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.

454 Royal Commentaries. the which was [o ill expreffed, that the Indians ~elieved he was Supe~iour to all, as well in Héaven as ón E:mh. Many other thmgs he declared, wh1ch were as ill underíl:dod as chofe preceding, which for breviry fake we país by and omit. And here B/a.· f/alera rakes notice of a moíl: cercain ¡md obíervable truth; chac to this day chough the Jndian Children which are bred up and educated wich our y outh, 'fo chat Spamfh is becorne almoíl: t~eir nacural Languag~,. or a~ leaíl: as ~~fi~ to chem as che Indian ; and are very well 1níl:ruéted and carechifed \n the Pnnc1- ples ahd Myíl:eries of che Chriíl:ian Faich, yet dare not pre(ume to explicare the Doéhines of our Religion to che Jndians in their own Language, for fear left the b¡rrennefs o~ir T ongu~ ~1~uld not be able to reach the height of our 11_1yíl:eri- ~u s Fairl), and chereby adm1111íl:er _occafion to them_ of rnany ~rrours and 11_1iíl:akes. So chac.if in cheíe lace days, wherem Men are borh míl:ruéted mour Learnmg, and pr aétifed i n boch-Languages, fuch · .ties do ariíe i~ thi~ matter ; what in- congruities what noníeníe, and what Ch1 erM may we m1agme, were ac firíl: ut- tered, whe1; Men endeavoured ro exprefs fu lime Myíl:eries with a babling and an imperftét T ongue ? CH A P. x ·x1v. The Anfwer which Atahualpa gave to the Friar's Speech. W Hen At1thHalpa underíl:ood the conclufion of che Speech, which was, That by fair means, or foul, he was to renounce and quit his Kingdorns, and to remain a Tribucary Prince, for fo was tbe cornmand of che Pope, and che pleafüre of che Ernperour ; and when they threamed him w.ich fire .and fword, as appeared by che' figns chey made, by bran<lifbing rheir Arrns ; and that ir feemed as if noching was prepared bue ruine and deíl:ruétion for himfelf and his Army, like that of Pharaoh, he became extremely fad and melancholy, believing rhat thoíe whom they c:illed ViracochM ( for they conceived that che Spaniards were Gods) were curned from chern, and becorne their morral Enemies; and tnerewich he fetched a deep íigh, and cried Atac, which is as much as Oh mofr unhappy and miíerable; which wofull groan was :m evidence of che forrow he conceived at the conclufion of the Friar's Sermon: But at lengch recolleéting himfelf, he aníwered in che manner following. . Though )'OU have denied me all the requeft1 1 made to )'Our Mej{enger1, yet it would 6e a great fatufaélion to me, to grant me the favour onely to exprefs your felvn by a more 1kflfull and faithfHll lnterpreter, becaufe the M11nner1 and political Live1 of Menare better under- ftood by difcourfe, than by jigns or aflion1 ; for though )'OU may be Men endued w1'.th extra- ordim1ry vertues and abilitíes, yet unlefsyou mak! them appe11r ro me by wbrd1 and di fcourfe, 1 fha// never be made capable to 1mderftand tbem by outward jign1 andgeft11res : For if there be a necejfity of a common Language between 1Vation1, who dejire commerce and conv erfation togethtr, much more u it requijite between peop!e fo remote M we are; Jor indeed to treat by lnterpreters ignorant of both To11g_ue1? u likt the inarticulate found of dumeftíc~ Animal! ; and fuch, O Man ofGod, feems thu difcourfe thou haft made me by thu lnterpreter. And now, fo far tU f und~rftand, methink¿ the difcourfe feem1 m,uch dijferent to what )'Ottr Am- baf{adours late{y propounded, for they treated of nothing but Peace qnd Friendfhip, o f Alli- an~e and Confanguinity; but now a/L the Words of thú Indian are nothing but Menaces of Wars, and Death, and Fire, and Sword, with the Extirpation andBanifhment of the Incas, and their Proge'!}; and that 1 muft vobmtarily, or by force, renounce a right to my Kingdom, and become Tributary to another. . From when_ce 1 co/leél: one of thefe two things ; that either you andyour Prinr;e are Tyrants, and rove about to plunder the World, and to difp ojfefr o- ther1 of their Kingdoms, kjlling and fpoiling thofe who oJPe yott nothing, and ha11e ne ver of- feredyou injury or vio/ence ; or otherwifeyou are the Minifters of God ( ca/led by m Pacha- camac)