16 Almagro prepares to invade Chili. Ch. I. B. XVII. vernors having put their right hands above the consecrated hands of the priest which held "the most holy sacrament." This was called “dividing the Host;" and was considered a most solemn form of declaring friendship. Chili. The Mariscal now resolved to enter his own territory, where he could be free from the Almagro Pizarros; and accordingly he prepared to march proceeds to into Chili, which certainly fell within the confines of his government. In making preparations for his departure he lavished his resources, giving those who would follow him money to buy arms and horses, upon the simple understanding that they would repay him from their gains in the country where they were going. As he was now greatly popular, his service was readily embraced, and some even of those who had repartimientos at Cusco resolved to throw them up and follow the Mariscal. The Inca placed at his disposal the services of his brother Paullo and of the highpriest Villaoma, who were ordered to accompany Almagro into Chili. These he sent on before; he himself was to go next; and his lieutenantgeneral Rodrigo Orgoñez was to follow with the rest of the people. It may show how much Almagro's service was sought after, that so distinguished a person in Pizarro's camp as Fernando de Soto was greatly disappointed at not having been named lieutenant-general of the Mariscal's forces. The day before Almagro's departure, he is said to have begged Pizarro to send his brothers back to Castille, saying that for that end he would be Pizarro refuses to dismiss his Brothers. 17 willing that Pizarro should give them from the B. XVII. their relationship to him." CHAPTER II. B. XVII. Ch. 2. FERNANDO A PIZARRO RETURNS FROM SPAIN-HE TAKES THE COMMAND AT CUSCO-FLIGHT AND S the brotherhood of the Pizarros is about to play a very important part in the history of the New World, it is desirable to consider what the advantages and disadvantages would have been of such a course as Almagro counselled. It is true that the promotion of near relatives is, and always has been, a very offensive thing to those who are hoping for advancement from any man in power, or even to those who are merely looking on at his proceedings. But, on the other hand, near relatives, though often more difficult to act with than other men, are nearly sure to be faithful. The certainty of this faithfulness has, doubtless, weighed much with men like Pizarro, newly and suddenly possessed of power; and it was a difficult question for him to decide, whether in his case it was not wise to endure the odium* for the sake of the fidelity. *The odium, however, is of | Aristides, but if it had been a kind which no merits can fully counteract. The fickle Athenians were wearied of a single Aristides and his kinsmen, all equally good, equally just, and equally fit to occupy several Ch. 2. Fernando Pizarro returns from Spain. 19 Moreover, Pizarro's brothers were all of them B. XVII. good soldiers and brave men. Fernando was a most skilful captain; Gonzalo was said to be "the best lance" that had come to the Indies; Juan showed his valour at the siege of Cusco; and Martin afterwards died fighting by his brother's side. The Marquis, unwilling to deprive himself of the services of such brothers, would not listen to the counsels of the Mariscal in this matter; which counsels, however, have been held by commentators to be very sagacious. July 3, 1535. Pizarro re The Governor of Nueva Toledo set out to conquer the country that had been assigned to him: the Governor of Nueva Castilla, for that was the name of Pizarro's province, returned to superintend the building of his new town, Los Reyes. Juan Pizarro was left in command at Cusco. Shortly after the reconciliation of the two Governors, Fernando Pizarro returned from the Fernando Court of Spain, bringing despatches to his brother turns from the Marquis, which contained the provisions that Spain. have already been mentioned. Fernando had undertaken a very odious task when he promised the Court of Spain to seek for a "benevolence" from the colonists of Peru. To all his exhortations they replied that they had duly paid their fifths to the King, which had been gained with their blood and labour, at no risk of the Royal of the chief places of the State, even the wisest and gravest nation would have been glad (if not openly, at least in their hearts) of any pretext which 20 Fernando Pizarro sent to Cusco. B. XVII. estate; and they maliciously remarked that FerCh. 2. nando Pizarro had brought back nothing for them, though he had obtained a Marquisate for his brother, and the Order of Santiago for himself. To these insinuations Fernando Pizarro adroitly and alarmingly made answer, that the ransom of Atahuallpa which they had divided, being the ransom of a Royal person, of right belonged to the Emperor. In fine, all the new towns were laid under contribution, and the Marquis, partly by persuasion, partly by threat, contrived to raise the Royal benevolence from the people around him. In order to obtain the sum required from Cusco, and also to keep the Indians quiet (for an uncle of Manco Inca had been rebelling lately and endeavouring to persuade his nephew to join in the rebellion), Pizarro resolved to send his brother Fernando to supersede Juan in the government of that city. It is said that the Marquis had respect also to any danger there might be from the smothered discontent of the Mariscal or his followers, and, therefore, wished to have a person of Fernando's weight and authority at the Fernando city which was nearest to Almagro's province. Fernando accepted the charge, and repaired to Cusco. When he arrived there, he found that his brothers Juan and Gonzalo were absent, being engaged in an expedition to chastise some rebel Caciques. Manco Inca was not under any restraint, and Fernando Pizarro did not hesitate to show him much favour, for one of the principal injunctions which had been enforced upon his attention at the Court of Spain, was to look to the good treat Pizarro sent to Cusco. |