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by order of the emperor, caused several persons of the Angeoine faction to be beheaded, our hero would undoubtedly have suffered the same fate, if the governor, feeling for the misfortunes of so great a man, had not saved him. He died a natural death; but some pretend that he was strangled in his bed, having arrived at a very advanced age.

Paul Jove and Philip Thomasini have written his life. The last informs us, that he was of a tall size, had a swarthy countenance, black eyes, beard, and hair.

JOHN GONSALVEZ DE OVIEDO, born at Madrid about 1478, was sent by Ferdinand V. to the island of Haiti, now St. Domingo, as intendant and inspector-general of the trade of the New World, and on his return to Spain published Summario de la Historia general y natural de las Indies Occidentales.

DIEGO D' ALMAGRO, a Spanish commander, of mean descent, who accompanied Pizarro in the expedition against Peru in 1525. He is accused of having had a share in the murder of Atahualpa the inca. In 1535 he took Cuzco, the capital of Chili, and reserved the plunder for himself, which giving offence to Pizarro's brothers, who were there, he made them prisoners, and a civil war ensued. For some time Almagro's party experienced great success, but at length he was taken prisoner, after an obstinate battle. He was kept in confinement several months, and was then brought to his trial, and condemned to be strangled, which he underwent with fortitude in 1538, aged 75.

Almagro was a more amiable, though less able man than his rival. He was brave, open hearted, liberal, unsuspicious, and well formed to gain the attachment of military adventurers, by whom he was generally beloved. He is also said to have acquired the confidence and affection of the poor Indians, who looked to him for protection against the stern and unfeeling Pizarro. His son Diego endeavoured to revenge his father's death, but failed in the attempt, and was beheaded by De Castro in 1542.

FRANCIS PIZARRO, the conqueror of Peru, celebrated rather for his abilities than for his virtues, his glory being tarnished by the cruelties which he practised towards those whom he had conquered. He was the illegitimate son of a gentleman, by a very low woman, and apparently destined by his ungenerous parent not to rise above the condition of his mother, being put to the mean employment of keeping hogs. The genius of young Pizarro disdained this low occupation. He enlisted as a soldier, served some time in Italy, and then embarked for America, which offered at that period a strong allurement to every active adventurer. Distinguished by his utter disdain of every hardship and danger, he was soon regarded, though so illiterate that he was unable to read, as a man formed for com

mand; and being settled in Panama, where the Spanish emigrants had found their sanguine expectations wholly disappointed, he united in 1524, with Diego de Almagro, another military adventurer, and Hernando Lucque, a priest, to prosecute discoveries to the eastward of that settlement. This attempt had frequently been made, but had failed through the inability of the persons concerned in it; it had now fallen into such hands as were calculated to make it successful, and their confederacy was sanctioned by the governor of Panama. The enterprise was begun in a very humble manner. Pizarro set

sail with a single vessel, and from universal ignorance of the climate, at the very worst season of the year, in November, when the periodical winds were precisely against his course. He had no success, nor was his colleague, Almagro, who followed, more fortunate. After undergoing extreme hardships, and obtaining only a glimpse of a better country, the utmost they could do was to establish themselves in an island near the coast. Nothing could deter Pizarro from his enterprise; the refusal of further sanction from the governor, the desertion of all his associates, except thirteen, all was in vain. He remained with his small band, till, in spite of all obstacles, they obtained another vessel, with some reinforcements. They set sail again in 1526, and on the twentieth day after their departure, discovered the fertile coast of Peru. They were too weak to attempt the invasion of an empire so populous, and Pizarro contented himself with carrying back, by means of an amicable intercourse, such specimens of the wealth and civilization of the country as might invite others to accede to the enterprise. Unable to bring the governor of Panama to adopt his views, he returned to Spain, and explaining to that court the magnitude of the object, obtained every grant of authority he could wish, but no other assistance; and, being left to his own resources, could have effected nothing had he not been assisted with money by Cortez, just then returned from Mexico. It was February, 1531, before he and his associates were again able to sail from Panama, on their great undertaking; and then their whole armament consisted of three small vessels and 180 soldiers, thirtysix of whom were horse-men. After subduing the island of Puna in the bay of Guayquil, he reached Tumbez, where he received a reinforcement. Further to the south he established the first Spanish colony in Peru, to which he gave the name of St. Michael. When they landed in Peru, as they had the imprudence to attack the natives, instead of conciliating them, they were at first exposed to famine; and several other calamities. Pizarro, however, had the good fortune to enter Peru when the forces of the empire were divided by an obstinate civil war between Huascar the legitimate monarch, and Atahualpa, commonly called Atabalipa, his half-brother.

By degrees understanding the state of the country, Pizarro engaged to be the ally of Atahualpa, and under that pretence was permitted to penetrate unmolested to Caxamalca, twelve days' journey within the country. He was received pacifically and with state, as the ambassador of a great monarch; but, perfidiously taking advantage of the unsuspecting good faith of Atahualpa, he made a sudden attack, and took him prisoner. The exaction of an immense ransom, the division of which served to invite new invaders; the disgraceful breach of faith by which the king was kept a prisoner after his ransom was paid; and the detestable murder of him, a short time after, under the infamous mockery of a trial; with the insults superadded by bigotry, to make him die a Christian, without being able to comprehend the faith; all contribute to accumulate disgrace upon the head of the treacherous and unfeeling conqueror, and form such odious additions to the reproachful scenes acted by the Spaniards in America, as nothing can palliate or obliterate. Pizarro, favoured by the distracted state of Peru, which now increased, though Huascar had been put to death by order of his brother, and reinforced by more soldiers from Spain, proceeded in his conquests, and on Jan. 18, 1535, laid the foundation of Lima, called by him and his country-men Cuidad de los Reges. In 1537 he found a new enemy in his original associate Almagro, who claiming Cuzco, the ancient capital of Peru, as belonging to his jurisdiction, got possession of it. This, and other advantages gained by him, at once distressed and roused Pizarro. They came to an engagement in 1538, in which Almagro was defeated and taken prisoner; and, after an interval of confinement, was tried and executed. This was the last of the successes of Pizarro; the son and friends of Almagro conspired against him, and on June 26, 1541, at midday, a time in those hot climates devoted to repose, Herrada, one of the principal Almagrian officers, at the head of eighteen determined associates, sallied out armed from Almagro's house, and proceeded to the palace. They passed unobserved through the outer courts, and were arrived at the foot of the staircase, before an alarm was given. Pizarro, just risen from the table, was in a large hall with some friends. One of these, who came to the top of the stairs to enquire the cause of the tumult, was laid dead, while others escaped through the windows. The conspirators rushed into the hall, Pizarro, with his halfbrother Alcantara, and two faithful adherents, defended the entrance with great resolution. At length Alcantara was killed, the others were mortally wounded, and Pizarro himself, unable through fatigue any longer to parry their weapons, received a thrust full in the throat, fell and expired. He had passed his 63rd year, but was still healthy and robust, and manifested no decay of that vigour and industry which enabled him to

achieve such an important enterprise. His memory lives as a signal contributor to his country's aggrandizement, but blackened with the stain of atrocious cruelty and perfidy.

CAPILLANA, a Peruvian princess, who having become a widow very young, retired from court to a house she had in the country; scarcely was she established there, when Pizarro appeared upon the coast. Having sent his people to reconnoitre the country, they penetrated to the retreat of Capillana, who gave them all the succours they wanted; and expressed a desire to see their general. Pizarro came, and an attachment soon took place between them. He knew all the advantages of such a conquest; and profiting by his ascendancy over the heart of Capillana, persuaded her to embrace the Christian faith; but the young princess was not easily convinced, and he left off the attempt, yet afterwards applying herself to study the Spanish language, she became a convert. On the death of Pizarro, she retired again to her retreat, and sought consolation in the knowledge she had acquired. In the library of the dominicans of Peru, a manuscript of her composition is preserved, in which is painted, by her hand, ancient Peruvian monuments, each accompanied with a short historical explanation in the Castilian language. There is also a representation of many of their plants, with curious dissertations on their merits and properties.

DON JUAN DE PADILLA, the leader of a popular insurrection in Castile against the ministers of Charles V., was the eldest son of the commendator of Castile. When the cortes, or parliament of Spain, assembled in Gallicia, and had voted the emperor a free gift, without obtaining the redress of grievances under which the nation laboured, the citizens took up arms, gained possession of Castile, established a popular form of government, and chose Padilla as their leader. He was well qualified for the duties imposed upon him, and his zeal was animated by that of his wife, Maria de Pacheco, a lady of noble birth, great abilities, and unbounded ambition. The regent, cardinal Adrian, having sent a body of troops under Ronquilo for the reduction of the revolted citizens, Padilla came to their assistance with a considerable reinforcement, and gave Ronquilo a defeat. He then, in concurrence with the other leaders, appointed a general convention of the malcontents, to be held at Avila. In this assembly, deputies appeared from all the cities entitled to representation in the cortes, and formed a solemn league of mutual defence under the title of the junta. They placed the queen dowager Joanna, who was almost in a state of mental debility, at the head of the government, renounced the authority of the regent, and carried on all their operations in her name. Padilla next proceeded to Valladolid, where he reduced Adrian to the condition of a private person, and

seized upon the archives and seals of the kingdom. The junta then drew up a remonstrance, containing a statement of grievances, with demands for redress, which struck no less at the privileges of the nobility than at the prerogatives of the crown; and thereby produced an union of the nobles with the royalists. The junta, at first, jealous of the popularity of Padilla, substi tuted at the head of a large army Don Pedro de Giron, a nobleman high in rank, but wholly unequal to the trust committed to him. Through his unskilfulness the person of the queen was recovered by the royalists, together with the seals and public archives, and several of the members of the junta were made prisoners. Padilla was now raised to the chief command, and was for a time successful in various small encounters, but at length the royal army advanced upon him, in April 1521, and put his troops to flight almost without resistance. Padilla attempted, but in vain, to rally them, and resolved not to survive the ruin of his party. He rushed among the thickest of the foe, was wounded and made prisoner, together with all his principal officers. On the next day, without the form of trial, he was led to execution. He viewed the instruments of death without terror or dismay, and having written manly and elegant letters to his wife, and to the city of Toledo, he quietly submitted to his fate. When the sentence was read proclaming them as traitors, one of his fellow-sufferers betrayed emotions of indignation. Padilla restrained him, observing, "that yesterday was the time to have acted with the spirit of gentlemen; to day that of dying with the meekness of Christians."

DONNA MARIA PACHECO, wife of Padilla, a young nobleman, who was at the head of the confederacy in Castile, during the minority to Charles V., which was called the Holy Junta, raised to recover those laws and liberties, the Castilians had always prized so highly. On the ill conduct of one of their generals, they were much discomfited, and in great distress for money. Donna Maria, a woman of noble birth, great abilities, and unbounded ambition, superior to the prejudices of the age, proposed to seize all the rich and magnificent ornaments in the cathedral of Toledo; but lest that action should offend the people, by an appearance of impiety, she and her retinue went to the church in a solemn mourning procession, and implored pardon of the saints, whose shrines she was about to violate. By this artifice, she procured a considerable sum of money for the Junta, without paining the minds of the pious. Their general, the young and generous Padilla was however taken prisoner, and condemned to death, which he bore with Christian magnanimity. He wrote an affectionate letter to his wife, in which he tells her the bitterest pang of death is the grief she will suffer on the occasion; yet he exhorts her to consider it as his deliverance. This blow

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