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 IX. Royal Commentarier. better credence to m_y words, you mtl:J be pleafed toCorl'Je Jorth, and feé the truth hereof tefti- fted by your onm Eyes; and then if you think_ jit, you may .be pleafed to tak[ farther inf orma- tion from the other Divinen, or Magicians, concerning thd~ prodigiom .Apparitions. The Inca accordingly carne forth from his Chamber, and havíng beheld thefe Slgns in the Heavens, he c:illed for all the Diviners and Prognofücators which he qiaimai- ned in his Courr; amongfr which there being one of che Nation of Yauyu, who was·much efieemed above the reíl: , and that having beheld .ánd conftdered thefe Circles, gave the fame judgment thereupon as che former had done. Howfoever Huayna Capac, though he entertained fad apprehenftons and fears hereof within bis own Breall: yet not to difcourage his People, he [eemed to make íinall acrnum of thefe afüighting Stoties, telling che Magicians, that unlelS the Pa'chacamac. hímfelf íhould reveal the fame 'to him by his own Words; :he would not give credit to fuch Sayings; For ú it poffible, faid he, that my Father thé Sun fho¡.¡ /d abhor and. detejl hú own B(oud, and fo far abandon them, M toyield tpern up to a tqtal deftruétion? And [o difmiffed his Prpgnofücators. Howfoever refleétirig withi~ himfelf upon what they had faid, and con.fidering how it agrned with ·the Prophede5 pf ar1 ancierit Oracle, an~ comparing pafi ~hings with tifo pr?digious Novelties 9f .the prefe~t . tirr~es, whichappeared and Q1ewed themfelves mevery rlemertt; as alfo the Sh1p which füiled <dong the Co~fr, with á fort of Peop!e never befa re feeri ' i,n thofe Seas; all tnefe things being tal{en together, did greatly maye and dillu.rb the Mmd of Hu- aJna Capac with inward fear and aJ_)prehenfion; far which reafon qe alyvays kept an Army in a readinefs, compo'd of his moíl experienc~ Souldie~s ana Officer~, whicb he ~rew out from the Garrifons of thofe Prov~nc~ f!,e .~~dained alfo th~t rnany Sacnfices íhould be offered to the Sun, apd that an tb.eRwmers and Mag1- cians i~their refpeétive Provinces íhould confült their familiar Vétnons, and par~ tic;ularly che _great ~achacamac, and t~e prating Devil of Rim~r.~ : who always gave; · anfwers to all demands; and to enqmre and know of them whether chofe frrange and new Apparitions in the Heavens, and in the Sea, díd porteñd either good or evil to the Empire. The Anfwers frorp Rimac were fo dubious and obfcure, that they could not promife themfelves any great good, nor yet did they feetñ to prog- . noíl:icate any affiighting evil. Howfoever all tbe Diviner~ Pf.efaging,nothiqg but ill, che who1e Empire remained in terrour anq (ea~ o( fome a~proa'.ching mifchief apd calamity; y~t in regard no tonftderable misformne befell, that people far the fpace of three or four Years, che remembrance there0f began to wear out, eveFy one returning to bis ufoal,quiemefs, and feded way of living, in whkh they_con- tinued for [everal Years, untill rhe death of HuaJn.a Capac. The relationsof thelé Prognoíl:ications which we have mentioned , were, beftdes the common reporr, delivéred particularly by two Captains, who had fqrmerly been of the Guard to Huayna Capac, and being each of them of the age ofeighty years, ·were both bap- tized; che eldeíl: of them was called {ohn Pechuta, his ownName remaining fo,r á fumame aft:er Baptifm, as wascommon to tbe Inr/j ans ; the other wa~ called .Chau- ca Rimachi, but· his Chriíl:ian Name I have forgdt: ' Thefe Ca_ptains, when they related the íl:ories of thefe unhappy prefages , with che focce!Iés of chofe times, they would always buríl: into Tears; fo that it was neceífary to diverc them witl:i fome other Difcourfe, befare they would ceafe their Tears and Lamemations. The Teíl:ament and Death of Huayna Capac, ~vith mahy other particulars which af- terwards fucce@ded, were delivered rn us by an old Inca, whofe Name was Cufi Hu- a!lpa; but che cruelties which Arahualpa exercifed upon all thofe ofthe Bload Royalj I received from the relation of my. ownMother, and her Brother, who was called Don Fernando Huallpa Tupac Inca·1upanqui, who were in thofe days, both of tbem Children of tenYears of age, and lived in the fury and rage of all thofe troubles which continued for rhe [pace of two years and a half, umill füch time as the Spa- niards invaded that Countrey,, as we íhall relate in its due place, together wirh ch.e manner ho'w they, with fome few others of the Royal Bloud, efcaped frorn death, which ,Atahualpa had deíigned for them, which turned grearly to che advamage of the Enemy. · CHA P. 373