It Was Melancholy To Behold The Misery And Desolation Of The Wives And Children Of Those Who Were Thus Massacred, And Whose Houses Were Pillaged Of Every Thing Valuable, As They Went About The Streets Bewailing Their Forlorn Condition.

Some obscure persons[5] carried or dragged the dead body of the marquis to the church, where no one

Dared to give it burial, till one Juan Barbaran and his wife, who had been servants to the marquis, obtained permission from Don Diego, and buried the marquis and his brother as well as they could. They were obliged to hurry over the ceremony as quickly as possible, having hardly time to clothe the body in the habit of St Jago, of which order he was a member, and to put on his spurs according to the usual manner of burying the knights of that order; as they were informed that some of the Almagrians were hastening to the church to cut off the head of the marquis to affix it to the gallows. Barbaran himself performed the ceremonies of the funeral, at which he was sole mourner, and defrayed all the expences from his own funds. He next endeavoured to provide for the security of the children of the marquis, who were concealed in different parts of the city of Lima, now under the absolute controul of the Almagrians.

In this melancholy catastrophe, we have a forcible example of the uncertainty and changeableness of fortune. In a very short space of time, a private individual who held no important office, had discovered a vast extent of country containing powerful kingdoms, of which he made himself master and governor with almost uncontrolled authority, bestowing on several persons such ample fortunes and extensive revenues as none of the richest and most powerful monarchs whom we read of in history had ever given away in so short a time. Yet was this man assassinated by only twelve men at noonday, in the midst of a city the whole inhabitants of which were his creatures, servants, kinsmen, friends, and soldiers, who had all eaten of his bread and subsisted on his bounty, even his own domestic servants and those who were in his house, flying away and abandoning him to his fate. He was interred in the most obscure manner, all his richness and greatness having disappeared, not enough being left to defray the consecrated tapers and other expences of his funeral. The unsearchable ways of Providence are surprisingly illustrated by these events; and particularly, that after all the warnings and just causes of suspicion which had been given him, he refused to take any precautions for his safety which he could have done so easily.

As the discovery and conquest of Peru, the subject of this work, originated from the two captains of whom I have hitherto dicoursed, the Marquis Don Francisco Pizarro, and the President Don Diego de Almagro; it seems proper to attempt giving their portraitures, with some account of their manners and qualifications, imitating in this the example of Plutarch; who, after giving the lives and heroic actions of two great commanders, institutes a comparison between them, shewing how far they resembled and differed from each other. We have already said all that could be learnt respecting their parentage. They were both personally brave and daring, patient of labour, of hale and robust constitutions, and exceedingly friendly, being always ready to do good offices to every one without consideration of expence. In their inclinations and manner of life they very much resembled each other, as neither of them were married, though Almagro attained to seventy-five years of age and the marquis to sixty-five. Both loved war; but Almagro, when not thus employed, willingly devoted himself to the management of his private affairs. They were both advanced in life when they undertook the discovery and conquest of Peru, in which they both encountered great fatigues, as has been formerly mentioned; but the marquis more especially was exposed to great dangers, far beyond those of the president, who remained long at Panama providing all necessaries for the success of the enterprize, while the marquis was actually engaged in the discovery and conquest of the greater part of the country. Both had great souls, continually occupied in vast designs and splendid enterprizes; yet both were of gentle and conciliatory manners, and of easy access to their followers. They were both liberal and generous in their gifts; yet the president loved to have his liberalities known and published to the world; while the marquis carefully concealed his gifts, and expressed uneasiness when they were known or blazed abroad; being more anxious to serve the necessities of those to whom he made them, than to make an ostentatious display of his munificence. One example of this is worthy of being mentioned. He learnt that one of his soldiers had lost a horse, on which occasion he went to a tennis-court belonging to his house, expecting to meet the soldier in that place, carrying with him an ingot of gold of ten pounds weight, which he meant to present him with. Not finding the soldier there, he engaged in a match at tennis without taking off his coat, as he did not wish the ingot should be noticed, which was concealed below his waistcoat. He remained there above three hours, when at length the soldier made his appearance. The marquis then took him aside and gave him the gold, saying that he would rather have given him thrice as much than have been obliged to carry that heavy weight so long.

Many other examples might be given of the secret liberalities of the marquis, who gave all his presents with his own hand that they might not be known. On this account, Almagro was always considered as more liberal, as his gifts were made in an ostentatious manner. They may be considered, however, as perfectly equal in their liberality and munificence; for, as the marquis used to acknowledge that all came from their common funds, being partners and associates in every thing derived from their joint discovery and conquest, the half of all that was given by one belonged to the other, so that he who consented to or participated in the present, was equally generous with the actual donor.

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