Sailing from San Lucas, 3 November, 1543, with the newly appointed viceroy, Blasco Nuñez de Vela, he took an important part in the civil war that raged in Peru, and after Nuñez's deposition was despatched by the audiencia with Antonio de Rivera on an embassy to Gonzalo Pizarro, who was marching against Lima. Zarate urged the latter to dismiss his troops, and before Pizarro's council pleaded for the safety of Lima, which most of the officers were talking openly of pillaging. He was sent back to the audiencia with Pizarro's propositions, and throughout the difficult negotiations that followed displayed remarkable ability and acuteness.

He employed the remainder of his sojourn in Peru in collecting documents about the history of the conquest and civil war, but met with difficulties, as some of Pizarro's lieutenants had an interest in the suppression of all such papers. On his return to Europe he became treasurer of the government of the Low Countries at Brussels, which office he filled till shortly before his death. He wrote "Historia del Descubrimiento y Conquista del Perú" (Antwerp, 1555; Seville, 1577), which was translated into French (2 vols., Paris and Amsterdam, 1700), and into Italian (2 vols., Verona, 1698), etc. It extends from the discovery of Peru till the government of Pedro de la Gasca.

Edited Appletons Encyclopedia by John Looby, Copyright © 2001 StanKlos.com^TM

ZARATE, Agostin de (thah'-rah-tay), Spanish historian, born in Andalusia about 1493 ; died in Madrid about 1460. He was appointed in 1528 secretary of the council of Castile and comptroller of the province, and in 1543 was promoted treasurer-general of the Indies and Tierra firme, and sent to Peru to examine the accounts of the viceroyalty, and to endeavor to restore the revenues of Spain, which had greatly fallen off since the rebellion of the younger Almagro. Sailing from San Lucar, 3 November, 1543, with the newly appointed viceroy, Blasco Nunez de Vela, he took an important part in the civil war that raged in Peru, and after Nufiez's deposition was despatched by the audiencia with Antonio de Rivera on an embassy to Gonzalo Pizarro, who was marching against Lima. Zarate urged the latter to dismiss his troops, and before Pizarro's council pleaded for the safety of Lima, which most of the officers were talking openly of pillaging. He was sent back to the audiencia with Pizarro's propositions, and throughout the difficult negotiations that followed displayed remarkable ability and acuteness. He employed the remainder of his sojourn in Peru in collecting documents about the history of the conquest and civil war, but met with difficulties, as some of Pizarro's lieutenants had an interest in the suppression of all such papers. On his return to Europe he became treasurer of the government of the low countries at Brussels, which office he filled till shortly before his death. He wrote "Historia del Descubrimiento y Conquista del Peril" (Antwerp, 1555; Seville, 1577), which was translated into French (2 vols., Paris and Amsterdam, 1700), and into Italian (2 vols., Verona, 1698), etc. It extends from the discovery of Peru till the government of Pedro de la Gasea.