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.

'· Royal Commenta,riu. BooK V. CH A P. XXIII. Of' a fainous Piéfure ; and of the Reward which WtU given to thofe who af!ifled the Princrt. I N. this our difcourfe concerni~g Viracocha, we mu~ not ~mit to ad_d ho~ much )oyed and pleafed he was w1th the new Adoratton and Worfh1p which clw Indians gave him ; fo that he did not· think fit to terminare the Magnificenre-:óf his Royal Mind wich the ftately Struéture of chis Temple onely ~ bue tq ,éXtend hi.) Aéts and MonuJl.len~ with greacer glory to pofrer4y ; and to dús · rpofe he caufed an Emblem to be drawn, reprefenting che low and mean fi · it of his fa- ther, and che generofity of bis own mind, ordering it to be mted on one of thofe many Rocks, amongfr which his Father abfconded him elf, wh~n for fear of che Chancas, he abandoned and forfook his Cicy. The Emolem was of two Birds, which the Jndians cal! Cuntur, which are Fowl of fuch large fpreading Wings, that chey meafure, five Yards from .the end of one Pinion, to ch.e tip of che ocher : they are Birds of prey, and fo very fierce, chat Nature denied them Talons to their feet, giving them onely Claws, like chofe of a Hen; b.ut their Beak is fo firong and íharp, 'thac with 'one nip they are able totear out che Skin I of a Bullock ; and cwo of them are fufficient to kill an Ox, as if they were Wolves. .The.y are of a brownifh colour, with white Spots, like Pyes. Two Birds of chis fort he ordered to be painced , one of.them wich bis Wings clofe clapped togeth<*, his Head íhrung in, anll drooping, like an affiighced Hen, which hides it felf, wich its Beak curned towards Col/afuyu-, and its Tail towards Co:u:o: the other Bird was on che contrary painced in' aRampant rnanner, wich its Wings extended, hovering on the Wing, and ready to fioop .at its Prey. The Jndian.r fay, that the firíl: ofthefe reprefented che Father in bis timorous and dejeéted con- dicion; and che other was d1e Emblern of Piracocha, under the cove:· ng ofwhofe Wings che City and Empire was fecured and defended. Tl1is Piél:ure, in che Year 158 o, was in being, and very perfeél; and in cheYear J 595, 1 asked a certain Prieíl: which was born there, and who carne from Peru in- to Spain, if he had feen it, and in what condition it was? and he told me, that i;c was fo defaced by Rain, and the weather, none caking care to preferve ir, chat it was fcarce difcernible what it was ; the which was the fate and misfortune alfo of divers other Antiquities in rhat Countrey. · · The 1nca Viracocha having in chis rnanner obtained a fupreme and abfo!ute Do- minion over ali his Subje&, being infinitely beloved, and reverenced, and adored by chem as aGod; his greatWork ar che beginning of his Reign, was to Eíl:abliíh his Dominions in perfeét peace and cranquillity for che good ánd benefit of all his Subjeéts. · . In order unto which, che firll thing he did was to gratifie and reward all fuéh with FavoursandHonours who had ferved him in che late War, and caken Arms · in his affül:ence againíthis Rebellious Subje&; and herein a moreparricular no- tice was taken .of the fZ!.echuas, who belonged to t~e C.ountries o~ Cotapam_Pa, and Cotanera ; for m regard that they had been very afüve m promoung che mterefi: ofthe Inca, and unanimouíly arofe in Arms fór bis Aid and Defence ; he beíl:owed on them the privilege of wearing their Hair íhorn, and cheir Heads bound with iheWrea_th, and of ha.ving their Ears boared after che rnanr'ler of che Incas, though me boles of che Ears were not to be fo wide as cheirs, bue proporcioned to fuch a ftze as the fir(l: Inca, Manco Capac, had or.dained. _ To other Nations he beffowed Privileges of different Nacures, as were moíl: agreeable to their Countrey, and Conditions; and ip fine, every one·remain ing entirely fatisfied and contented , he vifüed his feveral Kingdoms, affording to h.is people the fatisfaétion of beholding his Perfon, which their Eyes fo rnuch longed co fee ; ¡md of whom fo many Wonders and Miracles were recounted, ' . Z 1. that