136 / 1060
120
Royal Commentaries.
_BooK
IV.
that
they mull: rejecc their own Laws and Cufio!11s, and
r~ceive
new ones from
the
Inca·
who
in
recompenfe thereof would nnpofe Tributes and
T~es, ~nd
ferve
h~felf
of their labour and fervices,
as
of Shwes and Vaffals; which bemg
conditions not to
be
endured by
a
People
fC?
free
as
they? hey refolved
to
d~fen_d
themfelves,
and dye
in
the
Defence of their Gods, their Countrey and
their
Li-
berty.
..
fl , .
Of
the
Arg~
-unt
C!nd Debate
whic~
the Old
Men
~e!d
on
thu
matter,
and
in what nzanner they received the
Jn-ca: .
(
'
.
r
N
Otwithfianding
h
of
the
young Souldiers, the
more aneient and con–
ftderace among
1
them, were of opinion, that they fhould not
fo
foon
break forth into a War, but
firfi
of all confider, that for feveral year they have
had a neighbourhood and converfe with the ubje& of the
Inca;
and that they
could never hear otherwife from them, but that their Laws were good, and
the
Yoke of their Government gentle and eafie: that he treated
his
People rather like
his
Children, than
his
Subje&; that the Lands which they required, ·were not
thofe which the
Indians
had
in
their poff effion, but
fuch as
lay wafie,
and
unma–
nured
by
them ; and that he required no other Tribute than the
Fruit
and Benefit
which thofe Lands, cultivated at his own coft and charge, fuould produce,
and
not
exalt
any thing at the labour and coft of the
Indians,
to whom he rather gave
than dirninifhed from their Efi:ate ; and in proof and evidence hereof, witliout
other argument, they defrred them to enquire, and confider ferioufiy without
paffion, how much che
ubje~s
of the
lncM
were improved
in
their E!l:ates, and
how quiet, civil and profperous they ' ere become, fince their fubmiffion to his
Government; how all their Difcords,, Animofities, and
Civil
Dilfentions, which
informer times had miferably tom ana difiraet:ed them,
ere now appeafed; how
Efl:ate were more fecure, and more proteCl:ed from Thieves, their
Wives,
and
Daughters from Rape and Adulteries; and in fine, how quiet and well efl:ablHhed
was
the publick Welfare, where none durft offer
injury,
nor none could receive
it without redrefs.
That they fhould farther confider, that many neighbouring Provinces, being
well fatisfied and allured
by
the gentlenefs and happinefs of
this
fervitude, did
VO·
1untari\y, and of their
o
n accords, offer themfelves, and beg the Protection of
the
Inca
and his Laws. And fince thefe
things~
ere thus apparent,
it
were better
to fubmit readily and'
1
ithout confl:raint, than defending themfelves
for
the pre–
fent
from that which they know they rnufr in a fhort time yield unto, provoke
the
Inca
to that degree of Anger and Difi:>l
0
afure, as might divert him from thofe
good Intentions and Favours which he deiigned toward them; and that therefore
ic were more fafe and feture, b6th for their Lives and Efiates their
Wives
and
Children,
co
make a
erme
of
eceffity, and fubmit
\\'ith
a
voluntary furrender:
and chat a
to
their
Gods, which the
Inca
impofed upon them, reafon
it
felf in–
firu
ed, and taught them, that the Sun more vifibly defer ed to be adored and
\ odhipped,
t~an
any of thofe dumb and infenGble Idols, \ hich they had
made
a_nd formed with
t~eir
mvn hand .
ich
thefe Arguments, and ochers of rhe
like nature, the ancient and fage Perfons fo far pre ailed, that took off the mettle
and he
t
of the young
en
fo
thac they
all
unanimoufly went to receive the
J11ca ;
the
~
oung 1en marched with
ms in
their hands and the old
with
their Pre–
fems of
fuc~
ruit a
their
. ountrey
i~lded,
faying,
That
the Fruits of their
Land \\ere m
to
en of that Livery and
izin \
hich they were to gi e
nnco
rhe
Ir.cathereof: the
y
ung men profeifed that their Arms were co ferve the
Inca
in
l .