_Of such presidents and ministers as the king doth put in euerie
prouince, and the order that they haue in their gouernment._
[Sidenote: Euery prouince hath his viceroy.]
You do vnderstande howe the two prouinces, Paguia and Tolanchia are
gouerned by the supreme counsell of the king, and such ministers as they
doo send to gouerne. The other thirteene prouinces that do remaine, haue
eyther of them a vizroy or gouernor, whom the common people do call
Insuanto;[97] who is continually resident, and doth dwell in the
metropolitane citie, whereof the prouince doth commonly beare the name.
And although all the kinges officers and iustices of what sort of
administration they are, be generally called by the name of Loytia;[98]
yet euerie one hath a speciall and a particular name besides, according
vnto his office that he doth execute: of the which and of their proper
names I will giue you to vnderstand, for that it doth differ from our
purpose. The vizroy, that is in euery prouince principall and supreme
magistrate in place of the king, they do call him Comon.[99] The second
in dignitie is the gouernour of all the prouince, and he is called
Insuanto, who hath verie little less maiestie than the viceroy: then the
corregidor or gouernor that is resident in any citie, where as is
neither viceroy nor gouernor, is called Tutuan,[100] all of this degree.
Of any thing that is of importance, of what citie soeuer they be, they
do giue relation thereof vnto the higher gouernor, called Insuanto, and
likewise this Insuanto vnto the viceroy or comon, whose charge is to
giue the king to vnderstand thereof or his royall counsell, by the
postes that we haue spoken of before. The third in dignitie is called
Ponchasi;[101] this is the president or counsell, of the kinges
reuenewes, who hath vnder him a counsell and many ministers and
officers, as sargents and others, which do recouer the rents in euery
province. This state dooth giue account of all his office vnto the
tutuan, after that he hath paide all kind of wages and charges ordinarie
and extraordinarie due to any officer of the kinges in all that
prouince.
[Sidenote: Captaine generall.]
The fourth degree or dignitie is called Totoc,[102] and this is captaine
generall of all souldiers, as well footmen as horsemen. The fift is
called Anchasi;[103] he is president and gouernour ouer iustices both
criminall and ciuill: and doth determine with his counsell of matters in
difference, whatsoeuer that do appeale vnto him from other meaner
iustices. The sixt is called Aytao:[104] this is generall puruier and
president of the counsell of warre, whose office is to prouide souldiers
when that it is requisite or necessitie demaundeth, and to prouide
ships, munitions, and victuals for any fleete that shall passe by sea,
as that shall be requisite by land, and for the suppliment of garisons
in cities and coastes. To this is giuen the charge to examine such
strangers that do come to any prouince, to knowe of whence they are, and
wherefore they do come, and of all other thinges, and after beeing
knowen, to giue the viceroy to vnderstand thereof, and of all thinges
needful.
These sixe offices or charge are of great authoritie, and they that haue
the execution thereof are had in great reuerence: euerie one of them
hath in societie or counsell tenne, which are men chosen of great
experience and diligence, and they do help him in the exhibition and
dispatch of matters touching that office. When they are in place of
counsell, which is in the pallace of the viceroy (whereas euerie office
hath his place appointed, garnished in very good order), their sociates
are diuided in two partes, fiue of them do sit on the right hand of the
president, and fiue on the left hand; those which do sit on the right
hande are the most auncientes and haue the more preheminence, and doo
differ from the other that be on the left hande in this only, for that
they do weare wastes or girdels imbossed with gold, and yealow hattes:
and they on the left hand haue their girdels imbossed with siluer, and
weare blewe hats; the which girdels, with gold and siluer, and hats
yealow and blewe, there is none that is permitted to weare but onelye
the counsellers. Likewise these and the presidents do weare the kinges
armes on their breastes and backes imbrodered with golde, without the
which they can not goe foorth to anie place where they must be seen,
neyther sitte in iustice to determine anie thing whatsoeuer. If they
doo, they are not onely disobedient, but are seuerely punished at the
time of their visitation.
[Sidenote: A very good propertie of iustices.]
If the president of any of these counsels doo die, then one of the
auncientest of the counsellers dooth succeede him in the office,
obseruing in all thinges the order, as I haue saide in the chapter past,
of the royall counsell. All these iustices generally haue a maruellous
morall vertue, and that is, they be all very patient in hearing any
complaynt, although it be declared with choller and proude speech. It is
the first thing that is taught them in their schooles: they are verye
well nourtered, and courteous in their speeches, although it bee with
them that they haue condemned by lawe. If that vppon any necessitie they
must goe into any part of the prouince to make any information of
importance, then is appointed one of the counsell, and hee goeth alone,
but he hath with him the authoritie of them all.
Besides these sixe counsellers or iudges aforesaide, there bee others of
lesse dignitie (although greatly respected, as all ministers of iustice
bee in this kingdome), and they are called as followeth: Cautoc, this is
the chiefe auncient-bearer;[105] Pochim,[106] the seconde treasourer;
Pochinsi, he that keepeth the seale royall; Antzatzi,[107] he is as the
maior or bailife of any citie or towne. There be also other three
officers, which are called Guytay,[108] Tzia,[109] Toutay,[110] these
doo keepe court and haue audience in their houses once a weeke; and when
they do open their doores, there is shott off foure peeces of artilerie,
to giue all men to vnderstande that they are in place, readie to heare,
and to doo iustice. If they do finde any that is culpable or faultie,
they doo straight wayes sende them with a sargent vnto the ordinarie
iustice of the citie, which is called zompau, with a bill or note, in
the which is signified the punishment that he must haue.
[Sidenote: A very good order.]
Euerie ordinarie iustice hath committed to his charge a thousand
souldiers. He can not exceed his limit nor iurisdiction, neyther can
anie other haue to doo in his charge. Euerie night they doo range their
circuit, and doo cause that euery one may be quiet in his house, and to
put out their candelles and lightes in time to auoyde fires, which hath
happened amongest them verie great, by reason that their houses are so
neere one to an other, and all the vpper partes of their houses wrought
with tymber, according vnto the vse of Byskaye: and all suche as they
doo finde with light after the houre limited, they are punished verie
asperly. From these there is no appellation but vnto suche iustices as
are sent from the court, and besides them vnto none but vnto the
visiters that doo come ordinarily, who doo vndoo and make satisfaction
of all griefes or wronges doone by the other, and these are called in
their language Gomdim, which is as much to say, a righter of all griefe:
this man is respected more than all the rest.
Besides all these there be other particular officers, which be called
Tompo:[111] these haue the charge to see the prouision of victualles,
and to put a price on them; an other is called Tibuco,[112] he that
dooth arest and punish vagabundes and idle persons. Quinche[113] is the
cheefe sargent, Chomcan[114] is the keeper of the prison: this is one
that they haue in great reuerence, for that he hath a priuilege aboue
all the rest: that after hee hath done his dutie vpon his knees at his
first entrie, hee may tell his tale on foote, and so can not the rest
doo, but kneeling.
When that these gouernours or iustices doo newly come into these
prouinces or cities, ordeyned and sent by the supreme counsell, they doo
sende two or three dayes before they come themselues their letters
patentes and prouisions: the which being seene and obeyed, there goeth
foorth to receiue him all the loytias and men of warre with their
souldiers and ensignes military, and other officers, making great
feastes and pastimes.
Likewise the citizens at this time doo hange their streetes with clothes
of silke and other thinges very richly, and trimmed with flowers,
bearing him companie vnto his lodging with much musicke and sound of
instrumentes.
Aboue all these dignities and offices there is one which is called
Quinchay, which is to be vnderstood in their language "the golden
seale"; this goeth not from the court, but vpon waightie matters and of
great importance touching the quietnesse of all the kingdome. The order
they haue in the choyse of these iustices and officers, and of other
matters touching good gouernment, shall be declared vnto you in the
chapter following.