tinction were maffacred in cold blood; above a hundred and forty foldiers fell in the field; a large proportion, where the number of combatants were few, and the heat of the contest foon over. Almagro, though fo feeble that he could not bear the motion of a horfe, had infifted on being carried in a litter to an eminence which overlooked the field of battle. From thence, in the utmost agitation of mind, he viewed the various movements of both parties, and at laft beheld the total defeat of his own troops, with all the paffionate indignation of a veteran leader long accustomed to victory. He endeavoured to fave himself by flight, but was taken prifoner, and guarded with the ftricteft vigilance. o)

The Indians, instead of executing the refolution which they had formed, retired quietly after the battle was over; and in the hiftory of the New World, there is not a more ftriking inftance of the wonderful afcendant which the Spaniards had acquired over its inhabitants, than that after feeing one of the contending parties ruined and difperfed, and the other weakened and fatigued, they had not courage to fall upon their enemies, when fortune prefented an opportunity of attacking them with fuch advantage. p)

o) Zarate, lib. iii. c. 11. 12. Vega, p. II. lib. ii. c. 36-38. Herrera, dec. 6. lib. iii. c. ΤΟ 12. lib. iv. c. 1-6.

p) Zarate, lib. iii. c. II, Vega, p. II. lib. il, c, 38.

New expeditions.

Cuzco was pillaged by the victorious troops, who found there a confiderable booty, confifting partly of the gleanings of the Indian treafures, and partly of the wealth amaffed by their antagonists from the fpoils of Peru and Chili. But fo far did this, and whatever the bounty of their leader could add to it, fall below the high ideas of the recompence which they conceived to be due to their merit, that Ferdinand Pizarro, unable to gratify fuch extravagant expectations, had recourfe to the fame expedient which his brother had employed on a fimilar occafion, and endeavoured to find occupation for this turbulent affuming fpirit, in order to prevent it from breaking out into open mutiny. With this view, he encouraged his moft active officers to attempt the difcovery and reduction of various provinces which had not hitherto fábmitted to the Spaniards. every ftandard erected by the leaders who undertook any of thofe new expeditions, volunteers reforted with the ardour and hope peculiar to the age. Several of Almagro's foldiers joined them, and thus Pizarro had the fatisfaction of being delivered both from the importunity of his difcontented friends, and the dread of his ancient enemies. q)

To

q) Zarate, lib. iii. 12. Gomara Hift, c. 141. Herrera, dec. 6. lib. iy. c. 7.

Almagro tried, condemned, and put to death,

Almagro himself remained for feveral months in cuftody, under all the anguifh of fufpence. For although his doom was determined by the Pizarros from the moment that he fell into their hands, prudence conftrained them to defer gratifying their vengeance, until the foldiers who had ferved under him, as well as feveral of their own followers in whom they could not prefectly confide, had left Cuzco. As foon as they fet out upon their different expeditions, Almagro was impeached of treafon, formally tried, and condemned to die. The fentence aftonished him, and though he had often braved death with undaunted fpirit in the field, its approach under this ignominious forms appalled him fo much, that he had recourfe to abject fupplications, unworthy of his former fame. He befought the Pizarros to remember the ancient friendship between their brother and him, and how much he had contributed to the profperity of their family; he reminded them of the humanity with which, in oppofition to the repeated remonftrances of his own most attached friends, he had fpared their lives when he had them in his power; he conjured them to pity his age and infirmities, and to fuffer him to pass the wretched remainder of his days in bewailing his crimes, and in making his peace with Heaven. The intreaties, fays a Spanish

hiftorian, of a man fo much beloved, touched many an unfeeling heart, and drew tears from

many a hard eye.

But the brothers remained

as Almagro knew his fate

inflexible. As foon

to be inevitable, he met it with the dignity and fortitude of a veteran. He was ftrangled in a prison, and afterwards publickly beheaded. (1538.) He fuffered in the feventy-fifth year of his age, and left one fon by an Indian woman of Panama, whom, though at that time a prisoner in Lima, he named as fucceffor to his government, pursuant to a power which the emperor had granted him. r)

Deliberations of the court of Spain concerning the ftate of Peru.

As, during the civil diffentions in Peru all intercourfe with Spain was fufpended, the detail of the extraordinary tranfactions there did not foon reach the court. Unfortunately for the victorious faction, the firft intelligence was brought thither by fome of Almagro's officers, who left the country upon the ruin of their caufe, and they related what had happened, with every circumftance unfavourable to Pizarro and his brothers. Their ambition, their breach of the most folemn engagements, their violence and cruelty were painted with all the malignity and exaggeration of party-hatred. Ferdinand

r) Zarate, lib. iii. c. 12. Gomara Hift. c. 141. Vega, p. II. lib. ii. c. 39. Herrera, dec. 6. lib. iv. c. 9. lib. v. c. 1.

Pizarro, who arrived foon after and appeared in court with extraordinary fplendor, endeavoured to efface the impreffion which their accufations had made, and to justify his brother and himself by representing Almagro as the aggreffor. The emperor and his minifters though they could not pronounce which of the contending factions was moft criminal, clearly difcerned the fatal tendency of their diffentions. It was obvious, that while the leaders, entrusted with the conduct of two infant colonies, employed the arms which fhould have been turned againft the common enemy, in destroying one another, all attention to the publick good must ceafe, and there was reafon to dread that the Indians might improve the advantage which the difunion of the Spaniards prefented to them, and extirpate both the victors and vanquifhed. But the evil was more apparent than the remedy. Where the information which had been received was fo defective and fufpicious, and the fcene of action fo remote, it was almost impoffible to chalk out the line of conduct that ought to be followed; and before any plan that fhould be approved of in Spain could be carried into execution; the fituation of the parties, and the circumftances of affairs, might alter fo entirely as to render its effect extremely pernicious.