PIZARRO, FRANCISCO. 



PIZARRO, FRANCISCO. 



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at this time wu mob u to call for a large measure of reform. 

 The financial system he found on the verge of national bankruptcy ; 

 tbr T.U-m of taxation wai oppressive and capricious ; and high po*U 

 of tho administrative and executive departments were openly bought 

 and aold. Peculation prevailed largely in high quarters ; the army 

 waa filled with meroenarie* ; civilians were excluded from official life; 

 and tho very idea of representation was unkn >wn. The states them- 

 selves were under Austrian protection, and the Austrian government 

 is proverbially jealous of all improvement*, both civil and social. 

 Pius IX. is said to have found on his accession no less than 2000 of 

 his subjects) in exile or in prison, by order of the Austrian authorities. 

 Some attempts at political reform in the Papal States had been made 

 by his predecessor Gregory, but they were set aside by tho civil 

 disturbances of 1880 and 1831. 



The first step of the new pope was to grant an amnesty to all 

 political offenders, to recal the exiles, and to liberate the prisoners. 

 The name of Pius IX. became instantly the watchword of liberality 

 and reform. The first year of his pontificate resulted in a mitigation 

 of the censorship of the press, a relaxation of tho civil disabilities 

 under which Jews and other religious bodies laboured, a better- 

 regulated system of taxation, and a customs-union with the other 

 Italian states, laying as it seemed the foundation of a new era of 

 commerce and national independence. 



In February 1848 however occurred the French revolution which 

 dethroned Louis Philippe. The spirit of republicanism spread through 

 Europe. Unhappily the excitable populace of Home were not satisfied 

 with the reforms which Pius had introduced. On November 15 Couut 

 Rossi, the minister of the pope, was assassinated ; the populace rose, 

 established a republican administration in Rome, and detained the 

 pope himself a prisoner within his own palace. He escaped from 

 Rome in disguise, and took up his abode at Qacta, near Naples. 



In April 1849 a French army, under Marshal Oudinot, advanced 

 against Rome for the purpose of enforcing the pope's restoration. 

 After a siege that lasted from June 3 to July 3 Rome surrendered 

 unconditionally to the French, and was garrisoned by them. It was 

 not till April 12, 1850, that Pius IX. again entered Rome, which was 

 (and is yet) in the military possession of the troops of France, and 

 where Pius has embodied a Swiss guard of considerable strength, and 

 restored to a great extent the old ecclesiastical governments. 



Soon after this event Pope Pius IX. issued a brief restoring a Roman 

 Catholic hierarchy in England. This step led to a violent outbreak of 

 public feelin?, which resulted in passing a bill forbidding the assumption 

 of ecclesiastical titles in England by the papal bishops. Since that 

 time Pius IX. bos spoken in condemnation of the Queen's colleges 

 established in Ireland, and has aided the efforts to found a Roman 

 Catholic university in Dublin under the Very Rev. Dr. Newman. 

 [NEWMAN, J. H.] He also about the same time founded at Rome a 

 college, called after his own name, for the reception of such English 

 clergymen as may seek to be admitted into holy orders of the Roman 

 Church. Another event by which his pontificate will be hereafter 

 signalised in tho history of the world, is the formal definition of the 

 doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, which took place in St. Peter's 

 on December 8, 1854, in the presence and with the concurrence of 

 Roman Catholic bishops from all parts of Christendom. A magnificent 

 pillar has since been erected in Rome in commemoration of the 

 doctrinal decision. He also succeeded in concluding a Concordat with 

 the Austrian government by which tho ecclesiastical privileges wrested 

 from former popes by previous Austrian emperors have been aban- 

 doned, the papal authority has been greatly enlarged, and religious 

 freedom proportionally abridged. 



PIZARRO, FRANCISCO, the discoverer and conqueror of Peru, 

 was the natural son of Gonzalo Pizarro, an officer who served with 

 considerable distinction under the Great Captain in the Italian wars. 

 Gomara relate* that Francisco was born upon the steps of a church, 

 and in his earliest days was suckled by a sow. Garcilnso denies tin*, 

 but all agree that he was born at Truxillo, about the year 1480. His 

 education was so completely neglected, that be never learned to rend 

 or write, and he was employed by his father in tending pigs; but 

 getting tired of bis occupation, he ran away to Seville with some of 

 his companions, became a soldier, and shortly afterwards embarked to 

 try bis fortune in the New World. Tho first occasion on wbich ho 

 gained distinction wu during the expedition of Ojeda to Tierra Firma, 

 in 1510, by whom he was left as his lieutenant in tho new conquest 

 He gained the oonfldenoe of Vasoo Nunez de Balbao, whom he accom- 

 panied in his expedition to Mexico. On these occasions Pizarro 

 showed himself superior to all his companions in courage, enterprise, 

 and powers of endurance, and he became a favourite loader of the 

 soldiers, who never felt so much confidence as when they wore under 

 his order*. 



Pixarro had seen fourteen yean of arduous service, and wu still 

 one of the least wealthy of the Spanish colonists, when he joined 

 Hernando de Luque and Diego de Almagro in tho project of extend- 

 ing the Spanish conquest* along the southern cout. Pizarro and 

 Almagro could only give their personal labour and experience, while 

 tho wealthy priest, their associate, advanced 20,000 ounces of gold 

 towards defraying the expenses of the expedition. Pizarro sailed from 

 Panama in November, 1524, with one small ship, eighty men, and four 

 bones, to attempt the conquest of a great country ; leaving Almagro 



to follow with reinforcements u soon u he could raise them. Pizuro 

 shaped his course to the south east, but having in ignorance selected 

 that period of the year in which the winds and currents were opposed 

 to him, his progress wu very slow. He touched at several places in 

 Tierra Firma, where he found a most uninviting country, the low 

 grounds of which were covered with swamps, the higher with impene- 

 trable forests, having few inhabitants, and those fierce and hostile. 

 Fatigue, famine, and disease having wasted his little band, I'izarro was 

 compelled to wait the arrival of Almagro at Chicama, who at length 

 joined him, having undergone equal hardships. 



With unbroken spirit they decided on their course of action. 

 Pizarro remained at Chicama while Almagro returned for fresh forces, 

 which Luque with difficulty persuaded Pedrarias, the governor of 

 Panama, to furnish. With these reinforcements, in the year 1526, 

 Pizarro advanced from Chicama to the south, and explored the coast of 

 Quito. He entered the bay of Saint Matthew, where ho found ;i 

 country, the inhabitants of which were clothed in garments of woollen 

 and cotton, with ornaments of gold and silver. This country being 

 too populous to attack, Almagro returned to Panama for further aid, 

 and I'izarro retired to a neighbouring island. The new governor of 

 Panama, Pedro de los Rios, not only would not permit any new levies 

 to be made, but sent a vessel to bring away Pizarro and his band. 

 Pizarro refused to obey this order, and drawing a line on the rand 

 with hia sword, desired those who chose to remain with him to cross 

 to his side : thirteen alone of his hardy veterans bad sufficient courage 

 to do so, with whom, and a crew of a vessel subsequently sent to his 

 aid from Panama, he prosecuted his examination of the cout of Peru. 

 He landed at Tumbez, where there was a palace of the Incas, and he 

 ranged for some time peaceably along the coast. The abundance of 

 gold and silver used by the inhabitants not only for ornaments, but 

 for utensils of common use, filled Pizarro and his companions with 

 wonder. 



lie returned to Panama in 1528, having encountered, during his 

 absence of three years, greater hardships and dangers than any other 

 adventurer of the age. The governor was not moved by his accounts 

 of tho opulence of the newly-discovered country, and it was settled 

 by the associates that Pizarro should proceed to Europe to obtain the 

 sanction of the emperor. By his address he succeeded in gaining the 

 attention of Charles V. and his ministers, and without b. stowing a 

 thought upon his associates, he obtained for himself the appointments 

 of governor and captain-general, and adelantado over all the country 

 to be discovered, with supreme authority, both civil and military, 

 stipulating in return to equip a certain force, and remit one-fifth of 

 all the treasure that he should acquire to the crown. I'izarro was so 

 poor, that without the assistance of Cortez he could not have per- 

 formed his part of the agreement, and at length he sailed from Spain 

 with only half the number of men required, among whom were hi.-t 

 three brothers. He returned to Panama in 1530, and having with 

 difficulty effected a reconciliation with Almagro, who was indignant nt 

 his perfidy, he sailed in February 1531, with 186 soldiers, of whom 

 36 were horsemen, leaving Almagro to follow with reinforcements. 



Pizarro first surprised the principal town of the province of Coaque, 

 where he obtained a great booty, which enabled him to despatch two 

 of bis ships to Panama and Nicaragua with remittances, which soon 

 procured him recruits. Proceeding southward he attacked, and, after 

 a fierce resistance, took the island of Puno, in the bay of Guayaquil. 

 At Tumbez he was forced to remain threo months, in consequence of 

 a violent distemper among his men. At tho mouth of the river 1'iura 

 ho founded the first Spanish settlement, and called it San Michael. 

 Fortunately for Pizarro a civil war was at this period raging in Peru 

 between the brothers Atahualpa and Huascar, and each prty requested 

 his as-istance against the other ; Pizarro seized the opportunity, and 

 marched up the country to Caxamarca. Having posted his little band 

 in a strong position, he visited Atahualpa, who was encamped near 

 that city, where the sight of a profusion of the precious metals that 

 he found inflamed his cupidity to such a degree, that he resolved upon 

 a plan as daring as it was treacherous and dishonourable. At a j;i\vii 

 signal, when Atahualpa was returning Pizarro's visit, the Spaniards 

 opened a fire upon the followers of the Juca, the suddenness and 

 surprise of which completely stupified them, and u no resistance wu 

 attempted, Pizarro carried off the unfortunate Atahualpa a prisoner to 

 his quarters, where he was confined in a room 22 feet long by 1 

 broad. Having soon discovered the insatiable avarice of the Span 

 Atahualpa offered as his ransom to fill this room with gold as high as 

 he could reach. The offer wu eagerly accepted by I'izarro, without 

 tho smallest intention of performing his port of the agreement, r. I r 

 the whole wu collected, the soldiers became so excited at the sight of 

 such vut treasure, that it wu found impossible to restrain their im- 

 patience, and after sotting aside the fifth part for the crown, and a 

 share for Almagro's party, 1,528,600 pesos, or ounces, were divided. 

 Pizarro's shore wai 2350 marks of silver, and 57,220 ounces of gold. 

 Having obtained all that he could from Atahualpa, his feelings were 

 soon excited to hatred and a desire of revenge, ou perceiving that he 

 wu an object of scorn and contempt to Atahualpa, who had discovered 

 that Pizarro wu ignorant of the arts that he most admit 1 in tin 

 Spaniards, reading and writing. Pizarro accordingly caused him to 

 be put to death in 1533. The government of Peru was now so far 

 overthrown, and the country so torn by intestine convulsions, that no 



