the essays of montaigne, v16-第5节

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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　nations　about　them。　　Therefore　did　they
judge；　as　we　do；　that　the　world　was　near　its　period；　and　looked　upon　the
desolation　we　brought　amongst　them　as　a　certain　sign　of　it。　　They
believed　that　the　existence　of　the　world　was　divided　into　five　ages；　and
in　the　life　of　five　successive　suns；　of　which　four　had　already　ended
their　time；　and　that　this　which　gave　them　light　was　the　fifth。　　The　first
perished；　with　all　other　creatures；　by　an　universal　inundation　of　water；
the　second　by　the　heavens　falling　upon　us　and　suffocating　every　living
thing　to　which　age　they　assigned　the　giants；　and　showed　bones　to　the
Spaniards；　according　to　the　proportion　of　which　the　stature　of　men
amounted　to　twenty　feet；　the　third　by　fire；　which　burned　and　consumed
all；　the　fourth　by　an　emotion　of　the　air　and　wind；　which　came　with　such
violence　as　to　beat　down　even　many　mountains；　wherein　the　men　died　not；
but　were　turned　into　baboons。　　What　impressions　will　not　the　weakness　of
human　belief　admit？　　Af