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.

I·. BooK U. Royal Comme,ntaries~ j ' What a certain Authour reports of the lntán King's atid. their .Subjeéls. \ . ' B Lu Palera difcoudióg of the Wifedom, Abillties·; Prowed .~nd· Valqur of . the Indians of: Peru, he gives this Charaéter of them,. as follows; which I the rather mention, beqú'f~ it conduces much to the matce.r in band, and will ferve to confirm what we have already faid, and ·what we íhaH hereafter reporr. r, 1 Tbe People of Reru,exceed ,moá Nation¿ o( the .W otld in quicknefs ofWic, " and fu~ngch of Judgqumt, the which appears in that they have been able . " wichout the help of .Lette(s, to attain unto che knowledge of many rhings, , '~ y.rhich che Iearnihg_ of the Egyptians; Cflldeans and Greek¿ could n.ever reac;h ; fo " Jhat if jn place of th.eir Knots, they had.macje ufe 9f_Leqers, they had fur• " paffed che Rornans, and Galls, and othe~ ,Natjon s, iij, a ll points of Learning · " whatf()ever. That r!Jdenefs of M~tmers whid~ appea.rs) n them at prefent, is ·~ •not for want of Natural Parts, or E!ldowments of Mindx puc fo¡; want of prac- ·~ rice in the Faíh~ons and Cufl:oms of:. Europe, and of Infüuttoursiin Li~eral Sci• '~ ences, being taught n9thing but what relates to lnrereft and Gai.» ; ,for iuch oÍ' ." thern as halle Mall:ers, or Teachers; and leifure time, and Iri;berty tó learn ;· nay, '~ if chey do but .foe a thing, rhey will imitate itfo exaétly, .w.!rhoqr being taughr;' '~ cha~ they·beqorne l;>etter Artjlls and Mechanicks rhan the .fpaniards themfelves; ' f' and would b~come better Scholars in.reading aricl,Writlng, and ·pe more expert · " in all forts of .muÍtcal Infüuq¡ents than the Spaniards ; · had they-onely ,the ad• " va9t.age ofbeingtaught; nor woQ!d.tbey proye ill Scholar~ in 1 the Latin To~gue : " And moreover they are not m.Q,re rgnorant._ m our Bqo ks, tha n'. we are m the " knowledge o( theirs; for though we have now lived1at:llorig.fl:·thein; and have " had Converfation wích thern for feventy Y ears, yet have no( attained to the \ ·: ~~nowledge qf their Knots, 1 n~r ·the nature-of rheir Acc:euhts; r.when ,th,ey:in a ', fhorc ~ime have acca.ined to tpe knowfedge of o~r Lyg~r.s __ ~d ~iph~rs, ; which ' are ev1dences of cheir Ingenu1cy; and good capamy ! And as to their Memory, " rhey generally e.xceed ché Spaniards, having by chelr Knots 1 and Joints of their " Fingers, figured feveral Common places, out of which they do extraét par- " ticulars in rheir 'clúe Order for che help and benefic of the Memory. And "' what is more ll:range, the fame Knots ferve for divers Paffages, and Arguments ." of Hifiory 5 and giving them onely che Subjeét, they w1II t'un on wich a Hifio- " rY as currently áS a Reader can his Book ; whieh is an Are unto which no S¡a- " niard as yet ~th been able to attain, nor know in what ,manner, ir is perfor- ' " med ; and · ar~ ali good Ar,gµmencs of che acut-€ J udgm€at- and great Mem©ry " of che !ndians. " As to their Are in MilitaryAffairs, take all things in their due Circurnftances, " the People of Pem are mor,e expert than chofe of Europe; for fhew me che moft " brave and f'arnous Capcains of Spain or Ftance; on Foot without Horfes, With- " <>Ut Armour, wirhout Lance, Sword, Piíl:ol; ot other Fire-arms; !et them ap- " pear in theirShirts wirhput Clo~hs, wich a S.ling inftead of a Girdle, and their " Heads coveted wirh a Cáp of Feachers, ot Garland of Flowers, iníl~ad of a " Head-piece, or Sceel Bergandine; lec them march wich th~lr bare Feet over ".Briers, or Thorns ; !et rhejr Diet be Herbs, and Roots of the Fiel9, carryiog '' :a piece of a M~t in cheir Left hands inftead of aBuckler ~ an.d in this manner · "· l'et thern enteh he Field to blunt the Edges ofSwords; and Halb¡¡rds, and Pikes ' ' wich chree Forks; and !et thein ftand che Stone-ílihgs, the poifoned Arrowsi " and the skilfull Archer, which will hit the Eye, or the Heart, or .anything ; ifin " chis naked and íimple condition they become Conquerours, I will chen fay, that ~ ' - they deferve the f ame and Reputation ofvaliant Captains above che indi11ns; e ~ e (! bui