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 . Commentarier. BooK l. CH A P. XXVI. The Authozt'r coh1pares his own Writings with the Hiflories of Spaniards. N Ü'W to compate wliat we have faid with the Writings of Spanifh Hifiori- ans, we fay, chat the Difcourfe of Friar Va,lverde, and che ~nfwer of Ata- hualpa, are delivered very brief, and in few words, in all the printed Hillories : For the rruch is, the General and Captains were not very. fincere, or faithfull in che Narracive they gave of paílages wfiich occurred ; for to pm che beíl: glofs and colour chey could on cheir aétions, they !efe out all their cruel and unjuíl:ifiable proceedings, and added whatfoever they judged to have che beíl: appearance. What we have alledged concerning Atahualpa, how that he ordered his Subjeéts to refiíl: che SpaniardJ, is confirrned by che auchority of feveral Hiíl:orians, and par- cicularly by Lopc:{, de Gomara, wh0 in che 113th Chapcer of his Book, hath chefe Words: " lc is very obfervable (íáich he) chat thougl:l che lndian.r carne all arm- " ed, yec not a Man lifted up his hand, becaufe che'word of Command was not " given, nor the Signal fhewed for Fighc, as was. ágreed, in cafe chat matters·fo " required ; for ir is probable che fürprize was f<? f u~den, and che affiightrnent fo " great by tl1e found of che Trumpets, che V0U1es of che Mufquecs, and roaring " of che Cannon, che mfhing of the Horfes, and clattering of Arrnour; chings " fo unknown to thefe poor people, as difiratl:ed rhem, and put them befides their ' ' underíl:andings and reafon. And a liccle farcher he adds : Great numbers of ' ' chem periíhed, becaufe chey did not fighr, whilíl: ours killed them wich cheir " Daggers, ílafhing and íl:abbing chem ; for Friar Va/verde advifed them not to ufo ' ' their Swords, leíl: in chat fervice they fhould b~/ither blunted or broken. Thus far are che Words of Gomara ; che which is liKewife confümed by other Au.. tbours, who report, that the lndian1 Bed fo foon as they faw their King taken Pri- foner, and chat Atahualpa cornmanded them not to refül: che Spaniard1: The which we rnay attribute to a Miracle ofGod's Providence, who was pleafed to conferve the Chrifl:ians, and not fuffer them to perifh, whóm he had defigned to preach the Gofpel : For if che Inca had not comrnanded them not to fight, certainly chey would never have endllred to fee cheir Prince overthrown and raken ; for having Weapons in their hands, they Would racber have died all in bis defence, chan have fuffered 160 Spa11iard1 (whom they were able to have fubdued with fiones) to com- mit fuch Oucrages upon them ; infiead whereof there was not one Spaniard eicher killed or wounded, unleíS it were Francifco de Pi fa rro, who received a litcle hurt in bis hand by one of his own people, as he wem to feize Atahua!pa. The truch is, the Jndim did not fight, becaufe they held every Command of their Inca to be a pare of cheir Religion, and of che divine Law, though it were to the loíS of their Lives and Efiates. And as to what Hifiorians report of Friar Va/verde, chat he himfelf ufed his Weapons, and encouraged che Souldiers to kill and defiroy the lndians, and íl:ab them with Daggers to fave their Swords, and conferve chem to another opporcunity, is a falfe repon of chofe who wrote chefe palTages into Sp11i11 where they might eafi!y at 3000 Leagues difiance obtrude whac íl:orieschey pleafed on the niinds ofMen; for otherwife it is not to be imagined, rhat a religious Friar, a good Catholick, and aDivine, wou'ld utter füch oucragious words of Cru- elty, whlcb became a Nero, rather than a Perfon of his Coac and Profeffion. and one who deferved che Dignity of a Biíhop, in chat he died by the hands of the Indians, for preaching che Cacholick Faith: Which having faid, !et us return to the Series of our Hiíl:ory. CH A P.