Complete Works of Edmund Burke

by Edmund Burke

  “Let them go, says he, they cannot do us better service; here we shall have them mutinous and cowardly soldiers, at home they will act for us as recruiting officers with great success; for when it shall be seen that common soldiers of so little merit as they, have made such large fortunes, we shall not long want better men to supply their places.”

  The desire of the soldiers was complied with, and as many as chose to go, who were no inconsiderable number, departed. In due time the sagacious prophecy of Pizarro was accomplished, and their army never wanted reinforcements.

  CHAP. XVI.

  IN the mean time the unfortunate Atabalipa, the greatness of whose ransom only convinced the Spaniards of the necessity of never releasing him, endeavoured to take advantage of his captivity, to know the genius and manners of this people. Amongst all their accomplishments, there was nothing he so much admired as the art of reading and writing. This appeared almost incomprehensible to him, though he saw clearly the use of it. He was at a loss to know whether he should consider it as a natural endowment, or as an acquisition of art. To discover this, he one day desired a soldier to write the name of God upon his nail: he carried this about the army, desiring several to explain it, which they all did, to his wonder and satisfaction. At last he shewed it to Pizarro, but Pizarro blushed, and could make nothing of it. The ynca then perceived it was no natural gift, but owing to education; the want of which he thus discovered in Pizarro, and slighted him for it. This mortified the general, and his disgust, joined to his natural cruelty, and a policy he thought he saw in the proceeding, made him hasten the fate he had some time before determined for his unhappy prisoner. That nothing might be wanting to the boldness and atrociousness of their barbarity, they proceeded against him by way of trial, and by the forms of law.

  A charge was exhibited, digested under several heads. 1st, For being an idolater. 2dly, For having many concubines. 3dly, For wasting the treasures of the kingdom, and raising taxes since the coming in of the Spaniards. And lastly, For the murder of his brother Huescar. An attorney general was appointed to manage the accusation, and an advocate appointed from amongst themselves assigned for his defence. In vain did the more numerous and better part of the army protest against this proceeding, and lodge an appeal to Spain; in vain did they alledge their want of power to judge a foreign prince for any crimes, and the absurdity of the crimes with which this prince was charged. Before such judges, and with such an advocate to defend him, the ynca was condemned to be buried alive. To compleat this violation and mockery of all laws, human and divine, the same father Vincent, who had so signalized himself upon a former occasion, was sent to comfort and instruct him in his last moments. The chief argument which he used to convert him to christianity was, that on his embracing the faith, instead of being burned, his sentence should be mitigated to strangling. This prince submitted to baptism, and was immediately strangled in prison. Pizarro gave the final stroke to his hardened and shameless villainy, by giving him a magnificent funeral, and going into mourning.

  The death of the ynca was no sooner spread abroad, than the principal nobility at Cusco set up the brother of Huescar; Pizarro set up a son of Atabalipa; and two generals of the Peruvians set up for themselves. Thus was this wretched country torn to pieces at once by foreigners, and by a domestic war amongst themselves. Yet such is the preference of any sort of spirit roused within a nation, to a lethargic inactivity, that the Peruvians gained some considerable advantages over the Spaniards, even in this distracted condition, and took several prisoners, amongst whom was the attorney general, whom they put to the death he deserved without any great formality. The rest of the prisoners, as soon as they were informed of their having protested against the emperor’s death, they generously relieved. These advantages gained by the Peruvians, made the Spaniards listen to a treaty; for Pizarro was equally ready at all times to make a peace, or to break it, as his affairs required. He made use of this interval to settle the Spaniards in the country. It was now that he laid the foundations of the famous city of Lima. But as soon as he judged himself in a condition to prosecute it, he renewed the war with the Indians, and after many difficulties, made himself master of Cusco, then the capital of the empire.

  But whilst he was thus by force and fraud establishing himself every where, the whole fabric of his designs was shaken by a fresh dispute between him and his collegue Almagro. These commanders had little mutual affection, and less confidence in each other’s honour and integrity; for similarity of manners is no ground of friendship, but where the manners are good in themselves. Their common necessities, it is true, obliged them for a time to keep a fair appearance; but each satisfied of the other’s ill intentions, watched an opportunity of being before-hand in some sinister advantage. New grants and supplies had lately arrived from Spain. Pizarro obtained two hundred leagues along the sea-coast, to the Southward of his former government. Almagro had a grant of two hundred more to the Southward of Pizarro’s. Judging, or pretending he judged, that the wealthy and important city of Cusco was not included within Pizarro’s grant, he immediately ceased to act in subordination to him, and claimed this city as his property. Pizarro’s brother, who commanded for him there, absolutely refused to deliver up the place. Almagro insisted on it with equal obstinacy, and they were on the point of deciding the dispute by the sword, when Pizarro, the moment he had notice of the quarrel, came from Lima, where he was at that time indisposed, notwithstanding his infirmity, with incredible expedition to Cusco. He told his collegue, that he was not unable nor afraid to support the justice of his claim by arms; but he chose rather to convince him by reason; that the ties which subsisted between them and their common necessities, would always touch him with concern to be compelled to violent courses; which, however they might end in favour of one of them rather than the other, would certainly be much more in favour of the common enemy. He demonstrated to him, that Cusco was indubitably within his (Pizarro’s) government, and ended in assuring him, that as he would defend his own right with all his force, so he was equally willing to employ all that force, with all his treasure, and all his council, and whatever assistance he could give, to put Almagro into possession of whatever was really his right; that this lay yet more to the Southward than Cusco, and was a country no way inferior in it’s riches, and the easiness of the conquest.

  This timely appearance of Pizarro, his dexterous management, and judicious mixture of firmness and flexibility, made such an impression upon Almagro, that he was once more reconciled; and adding as many of Pizarro’s troops to his own as he judged necessary, he penetrated with great danger and difficulty into Chili, losing many of his men whilst he passed over mountains of an immense height, and always covered with snow. He succeeded notwithstanding in a good measure in his designs, for he reduced a valuable and considerable part of that country.

  There was undoubtedly in the four hundred leagues which Pizarro had sollicited for himself, enough of land to satisfy any reasonable ambition, and something to spare, to secure the quiet possession of the rest; but his eagerness after a large territory, made him blind to the folly of dividing his troops, and sending Almagro upon a wild distant expedition; and yet he considered this as a master-piece of policy. A little time, however, convinced him to the contrary. No sooner did the ynca perceive this division of the Spanish troops, than he desired leave from Pizarro’s brother, who managed affairs for him at Cusco, to assist at a solemn festival of this nation, which was to be held at some distance. This feast was in reality a sort of an assembly of the states of the kingdom. The ynca having obtained permission to assist at it, made use of this opportunity to represent to his subjects in the most pathetic manner, the misery to which the nation was reduced; the settlement of the Spaniards, the cities they had built, the garrison they kept at Cusco, and the guard they had on his own person. That for their sakes he was now resolved to hazard that person, and every thing that was dear to him; that now was the time to make an effort with success, when their enemies, divided
amongst themselves, had separated in search of other kingdoms, to satisfy an ambition that nothing could satiate. The whole assembly united in these sentiments; they roused the country every where, and the Spaniards who remained in Peru were not able to prevent the ynca from laying siege to Cusco, with an army of two hundred thousand men. The garrison under Ferdinand Pizarro, though consisting of no more than seventy men, yet with their artillery, the sallies made with their horse, and assisted by the ignorance of the Peruvians in carrying on a siege, their defence was as successful as it was brave.

  News was brought to Almagro of the dangers to which Cusco was exposed, and the universal insurrection of the Peruvians. Relinquishing his new conquests, he hasted back to preserve his old with great expedition; though on his return he suffered as much from drought and heat, as in his progress he had endured from cold. At his approach the Indians raised the siege, and he was joyfully received into Cusco by Ferdinand Pizarro, and the garrison, almost exhausted by the length of the defence.

  After all these long and laborious marches▪ Almagro was extremely fatigued, and though• it hard, that now in the wane of his life he should be driven with infinite toil upon new conquests, while Pizarro sate down at eas• to enjoy alone the fruits of their common labours. He resolved to renew his claim t• Cusco; he had now a sort of right to it by having raised the siege, and he had a strength sufficient to support that right. Ferdinand and Gonzalo, the two brothers of Pizarro making some opposition, were thrown int• prison, and their little army either joined him or shared the same fate.

  Pizarro, unacquainted with the arrival of Almagro, or the step he had taken, had got together an army for the relief of Cusco, who were near the town before they found they had an enemy of any other sort than the Indians to contend with. Almagro, after having tried in vain to seduce their fidelity, engaged and routed them. On this advantage, his friends represented to him that now was the happy hour of his fortune, and that he ought to employ it to establish himself beyond all possibility of being moved. That he ought to put the Pizarros, his prisoners, to death, and march directly to Lima, to seize upon his rival, who never could be heartily reconciled to him, and whilst he remained in possession of the sea-coast, could never want means of making his enmity terrible. Almagro had humanity enough to reject the first part of this counsel, and weakness enough not to hearken to the last. If he marched into another’s government, he trembled at the name of a rebel; and for fear of the name exposed himself to suffer the punishment of the thing; not considering, that having once embrued his hands in civil blood, he ought never to stop till his end was gained; that conquest alone could decide the question of their right; and that he who had the greater force, would have the best means of protection, if he was in the wrong. Whilst he deliberated what course to take, Gonzalo Pizarro made his escape with an hundred of those who were affected to his cause.

  It was the interest of Pizarro, who found himself in no condition to carry on the war, yet possessed all the means of being reinforced, to keep matters from coming to an extremity, as it was Almagro’s to bring them to a speedy issue; and in this knowledge of the management of time, when to lie by to gain it, and when to use the present moment, the great skill in business, so little understood, depends almost entirely. Pizarro had recourse to the old way of treaty; he promised largely, he offered a sea-port, and agreed to submit the decision of all their disputes to the royal audience; but as a preliminary, he insisted on the release of his brother Ferdinand. Experienced as Almagro was in Pizarro’s faith, he gave up the only pledge that could secure it. The moment Gonzalo was released, he was put at the head of the reinforcements Pizarro had long expected, and now received; and as he was a man of capacity, he prepared to act with vigour. The treaty was forgot.

  The country which held for Almagro was separated from that which Pizarro possessed, by vast mountains passable only in some steep and dangerous defiles. Almagro’s counsellors advised him by all means to post his troops in such a manner as to oppose his enemies in those passes; but so infatuated was he with a false security, that he refused to send any troops to occupy those important posts, which were seized by the enemy without the least opposition. He had, however, one resource left, and that a good one. The town of Cusco was well fortified, had a good garrison, and the enemy was ill provided for carrying on the siege. But as he had prejudiced his affairs before by dilatory measures, he now compleatly ruined them by precipitation and temerity. He turned his back upon the advantages of his situation, and resolved, contrary to the opinion of all his officers, to hazard his fortune in the field; confident of his own superiority, and full of contempt of the enemy, whom he believed to be raw troops; but he found too late, that they were veterans of great bravery, and exact discipline. The engagement was warm; in which Almagro and his troops behaved in such a manner as not to disgrace their former exploits; but after a gallant struggle, they were in the end entirely defeated. Almagro himself was taken prisoner, and fell, at the age of seventy-three years, a victim to a rashness scarce excuseable in a young soldier; but to the last degree blameable in an experienced commander, who being supposed to have long established his reputation for courage beyond all doubt, ought to model his conduct only by hie own experience, and the circumstances of the affair in which he is engaged.

  Pizarro having got the rival, who had caused him so many apprehensions, into his hands, resolved to shew him no mercy. In spite of Almagro’s age, which, as it might remove his fears, ought to have given room for pity; in spite of their common warfare, their dangers and triumphs; in spite of every sentiment of gratitude for what this unfortunate man had contributed to his greatness, and in spite of his late mercy to his brother; all which were pathetically and strongly urged by Almagro, to suffer an old man, and a prisoner too, after so many fruitless toils, to die quietly in his bed, Pizarro was deaf to every thing but a barbarous policy, which made him submit every virtue to the securing the meanest part of his designs. Almagro was formally tried, sentenced, and then strangled in prison. His body was afterwards beheaded publickly on a scaffold, and for a long time denied burial. A negro slave interred it by stealth. Amidst the pity which this barbarous execution caused, people could not forbear recollecting the unhappy fate of Atahualpa, and the share which Almagro had in it.

  CHAP. XVI.

  WHILST this civil war raged, the ynca took a very extraordinary resolution. He disbanded his troops, and retired to the mountains;

  “Because, says he, whilst we are in arms, their fear of us will be a means of uniting the Spaniards, but if we disperse, they will certainly destroy each other.”

  A resolution this, which at first view, has something masterly, but it is only when viewed in one light. When their natural prince is fled, the people who must be governed, may give the reins of government into the hands of the enemy. An army once dispersed is got together again with great difficulty; and on the other hand, a civil war is by no means a certain destruction to those who are engaged in it: and indeed by the reason of the thing, and by the event, it was an ill-judged step, the scheme of a barbarous prince, who was far from being a consummate politician.

  It was very ruinous to the Peruvians, that happening to be divided amongst themselves when the Spaniards came in, they suffered them to interfere in their parties; but it was of yet worse consequence, that when the Spaniards were afterwards divided, they interfered themselves in the Spanish parties. Almagro and Pizarro had armies of Indians, by which those people were habituated to obey them, and to be interested in their success; this, joined to the want of any regular plan of defence on the part of their king and commanders, subdued that empire to Pizarro with small trouble, if we consider the greatness of the object. But having atchieved so great a conquest, it only made Pizarro acquainted with other great tracts which were rich, and might be added to them. He followed the tracks of Almagro into Chili, and reduced a considerable part of the country. Orellana, one of his commanders, passed the Andes, and sailed down to the mouth of the river
of Amazons; an immense navigation, which discovered a rich and delightful country, but as it is mostly flat, and therefore not abounding in minerals, the Spaniards then, and ever since, neglected it.

  The death of Almagro, and the influence it had upon the conduct of Pizarro, is a striking example how necessary it is for a great man to have an awe upon him from some opposition, that may keep his prudence alive, and teach him to have a watch upon his passions. Not content with a territory upwards of eight hundred leagues long, and of a prodigious breadth, riches such as none of the kings of his country had ever possessed, a jurisdiction little less than royal, and an absolute security by the extinction of the only person who had any pretensions against him, either through a jealousy which often haunts the happiest fortune, or through a pride which cannot bear even the appearance of any who had once withstood his power, he took a resolution entirely to cut off all that had ever adhered to his rival; he did not know when the issue of blood ought to be stopped; nor that examples of severity on a few create terror and submission, but that threats of general destruction produce nothing but despair and desperate resolutions. He was not satisfied with putting many to death, but issued a proclamation, inhibiting under the same penalty, that any person should harbour, or even relieve an Almagrian with the necessaries of life. This party was yet numerous, though dispersed and lurking about the country. The heads of them finding that Pizarro was implacable, entered into a conspiracy to murder him. They did not want adherents in the city, so that they found means of concealing themselves until their plot should be ripe for execution; but by some means Pizarro discovered their designs, and suffered them to know he had discovered them. Alarmed at this information, they saw nothing could happen but death at any side. Twelve of the chiefs marched into the streets at noonday, with their swords drawn, crying out,