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.

BooK v~ .Royal CommentarieJ~ Barco his 6ompan~ion, 'with many othér Gerldemen of the F,amilies. of Alvdr.J(; and Chaves; ahd other pérfons of Q!ality engaged i~ .the Conqueíl: of chofe King~ doms, who were .ali, -or che moft .of them., Nauves of Eftremadura; , and for thac reafon many Smtldiers bom in that Prnyince, following cheir Countrey-men of note; \vere employéd in that Emerpri ze : wherefore, in honour theréunto,' we oughc .not. to cover che names of füch Soh .5.in obfcuricy,, w ho líave íigrialízed cbem- felv~ to che World }iyfuch Heroick Aé tiQn s~ Gonfalo Pifarro was of che name of rhe P.i~arro's; which is a .Family of ancient.bkmd, i!lufüious and well known over all Spain ; Don Remando Corte~, who was Mar.quis Pd Vallr., was by:tbe Mo~ ther-fide óf that Farntly, called Do nna, f:.atalina Piyarro ; Jo that thisJJineage is worthy ofhonour, béing cncitled to e.he C~nqueíl: of two Empires. - - · _ . Be6des che Antiquity of chis Fam ily, Gon¡alo Pi¡arro and his Breichers werethe Sons of Gon¡alo Pi¡arro, a Captain of che Guards in che Kingdom of Na:1wre; which is an Office of great reputation in that Countrey, for that ali the Souldiers thereof are to be Gentlemen ,of ancient Families, or fuch as have obtained thiS Honour by fome great and heroick Aétion : the which Office is of fo great. eíl:eem; that, ca my knowledge, a Grandée of Spain, call:ed .bón Alonfo F#rñdndei. •de Cordoua, and Figueha, Marquis De Priego, Chief of che Houfe of Aguilar, avai- led himfelf much on th~ Honour of being Captain QÍ ,l:Iorfe _ln th_e Kingdom af Navarre, which Office he continued uncill che day of his death; and was much honoured by all the Sbuldiers of thofe parts¡ . . : . .. . . 'Gon¡alo Pi¡arro wa'S a very comely perfon ín the íhape of his Body, of a pleafing countenance, of a confirmed health, and one who could endure ali hardfhips, as hath been proved by chis Hiílory : He was an excellent Horfeman in both Saddles, either riding íhort , or with long Stirrups; he was an excellent Markef- man, either with Gun or Croís-bow: with a black-lead Pencil he could dmv any thing in the Wall which he defüed; and wa~ the moíl: dexterous with his Lance of any man tbat ever paífed iñto che ~ew World, t>f which many famou~ men of chofe times give teíl:imony. He was a greac lóver of good Horfes, and kept many of them in his Stables. At che beginning of che Conqueft he had cwo of a Cheft-nut colour, one of which he called the Clown > becaufe he was not well íhaped, but very good for fervice, che othei" he called Zaynil!o. Sorne Gencle! men of that time being in converfacion togecher, one of them wl10 had been á Companion with Gonfalo Pi¡arro gave this Charaéter of him, which 1 heard from his own mouch. Wfien Gonfalo Pif afro, füd he, was mounted on bis Zaynillo he no-more-valued a Squadr.on of Jndians, than if chey had been a Í\Vapn oLFlies; he was of a noble nacure, clear and fincere, without malice, fraud or deligns : he wás a man of truth, confident of bis friend and of chofe whóm he tbought ro be fo, which proved bis ruine. And becaufe he was a man withouc cheats o.r fraud, he was judged by Writers to be weale in hís underíl:an~ing.: but they doe him wrong~ for certainly he was of a clear head , and naturally mclmed tu verme and lionour . he was of an affable difpoíicion, and generally beloved borh by friends and ene~ mies ; and, in íhort, ·.,was endued with all the noble Q!alícies, which becomé a grea~ Perfo~. As to +iche~ gained by bis own induíl:ry; we.may p'roperly fay ; dlat he wás Maíl:er of ali tne wealth of Peru, which he poffeíled and governed for a· long time, and with fo much juíl:ice and equicy, t~at che Prefi9enc did him the right tp praife and commend his Government, as we have befare declared: He conferred upon others great and large proporcions of Land, and jurifdiétion ·over Indians, that many of them amounted unto ten, others to cwency and thirtY thoufand pieces of Eight ofyearly revenue : he was a very good Chrifüan, ahd zea- lou{ly devoted to our Lady che Virgin Mary, Mother of God, as che Preftdenc gave teíl:imony in che Letter which he wrote. He never denyed any ching which was asked for che fake of our Lady, though óf never fo great án importante: which hfing known to francifco de Carw.jal and his Officers.; when they had a mind to. puc any man ro death, chey would never fuffer his Pecition co come to che ears of Pi¡arro, )eft they íhould ask a thing in the name of our Lady, for whoíe fake he was refolved to deny nothing. He was much beloved for his moral Vermes and military Exploics: And though it was convehient for the Servicé of his Ma- jeíly to cake away bis life, yet generally his death was lamented for che many Ex-: cellencies with which he was endued 5 fo thac I never h,eard any tha~ fpake ill of him , but all well and with great refpeét_, as became. a Su¡:ierimm And whereas Palrnrino faith , that many gave their opinion, and did earneílly infiít, that he · Qq q q ¡¡ fhoü\d