743 
P E 
of the ftate of the kingdom, and excited his countrymen 
to avenge themfelves of the Spanifh wrongs and cruelty. 
They laid fiege to Cuzco with a large army ; but the 
garrifon under Ferdinand Pizarro, though it corififted of 
only feventy men, was victorious ; chiefly by means of 
their artillery. 
News was brought to Almagro of the danger to which 
Cuzco was expofed, and the general infurreftion of the 
Peruvians. Relinquifhing his new conquefts, he haftened 
back with great expedition. At his approach the Indians 
raifed the fiege, to the joy of the garrifon, who were al- 
inoft exhaufted by the length of the defence. Almagro 
refolved to renew his claims to Cuzco ; he had now a 
fort of right to it by having raifed the fiege, and he had 
ftrength fufficient to fupport that right. Ferdinand and 
Gonzalo, the two brothers of Pizarro, making fome op- 
pofition, were thrown into prifon ; and their little army 
either joined the conqueror, or (hared the fame fate 
Pizarro, unacquainted with the arrival of Almagro, 
had got together an army for the relief of Cuzco, w'ho 
were near the town before they found that they had any 
other enemy than the Indians to contend with. Al- 
inagro, after having in vain tried to feduce their fidelity, 
engaged and routed them. His friends reprefented to 
him that now was the hour of his fortune, and that he 
was bound to employ it by eftablifhing himfelf beyond 
all poffibility of being removed. That he ought to put 
the Pizarros, his prifoners, to death, and march direftly 
to Lima, and feize his rival. Almagro rejefted this ad¬ 
vice ; and, while he was deliberating what courfe he 
fhould purfue, Gonzalo Pizarro made his efcape, with a 
hundred of thofe who were aftefted to his caufe. Shortly 
after, by the folicitations and art of Pizarro, he releafed 
his brother Ferdinand. The treaty which they entered 
into with Almagro was now forgotten : they attacked 
him, gained a complete victory, and took him prifoner. 
In fpite of Almagro’s age, which ought to have excited 
pity; in fpite of their common warfare, their dangers 
and triumphs ; in fpite of every fentiment of gratitude, 
for what this unfortunate man had contributed to his 
greatnefs ; and in fpite of his late mercy to his brother; 
all which were pathetically and ftrongly urged by Al¬ 
magro; Pizarro had him formally tried, condemned, and 
ftrangled in prifon. He left one fon by an Indian woman 
of Panama, whom, though at that time a prifoner at 
Lima, he named fucceffor to his government, purfuant to 
a power which the emperor had granted him. 
Pizarro, confidering himfelf now the unrivalled pofTeflbr 
of that vaft empire, proceeded to parcel out its territories 
among the. conquerors, but with an unequal hand. Of 
courfe, all who were difappointed in their expectations 
exclaimed loudly againft the rapacioufnefs and partiality 
of the governor. The partifans of Almagro murmured 
in fecret, and meditated revenge. This party was yet 
numerous, though difperfed about the country. Their 
frequent cabals did not pafs unobferved, and the governor 
was warned to be on his guard againft men who medi¬ 
tated fome defperate deed. He difregarded the admo¬ 
nitions of his friends : “ Be in no pain,” faid he, “about 
my life ; it is perfectly fafe, as long as every man in 
Peru knows that I can, in a moment, cut orf any head 
which dares to harbour a thought againft it.” This fe- 
curity gave the Almagrians full leifure to ripen every 
part of their fcheme ; and Juan de Herrada, an officer of 
great abilities, who had the charge of young Almagro’s 
education, took the direction of their confultations, with 
all the zeal which this connexion infpired, and with all 
the authority which the afcendant that he was known 
to have over the mind of his pupil gave him. 
On Sunday the 26th of June, 1541, at mid-day, the 
feafon of tranquillity and repofe in all fu 1 try climates, 
Herrada, at the head of eighteen of the raoft determined 
confpirators, Tallied out of Almagro’s houfe in complete 
armour, and, drawing their fwords as they advanced haf- 
tily towards the governor’s palace, cried out, “ Long live 
Vo l. XIX. No. 1340 
R U. 
the king, but let the tyrant die !” Though Pizarro was 
ufually furrounded by fuch a numerous train of attend¬ 
ants as fuited the magnificence of the mod opulent fub- 
jeft of theage in w'hich he lived ; yet, as he was juft rifen 
from table, and moft of his domeftics had retired to their 
own apartments, the confpirators palled through the two 
outer courts of the palace unobferved. Pizarro, with no 
other arms than his fword and buckler, defended the 
entry of his apartment; and, fupported by his ha*f- 
brother Alcantara, and a little knot of friends, he main¬ 
tained the unequal conteft with an intrepidity worthy of 
his paft exploits, and with the vigour of a youthful com¬ 
batant. But the armour of the confpirators protected 
them, while every thruft they made took effeCt. Alcan¬ 
tara fell dead at his brother’s feet ; his other defenders 
were mortally wounded. The governor, receiving at 
length a deadly thruft full in his throat, funk to the 
ground, and expired. 
As foon as he was flain, the aflaflins conduCled young 
Almagro in folemn procefiion through the city of Quito; 
and, aflembling the magiftrates and principal citizens, 
compelled them to acknowledge him as lawful fucceffor 
to his father in his government. But the officers who 
commanded in fome of the provinces refufed to recog¬ 
nize his authority until it was confirmed by the emperor. 
In others, particularly at Cuzco, the royal ftandard was 
ereCted, and preparations were begun in order to revenge 
the murder of their ancient leader. 
In this ftate of things, the new governor, Vaca de 
Caftro, appointed by the court of Spain, arrived. This 
man had been chofen to the important truft, at the inftance 
of the emperor alone, on account of his high reputation 
for juftice and integrity. He immediately affumed the 
ftipreme authority; and, by his influence and addrefs, 
foon afi’embled fuch a body of troops, as not only fet him 
above all fear of being expofed to any infult from the ad- 
verfe party, but enabled him to advance from Quito 
with the dignity that became his charafter. Encouraged 
by the approach of the new governor, the loyal were con¬ 
firmed in their principles, and avowed them with 
greater boldnefs ; the timid ventured to declare their 
fentiments; the neutral and wavering, finding it necef- 
fary to choofe a fide, began to lean to that which now ap¬ 
peared to be the fafeft, as well as the moft juft. 
De Caftro had fcarceiy landed, when Almagro fent an 
embafly to him, propofing terms; to which the governor 
replied, that he was come under the emperor’s autho¬ 
rity, to do juftice to all ; of which, if a good fubjeft, he 
could have no room to complain ; if a bad one, he muff 
prepare for the refult. This was new language to thofe 
who held the fupreme power in this part of the world, 
who almoft forgot that they had a fuperior. Almagro 
refolved to abide the fortune of war; but viftory was on 
the fide of Caftro, not however without confiderable lofs. 
The fuperior number of his troops, his own intrepidity, 
and the martial talents of Francifco de Carjaval, his prin¬ 
cipal officer, triumphed over the bravery of his oppo¬ 
nents, though led on by Almagro with a gallant fpirit, 
worthy of a better caufe, and deferving another fate. 
The carnage was great, in proportion to the number of 
combatants. Of fourteen hundred men, five hundred lay 
dead on the field, and the number of wounded was ftill 
greater. 
If the military talents difplayed by De Caftro, both in 
the council and the field, furprifed the adventurers in 
Peru, they were ftill more aftonilhed at his conduct after 
the viftory. He proceeded direftly to try his prifoners as 
rebels. Forty were condemned to fuffer death, others 
were banifhed from Peru. Their leader made his efcape 
from the field of battle; but, being betrayed by fome of 
his officers, he was publicly beheaded at Cuzco ; and in 
him the name of Almagro and the fpirit of the party 
became extinft. 
During the above-mentioned violent commotions, the 
attention of the emperor-king and the ftatefmen of Spain 
9 D had 
