The royal commentaries of Peru : in two parts / written originally in spanish by the Inca Garcilasso de la Vega; rendred into english by sir Paul Rycaut.

- R~yal e ommenta riú. 1 I r -,- -- " 'v\~as no poffibilicy to efcape; he followed Cortes wich che Lance in his hand, and ' paffing over rhe dead bodies, and íuch as were wounded and groaning, he carne " to che Bridge Cabrera, and leaped over ir with his Lance, at which noc onely " che Indians, but the Spaniards were , ~onifhed, for that no orher was able cd " doe che like; fome indeed there wer~ who atcempted ít, but falling fhort chey ·~ were liJfü.,:v :ed. Thijs f4r ~re the V'{ ord~ of Gom4ra. ' ~ } remembet:, wl1en hvas ·a Boy, that I Jla.ve heard che Spaniard1 dífcourfe muc!t of che greac aél:ivlcy of this Gentleman ; and thac che fecond time after M exicó . was fubdued, how he had fet two Marble Pillars at each end of the Arch of che Bridge, for marks of the leap which he had taken ; to which, for che truth of what I have faid, 1 refer my felf, in cafe they be füll remaining, though it is a wonder 1f envy and emulation of chis Age hath noc defuoyed them. . The firíl: time thac chis Don Pedro de A/varado was ac Sevil/e, with deíign to em- bark for che lndie1 , he, with forr¡e orher young Spark$ bis Companions, afcended to che top of che Sceeple of the Greac Churclí to enjoy che Air, and take a view of that moíl: pleafant profpeél:; where feeing a Beam thruíl: out from the Tower of abo fil ten or cwelve Fooc long, and had been chere placed fome f ew days be- fo re for a Scaffold, to mend fome part of che Steeple. One of chofe Gemlemen that was wich him, I <lo not well remember his Name, buc he was a Na ti ve of Cordoua ; knowing how much Don Pedro did boaít, and avail himfelf of his aél:i- vicy, he on a fudden laid aíide bis Sword and Cloak, and withouc fpeakíng a word, went out of che Tower upon the Beam, meafuring of it foot by foor, un- till he carne to the end of ic ; and then mrning abouc, walked back again wirh che fame even fread~neís as befare. Don Pedro ob[erving this bold aél:ion, and .believing that it was onely ro dare him , Ccorned to be out.done; and therefore keeping on boch his Sword and Cloak, threw one end of his Cloak over his left fhoulder, and rhe other part holding cloíe under his righc arme, and his Sword with his lefr ; he in that pollure rnarched fortl;i upon t~e Timber, and rnming t<1 the end chereof, gave a fudden turn rouna: meafuriog it with the fame footing oack untill he carne ro che Tower. Cercainly it was a very,bold and c{aring aél:ion both of one and the other. Ano- ther time it bappened, tbat chis Don Pedro, wich fome orher ofhis yomhfull Com- paÍlions, goipg to HQ(H, met fome Cqumr~Y, fellows, wbo ro ouc-vye each ocher, were jumpí11g over a cercain VVell, rhat was very bread, fome of which leaped over it, pQt fome would noc adventure. At lengrh _ca rne Don Pedro, and he pl:i- ~ing bis feet togerher, ju/1 at the brink of rhe Well; Now, fa id he, rhw were agood ff anding_ju(11p, if I durft a4venture it : With thac he gave a leap, and reached rhe other fide onely wich rhe fpre-part of his feer, and gave again on a fudden a jerk back to che very place where he had caken his leap forwards. Thefe and fuch- like feats of aél:ivity are recoumed of this Gentleman, and others who were ém- ployed in the Conquefr of this new World, as if God, who had rhat grear W rk fer them to doe, had endued them wich abilities of body and mind proporrioned co fo great an enterprize; for if tbe very Journey it felf through chofe unknown parts with peace and quiecnefs, were a matcer of labour and hardfhip; how much more difficulc muíl: it be to pafs chofe Straits and craggy Moumains by force of, Arms? But in reality, it was che Divine Affiflence ;vhich có-operared wirh che :Prowe.fs of thefe Heroes ; for without fuch a miraculous concurrence, humane power coqld never have attained to fuch mighty Archievements. Thus we have rnentioneq fomecliing of che Aél:ivity of A/varado ; bue his Ac1s and Monumenrs of bis Valour are .recorded in the Hiflories which write of Me.t·1'co, Nicarag1!a ~nd Peru, though not fo fully as bis greac Worchinefs deferved. Moreover, he was fo comely a Perfon both Walking, and on Horfe-back, · hac retum.ing one rime from Mexico imo Spain, t0 clear hirníelf of fome Afperfi- dhs whicb bis envious Adverfaries had charged upon bim ; and coming, as his du- ty was, tó kifs che Emperour's hands, and render him an account of his Services: His Majeíl:y being then ac Aranjue~, in one of the Walks of thac Garden, and fee- in0 Don Pedro with a manly gate, and handfome Air coming towards bim, asked who he was ? and being cold that it w4s A/varado ; 'Ihü M an, faid the Emperour, hath not the fafhion and meen of a perfon that can be guifty of fuch allions t1s are chárged upoí'} hi.m: And fo acquitting him of all the calumnies with which he was ílaunder- ti:<l, he gavelhim his hahd co kiís, ~nd received bim ro favour. Ic