VI. 1550. Feb. 1. and fets out for Spain. BOOK committed the government of Peru to the court of audience, and fet out for Spain. As, during the anarchy and turbulence of the four laft years, there had been no remittance made of the royal revenue, he carried with him thirteen hundred thousand pefos of public money, which the economy and order of his administration enabled him to fave, after paying all the expences of the war. His reception there. He was received in his native country with univerfal admiration of his abilities, and of his virtue. Both were, indeed, highly confpicuous. Without army, or fleet, or public funds; with a train fo fimple, that only three thousand ducats were expended in equipping him, he fet out to oppose a formidable rebellion. By his address and talents he supplied all those defects, and feemed to create inftruments for executing his defigns. He acquired fuch a naval force, as gave him the command of the fea. He raised a body of men able to cope with the veteran bands which gave law to Peru. He vanquished their leader, on whofe arms victory had hitherto attended, and in place of anarchy and ufurpa tion, he established the government of laws, and the authority of the rightful fovereign. But the Fernandez, lib. ii. c. 18. praise VI. 1550. praise bestowed on his abilities was exceeded BOOK by that which his virtue merited. After refiding in a country where wealth presented allurements which had feduced every person who had hitherto poffeffed power there, he returned from that trying station with integrity not only untainted but unfufpected. After diftributing among his countrymen poffeffions of greater extent and value than had ever been in the difpofal of a fubject in any age or nation, he himself remained in his original state of poverty; and at the very time when he brought fuch a large recruit to the royal treasury, he was obliged to apply by petition for a small sum to discharge fome petty debts which he had contracted during the course of his fervice. Charles was not infenfible to fuch difinterested merit. Gafca was received by him with the moft diftinguishing marks of efteem, and being promoted to the bishopric of Palencia, he paffed the remainder of his days in the tranquillity of retirement, respected by his country, honoured by his fovereign, and beloved by all. NOTWITHSTANDING all Gafca's wife regulations, the tranquillity of Peru was not of long continuance. In a country, where the authority of government had been almost forgotten MS. penes me. VI. BOOK during the long prevalence of anarchy and mifrule, where there were disappointed leaders 1550. ripe for revolt, and feditious foldiers ready to follow them, it was not difficult to raise combuftion. Several fucceffive infurrections defolated the country for fome years. But as thofe, though fierce, were only tranfient storms, excited rather by the ambition and turbulence of particular men, than by general or public motives, the detail of them is not the object of this hiftory. These commotions in Peru, like every thing of extreme violence either in the natural or political body, were not of long duration, and by carrying off the corrupted humours which had given rife to the disorders, they contributed in the end to ftrengthen the fociety which at first they threatened to deftroy. During their fierce contests, several of the first invaders of Peru, and many of thofe licentious adventurers whom the fame of their fuccefs had allured thither, fell by each other's hands. Each of the parties, as they alternately prevailed in the struggle, gradually cleared the country of a number of turbulent fpirits, by executing, profcribing, or banishing their opponents. Men lefs enterprising, lefs defperate, and more accustomed to move in the path of fober and peaceable induftry, fettled in Peru; and the royal authority was gradually established as firmly there as in the other Spanish colonies. BOOK VII. s the conqueft of the two great empires of Mexico and Peru forms the most splendid and interesting period in the hiftory of America," a view of their political institutions, and a defcription of their national manners, will exhibit the human species to the contemplation of intelligent observers in a very fingular stage of its progrefs'. BOOK VII. Peru more than other WHEN compared with other parts of the New Mexico and World, Mexico and Peru may be confidered as polished polished states. Instead of small, independent, parts of hoftile tribes, ftruggling for fubfiftence amidst * See NOTE XXIX. America. woods VII. BOOK woods and marshes, ftrangers to industry and arts, unacquainted with fubordination, and almoft without the appearance of regular government, we find countries of great extent fubjected to the dominion of one fovereign, the inhabitants collected together in cities, the wisdom and forefight of rulers employed in providing for the maintenance and fecurity of the people, the empire of laws in fome measure established, the authority of religion recognized, many of the arts effential to life brought to fome degree of maturity, and the dawn of fuch as are ornamental beginning to appear. The infe riority to of the an nent. BUT if the comparison be made with the the nations people of the ancient continent, the inferiority of America in improvement will be confpicuous, and neither the Mexicans nor Peruvians will be entitled to rank with thofe nations which merit the name of civilized. The people of both the great empires in America, like the rude tribes around them, were totally unacquainted with the useful metals, and the progrefs which they had made in extending their dominion over the animal creation was inconfiderable. The Mexicans had gone no farther than to tame and rear turkeys, ducks, a fpecies of fmall dogs and rabbits". Herrera, dec. 11. lib. vii. c. 12. By |