the essays of montaigne, v16-第6章

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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？　　After　the　death　of　this　fourth　sun；　the　world　was
twenty…five　years　in　perpetual　darkness：　in　the　fifteenth　of　which　a　man
and　a　woman　were　created；　who　restored　the　human　race：　ten　years　after；
upon　a　certain　day；　the　sun　appeared　newly　created；　and　since　the　account
of　their　year　takes　beginning　from　that　day：　the　third　day　after　its
creation　the　ancient　gods　died；　and　the　new　ones　were　since　born　daily。
After　what　manner　they　think　this　last　sun　shall　perish；　my　author　knows
not；　but　their　number　of　this　fourth　change　agrees　with　the　great
conjunction　of　stars　which　eight　hundred　and　odd　years　ago；　as
astrologers　suppose；　produced　great　alterations　and　novelties　in　the
world。

As　to　pomp　and　magnificence；　upon　the　account　of　which　I　engaged　in　this
discourse；　neither　Greece；　Rome；　nor　Egypt；　whether　for　utility；
difficulty；　or　state；　can　compare　any　of　their　works　with　the　highway　to
be　seen　in　Peru；　made　by　the　kings　of　the　country；　from　the　city　of　Quito
to　that　of　Cusco　（three　hundred　leagues）；　straight；　even；　five…and…twenty
paces　wide；　paved；　and　provided　on　both　sides　with　high　and　beautiful
walls；　and　close　by　them；　and　all　along　on　the　inside；　two　perennial
streams；　bordered　with　beautiful　plants；　which　they　call　moly。　　In　this
work；　where　they　met　with　rocks　and　mountains；　they　cut　them　through；　and
made　them　even；　and　filled　up　pits　and　valleys　with　lime　and　stone　to
make　them　level。　　At　the　end　of　every　day's　journey　are　beautiful
palaces；　furnished　with　provisions；　vestments；　and　arms；　as　well　for
travellers　as　for　the　armies　that　are　to　pass　that　way。　　In　the　estimate
of　this　work　I　have　reckoned　the　difficulty　which　is　especially
considerable　in　that　place；　they　did　not　build　with　any　stones　less　than
ten　feet　square；　and　had　no　other　conveniency　of　carriage　but　by　drawing
their　load　themselves　by　force　of　arm；　and　knew　not　so　much　as　the　art　of
scaffolding；　nor　any　other　way　of　standing　to　their　work；　but　by　throwing
up　earth　against　the　building　as　it　rose　higher；　taking　it　away　again
when　they　had　done。

Let　us　here　return　to　our　coaches。　　Instead　of　these；　and　of　all　other
sorts　of　carriages；　they　caused　themselves　to　be　carried　upon　men's
shoulders。　　This　last　king　of　Peru；　the　day　that　he　was　taken；　was　thus
carried　betwixt　two　upon　staves　of　gold；　and　set　in　a　chair　of　gold　in
the　middle　of　his　army。　　As　many　of　these　sedan…men　as　were　killed　to
make　him　fall　（for　they　would　take　him　alive）；　so　many　others　（and　they
contended　for　it）　took　the　place　of　those　who　were　slain；　so　that　they
could　never　beat　him　down；　what　slaughter　soever　they　made　of　these
people；　till　a　horseman；　seizing　upon　him；　brought　him　to　the　ground。




CHAPTER　VII

OF　THE　INCONVENIENCE　OF　GREATNESS

Since　we　cannot　attain　unto　it；　let　us　revenge　our　selves　by　railing　at
it；　and　yet　it　is　not　absolutely　railing　against　anything　to　proclaim　its
defects；　because　they　are　in　all　things　to　be　found；　how　beautiful　or　how
much　to　be　coveted　soever。　　Greatness　has；　in　general；　this　manif