the essays of montaigne, v16-第4章

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thousands　of　men；　women；　and　children　so　often　presented　and　threw
themselves　into　inevitable　dangers　for　the　defence　of　their　gods　and
liberties；　that　generous　obstinacy　to　suffer　all　extremities　and
difficulties；　and　death　itself；　rather　than　submit　to　the　dominion　of
those　by　whom　they　had　been　so　shamefully　abused；　and　some　of　them
choosing　to　die　of　hunger　and　fasting；　being　prisoners；　rather　than　to
accept　of　nourishment　from　the　hands　of　their　so　basely　victorious
enemies：　I　see；　that　whoever　would　have　attacked　them　upon　equal　terms　of
arms；　experience；　and　number；　would　have　had　a　hard；　and；　peradventure；
a　harder　game　to　play　than　in　any　other　war　we　have　seen。

Why　did　not　so　noble　a　conquest　fall　under　Alexander；　or　the　ancient
Greeks　and　Romans；　and　so　great　a　revolution　and　mutation　of　so　many
empires　and　nations；　fall　into　hands　that　would　have　gently　levelled；
rooted　up；　and　made　plain　and　smooth　whatever　was　rough　and　savage
amongst　them；　and　that　would　have　cherished　and　propagated　the　good　seeds
that　nature　had　there　produced；　mixing　not　only　with　the　culture　of　land
and　the　ornament　of　cities；　the　arts　of　this　part　of　the　world；　in　what
was　necessary；　but　also　the　Greek　and　Roman　virtues；　with　those　that　were
original　of　the　country？　　What　a　reparation　had　it　been　to　them；　and　what
a　general　good　to　the　whole　world；　had　our　first　examples　and　deportments
in　those　parts　allured　those　people　to　the　admiration　and　imitation　of
virtue；　and　had　begotten　betwixt　them　and　us　a　fraternal　society　and
intelligence？　　How　easy　had　it　been　to　have　made　advantage　of　souls　so
innocent；　and　so　eager　to　learn；　leaving；　for　the　most　part；　naturally　so
good　inclinations　before？　　Whereas；　on　the　contrary；　we　have　taken
advantage　of　their　ignorance　and　inexperience；　with　greater　ease　to
incline　them　to　treachery；　luxury；　avarice；　and　towards　all　sorts　of
inhumanity　and　cruelty；　by　the　pattern　and　example　of　our　manners。　　Who
ever　enhanced　the　price　of　merchandise　at　such　a　rate？　　So　many　cities
levelled　with　the　ground；　so　many　nations　exterminated；　so　many　millions
of　people　fallen　by　the　edge　of　the　sword；　and　the　richest　and　most
beautiful　part　of　the　world　turned　upside　down；　for　the　traffic　of　pearl
and　pepper？　　Mechanic　victories！　　Never　did　ambition；　never　did　public
animosities；　engage　men　against　one　another　in　such　miserable
hostilities；　in　such　miserable　calamities。

Certain　Spaniards；　coasting　the　sea　in　quest　of　their　mines；　landed　in　a
fruitful　and　pleasant　and　very　well　peopled　country；　and　there　made　to
the　inhabitants　their　accustomed　professions：　〃that　they　were　peaceable
men；　who　were　come　from　a　very　remote　country；　and　sent　on　the　behalf　of
the　King　of　Castile；　the　greatest　prince　of　the　habitable　world；　to　whom
the　Pope；　God's　vicegerent　upon　earth；　had　given　the　principality　of　all
the　Indies；　that　if　they　would　become　tributaries　to　him；　they　should　be
very　gently　and　courteously　used〃；　at　the　same　time　requiring　of　them
victuals　for　their　nourishment；　and　gold　whereof　to　make　some　pretended
medicine；　setting　forth；　moreover；　the　belief　in　one　only　God；　and　the
truth　of　our　religion；　which　they　advised　them　to　embrace；　whereunto　they
also　added　some　threats。　　To　which　they　received　this　answer：　〃That　as　to
their　being　peaceable；　they　did　not　seem　to　be　such；　if　they　were　so。
As　to　their　king；　since　he　was　fain　to　beg；　he　must　be　necessitous　and
poor；　and　he　who　had　made　him　this　gift；　must　be　a　man　who　loved
dissension；　to　give　that　to　another　which　was　none　of　his　own；　to　bring
it　into　dispute　against　the　ancient　possessors。　　As　to　victuals；　they
would　supply　them；　that　of　gold　they　had　little；　it　being　a　thing　they
had　in　very　small　esteem；　as　of　no　use　to　the　service　of　life；　whereas
their　only　care　was　to　pass　it　over　happily　and　pleasantly：　but　that　what
they　could　find　excepting　what　was　employed　in　the　service　of　their　gods；
they　might　freely　take。　　As　to　one　only　God；　the　proposition　had　pleased
them　well；　but　that　they　would　not　change　their　religion；　both　because
they　had　so　long　and　happily　lived　in　it；　and　that　they　were　not　wont　to
take　advice　of　any　but　their　friends；　and　those　they　knew：　as　to　their
menaces；　it　was　a　sign　of　want　of　judgment　to　threaten　those　whose　nature
and　power　were　to　them　unknown；　that；　therefore；　they　were　to　make　haste
to　quit　their　coast；　for　they　were　not　used　to　take　the　civilities　and
professions　of　armed　men　and　strangers　in　good　part；　otherwise　they
should　do　by　them　as　they　had　done　by　those　others；〃　showing　them　the
heads　of　several　executed　men　round　the　walls　of　their　city。　　A　fair
example　of　the　babble　of　these　children。　　But　so　it　is；　that　the
Spaniards　did　not；　either　in　this　or　in　several　other　places；　where　they
did　not　find　the　merchandise　they　sought；　make　any　stay　or　attempt；
whatever　other　conveniences　were　there　to　be　had；　witness　my　CANNIBALS。
＇Chapter　XXX。　of　Book　I。＇

Of　the　two　most　puissant　monarchs　of　that　world；　and；　peradventure；　of
this；　kings　of　so　many　kings；　and　the　last　they　turned　out；　he　of　Peru；
having　been　taken　in　a　battle；　and　put　to　so　excessive　a　ransom　as
exceeds　all　belief；　and　it　being　faithfully　paid；　and　he　having；　by　his
conversation；　given　manifest　signs　of　a　frank；　liberal；　and　constant
spirit；　and　of　a　clear　and　settled　understanding；　the　conquerors　had　a
mind；　after　having　exacted　one　million　three　hundred　and　twenty…five
thousand　and　five　hundred　weight　of　gold；　besides　silver；　and　other
things　which　amounted　to　no　less　（so　that　their　horses　were　shod　with
massy　gold）；　still　to　see；　at　the　price　of　what　disloyalty　and　injustice
whatever；　what　the　remainder　of　the　treasures　of　this　king　might　be；　and
to　possess　themselves　of　that　also。　　To　this　end　a　false　accusation　was
preferred　against　him；　and　false　witnesses　brought　to　prove　that　he　went
about　to　raise　an　insurrection　in　his　provinces；　to　procure　his　own
liberty；　whereupon；　by　the　virtuous　sentence　of　those　very　men　who　had　by
this　treachery　conspired　his　ruin；　he　was　condemned　to　be　publicly　hanged
and　strangled；　after　having　made　him　buy　off　the　torment　of　being　burnt
alive；　by　the　baptism　they　gave　him　immediately　before　execution；　a
horrid　and　unheard　of　barbarity；　which；　nevertheless；　he　underwent
without　giving　way　either　in　word　or　look；　with　a　truly　grave　and　royal
behaviour。　　After　which；　to　calm　and　appease　the　people；　aroused　and
astounded　at　so　strange　a　thing；　they　counterfeited　great　sorrow　for　his
death；　and　appointed　most　sumptuous　funerals。

The　other　king　of　Mexico；＇Guatimosin＇　having　for　a　long　time　defended
his　beleaguered　city；　and　having　in　this　siege　manifested　the　utmost　of
what　suffering　and　perseverance　can　do；　if　ever　prince　and　people　did；
and　his　misfortune　having　delivered　him　alive　into　his　enemies'　hands；
upon　articles　of　being　treated　like　a　king；　neither　did　he　in　his
captivity　discover　anything　unworthy　of　that　title。　　His　enemies；　after
their　victory；　not　finding　so　much　gold　as　they　expected；　when　they　had
searched　and　rifled　with　their　utmost　diligence；　they　went　about　to
procure　discoveries　by　the　most　cruel　torments　they　could　invent　upon　the
prisoners　they　had　taken：　but　having　profited　nothing　by　these；　their
courage　being　greater　than　their　torments；　they　arrived　at　last　to　such　a
degree　of　fury；　as；　contrary　to　their　faith　and　the　law　of　nations；　to
condemn　the　king　himself；　and　one　of　the　principal　noblemen　of　his　court；
to　the　rack；　in　the　presence　of　one　another。　　This　lord；　finding　himself
overcome　with　pain；　being　environed　with　burning　coals；　pitifully　turned
his　dying　eyes　towards　his　master；　as　it　were　to　ask　him　pardon　that　he
was　able　to　endure　no　more；　whereupon　the　king；　darting　at　him　a　fierce
and　severe　look；　as　reproaching　his　cowardice　and　pusillanimity；　with　a
harsh　and　constant　voice　said　to　him　thus　only：　〃And　what　dost　thou　think
I　suffer？　am　I　in　a　bath？　am　I　more　at　ease　than　thou？〃　　Whereupon　the
other　immediately　quailed　under　the　torment　and　died　upon　the　spot。　　The
king；　half　roasted；　was　carried　thence；　not　so　much　out　of　pity　（for　what
compassion　ever　touched　so　barbarous　souls；　who；　upon　the　doubtful
information　of　some　vessel　of　gold　to　be　made　a　prey　of；　caused　not　only
a　man；　but　a　king；　so　great　in　fortune　and　desert；　to　be　broiled　before
their　eyes）；　but　because　his　constancy　rendered　their　cruelty　still　more
shameful。　　They　afterwards　hanged　him　for　having　nobly　attempted　to
deliver　himself　by　arms　from　so　long　a　captivity　and　subjection；　and　he
died　with　a　courage　becoming　so　magnanimous　a　prince。

Another　time；　they　burnt　in　the　same　fire　four　hundred　and　sixty　men
alive　at　once；　the　four　hundred　of　the　common　people；　the　sixty　the
principal　lords　of　a　province；　simply　prisoners　of　war。　　We　have　these
narratives　from　themselves　for　they　not　only　own　it；　but　boast　of　it　and
publish　it。　　Could　it　be　for　a　testimony　of　their　justice　or　their　zeal
to　religion？　　Doubtless　these　are　ways　too　differing　and　contrary　to　so
holy　an　end。　　Had　they　proposed　to　themselves　to　extend　our　faith；　they
would　have　considered　that　it　does　not　amplify　in　the　possession　of
territories；　but　in　the　gaining　of　men；　and　would　have　more　than
satisfied　themselves　with　the　slaughters　occasioned　by　the　necessity　of
war；　without　indifferently　mixing　a　massacre；　as　upon　wild　beasts；　as
universal　as　fire　and　sword　could　make　it；　having　only；　by　intention；
saved　so　many　as　they　meant　to　make　miserable　slaves　of；　for　the　work　and
service　of　their　mines；　so　that　many　of　the　captains　were　put　to　death
upon　the　place　of　conquest；　by　order　of　the　kings　of　Castile；　justly
offended　with　the　horror　of　their　deportment；　and　almost　all　of　them
hated　and　disesteemed。　　God　meritoriously　permitted　that　all　this　great
plunder　should　be　swallowed　up　by　the　sea　in　transportation；　or　in　the
civil　wars　wherewith　they　devoured　one　another；　and　most　of　the　men
themselves　were　buried　in　a　foreign　land　without　any　fruit　of　their
victory。

That　the　revenue　from　these　countries；　though　in　the　hands　of　so
parsimonious　and　so　prudent　a　prince；　＇Phillip　II。＇　so　little　answers
the　expectation　given　of　it　to　his　predecessors；　and　to　that　original
abundance　of　riches　which　was　found　at　the　first　landing　in　those　new
discovered　countries　（for　though　a　great　deal　be　fetched　thence；　yet　we
see　'tis　nothing　in　comparison　of　that　which　might　be　expected）；　is　that
the　use　of　coin　was　there　utterly　unknown；　and　that　consequently　their
gold　was　found　all　hoarded　together；　being　of　no　other　use　but　for
ornament　and　show；　as　a　furniture　reserved　from　father　to　son　by　many
puissant　kings；　who　were　ever　draining　their　mines　to　make　this　vast　heap
of　vessels　and　statues　for　the　decoration　of　their　palaces　and　temples；
whereas　our　gold　is　always　in　motion　and　traffic；　we　cut　it　into　a
thousand　small　pieces；　and　cast　it　into　a　thousand　forms；　and　scatter　and
disperse　it　in　a　thousand　ways。　　But　suppose　our　kings　should　thus　hoard
up　all　the　gold　they　could　get　in　several　ages　and　let　it　lie　idle　by
them。

Those　of　the　kingdom　of　Mexico　were　in　some　sort　more　civilised　and　more
advanced　in　arts　than　the　other　nati