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 Commentaries. ' . . CH A P. XXXVI. "the ¿u_res .i_;,hich moved Atahualpa to ~;ercif~ a!J hi5 Cru~ eltiq·s, lind ihe fata/ elfetls of th~in. ~· •"1 ( '· •. . , . . . 1 ' • ' .J • " ; • E UT befor~ w¿ proceee farcher; we are firfÍ to enquire -into the Reaf on which moved 4ta'hualpá to <;ominic áll thofe crueltie5 which he aéted.on _ch ofe of ,his own Blqud and Family. To -underlland which,. we mull know, th .at -accor- .ding to rhe ~nci€ót Laws and Sratutes of chac Kingdom, obfetved fr om th e ·time of r.~1e Firíl:. Inca Madco Cap4c, untill the eod of ·the Reign of fluayna Capac· the ~Crea t ; AtalJu 9tpa· his Son was· as tincapable of inhetiting the Kingdom of fl.!!_itl!, . -W'bich, like.'idl'the 0ther·Coriquefts, áppertained to the Im~riál Crown, as he was :of'the Kirigdoin of Co>:.co; for that che lQhetitance of both indifpenfably apper~ tained to foch ari Heir, as - wa~ defcended fróm-a·lawfull Wife, wno was W be Si..: .fter co rhe ·Kió'g; for .chat · ~!_\e Title te:> chat Kingdom .cam~ as well by 1 ,~e Wo- man, as che Man's fide: An~ if in cafe this firiétnefs were not obferved • yet to gain him fome tolerable pr'etenfion , he ought ar leaft to have 15een the ~of__a.. · P a!l1t, chat was de(cended ofRoyal Bloild, fóf fuch were ·efteemed capable .0f the · ·Succeffion ~ but thofe wh9'had any mixtur~ ofForeignBloud, could never;with- , ·out prophanatlion of ali rheir holy Sanétioris~ be enti.tlecl:to·any íh~re, or part, of -the'Empire. · · 1 • • ' • • • • , • . Now IAt'ethudlpa being c9nfcious to himfelf, ·that he Wanted all the qualifications which might'-render him truly and legitimát~ly an Inca ; Í©l" he wis!néith,er i:he .Son of a Qoya, which fignifies a Queen, nor Y~t of 41 P~lla; -which .is a·Lady df . the Royal ~leuth but tpe Son onély' of á Whore, that was .a ~fative'<'>f ~itu ·; che which Kingdom -neither, . rnuld not dfright be <füinembred from o~her pares of the Empire. Wh~refore· confidering all chefe difficulties, añd that though ac prefent he were viétorious; yet when with time chat things were quieted and ap- peafed, matters would return again to their ancient courfe, and the people fer up one of the l.egicimare Line and Race-in defpight of him, or his poílerity : For the opinion of legal Succeffion being fixed in rhe 112inds of the Indians, by their ancienc Idolatry, and vain Religion, and taught and preached to them by that Doétrine which che Inca Manco Capac firíl: infücuced, and had ever fince, to all A- ges, been maimained ; he concluded impoffible to be unriveted from rhem, but J;>y an utter exrirpacion of that whole Race ; which therefore he refolved upon, and not onely to deíl:roy and extinguifh tne true 1ind legitimate Hfue, but even thole of Baíl:ard Families, leíl: ·they íl:anding in the Carne capacicy of Inheritance with him, fhould be induced by his example to become Rivals with him for rhe Empire. · To prevent which, no ocher remedy a¡ipeared, than that onely which Tyrants and.Ufurpers have cornmonly ufed, which is to cut off al.l fuch who can have a · Ticle, or lawfull Preceníion, coche Crown; fo chat neicher the People can caíl: their eyes upan any ocher Prince, nor yet che Ufurper himfelf have obligations in confcience or juíl:ice to make refütutions : With many examples and tefürhonies of which, in che like nacure, both ancient and modern Hiílories furnifh us, which, ro avoid tedioufneís, we omit; it being f'ufficient to ufe that fingle iníl:ance of the Ottoman Family, whofe common cuíl:ome it is to fecure che Empire to themfelves and chei,r poíl:erity, by che Death of their Brothers, and cheir other near Rela- tions. . · . But greater, and more thiríly of.the Bloud of bis own Family, than any exer- cifed by che Ottoman Kings, was rhe cruelty of Atahualp11, who not being fuffici- ent!y fatiaced with che Bloud of two hundred of his Brechren, who were che Sons of the Greiit Huayna Capac, he proceeded to wade chrough deeper füeams of all the Bloud , fhed from the Veins .of bis Uncles, Coufins, Parents and Relations, who were defcended by rhe direét, or indireél:, Lines, even to che fourth degree; - F ff 2 fo 1