Peru had long been governed by a race of emperors, under the name of Incas, who were supposed to be the descendants of the sun. The name of the Spanish in

A. D. 1532.

vader was Pizarro, and that of the Inca in possession of the crown, Atahualpa. Alarmed at the ravages of the Spaniards, this prince agreed to an interview with their general, in order to settle the conditions of a peace. Though Pizarro solicited the conference, he had no thoughts but of war. The Inca, it is said, was not more sincere in his professions. He came to the place of meeting, carried upon a throne of gold, and attended by upwards of ten thousand men: twenty thousand more are reported to have waited his signal; but for this report, or the insincerity of the Inca, there seems to have been no foundation in fact. All the Peruvians were richly dressed, and their arms glittered with gold and precious stones. The avarice of the Spaniards was inflamed. Pizarro disposed his followers, who did not exceed two hundred in the most advantageous order, while Vicenti Valverde, a Dominican friar, advanced towards Atahualpa, with a crucifix in one hand, and a breviary in the other. He ad dressed to the Inca, by the help of an interpreter, a long discourse, unfolding the principles of the Christian faith, and pressing him to embrace that religion, and submit himself to the king of Spain, to whom the pope had given Peru. Atahualpa, who had listened with a good deal of patience, replied thus to his pious admonisher: "How extravagant is it in "the pope, to give away so liberally that which doth not be "long to him!—He is inferior, you own, to God the Father, "to God the Son, and to God the Holy Ghost: these are all 66 your gods and the gods only can dispose of kingdoms. "I should like to be a friend to the king of Spain, who has "sufficiently displayed his power by sending armies to such "distant countries; but I will not be his vassal. I owe tri"bute to no mortal prince: I know no superior upon "earth. The religion of my ancestors I venerate: and to

"you

<6 renounce it would be equally absurd and impious, until you have convinced me it is false, and that yours, which 66 you would have me embrace, is true. You adore a god, "who died upon a gibbet; I worship the sun, who never "dies."

"Vengeance!"--cried Valverde, turning towards the Spaniards;" vengeance! my friends;-kill these dogs, "who despise the religion of the cross27,"

The word of command was given; the artillery played ; the musquetry fired; the cavalry spread confusion and ter ror; while Pizarro advanced, at the head of a chosen band, and seized the person of the Inca. The slaughter was dreadful, and the pillage immense. The blow was final: Peru ceased to be an empire. The descendants of the Sun, who united in their person both the regal and pontifical dignity, sunk under a set of banditti that knew not their birth. After draining Atahualpa of his treasure, under pretence of a ran som for his liberty, Pizarro condemned him to be A. D. 1538. burnt alive, as as obstinate idolater. But through the mediation of father Valverde, blessed intercessor! the Inca's sentence was changed into strangling, on condition that he should die in the Christian faith 28!

The conquest of Mexico and Peru put the Spaniards at once in possession of more specie than all the other nations of Europe. Yet Spain from that æra has continued to decline. It has declined in population, industry and vigour. The vices attendant upon riches have corrupted all ranks of men, and enervated the national spirit. From being the first kingdom in Europe, it is become one of the less considerable. Portugal has experienced a like fate, since the discovery of the passage to India by the Cape of Good Hope, and the settlement of Brazil: and from the same cause, a too great and sudden influx of wealth.

27. Benzoni, Hist. Nov. Orb. lib. iii. Herrera, dec. iii. Zarete, lib. iii. Garcillasso, lib. i.

28. Id. Ibid.

These

These reflections naturally lead us to inquire, "How "far the discoveries of the Portuguese and Spaniards have "been advantageous to Europe, or beneficial to mankind?" The subject is complicated, and will best be illustrated by the sequel of events, and the ideas suggested by such a train of particulars. Meanwhile I shall observe, that writers in general are wrong in ascribing to those discoveries our present improvements in commerce and civilization. Commerce and civilization were fast advancing in Europe before the beginning of the sixteenth century; and this quarter of the globe would have been nearly in the situation in which we now find it, though no such discoveries had been made. We should not indeed have had so much specie, but we should have had less occasion for it: the price of labour would have been lower, and would have borne the same proportion to the price of provisions, which would have answered the purpose of a larger quantity of circulating money. Our resources in war would have been fewer; but our real strength might perhaps have been great-* er, as we should not have had occasion to colonize and combat at both extremities of the globe.

It must, however, be owned, that the passage by the Cape of Good Hope, in the first instance, has been of singular service to the general commerce of Europe. Our trade with India was formerly conducted by means of the Arabs, who, consequently, had a share in the profits: it is now entirely carried on by Europeans. European ships and European sailors import the commodities of the East into our harbours. But in balance of this advantage, the new passage, by being open to every nation, has increased the taste for Indian commodities, and whetted the avarice of man. It has made the nations of Europe massacre one another in the South of Asia, and rob and murder the industrious natives without feeling or remorse; while it has hurt the European manufacturer, by furnishing foreign. fabrics of superior quality, at a lower price than he can

afford

afford to sell. It has encouraged a losing trade: for such, in general, that with India must be accounted; a trade which continues to drain Europe of its bullion and specie, the commodities of the East being chiefly purchased with gold and silver.

The mines of Mexico and Peru are necessary to supply that drain. So far the discovery of America must be accounted a good, or at least the palliation of an evil. Besides, the colonies established on the continent, and in the islands of America, depend chiefly upon Europe for their manufactures, and furnish an honest and comfortable maintenance to millions of our people, who must otherwise have wanted bread, or have lived in the lowest state of wretchedness. In this view, America is favourable both to industry and population. These are solid advantages, and the superabundance of the precious metals alone, could make Spain and Portugal overlook them. They are poor amid their treasures; while other nations, profiting by their indolence, grow wealthy by supplying their wants. labour of a people is the only desirable source of their riches, and the only certain road to their felicity; though mankind, in general, are so ignorant as to suppose, that they should be happier without toil.

The

The discovery of America has increased the labour of Europe, and consequently its happiness, collectively considered. It has also increased the number of the civilized part of the human species, by opening a boundless region for the planting of European colonies; which have greatly flourished in many parts, and supplied the inhabitants of the mother-countries with a variety of commodities, formerly unknown, that contribute to the more comfortable enjoyment of life, and to the extension of trade. But the violent means by which those colonies were generally established, and the outrages which continue to be exercised against the injured natives as often as they attempt to reinstate themselves in their original rights, together with

the

the brutal slavery to which another race of men are condemned, in order to cultivate the lands so unjustly seized and held, are circumstances over which humanity must ever mourn, and which the heart of every lover of his species will tell him no commercial, no political motives can autho rise or vindicate.

We must now, my dear Philip, return to the line of general history, and enter upon that important æra, when all the great powers on the European continent, made a trial of their strength in Italy; when religion united with ambition to give new energy to the sword; when creeds, no less than kingdoms, became the source of war, and fire and faggot were employed to enforce human belief.

LETTER LVIII.

A GENERAL VIEW OF THE AFFAIRS OF EUROPE, FROM THE ELECTION OF CHARLES V. IN 1519, TILL THE PEACE OF CAMBRAY, IN 1529, INCLUDING THE PROGRESS OF THE REFORMATION.

THOUGH Maximilian could not prevail upon the German electors to choose his grandson of Spain king of the Romans, he had disposed their minds in favour of that prince; and other circumstances, on the death of A. D. 1519. the emperor, conspired to the exaltation of Charles. The imperial crown had so long continued in the Austrian line, that it began to be considered as hereditary in that family; and Germany, torn by religious disputes, stood in need of a powerful emperor, not only to preserve its own internal tranquillity, but also to protect it against the victorious arms of the Turks, who, under Selim I. threatened the liberties of Europe. This fierce and rapid conqueror had already subdued the Mamalukes, a barbarous militia that had dismembered the empire of the Arabs, and made themselves masters of Egypt and Syria. The power of Charles appeared necessary to oppose that of Selim. The extensive dominions of the house of Aus