the essays of montaigne, v16-第5章

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other　beast　trained　up　to　carry　a　man　or　any　other　loading；　shelled　in　a
hard　and　shining　skin；　with　a　cutting　and　glittering　weapon　in　his　hand；
against　them；　who；　out　of　wonder　at　the　brightness　of　a　looking　glass　or
a　knife；　would　exchange　great　treasures　of　gold　and　pearl；　and　who　had
neither　knowledge；　nor　matter　with　which；　at　leisure；　they　could
penetrate　our　steel：　to　which　may　be　added　the　lightning　and　thunder　of
our　cannon　and　harquebuses；　enough　to　frighten　Caesar　himself；　if
surprised；　with　so　little　experience；　against　people　naked；　except　where
the　invention　of　a　little　quilted　cotton　was　in　use；　without　other　arms；
at　the　most；　than　bows；　stones；　staves；　and　bucklers　of　wood；　people
surprised　under　colour　of　friendship　and　good　faith；　by　the　curiosity　of
seeing　strange　and　unknown　things；　take　but　away；　I　say；　this　disparity
from　the　conquerors；　and　you　take　away　all　the　occasion　of　so　many
victories。　　When　I　look　upon　that　in　vincible　ardour　wherewith　so　many
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