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 II. Royal Commen.taries. vvhid1 attend the fuccefs of"\;yar7 and therefore· in Compaffion w • bis Peo- ple' he would rather chufe to give OVél; . his Pretenkons ; as defpeme' than engolf himfelf in fuch a Deíign which was every day attencled with new Diffi· ó:flties. · 1· • • 1 And having áuly confi dered the fe things, ·and confult~d on them vvitfü fome few of bi s Relations, he refo lv.ed to give ov.er.the War j arrp that he! might in- timate.fo much tp rhe Officers' of his An:ny,· he affembled che principa:l of. them to g~ther, - and publickly difcourfed vvith them to this effd~t: · 1 , . ,'~ Brethren, and 'Sons of mine, . I have vvdl obferved ';. anti proved ' th@ great ·" •f..fféétion and Zeal ye have demoníl:rated tovvards my. 6ervice, ·having with $~ 1il!l.mch Alacrity, and ReadineíS,. offered your Liv.es an'd.Forrnnes, W¡ves and ~' Cbildren, diat ye might lagain eftablifh me in the Thr9~e of my Ethpire; '·'··but íince it is apparent, that the Pachacamac vifibly figpts ·againíl: us, aad hath '.' ,decreed that 1 fhould not be King, .thér© is no reafon for us to withfhnd and " oppofe his Divine Will. · · · ' : . u I am well aífured, and I believe ye are ·ali fenfible, that my Delires to '.'· reign and govern, are n9t grounded on Principies ofi.Arnbition ; bnt that u ·my Kingdoms may recover thac Pean~ and Liberty Which rhey -€njoyed " under the gentle and eaíie Government of my Anceíl:outs '; it being rhe Du- " ty of every good King to fl:udy the Profperity and Welfare of his People; ~{ and according to the praél:ke óf the 'ÍncM1; to prefer that befare any othet " Coníider::¡üon whatfoever. Bue I have good reafon to fufpeét and fear ~ " that the Deúgns of thefe Meo, who,rn we call Gods, and fay they ·We(e " fent from Heaven', are very much different from thefe Principies. How- 1' · foever, for my pare, I cánnot, bue ..:iirh much Regi:et and Tendernefs to- " wards you, feek to .gain my point at the coíl: of your Lives, and would ' ' rather live in a prívate manner, defp0iled .pf my ·Empire-, which is my In- '~ heritance, than to recover it at the expente of. their I l%5ud , whorn I love " <lS dearly as my own Childi:en. Aµd 'now· therefore, ·tlME ·the ViPacoch.u may e.e not treat you il1 for my _, fake, I arñ?. refolved te l'etite my félf; and -to << live an Exile from my· Gountrey, thWfo all Caufe of Jealouíié <md Suf- ~' pidon being removed by iny Abfence ,- fil! may be. rctéeived into thefr gooq ' ' Grace and Favour. . " And now I' find the Prophecy of my Father Huayna Capac fully aci:om-· " pliíl1ed, which was, That a Stranger Nation íhould deprive us of our " Empire, and deíl:roy our Laws, and Religion. Had we well coníidered " this, befare we began the War, we íhould have acquiefced, and 'fubmit· " ted, becaufe my Father, the King, enjoined us to obey and ferve the Vi- " racochas, whofe Laws, as he faid, were bett~r than ours, and their Arms " more powerfull than our force. Both which rhings have proved true, for fo ." foon as chey emred into this Empire, Our Oracles became Glerit, which is a " Ggn that they yielded unto cheirs: And as to their Arms they have had " an advantage over ours j for though at the beginning we. had the fortune ·" to kill fome few of them, yet at length one hundred and feventy onely "~ which furvived, were able to deal with USj nay as we rnay fay, did conquer us, " feeing that in the end we are forced to recrear. - " The truth is, it cannot well be fa id tha~ they conquered us, nor can " they boaíl: much of their Viél:ories j for fetting afide the Miracles which " appeared in the,ir Favour , they of themfelves gained no advantage ove'i' " us. For what can we fay to the Fire, which burned our own Houfes, " and became extiñél:, fo foon as it touched theirs ? · What 'can we think " of that Cavalier, who, at che Extremity of the Siege, appeared with Thun~ ' ' der and Lightning in his Ha.fltl , and routed and defl:royéd ali befare him ? " And then in the Night, a moíl: beautifull Princefs appeared ín the Clouds, " witq an lnfan~ in . her Armesj which, with that aíl:oniíl1ing Brighmefs fhe " darted from her ·Eyes, difmayed and blinded us in fuch rnanner, that we " knew not what we did, and even feared to return unto our own Quar- " ters ; how much lefs duríl: we advemnre to give Battel ·to thefe Yira· ~' cocha-s ? Moreovef,, 559