CHAPTER LXXIII

    How Idiáquez arrived at the camp of Vaca de Castro to treat for peace just when the Governor wanted to send messengers to Vilcas.

VACA de Castro and his captains consulted together, after the camp had been pitched in the manner related, as to what should be their next step, being now so near the enemy. All agreed that messengers should be sent to Don Diego, demanding that he should withdraw his unjust pretensions¹, enter his Majesty²'s service, and deliver up his banners and troops. The messenger was also to take letters and despatches to some of his principal adherents³. The Governor had just ordered his secretary to get the letters written when Lope de Idiáquez and the factor Mercado arrived and went in to see Vaca de Castro. The letters of Almagro and his captains were presented together with the protocol⁴ of terms proposed, which were that Vaca de Castro should disband the force he had collected, that Don Diego would do likewise with his, that Vaca de Castro would withdraw to Lima and remain there as Chief of New Castille, and that Don Diego would return to Cuzco and the province of New Toledo until the king should make his pleasure known; and other things not needful to quote. The Governor Vaca de Castro displayed some anger and vexation at the letters they had written to him. But he had doubts whether to pursue the war, and privately⁵ desired peace, knowing that there would be a great slaughter⁶, since there were men of such fortitude⁷ and undaunted spirit on both sides, and that it would lie in his hands to give battle, but in God our Lord's to award the victory to whom He pleased. So, wishing in his own mind to avoid a day so critical as must be that on which the[258] battle would take place, he had his most influential⁸ supporters summoned to a consultation⁹, together with his captains, and they discussed the question of what they ought to do, somewhat hotly. They decided¹⁰ that Vaca de Castro should write to Don Diego and to all his captains, in a kindly¹¹ and mild tone, to attach them to the service of his Majesty and to propose that Juan Balsa should come to the royal camp to ratify¹² peace, while, to fully¹³ assure him of safety and that he need not be in any fear of treachery, Alonso de Alvarado would go to Don Diego's camp.

So the Governor ordered his secretary, Pero López, to write the letters forthwith, urging Don Diego to yield to the call of his Majesty's service, and reminding him of the labours undergone by his father to acquire honour and fame; so that he should not lose, by his conduct, all that the old Adelantado had gained. The letter to Don Diego pointed¹⁴ out too that nothing had been altered by his father's death, as it was understood that he [the son] lacked level-headed and prudent¹⁵ men to give him temperate¹⁶ advice but that, nevertheless, he ought not to pin his faith on arms and artillery¹⁷ alone, for if the conscience be not clear, force avails but little, seeing that it is ordained¹⁸ from above by command of the Most High God that justice must prevail. Besides this, he wrote other things counselling him what was proper, and bidding him give ear to what Lope de Idiáquez and the factor Mercado would say, from him, when they should get back. Letters were also written to the captains, urging them to join the service of the king, and they gave private letters to the messengers for many other persons in the camp.

1 pretensions   

自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力

参考例句：

• The play mocks the pretensions of the new middle class. 这出戏讽刺了新中产阶级的装模作样。
• The city has unrealistic pretensions to world-class status. 这个城市不切实际地标榜自己为国际都市。

2 majesty   

n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权

参考例句：

• The king had unspeakable majesty.国王有无法形容的威严。
• Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly!尊贵的陛下，您必须赶快做出决定！

3 adherents   

n.支持者，拥护者( adherent的名词复数 )；党羽；徒子徒孙

参考例句：

• He is a leader with many adherents. 他是个有众多追随者的领袖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The proposal is gaining more and more adherents. 该建议得到越来越多的支持者。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

5 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

6 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

7 fortitude   

n.坚忍不拔；刚毅

参考例句：

• His dauntless fortitude makes him absolutely fearless.他不屈不挠的坚韧让他绝无恐惧。
• He bore the pain with great fortitude.他以极大的毅力忍受了痛苦。

8 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

9 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

10 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

11 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

12 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。

13 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

14 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

15 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

16 temperate   

adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的

参考例句：

• Asia extends across the frigid,temperate and tropical zones.亚洲地跨寒、温、热三带。
• Great Britain has a temperate climate.英国气候温和。

17 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

18 ordained   

v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定

参考例句：

• He was ordained in 1984. 他在一九八四年被任命为牧师。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was ordained priest. 他被任命为牧师。 来自辞典例句