1853, with little opposition. In France the influence of the catholic church has been visibly augmented. The same may be said of Germany, as the measures of the council at Wurtzburg show. With Austria a concordat was made in 1855; but in Sardinia, an old catholic kingdom, Pius has gained no advantage. On the contrary affairs in it took such a turn, that he renounced all ecclesiastical connection with Sardinia and became its political foe. In 1854 the doctrine of the immaculate conception was announced as a tenet of the church by Pius from his throne in St. Peter's. In consequence of recent political events, especially the successes of Garibaldi and his followers, and the blow given to tyranny at Naples, the pope's chair has been an uneasy one. Yet he clings with pertinacity to all the church's estates. His minister. Cardinal Antonelli, replies with firmness to the French ambassador at Rome, that to yield aught of the ancient patrimony or power of the church were sacrilege. Pius therefore lives on the past rather than the present; and hopes for a better future. As to what the future of the papacy may be, it would be here out of place to speculate.—S. D.
PlZARRO, Francisco, the conqueror of Peru, was born at Truxillo, a city of Estremadura in Spain, about 1476. He was the illegitimate child of Gonzalo Pizarro, a colonel of infantry who had served with distinction in the Italian wars, and Francisca Gonzales, a person of humble rank. Colonel Pizarro had other legitimate and illegitimate sons, some of whom gained fame in Peru, when Francis became illustrious. Of the youth of Francis little is known. His education was wholly neglected; he never learned either to read or write, and to escape from the occupation of a swine-herd he enlisted as a soldier. To that new world so fruitful in marvels and adventures, where Spain was for a season omnipotent, he turned his steps. He had the qualities which command success and vanquish difficulties; for to the most daring valour, he joined the most indomitable persistency, and to the promptitude of the soldier the craft of the politician. After being conspicuously associated with many other enterprises, Pizarro accompanied the expedition of the noble, chivalrous, but unfortunate Balboa, when the latter discovered the Pacific Ocean. The conquest of Mexico by Cortes stirred all hearts; it deeply stirred the heart of Pizarro. When Panama rose into importance, many were the aspirations to penetrate the coast to the south, and the Alpine ranges behind. Pizarro entered into an alliance with Almagro, a military officer of great experience; and with Luque, an ecclesiastic. By the help chiefly of Luque, funds were raised, and two small vessels were purchased. In the larger of these Pizarro, at the head of a hundred men, set sail in November, 1524. Almagro was to follow in the other. This first voyage, rife in horrible hardships, was resultless except in revealing lands abounding in gold, silver, and precious stones, behind the snowy mountain wall. Early in 1526, by a fresh agreement between Luque, Almagro, and Pizarro, a second voyage was resolved on. It lasted eighteen months or more, and was carried to a triumphant issue only by the heroic constancy of Pizarro. The Spaniards came both into friendly and hostile contact with the natives, and at one or two points marched into the interior. Considerable was the booty of the adventurers, though small when compared with their sufferings. But what was of much more importance than booty, was the distinct knowledge which they now obtained of the vast and prosperous Peruvian empire. To subdue, however, a realm which was manifestly civilized, though in a singular fashion, and which was reported to have immense military resources, could not be the affair of private individuals. Application was first made to the governor of Panama; but he, either from ignorance or jealousy, fiercely discountenanced any fresh undertaking. The three associates determined therefore to appeal to the crown. Pizarro was chosen as ambassador. He reached Spain in the summer of 1528, and was introduced to the young emperor, Charles V., at Toledo, Pizarro enchanted the ear of the monarch with the story he had to tell, and dazzled his eyes with specimens of the wealth of Peru. Yet month after month passed away before Pizarro obtained the indispensable sanctions which he sought. In July, 1529, however, he received the royal authority to discover and conquer in those regions where he had been a discoverer and a conqueror already, of which, the name of New Castile being conferred on them, he was appointed governor and captain general. Proud of his new honour, prouder of his coming glories, Pizarro paid a visit to his native place. Three brothers on the father's side, Hernando, Gonzalo, and Juan, and one on the mother's side, Martinez de Alcantara, were glad to share his future fortunes. In January, 1531, Pizarro, having on board three vessels one hundred and eighty men and twenty-seven horses, started for Panama on the third and final expedition for the subjugation of Peru. Almagro was to follow with reinforcements. Peru had for some time been distracted by civil wars. Two sons of the late inca, or emperor, had contended for the mastery. Atahuallpa vanquished his brother Huascar. Though Atahuallpa had a high reputation for valour and for military and political skill, he showed both cowardice and incapacity in his dealings with the Spaniards. He heard that the Spaniards had landed and were crossing the Andes; but he made no attempt to stop their march, though in many a defile and on many a rocky height the Spaniards could have been dashed to pieces. During nearly two years which had elapsed since the expedition began, Pizarro had once or twice received reinforcements; but still he only commanded an insignificant handful of men. On the 15th November, 1532, Pizarro and his troops entered the city of Cuxamalca, in the immediate neighbourhood of which the huge host of the inca was encamped. Pizarro sent messages to the inca, professing the most peaceful intentions. Finally, still breathing peace, he invited the inca to a banquet. Strangely infatuated, the inca accepted the invitation. Unarmed and accompanied by unarmed men, the inca came in state to Pizarro's quarters. Evening had scarcely closed, when with unparalleled and unpardonable perfidy Pizarro gave the signal for perhaps the most horrible massacre in history. Ten thousand of the defenceless Peruvians are supposed to have been murdered. Pizarro snatched Atahuallpa from the general doom, though from no merciful motive. The bloody scenes at Cuxamalca had effectually terrified the Peruvians, and disarmed all resistance. After Pizarro had made whatever use of the wretched inca he wished, and had by his means wrung treasure from the remotest parts of the empire, he condemned him to be executed under the pretext that he had engaged in a conspiracy. Successful distributions of the enormous spoil had been made among the conquerors. When Pizarro, however, set foot in Cuzco, the capital of Peru, he and his bloodhounds were disappointed that the streets were not literally paved with gold, and that the sky did not rain jewels, so insane had their covetousness grown. Having nothing further to fear from the Peruvians, Pizarro vigorously commenced the consolidation of his government and the colonization of the extensive and valuable territories which he had brought under the dominion of Spain. In January, 1535, he founded Lima, at first called the City of kings. As a ruler he displayed much energy and sagacity, and though he was as cruel as any Spaniard he was seldom wantonly cruel. A rebellion into which Almagro was provoked by the repeated injustice of Pizarro, and by the insolence of Pizarro's brother, was with some difficulty put down; and Almagro, Pizarro's old companion in arms, was executed in prison. Risings of the Indians, the turbulence of his own countrymen, troubled Pizarro a little; still he reigned at Lima with tolerable tranquillity, and almost like a king. The former swine-herd was created a marquis; but Pizarro had neither the vanity nor the ostentation of the upstart. On the 26th June, 1541, Pizarro was assassinated in his own house by conspirators, adherents of the Almagro faction. At the same time fell his brother Alcantara. Pizarro had a rather imposing presence, natural eloquence, and a winning address. Whether he was a simply audacious and bad man, or a really great man, we leave each reader to judge.—W. M—l.
PLACCIUS, Vincent, a prolific German author, of great fame in the seventeenth century, but now entirely forgotten, was born at Hamburg, February 4, 1642, and died at the same place, April 6, 1699. He travelled in early life through the greater part of Europe, and, having returned to Hamburg, was appointed teacher at the grammar-school, with the grand title of "professor of universal morals, wisdom, and eloquence." While filling this appointment he wrote an extraordinary number of philosophical and theological works, the mere enumeration of the titles of which fills many pages in the ancient biographical dictionaries. Not one of these books, however, is considered of any value at the present time.—F. M.
PLACITUS, Sextus, or Papyriensis, a writer on medical zoology, of whose history nothing is known. He is believed to have been a physician, and to have lived in the fourth century of the christian era. His work, "De Medicina ex animalibus," is divided into thirty-four chapters; each treating of an animal supposed to possess medicinal virtues. This book, which is
