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 IIJ. Royal Commentaries. five Marks one, and of every five Pefos, one was delivered for the1King's ufe, and exaétly counted to the laíl: Maravedu or Farthing. thus by the p111dent and good management of chis Chriíl:ian Governour, who · wa~ very tliUCh a Gentleman, prudenc, wií~ and zealous for the Service of God and che:King, that ~mpire began to i!ouriíh, and under many concurring cirnum- fümces arrived to thai: high picch of happineís and felicity, thac ic daily increa[ed and improved co greacer benefirs : Bue that which above ali was confiderable, was che prqpagation and increaíe of óur Holy Catholick Faith, which the Spaniards wicli grea,t zeal and labour preached over ali thoíe Co_uncries ; che which was re- cei\{ed ~y the lndians with che greater fatisfaéti.on and di!igence, becauíe thac ma- -ny of t'liofe Dofüines which were preached unto chem, were che fame'PreceptS- and .Commands which cheir lncan Kings had by the mere light of Nature deli" vered to them. · , Bqt whilíl: the Gofpel grew and flouriíhed, and many were enlightned with the .glorioüs Majefiy chereof, and thac the Jndian.r, as well as Spaniard,, enjoyed in Peru boch fpiritual :md temporal Bleílings with peace and quiemefs : Behold, the Devil, thar common e'nemy to Mankind, laboured to? difiurb che happy pr9grefs of this proíperiry: To d,efiroy and overthrow which, he lec loofe hisOfficers and ~vil infirumencs, fuch as Ambition, Envy, Covetoufnefs, Avarice, Anger, Pride, Difcord and.Tyranny, ro whom he gave Cornmiílion in rheir feveral places to ·~deavour the fubverfon of the Gofpel, and hinde1u he converfion of rhe Gen- tiles to the Cacholick Faith, the advancernent of which tended to the defiruétion . of bis Power and Kingdorn; and God in his fecrec judgmems, and for puniíh- ment of rhe Gns of Men, permitted thofe devices of che Devil to fucceed, in fuch futal manner, as we {hall find by the fequel. For forpe cercain perfons, guided by a blind and rni(l:aken zeal for che cornrnon good of che lndi11n.r cook falfe mea- fure.s in the pr.opofals they rnade therein to the Royal Council ; arguing in many Debates, that new Laws and Confütucions ought to be efiablilhed wich peculiar ref~rence and refpeét to the Governrnents of Mexico and Peru. The perfon who moíl: wannly and earneíl:ly infifted on this poinc, was a certain Friar, called Bar tho!omew de las Cafas, who fome years paíl: being a Secular Priefi; had travelled over the Iílands of Barl07.lento, and had been ar Mexico, and In che pares adjacent; and having taken a religious Habic on him, he propofed divers matters, which he alledge~, were. fer the ~ood of che lndian.r, and tended to che propagation of the Cachohck Faith,. and mcreafe of the Royal Revenue ; bút what effeét and fuccefs his Councils had.,, Francú Lopei:. de Gomara, Chaplain to his Imperial Ma- jeíl:y, relates in Chapter 1 5 :z., and the fame is confirmed by Carate, Accoumant- General of the Royal Exchequer, in che firfi Chapcer of his fifth Book. 64·· - 7 The farne is alfo related by a new Hiíl:orian called Dleg9 Fernando, a Citizen of Palencia, who recites the rnany diíl:urbances which che·ne\1\Í Laws and Confütuti- . ons caufed boch in Mexico and Peru ; this Authour begins his Hifiory from chofe Revolutions, and differs very little frorn the fubfiance of thofe particulars men- tioned by the cwo ochers. Wherefore we lhall repeat fingly whar each Authour writes ; for .coníidering che averfion 1 naturally have to ali relacions of fatal and dolefuU paífages, 1 unwillingly recoum any thing of chat nacure ; bue b~ing forced thereunto for declaracion of the Truch, and for concinuation of che Hiíl:ory, I ju~ge it convenient to fortifie rny difcourfes with the teíl:imony of che ~bree fort- gomg Authours, thac fo 1 may not feern of my own head to have framed maccers which have produced fad and evil confequences to che whole Empire, and which have preved ruinous to che feveral parries and faétions of chofe Coumries : And , lefi in che Qgocacion of chefe Authours, pr citing·them by Notes in che Mar· gene, 1 íhould be taxed 0f rnífiakes, or of hav_ing addéd any ching of rny own, 1 have racher chofen to follow my former rnechod, by repeütion of their words verbatim in chofe parriculars, which contain rnacter of reflexion; or bfame on any perfon ; though in mher things .mY difcourfes íhall not be confined to their very words, bur rather ferve for a Comment, enlarging on many paffiiges, and·adding to what they have omitted ; all which !hall ~e performed wi.th grear reí~ét to truth, founded on the teíl:irnony of ,!'.hofe who having been Eye-wirneffes,_ and Aétor~ in thofe Revolucions, have delivered undoubred Narratives chereof unto me wichout partialiry or prejudice to any. Wherefon: