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the envied wealth of those fertile regions; and the active mind of Cortes began already to form schemes for attempting this important discovery. He did not know, that during the progress of his victorious arms in Mexico, the very scheme of which he began to form some idea, had been undertaken and accomplished by Ferdinand Magellan*. Though an untimely fate deprived this great man of the satisfaction of accomplishing the undertaking, his contemporaries, just to his memory and talents, ascribed to him not only the honour of having formed the plan, but of having surmounted almost every obstacle to the completion of it; and in the present age his name is still ranked among the highest in the roll of eminent and successful navigators. The naval glory of Spain now eclipsed that of every other nation; and by a singular felicity she had the merit, in the course of a few years, of discovering a new continent almost as large as that part of the earth which was formerly known, and of ascertaining by experience the form and extent of the whole terraqueous globe.

At the time Cortes was acquiring such extensive territories for his native country, and prepar ing the way for new conquests, he was represented by ministers in the court of Spain as an undutiful and seditious subject. His conduct in assuming the government of New Spain was declared to be an irregular usurpation, in contempt of royal authority. A person was sent out with full powers to supersede him, and even to send him home prisoner. But Cortes soon prevailed on him to surrender his powers, and in the mean time dispatched deputies to Spain with a pompous account of the

*See Vol. XII. ch. V. of this work.
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VOL. XXIV.

success of his arms, with further specimens of the productions of the country, and with rich presents to the emperor, as the earnest of future contributions from his new conquest; requesting, in recompense for all his services, the approbation of his proceedings; and that he might be intrusted with the government of those dominions, which his conduct and the valour of his followers had added to the crown of Castile. The public voice declared warmly in favour of his pretensions, and the emperor appointed Cortes captain-general and governor of New Spain.

Even before his jurisdiction received this legal sanction, Cortes ventured to exercise all the powers of a governor, and endeavoured to render his conquest a secure and beneficial acquisition to his country. He determined to raise Mexico from its ruins; and having conceived high ideas concerning the future grandeur of the state of which he was laying the foundation, he began to rebuild its capital on a plan which hath gradually formed the most magnificent city in the New World.

It was not, however, without difficulty that the Mexican empire was reduced into the form of a Spanish colony. And to the everlasting infamy of the conquerors, they affected to consider every effort of the Mexicans to assert their own independence, as the rebellion of vassals against their sovereign, or the mutiny of slaves against their master. Under the sanction of those ill-founded maxims, they reduced the common people in the provinces to the most humiliating of all conditions, that of personal servitude. Their chiefs were punished with greater severity, and put to death by the most excruciating tortures. In almost every district of the Mexican empire, the progress of Spanish arms

A. D.

is marked with blood, and with deeds so atrocious as disgrace the enterprising valour that conducted them to success. In the country of Panuco, sixty caziques and four hundred nobles were burnt at one time; and to complete the horror of the scene, the children and relations of the wretched victims were assembled, and compelled to be spectators of their dying agonies. But we will not enlarge on facts which are disgraceful to human nature. The passions of jealousy were revived with still stronger force against Cortes at 1525. home, and Ponce de Leon was sent out to seize his person and send him prisoner to Spain. The sudden death of this man, within a few days after his arrival in New Spain, prevented the exe. cution of this commission. And Cortes immediately set out for Castile, and in the presence of his sovereign vindicated his conduct very successfully. His arrival in Spain removed from the A. D. monarch every suspicion and fear that had 1528. been entertained with respect to his intentions. The sovereign presented him with the order of St. Jago, and the title of marquis del Valle de Guaxana, and a grant of an ample territory in New Spain. But amidst those external proofs of regard, symptoms of distrust appeared. Cortes returned to America, but in the remainder of his life nothing more is remarkable except the discovery of the peninsula of California. He A. D. returned to his native country. But his reception there was unworthy of his great merit. His ancient exploits seemed to be already forgotten the emperor behaved to him with cold civility; his ministers treated him, sometimes with neglect, sometimes with insolence. His grievances received no redress; his claims were

1540.

urged without effect; and, after several years spent in fruitless application to ministers and judges, he ended his days on the second of December in the

A. D. 1547.

sixty-second year of his age. His fate was the same with that of all the persons

who distinguished themselves in the discovery or conquest of the New World: envied by his contemporaries, and ill requited by the court which he served, he has been admired and celebrated by succeeding ages. Which has formed the most just estimate of his character, an impartial consideration of his actions must determine.

CHAP. V.

History of the Conquest of Peru by Pizarro, Almagro, and Luque. Their Character. Pizarro sets off from Panama. Arrives at Tumbez. Delighted with the great Plenty of Gold and Silver. Explores the Country. Returns. Goes to Spain. Invades Peru a second time. Seizes the Gold at Coaque. Meets with Resistance at Puna. Extent of Peru. The Incas. Civil War in the Country. Atahualpa solicits Pizarro's Aid. Visits him, and is taken Prisoner. Offers a Ransom. The Bribe taken, but the Prince detained. The Spaniards share the Money, and basely murder Atuahalpa. Peruvians attack the Spaniards. Almagro penetrates into Chili. Lays claim to Cuzco. Takes Ferdinand Pizarro Prisoner. Releases him. Is made Prisoner by Pizarro, and put to Death. Pizarro's Conduct and Death. Vaca de Castro arrives. His wise and resolute Conduct. Is superseded by Gasca. His benevolent Plans and Disinterestedness. Returns to Spain universally honoured. Institutions and Manners of the Mexicans, and Peruvians. recent Origin of the Mexican Empire. gress of the Mexicans in Civilization. Peruvian Monarchy more ancient. founded in Religion. State of Property among Their public Works and Arts. Roads. Bridges. Buildings. Their unwarlike Spirit.

the Peruvians.

WE

The

The Pro

Religion. Its Policy

E must now resume our chronological history of discoveries in this continent, and we

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