The royal commentaries of Peru : in two parts / written originally in spanish by the Inca Garcilasso de la Vega; rendred into english by sir Paul Rycaut.

BooK IV. Royal Commentaries. CH A P. X. Of the di/ferent mam?ers of inheriti11g Ejfates. F OR wanc of Iffue male by che legitimare Wife, che Lª'w chen was, chat rhe' Eldeíl: of the true bloud íhould fucceed, as it happ€n@d Ífl che cafe of Manco Inca a H11 .jéar, as we íhall hereafcer make appear in ics due place, for in no wife it would be permitted thac a Baíl:ard fhould inheric; and for wanc of lawfull Sons of che bloud, rhe lnhericance fell to che next of Kindred, provided he were cruly defcended by Facher and Mother. By reaíon of chis Law Atahualpa deíl:royed che whole Race of rhe true and Royal Bloud, both Men and Women, (as we íhall relate in its due place ; ) for he being a Baíl:ard , and therefore uncapable ro· inherit, made way to his ufurped Kingdom by che death of che lawfull Heirs, lefr one of them remaining alive, · íhould recover it again from. his Power. Ali chofe of the Bloud married togecher, ro che fourch Degree, chat fo che Generation of them might multiply· to gre:it numbers; onely che eldefi Siller was referved for the King, it not being lawfull for any to cake her befides himfelf. The eldefi Son always inhericed the Kingdom for a feries of twelve Kings, who fucceeded without inrerruption, uncill che Spa- niard1 invaded chem. Howfoever amongíl: che C11rac.-u, or Lords over Vaífals, a different Rule and Cufiome was obferved; for in fome Provinces che Eldefi Son fucceeded, in others the moíl: beloved, and eíl:eemed for his Vertue, and Affability was che qualifica- tion required, ofwhich che People being Judges, che Government feemed rather Elefüve than Heredicary. This Law wa.s fl curb to che Sons of che Curaw, re· firaining them from Tyranny, and an obligation to be vertuous? for in regard che Difpofal of che Inheritaoce depended on che pleafure of che People; the Sons contended in kindnefs cowards cheir Subjeéts, and every one laboured to render himfelf, by his Valo:.Ir and Genclenefs, che mofi beloved and accepcable to the' People. In fome Provinces che Sons .inherited according to cheir Birth, as wheq the Fa- ther dyed, che Eldeíl Son fucceeded, then the fecond, chen che third, and fo for· ward1; and when ali the Brothers were exrinét:, the Jnhericance fell ro rhe Eldeíl: , Son of che Eldefi Brother, and fo fucceffively; fo rhachence appears the mifiake of a cercain Spa111'fh Hiltorian, who fays, chat it was che common Cultome of all Pem , that che Brorhers of cheKing fhould gr:idually fucceed one afcer che other ; and that ali of chem being dead, chen rhe Kingdom afcended again ro che Eldeíl: Son of che eldefi Brorber; which Errour proceeded from a miíunderfianding of the true difference becweqt che manner of inheriting by Inct.U, and CuractU. For though che l nciu did reduce and fubdue many Provinces to their Power, yet they did not alter their <Cultomes, and ancient Laws, unlefs chey incerfered with cheir Religion, and rheir bwn fupreme and abfoluce Jurifdiét:ion ; but racher rhey con- firmed many of chofe Cuíl:oms which were good and laudable ; parricularly that whereby che moíl: deferving Son was chafen to che Government, it feeining a fpur and incicement to Venue, to have Power and Grandeur fer up for che Prize and Reward of cheir Merit: the which appeared fo reafonable, rhac a cerrain Inca King deftred once ro have introduced rhis Cuíl:ome into his own Family, and in defpighr of their own fevere Law of Primogenimre, have made bisSons depend on che favour and air of che Peoples Suffrages, as we fhall difcourfe in irs dueplace. There is a People about fourcy Leagues ro che Eallward of Cow, which I have been amongíl:, of che Nation of fl.!!.echua, fome call cbem Sutrnnca, where a par- ticular ioflance happened, relatiag to che different manner of inheritiog in chat Coumrey. The CHraca of tbat People, called Don Garyia, finding himfelf at che poinc of death, called for his four Sons, who \\ere Men grown, with che Nobles of his Pro\ ince, and admoni!hed tbem by way of bis Jaíl: Wordsand T eílament~ tbat 1 0 9