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 Commemaries. e HA P. Vil the Original of the Ineas; . who were Kings bf Peru~ 'T'. Hef~ People 1 L\Ving and dyÍrig in tbat manner; ás we bav~ before dedared, it · •pleafed God at laíl: thát fome little light iliould . dawtl ft0m the morning; and through rhe dark clouels of lgnorance áhd SrupiditY dart a fmall. ray of the Law ofNature loto their hearts, thac. learnihg fornething of tbat refpeél: whiGh .0~€,maq ought to bear unto another, they might by degrees improve in m0ralii;y, aod fr0rri Beafis be conve¡;ted irtto Meo; and made capable oflteafon and l1nd€r-· fianding_; that fo, when rhe fame. God, who is the Sun oOuíl:ice; íhoulcl think ..íic to illúe out the ligbt ~f his Divine Rays on thofe poor ldolateni; they. might be found more docible, and eahly difpofed to receive the principles of the 'Chri-- -llianJaith·; the whiGh will plaiñ.Jy appear in the '.progrefs of chis Hifl:ofy; ,ami rhac .thofe, whorn the fnw had fubjeél:ed , and tedaced to fome terms 0f Humanity ;~d PoJít.ical Government, were much better and eafier to reécHve the,Evangelicál D~me preached unto them, than chofe ignotant wretches whó'lived in theü J.il <J.-- ,tural 'ftupidity, and who to this day, afcer the fp.ace of 71 Years, that the Spani- 4rds have beern Maíl:ers 0f Pm1, nave rnade no ftep or improv~ment tdwards the Do&in<? of Morality, or a ratiornd Life. And now that we may proceed .for- 1Ward; to relate thefe obfcure matters, 1 muíl: .acquaint the iR_e'ader, that Qá.ving conGdered with my felf of the ways and merbods wheteby I might rnoíl:.dearly, make known th~ begmning and original of the JncM . who were thit Nafoi:al Kings of Pme, I have deterrnined with my felf, that there ,is no 1-ÍÍore expe<rlité {:ourfe, nor means hereanto, than to repeat thof~ fiories which iri my youtli l. re- ceived frorn the relatlon ofmy Mother, and my Uncles, her Broth~, and oth~s Oí my'Kindred, touching this fubjeél:, which cenainly will be more authentick ~nd fatisfaél:ory than any,account we can receive from other Authours,. and theré• fore íhall proceed in chis manner. . . , My Mother, refiding at Co:uo, wlikh yvas her own Countrey, thofe few Kin- ared and Relations of hers wbic.h furvived; ánd efcaped ftóm the cruelties anti °fyrannies df AtanhHalpa, (as íhall be related in ~he Hiíl:ory of hjs life) carne al- rnoft every week to make her a vifü ~ at which their ordinary difcourfe was ton- cerning the Original of their Kings, the Maj~íl:y, a¡;¡d greamelS of rheir Ernpire; their ContjueH:s,_ and Policies in Government, 'both for Wat and Peace, togechei.: with the Laws they infütuted für the good and b~nefit of tbeir fubjéfü: in íhol' tj lhere was nothing great or profperóus amongfr them; which they omitted in the' Series of th~ir. -Difcourfe . . Fmril .tbeir paíl: Happineís they defcended to their prefent conditiarí, and be- wailed the death of their Kings, by whofe defüuétion the government fell, and the Empire was transferned, Thefe, and fu ch like.d1fcourfes, the /ne&, and the Ladies ofqualicy, which we caH Pa//a;, entertáined us with at their vifüs, which they al_ways concluded with tears and figbs in rnmembr<\.nce of their !9fi happineís; fa~ing, tbat from Governours they were ri?W become Slave·s, &e_. Duri~g thefe D1fcoúrfes, I , that was a Boy, 0fren ran m and óQt, pleafing my f©lf w1th fome pieces·of die fl:ory, as ChildreR do with the tales of Nurfes. fo tihis manner days, ~nd mómhs, ancl years paffing, :din l was come to fixteen or fevenfeen years ofage, · . being one dayprefent with my Kimhred, who were difcourfing of their 1 Kings ancl' Anceltoúrs, iEcarne inta my mind tó ask .the JJJOíl: eldei.:ly Perlan amongít them , a-nd interrnpt his Difcour.fe im this manner. !mea, fat4 J,. and mj Vncle, how u iP pojfi-b!e ; (inci: you have no ff'pitfags, thqt you htWe bér:n able to confarve the memory of things paft, and of the Original of óur Kings { I obferve that the Spaniards , and their neighho"l!ffing Nations, have their Di.vin1f anJ Humana Hi.ftories, wherehy · they learn t-he_ time rhaatheir own Kings-, aid the PrinceJ of other Cotmtrie;- began rheir Reigns, whm and ho:w·.fmp ixcs ivcre a!rered a:.d t '!:"ansferrtd ;. _i1ay, fo· far ' t'lrej ptom1d, M to tell m hori manj thoufand 1e11ts are paft, fincé God á eatd Het1.ven and1Ea,rt'h: · ali which, ami m11ch more-, thej