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 VI. Royal Commentaries. had occurred in War and Peace; as alfo of Embaflies from foreign Princes, and che feveral Negotiations with themj which Work was the Office of che ~ipu­ may™, who made fome íhort and concife Memoir, leaving the reíl: ro the remem- brance of the Age, who by tradition conferved the fame to fucceeding Genera- cions: And herein every Province was particularly attent, and carefull to con- ferve the Hifiory of its own Countrey ; for on that , and on the Adions of cheir Ancefiours, they much efieemed and valued thernfelves. The Amauta., or Philofophers, for a fanber help to Hiilory, did compofe certain Novels, Ol' Fa- b!es, mixed with true paífages, which they made· fo familiar, and eafie to the · capacity of Children, and common People , that they attentively hearkened to them, and were fo pleafed with them, that recounring rhem one to the other in common Diícourfe, and way of Converfation, tqey fo inculcated them into the minds of the hearers, that the Tale becoming common, was transferred from (JI)~ Generation to another. The Poets likewiíe, whom they call Haravicm, were great Coníervators of Hiíl:ory; for they in veríe, and in íhort and corppendious Senl:ences couched the Aétions of their King, fuch as the Embaflies 'he received, · the Aníwers he gave, the Barreis he won,, and the Triumphs he celebrared; and that wherein. the ~ipm, and che Amauw carne !hort, . y¡as ali f1,1pplied by the fancy of Poers, whofe Verfos ferved for Sonnets, and Ballads, which they fang at their Fefüvals, and on the days of Triumph: All which notwitbfianding were ' fain~ Repreíentarions and imperfeét Coníervatories of true Hiíl:ory, ir¡. cornpatifon of the Reports we deliver to faithfull Writipgs and Lettersf which perpetuare the memory of Aétions to all Ages. Howfoever we may-here obferve che inge- nuit.y of that people , who affiyed and offered at fomerhinK like our Letters, though ir were by Knots, and Novels, and Hieroglyphicks, and Verfes ;. fuch is the defire of Mankind ro perpetuare their Beings in the_JIIlemory and minds of áll Ages. . · · When any Curaca, or Noble Perfon , defired to know, and be iriformed of things paífed, and matters occurring in their-·Provinces, tbey prefently fent to the .fl.t!_ipucamaym to be fatisfied in the1r demands; ,aqd they, or their Under-Officers, . who kept the Regifiers, rnaking. fearch into their Kno~s and Cyphers~ made fuch Anfivers as appeared in the~r Regiíl:er. ·' . ,.. _.By the fame Rule, they anfwered tbe Enqui:ries made o(L'!ws, .and Rices, and Ceremonies, which were expreífed by the <;:olout of their Knots; arad rof what púniíhmenc was infliéted for fuch and fu~h Crit!les. By the farrw Rule ,alfo lhey were put in mind of rhe Sac,rifices and Ceremctaies which wei'e to _be performed at the feveral Feíl:ivals, celebrated in honour of the Surr; with,what provifion --was made for Orphans, and Widows, and PoQr, and TrªveUers... and qf all other matters which were committed to the cuíl:pdY.. of .;fraqicioii: For theíe feveral Knors ferved to put them in mind of all particulars, which ~h~y defin-;d;!o have remembred; for as we by the number Ten remember the ~n Commanaq¡ems, and by. other numbers cal! ro-mind· the Sacraments, go9d. ~rks, and Aéts of Merey, which we learn in our_Catechiíin, fo tbeíe Indians-, ·by -tbeíe Knots; and Strings, and Colou¡:s, remembred more perfeétly what the~ FFithers had delive- red to them by Tradition; whieh they regarded with reípeét and reverence -due to the •facred,Conferyatories <;>( that Law, and Idolatrous Religion, which they profeífed; for without this heJp, having no Writings, they would certainly have be<m as ignorant,of their own Hiíl:ory, as t:he Spaniards themfelves are, or any other Stran&ers, .or Aliens. · The knowJedge which I had of their ~ipm, and Knots, 1 garned by the meaos of fome Jndians, who ferveq my FatJ1er, and of cer~ain Curacao, who carne every Midfum_rlier and Chriíl:mas to the City, fo pay therr Tribute; and thefe Curactu defired rny MQther that íhe would preva!} with me 1 {aithfully to iexamine cheir Accoums, an.d read the A~uittances which t)1e Spaniards had g~ven them, for they were jealous of their aétings, and repofed much more confidence in 'me, than in_them ;. which when I had J?ei:uíed, and read ro tbeñi, they compared them widi their Knots, and finding them to agree, they,re- ~aine-d fatisfied. And by this·means 1 carne to -have fome knowleclge in rheir way of Accounrs. . · · ·· '•. , " 1 ~ ) .