AMERICA. 223 



marriage sprung Atabaiipa. His elder brother, named Huescar, of 

 a different mother, had claimed the succession to the whole of his 

 father's dominions, not excepting Quito, which devolved on the young- 

 er by a double connection. A civil war had been kindled on this ac- 

 count, which, after various turns of fortune, and greatly weakening 

 the kingdom, ended in favour of Atabaiipa, who detained Huescar, 

 as a prisoner, in the tower of Cusco, the capital of the Peruvian em- 

 pire In this feeble and disjointed state was the kingdom of Peru 

 when Pizarro advanced to attack it. The ominous predictions of re- 

 ligion, too, as in most other cases, joined their force to human calami- 

 ties. Prophecies were recorded, dreams were recollected, which fore- 

 told the subjection of the empire by unknown persons, whose descrip- 

 tion exactly corresponded to the appearance of the Spaniards. In these, 

 circumstances, Atabaiipa, instead of opposing the Spaniards, set him- 

 self to procure their favour. Pizarro, however, whose temper par- 

 took of the meanness of his education, had no conception of dealing 

 gently with those he called barbarians, but who, however, though less 

 acquainted with the cruel art of destroying their fellow-creatures, 

 were more civilized than himself. While he was engaged in confer- 

 ence, therefore, with Atabaiipa, his men, as they had been previously 

 instructed, furiously attacked the guards of that prince, and, having 

 butchered 5000 of them, as they were pressing forward, without re- 

 gard to their particular safety, to defend the sacred person of their mo- 

 narch, seized Atabaiipa himself, whom they carried off to the Spanish 

 quarters. Pizarro, with the sovereign in his hands, might already be 

 deemed the master of Peru ; for the inhabitants of this country were 

 as strongly attached to their emperor as were the Mexicans. Ataba- 

 iipa was not long in their hands before he began to treat for his ran- 

 som. On this occasion the ancient ornaments, amassed by a long 

 line of magnificent kings, the hallowed treasures of the most sumptu- 

 ous temples, were brought out to save him, who was the support of 

 the kingdom, and of the religion. While Pizarro was engaged in this 

 negociation, by which he proposed, without releasing the emperor, to 

 get into his possession an immense quantity of his beloved gold, the 

 arrival of Almagro caused some embarrassment in his affairs. The 

 friendship, or rather the external show of friendship, between these 

 men, was solely founded on the principle of avarice, and a bold en- 

 terprising spirit, to which nothing appeared too dangerous that might 

 gratify their ruling passion. When their interests, therefore, happen- 

 ed to interfere, it was not to be thought that any measures could be 

 kept between them. Pizarro expected to enjoy the most considerable 

 share of the treasure arising from the emperor's ransom, because he 

 had the chief hand in acquiring it. Almagro insisted on being upon 

 an equal footing ; and at length, lest the common cause should suffer 

 by any rupture between them, this disposition was agreed to. The 

 ransom was paid without delay, a sum exceeding their conception, 

 but not sufficient to gratify their avarice. It amounted to 1,500,000/. 

 sterling, and, considering the value of money in Europe at that time, 

 was prodigious : on the dividend, after deducting a fifth for the king 

 of Spain, and the shares of the chief commanders and other officers, 

 each private soldier had about 2000/. With such fortunes it was not 

 to be expected that a mercenary army would incline to be subjected 

 to the rigours of military discipline. They insisted on being disband- 

 ed, that they might enjoy the fruits of their labour in quiet. Pizarro 

 -omplied with this demand, sensible that avarice would still detain «. 



