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 VII. Royai C ommentarier. tired and fainted in its Journey, attributing all che feelings and paílions of the Men to che inanimate and fenfe1efs Stone. This, and many fuch Fables, the Indiam conferve amongíl: thern,. believing that fuch paífages as chefe are befl: recommen· ded to Poíl:erity ~ and conferved under fuch wonderfull and improbable fiétions. The Spaniards, who in reafon oughr to rnaintain, and at their own coíl: ro have kept chis Fomefs in repair, for rhe greater advancernent of their ówn honour, that fo they might give occafton to the World to admire their Archievements and great Prowefs, in being' able to fub.due a people fo potent, and which were able to ereét: fuch wonderfull an'd proClig!>us Fabricks; bur on che comrary, as if chey had been envious of che great Aéts ofchofe they had fubdued, chey have laid their own hands to che pulling clown of chis prodigious piece of Arr and Induíl:ry; and wirh rhe Materfals thereof have built che privare Houfes of fome particular per- fons in Co«o; for to avoid .the coíl:, and time, and labour of che Indians in bring- ing Srones and Macerials from diíl:ant pares, chey have brought from the Walls of the Rampire, all che poliíhed and wrought Scones; that there is fcarce aHoufe in ali che Town, ar leaíl: fuch as belongs co che Spaniards; bue whar is built out of che ruines of char Fortrefs. , · The·great Scones which were che fupporters of rhe lower Bu.ildings, were dig· ged up, and brocght away for Thr~íholds and Jambs of rheir Doors; the leílér Stones ferved for cheWalls; and for Steps ro cheir Srairs, rhey chofe íl:ones of fuch ftze as was convenienr, ·which when chey had foand, and pirched upon, they caíl: down all che rows of Stones above them, co ten or twelve degrees above them, untill they carne to chofe which fitred their occafions. In chis manner rhey whol- ly overrurned and deíl:royed rhe Majeíl:y of thac noble and íl:ately buildiqg, un- worthy of fuch a Fate, and which will ever re[Jlain an objeét of great compaílion to all Beholders, the Spaniards were fo expedite in the deíl:ruétion ofit, that !n my time chere remained onely fome few ruines whic4 we have fonnerly mentioned. The three great Rampires of Rock are íl:ill remaining, becaufe che Stones are fo vaft and weighry, ·as cannot be removed; howfoever they have difordered fome of thern, in hopes of finding that Chain or Cable ofGold, which Huqyna Capac made, for they had fom~ intimation thac it was buried there. . · The good K.ing Inca Tupanqui, who 1Jas ·the tenth of the lncM, was the fu{f; Founder of chis abufed and injured Fortrefs, though others will have it begun by his Father Pachacutec, be~aufe he had left the fufi drau_ght and model of ir, and had made Provifions of great quanrities of Stone and Rocks for the Building, be- fides which there were no other Marerials. Tlie whole Work was fifty Years be- fore ir was completed, not being finiíhed untill che Reign of Huayna Capac, nor then neither, as the Jndians report, for that the great Rock which reíl:ed in che . way was defigned for addirional Baildings to i~; ~ut to this and many orher Buil- dings in divers parts of the Empire, a ftop andCifappointment was given by che Civil Wars which·arofe not long after between the two Brothers, Huafcar Inca, and Atahualpa, in whofe time che spaniards made their I nvafion, and then thofe Deftruétions and Ruines followed, which are apparent.CU : chis Day. . Qq 2 BOOK i99