptory.,, You have ufurped (faid he, in a letter written to Pizarro on that occafion) the fupreme power in this country, in contempt of the emperor's commiffion to the viceroy. You have marched, in hostile array, against the royal ftandard; you have attacked the reprefentative of your fovereign in the field, have defeated him, and cut off his head. Think not that ever a monarch will forgive fuch infults on his dignity, or that any reconciliation with him can be cordial or fincere. Depend no longer on the precarious favour of another. Affume yourself the fovereignty over a country, to the dominion of which your family has a title founded on the rights both of discovery and conqueft. It is in your power to attach every Spaniard in Peru of any confequence inviolably to your intereft by liberal grants of lands and of Indians, or by inftituting ranks of nobility, and creating titles of honour fimilar to thofe which are courted with fo much eagernefs in Europe. By establishing orders of knighthood, with privileges and diftinctions refembling thofe in Spain, you may bestow a gratification upon the offi

cers in your fervice, fuited to the ideas of military men. Nor is it to your countrymen only that you ought to attend; endeavour to gain the natives. By marrying the Coya, or daughter of the Sun next in fucceffion to the crown, you will induce the Indians, out of veneration for the blood of their ancient princes, to unite with the Spaniards in fupport of your authority. Thus, at the head of the ancient inhabitants of Peru, as well as of the new fettlers there, you may fet at defiance the power of Spain, and repel with eafe any feeble force which it can fend at fuch a diftance." Cepeda, the lawyer, who was now Pizarro's confidential counsellor, warmly feconded Carvajal's exhortations, and employed whatever learning he poffeffed in demonftrating, that all the founders of great monarchies had been raifed to pre-eminence, not by the antiquity of their lineage, or the validity of their rights, but by their own afpiring valour and perfonal merit. z)

But chufes to negociate with the court of Spain.

1

Pizarro liftened attentively to both, and could not conceal the fatisfaction with which he contemplated the object that they prefented to his view. But happily for the tranquillity of the world, few men poffefs that fuperior ftrength of mind, and extent of abilities, which are

2) Vega, p. II. lib. iv. c. 40. Fernandez, lib. i. c. 34. lib. ii. c. I. 49. Herrera, des. 8. lib. ii. c. 10.

capable of forming and executing fuch daring fchemes, as cannot be accomplished without overturning the established order of fociety and violating thofe maxims of duty which men are accuftomed to hold facred. The mediocrity of Pizarro's talents circumfcribed his ambition within more narrow limits. Inftead of afpiring at independent power, he confined his views to the obtaining from the court of Spain a confirmation of the authority which he now poffeffed; and for that purpose, he sent an officer of diftinction thither, to give fuch a reprefentation of his conduct, and of the ftate of the country, as might induce the emperor and his minifters, either from inclination or from neceffity, to continue him in his prefent station.

Confultations of the Spanish ministers.

While Pizarro was deliberating with refpect to the part which he fhould take, confultations were held in Spain, with no lefs folicitude, concerning the meafures which ought to be pursued in order to reeftablifh the emperor's authority in Peru. Though unacquainted with the laft exceffes of outrage to which the malcontents had proceeded there, the court had received an account of the infurrection against the viceroy, of his imprisonment, and the ufurpation of the government by Pizarro. A revolution fo alarming called for an immediate interpofition of the emperor's abilities

and authority. But as he was fully occupied at that time in Germany, in conducting the war against the famous league of Smalkalde, one of the most interesting and arduous enterprifes in his reign, the care of providing a remedy for the diforders in Peru devolved upon his fon Philip, and the counsellors whom Charles had appointed to affift him in the government of Spain during his abfence. At first view, the actions of Pizarro and his adherents appeared fo repugnant to the duty of fubjects towards their fovereign, that the greater part of the minifters infifted on declaring them inftantly to be guilty of rebellion, and on proceeding to punish them with exemplary rigour. But when the fervour of their zeal and indignation began to abate, innumerable obftacles to the execution of this measure prefented themfelves. The veteran bands of infantry, the ftrength and glory of the Spanish armies, were then employed in Germany. Spain, exhausted of men and money by a long feries of wars, in which fhe had been involved by the restless ambition of two fucceffive monarchs, could not eafily equip an armament of fufficient force to reduce Pizarro. To transport any refpectable body of troops to a country fo remote as Peru, appeared almoft impoffible. While Pizarro continued mafter of the South-Sea, the direct route by Nombre de Dios and Panama was impracticable. An attempt to march to Quito by

ous.

land through the new kingdom of Granada, and the province of Popayan, acrofs regions of vaft extent, defolate, unhealthy, or inhabited by fierce and hoftile tribes, would be attended with unfurmountable danger and hardfhips. The paffage to the South-Sea by the Straits of Magellan was fo tedious, fo uncertain, and fo little known in that age, that no confidence could be placed in any effort carried on in a courfe of navigation fo remote and precariNothing then remained but to relinquifh the fyftem which the ardour of their loyalty had first fuggefted, and to attempt by lenient measures what could not be effected by force. It was manifeft, from Pizarro's folicitude to represent his conduct in a favourable light to the emperor, that, notwithstanding the exceffes of which he had been guilty, he ftill retained fentiments of veneration for his fovereign. By a proper application to these, together with fome fuch conceflions as fhould discover a fpirit of moderation and forbearance in government, he might be yet reclaimed, or the ideas of loyalty natural to Spaniards might fo far revive among his followers, that they would no longer lend their aid to uphold his ufurped authority.

Gafca appointed to repair to Peru as prefident,

The fuccefs, however, of this negociation no lefs delicate than it was important, depend