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 V. Royal ~ommentarieJ. CH A P. XXI. Of the word Viracocha, and why they ca!led the Spaniards by that Name. · BU T to return now to che Prince, to whom they gave the Ñame of Yirac~cha; by reafon that che Vifion whlch appeared to him in aDream, fo called himfelf. And.in regard this Phantaful was defcribed by the Prince to appear with a long Beard, and G;irments trailing .on the gr 1 ound, which was a much.different habit to the faíhion of the Indian1, who naturally hav~· littleHair in their Faces, and by cuftome wear Coa.ts not ·reaching farther than their knees; fo foon as they had a fight ofche firft Spa~iard1 that invaded Peru, and obferved their long Beards and Garmencs which clothed all parts o( their Bodies; and chat their firft Afüon was to cake and kill Atahualpa, their Tyrant King', who not long before had murche- red Huafcar, the lawfull Heir and Succeífour, and deftroyed all thofe of the Royal Bloud, which might endanger his Title to the Government, withouc any regard to Age or Sex, with many other Cruelties, which we íhall recount in their due place. When, I fay, they obferved that the Spani11rds revenged the Bloud of rheir lncM, and punifhed the enormous Crimes, they called to mind the.Appari· tion P'iracocha, and comparing the punifhment which he executed On the ChancM · for cheir rebellion, V?itli che Jufüce which che Spaniards performed on Atahualpa ,_ , in revenge of the Murthers he committed on the Royal Family, chey prefently .__/. concluded, that the God Viracocha was the Parent of the Spanim'ds, for wnich rea~ .fon chey received and wekomed them to their Countrey, and woríhipped and adored them wich the Name of Piracocha; and hence it was, that the Conqueíl: of Peru became fo eafie, that fix Spani11rd1 onely, ,of whom Hernando de Soto, and P.edro de Barco were t.wo , advencured to cravell from Caffamarca to Co:uo, which is I a J<:mrney of twó li undre d and chircy Leagues, by which they made a difcovery of the Riches of that City, and other places; and to íhew their great kindnefs and civility they carried them over the Countries in Chairs, or Sedans; giving them the Title of l11w, and Children of the Sun, in che fame manner, as tney did cheir own Kings. Now had the Spaniards taken tpe advantage of this credulicy of the Indians, perfuading them, that the true God had fent them, for cheir deliverance from the tyraonicál Ufurpations of che Divel, which enílaved therr\ more tpan all the Cruelties of Atahualpa; and had preached thei Holy Gofpel wich chat fanfü..- ty and good exarnple, which the innocence of tbat Doétrlne requires, they had 'ercainly ,made gr~at Progreífes in the advancement of Religion. Bue the Spanijh Hiftories report things in a different way of proceedings, to which, for che truch t:hereof, I refer che Rea.der; leíl: being an Jndian my felf, 1 íhould feem parcial in the relation: ·Bue chis truth we may confidently aver, that though many were blameable, yet the greater number difcharged che Office and Duty of good Chri• fiiáns; howfoever amongíl.a people fo ignorant apd fimple, as thefe poor Genciles 7 · one ill man is able to doe more mifchief, than the endeavours of a hundred good Menare able to repair. The Spanifh Hiíl:orians farther fay, thac the Jndians gave chis Name to che Spanj~ · ards, becaufe chey carne over che Sea, deriving Viracocha from the compolition of cwo words, namely, Vira, which is vaft, immenfe, and Cochn, which fignifies che Sea or Ocean. But the Spaniards are much mifiaken in chis compofition, for chough Co- cha is cruly che Name for the5ea, yec Vira fignifies fatnefs; and is no ocher than the proper Name which chat Apparition gave to it felf; the 'which I more confi- dently aver, becaufe·that Langaage being natural to me, and that which 1 fucked in and learned with my Mocher's Milk, I may more reafonably be allowed co be a Judge of che true Idioms of that Tongue, rather than Spaniards, who are Srran- gers and Aliens to chat Councrey. Bue befides what we have already mentioned1 · there may yet be another reafon for it, which is, that che lndi4ns gave them that Name