praife beftowed on his abilities was exceeded by that which his virtue merited. After reiding in a country where wealth prefented all urements which had feduced every person who had hitherto poffeffed power there, he returned from that trying ftation with integrity not only untainted but unfufpected. After diftributing among his countrymen poffeffions of greater extent and value than had ever been in the disposal of a subject 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 treafury, he was obliged to apply by petition for a small fum to discharge fome petty debts which he had contracted during the course of his fervice. d) Charles was not infenfible to fuch difinterested merit. Gafca was received by him with the moft diftinguifhing marks of efteem, and being promoted to the bifhoprick 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 conntry, where the authority of government was almost forgotten during the long prevalence of anarchy and mifrule, where there were disappointed leaders

d) MS, penes me.

ripe for revolt, and feditious foldiers ready to follow them, it was not difficult to raife combuftion. Several fucceffive infurrections defolated the country for fome years. But as those, though fierce, were only tranfient storms, excited rather by the ambition and turbulence of particular men, than by general or publick motives, the detail of them is not the object of this hiftory. Thefe 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 firft they threatened to deftroy. During their fierce contefts, feveral 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 ftruggle, cleared the country of a greater number, by executing, profcribing, or banifhing their opponents. Men lefs enterprifing, lefs defperate, and more acccustomed 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.

As the conqueft of the two great empires of

་

Mexico and Peru forms the moft fplendid and interefting period in the hiftory of America, a view of their political inftitutions, and a defcription of their national manners, will exhibit the human fpecies to the contemplation of intelligent obfervers in a very fingular ftage of his progress. a)

Mexico and Peru more polifhed than other parts of

America,

Peru may be confi-
Inftead of fmall,

When compared with other parts of the New World, Mexico and dered as polished ftates. independent, hoftile tribes, ftruggling for fubfiftence amidft woods and marfhes, 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 wifdom and forefight of rulers employed in providing for the maintenance and fecurity of the people, the empire of laws in fome measure eftablifned, 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.

a) See NOTE XX.

1

Their inferiority to the nations of the ancient continent.

But if the comparifon be made with the people of the ancient continent, the inferiority of America in improvement will be confpicuous, and neither the Mexicans not 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. b) By this feeble essay of ingenuity, the means of subsistence were rendered fomewhat more plentiful and fecure, than when men depend folely on hunting; but they had no idea of attempting to fubdue the more robuft animals, or of deriving any aid from their ministry in carrying on works of labour. Peruvians feem to have neglected the inferior animals, and had not rendered any of them domeftick except the duck; but they were more fortunate in taming the Llama, an animal peculiar to their country, of a form which bears fome refemblance to a deer, and fome to a camel, and of a fize fomewhat larger than a fheep. Under the protection of man, this fpecies multiplied greatly. Its wool furnifhed the

b) Herrera, dec. II. lib. vii. c. 12.

The

Peruvians with clothing, its flefh with food. It was even employed as a beaft of burden, and carried a moderate load with much patience and docility. e) It was never used for draught; and the breed being confined to the mountainous country, its fervice if we may judge by incidents which occur in the early Spanish writers, was not very extenfive among the Peruvians in their original ftate.

In tracing the line by which nations proceed towards civilization, the difcovery of the ufeful metals, and the acquifition of dominionover the animal creation, have been marked as steps of capital importance in their progress. In our continent, long after men had attained both, fociety continued in that state which is denominated barbarous. Even with all that command over nature which these confer, many ages elapfe, before industry becomes so perfect as to render fubfiftence fecure, before the arts which fupply the wants and furnish the accommodations of life are invented, and before any idea is conceived of the various inftitutions requifite in a well-ordered fociety. The Mexicans and Peruvians, without knowledge of the useful metals, or the aid of domeftick animals, laboured under disadvantages which must have greatly retarded their progrefs, and in their higheft ftate of improvement their powe was fo limited, and their operations fo feeble

e) Vega, p. 1. lib, viii, c. 16, Zarate, lib. i. c, 14.