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 I. Royal Commentarie.r. • • > I • ' ( ' ;· C H A P. : XV.111. The Governour fends an Amba/fadour .to King ,Atahualpa.' T H E day following the Governour held a confulcation wirh his Brethren añd Captains, touching an Embaífy to be feot to the JGng At11hu11lp11, whereby . to inform him of his intemions to make him a vifit, that fo he might communi- cate to him the matters encharged to him by the Emperour, and by the Pope ; for rhat to be filent, and make no returns, would favour ofingratitude, and litrle fenfe of the prefems ·and kind treatment they had received. Wherefore they agreed, that lince the Inca had fent his Brother on this Embaífy, that they íhould corre- fpond in the like manner by the Brother of the-Goverhour, qualified with the fatne charaétér of Ambailiidour ! Accotdihgly Hernando Pifarro, and Hernando de Soto were fent to the Courtof the lni:a, not:far diftant from CaJTam(lrca, where he had a.Royal Palac e, an d cbi:nmodioils Bath~; and where was~a.t that time a nume- rous cohcourfe of t.he Nobility and Souldiery, which floek.1ed from all pares ro celebrate certain Fefüvals agreeable to cheir Religion ,. and with that occafion to ref9fm feveral corruptions and abufes, which by che licentioufnefs of rhe Wars l-'yére crept in amongíl: them ; and for the better fecuriey afid confervation of his own Perfon, and advancement of his own Tyrannical-Power anél Authoriry, he enaét~d ¡¡nd eílabliíhed other Laws and Statutes, pretending that they were tranf- mitted ·to him by revelation from the Sun : For the truth is, though Atahualpa had Murthered as many perfons of the Bloud:-Royal, as he was able, yet he was fiill jealous, and fearfull of thofe few which furvived, leíl: any Preténdér íhould on the pretext of Religion advance one of tqé tight line to be the trile and legitimare Heir; to which end he formed new Laws., preténding that dieywere derived from the Sun, to equalize and balance againíl: the ancient Canoas ánd Starilres of Reli- gion. Thefe cwo Ambaífadours were in this mannet dif~~chéd wirh cheir In- rerpreter Phi!ip, who though he was a Native of the Iíle 'óf Puna, and i1l verfeJ in one or the other Language, yet he was a neceífary infüument ; and füch, as for want of a better, was very ufefull. Wich thefe two Spaniards the Curaca of. C(lj{amarca fent two hundred lndians to attend.and conduét ~hem with greater fiare and·pomp to the prefence of their King, encharging them upon their lives to perform w,hatfoever _they íhould command. So foon as thefe Ambaífadours iiad paífed Caf[amarca, chey fent an Indian of Q!ality·out of chofe who atténded them to the King Atahualpa,_to acqi,rnint him of their <;oming, and to demand his licence, that rhey might appear in the prefence of bis Highnefs : To which Meífage the Inca made anfwel', that they íhould be extremely welcome, for that their Arrival had been long defired and expeéted ; and prefently commanded one of his Major- Generals with a great number of his Men to go forth and meet chofe Defcendants from the Sun, and perform cc;iwards them all that Woríhip and V eneration which apperrained to them. This liind Anfwer of che Inca eafed the Spaniards -of all the frar and fufpicion they had conceived upon the rumour, that the Inca was encom- paífed with a Guard of thirty thoufand Men ; and fo with great confidence taking f heir way towards the Royal Baths and Palaces, they met .at>out the middle of their Journey in an open Plain with thofe Companies of Souldiers which were · fent out to receive them ; which fo foon as Hernl41'J_do de Soto .efpied, he fer Spurs to his Horfe, and boldly rid up to chem with a foil cariere, giviog thern to under- fl:and, that if chey had been Enemies, ª? they were Friends, he alone had been fufficient ta e'ncounter wich rhem; and then tutning·and carveting witb bis Horfe, he carne and íl:opt near the Comrnander in chief. And here cj-le Spanifh Hiílori- ans recounting this paífage, tell us, thac.chis Comrn:mder in Chi~f was Atahua!p_d himfelf, and chat Soto carne up to his vtry Chair pranfing with his Horfe; at which though Atahualpa feemed not to be difi.nayed, or a!tered, yet fevetal of bis people, wl10 ran away and fkd to avoid his Horfe, h{? caufed to be put to death :. Bu~ this Authour was rnif-informed in the Relation he made, for neither was Atahua!pa L 11 i. · chere 443