VI. BOOK pulfed with fuch flaughter, that a great part of their army difperfed, and Almagro proceeded to the gates of Cuzco without interruption. 1537. Takes pof feffion of Cuzco, THE Pizarros, as they had no longer to make head against the Peruvians, directed all their attention towards their new enemy, and took measures to obftruct his entry into the capital. Prudence, however, reftrained both parties for fome time from turning their arms against one another, while furrounded by common enemies, who would rejoice in the mutual flaughter. Different fchemes of accommodation were propofed. Each endeavoured to deceive the other, or to corrupt his followers. The generous, open, affable temper of Almagro gained many adherents of the Pizarros, who were difgufted with their harsh domineering manners. Encou raged by this defection, he advanced towards the city by night, furprised the centinels, or was admitted by them, and investing the house where the two brothers refided, compelled them, after an obftinate defence, to furrender at difcretion, Almagro's claim of jurifdiction over Cuzco was univerfally acknowledged, and a form of administration established in his name ". h Zarate, lib. iii. c. 4. Vega, p. 11. lib. ii. c. 29. 31. Gomara Hift. c. 134. Herrera, dec. 6. lib. ii. c.1—5. Two VI.. 1537. Civil war fuccefs of Two or three perfons only were killed in this BOOK first act of civil hoftility; but it was foon followed by scenes more bloody. Francis Pizarro having dispersed the Peruvians who had invefted and firft Lima, and received fome confiderable reinforce- Almagro, ments from Hifpaniola and Nicaragua, ordered five hundred men, under the command of Alonso de Alvarado, to march to Cuzco, in hopes of relieving his brothers, if they and their garrifon were not already cut off by the Peruvians. This body, which, at that period of the Spanish power in America, must be deemed a confiderable force, advanced near to the capital before they knew that they had any enemy more formidable than Indians to encounter. It was with astonishment that they beheld their countrymen posted on the banks of the river Abancay to oppofe their progrefs. Almagro, however, wifhed rather to gain than to conquer them, and by bribes and promifes endeavoured to feduce their leader. The fidelity of Alvarado remained unshaken; but his talents for war were not equal to his virtue. Almagro amufed him with various movements, of which he did not comprehend the meaning, while a large detachment of July 12. chofen foldiers paffed the river by night, fell upon his camp by furprise, broke his troops before they had time to form, and took BOOK him prifoner, together with his principal VI. 1537. officers i. but does not By the fudden rout of this body, the contest improve his advantages. between the two rivals must have been decided, if Almagro had known as well how to improve as how to gain a victory. Rodrigo Orgognez, an officer of great abilities, who having ferved under the constable Bourbon, when he led the Imperial army to Rome, had been accustomed to bold and decifive measures, advised him instantly to iffue orders for putting to death Ferdinand and Gonzalo Pizarros, Alvarado, and a few other perfons whom he could not hope to gain, and to march directly with his victorious troops to Lima, before the governor had time to prepare for his defence. But Almagro, though he difcerned at once the utility of the counfel, and though he had courage to have carried it into execution, fuffered himself to be influenced by fentiments unlike thofe of a foldier of fortune grown old in fervice, and by fcruples which fuited not the chief of a party who had drawn his fword in civil war. Feelings of humanity restrained i Zarate, lib. iii. c. 6. Gom. Hift. c. 138. Vega, p. 11. lib. ii. c. 32. 34. Herrera, dec. 6. lib, ii. c. 9. him VI. 1537. him from fhedding the blood of his opponents; BOOK and the dread of being deemed a rebel, deterred him from entering a province which the king had allotted to another. Though he knew that arms must terminate the difpute between him and Pizarro, and refolved not to fhun that mode of decifion, yet, with a timid delicacy preposterous at such a juncture, he was fo folicitous that his rival fhould be confidered as the aggreffor, that he marched quietly back to Cuzco, to wait his approach *. of Pizario. PIZARRO was still unacquainted with all the Diftrefs of interesting events which had happened near Cuzco. Accounts of Almagro's return, of the lofs of the capital, of the death of one brother, of the imprisonment of the other two, and of the defeat of Alvarado, were brought to him at once. Such a tide of misfortunes almoft overwhelmed a fpirit which had continued firm and erect under the rudeft fhocks of adverfity. But the neceffity of attending to his own fafety, as well as the defire of revenge, preferved him from finking under it. He took measures for both His artful with his wonted fagacity. As he had the command of the fea-coaft, and expected confiderable fupplies both of men and military stores, it was Herrera, dec. 6. lib. ii. c. 1Q, 11. conduct. VI. 1537 BOOK no less his intereft to gain time, and to avoid action, than it was that of Almagro to precipitate operations, and bring the conteft to a speedy iffue. He had recourfe to arts which he had formerly practifed with fuccefs; and Almagro was again weak enough to fuffer himself to be amused with a profpect of terminating their differences by fome amicable accommodation. By varying his overtures, and shifting his ground as often as it fuited his purpose, sometimes feeming to yield every thing which his rival could defire, and then ratracting all that he had granted, Pizarro dexterously protracted the negociation to fuch a length, that though every day was precious to Almagro, feveral months elapfed without coming to any final agreement. While the attention of Almagro, and of the officers with whom he confulted, was occupied in detecting and eluding the fraudulent intentions of the governor, Gonzalo Pizarro and Alvarado found means to corrupt the foldiers to whose cuftody they were committed, and not only made their efcape themselves, but perfuaded fixty of the: men who formerly guarded them to accompany their flight. Fortune having thus delivered one of his brothers, the governor fcrupled not at one act of perfidy more to procure the release of the Zarate, lib. iii. c. 8. Herrera, dee. 6. lib. ii. c. 14. other. |