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 C@mmentaries. CH A P. XVI. Of the Prínce Yahuarhuacac, a~d thc Interpretation of bis Name. ~ T HE K.ing Inca Roca having paífed fome Years in the q,uiet poffeJJiolil and go- ' vermnent of bis Kingdoms, thought it fic to employjhis Son and Heir, na- med Tf!hnarhuacM, in rhe entire Conqueíl: of Antifo.Jw, which .lyes co nhe Eaíl: Qf Cou:o, and not far from the City ; for on that fide no great adv01ice had' been made fince che time of the firíl: Inca, ,Manco Capac, who had not proceeded far- ther rhan Ehe River Pauoartampu. 1 ' But before we próceed farth€r in the Relation of chis Story, it would be reqtli- fae to explain the fignification of chis long name of Tahuar-huacac, and the reafon wltiich they had to give it to rhe Prince. Ir is a Tale amongíl: uh€ Indians, r.hat when he was a Child of rhree or four years old, his Tears were bloud, perha~s .it was becaufe he had forne difeafe in his Eyes, aud rhar che bloud, when h€ cried, might fall from thence wich bis Eears: Bue it is a gfneral bdiefaq¡ongíl: them, Fhat f© foon as he ca~ne trying inro che \iVorld, his Teats were ful01i1d: Ir mighr lik e- wife perhaps be, that he brougL1t fomeching of the Matricial bloud witT1-b.im OQ llis Eyes, which the íuperfütious Indians were ready to inrerpreu forTear~; bm b~ tbe caufe what it will, they would not be perfuaded out of tbis belief; and on this foppofüion fotandeG many of their Wicchenes and Progn0ílicarions, fornrel- ling die anger and difpleafürf of his Father th€ Sl!ln againíl: him, and that d'i@Fe- fore he would be unformnate and accurfed. The derivatiol'I chernforn of Ms Nánie, is evident from Tahuar, to weep, and Huar;ac. This manner of \i\Teeping muíl: have been when he was a Child, and not at Man's eíl:a~€; for thern h€ was neither overcorne nor taken Priíoner, as fome will have it ; for none of che Incas was ever fo unformnace, untill che time of che wretched Huafcar, whom che Tray- tor Atahualpa his Baílard-brother took Prifoner, as we íhall relate in ics due place, if God Almighty gives us life and power to arrive fo far in this our Hiíl:ory. Nor was he íl:oln away when he was an Infant, ·as fome Wricers wi ll have it; for it is not probable, thac when Indians conceived generally fuch awe and venerarion for their Incas and the Royal Bloud , th:it any perfon íhould be found fo profügare, and daring as to ílea! che Prince and Heir to the Empire ; nor is it probable, rhat the Tutors and Servams íhould be fo remi!S in their ~are and cha~ge ; for füch was the reverence that the Indians bore towards their lncM, that the very imagination Gf:.fuch an atrempt woulcl have terr-ifi€d them to that degree, th:it the.y weuld have believed the very thought would have procured the vengeance of Heaven, and caufed the Earth to have opened and fwallowed both them and their whole Families : For, as we have formerly faid, they Woríhipped the Sun for rheir God, and fur liis fake the lncao, whom rhey accountecl Children defcended from • him, were adored wich the fame divine Honours. Thefe Tears of bloud which che Jndians interpreted to be ominous, and to be fore-runners of fome diGnal face, pur me in mind of another fuperíl:itious fancy of theirs, > hich rhey gathered from the motion :ind twinkling of the eyes ; for it was a common opinion borh of che lnr:'ao and his Subjeét:s, thar che Eyes did Prognofücate b9 their motion and twinkling either good or bad fortune; for it Wf.S accounted goo luck when the upper eye-lid of rhe left eye twinkled, for tbéy faid, that ir forefaw matters of contencment and fatisfaétion ; bue rnuch more when the right eye-lid fparkled :md twinkled, thac \<vas a moíl: excellenc figo of all happineís and proíperity, peace and plenty irn:iginable: And to tbe contrary , when che lower Curcain of the right eye trembled , ir betokened weeping and tears for fome fad and unfortunate accident ; but if the lower pare of