141 / 1060
BooK
IV. '
Royal
Commentaries.
CH A{>. ·. XXI.
Of
the
InteOigence
which
an Apparition
gave to the
Prince,
,
enjoining him
to
communicate
it to his
Father.
'J
·T
H
'E
Inca Tahuar-huacac
having
in
this manner
Banifhed
his Elde!l: Son,
· -
whofe Name we cannot affign, becaufe the obfcurity of his condition was
fuch, as made no impreffion
in
the minds of Men, fo as without the help ofLet–
ters to conferve it
in
remembrance : He feemed now to
lay
;ifide all the
thought~
of War and Conquefis of new ProviHces,
ancl
to makeethe Government of his
Domini~ns
and the Confervarion of the common peace and quietnefs
to
be his
onely empioyment : !1s to his Son, he th?ught
it
not convenient, nor fecure .to
remove him far from his fight, that
fo
he m1gl1t more eafily apply thofe remedies
to reclaim him, as beft fuited with his condition; nor did he judge
it
fit
to im–
prifon, and dHinherit,
an~
chufe fome other in his place, for that
feem~d
an expe..
dient too violent, and without Example, and was a new and unprachfed ca[e to
depofe the true Heit, and degrade the Divinity of the
Incas
of its Right and
Honour ; befides,
~t
appeared doubtfull
?ow
far the people
wo~ld
a!fent to. this
impiety , and how ill they would take this harfh ufage of. the Prmce and Herr to
~fu~
.
In
this wavering and unquiet condition, which deprived the
Inca
of all content–
ment and repofe, he paffed three years without any obfervable occurrence ; du–
ring which time, he twice Commiffionated four of his Kinfmen to vifit his Do–
minions, giving to every one their r
f
peCi:ive char·ges, and difpatches into diftinet
pares
of his Dominions, in order to perform fudi publick Works as might con–
duce to the honour of the
lnc;i)
and the common benefit of his Subjelts ; fuch as
the making of Aquedu&, raiGng Magazines for laying up Provilions, Royal
Houfes, F untains and Bridges, Caufeys, ahd fuch other Works of publick ufe:
But for his own part, he never had the courage to depart from his Court, but one–
ly
there to attend and ce ebrnte the Fefl:ivals of the Sun, and fuch like, and ad–
rninifier JuCl:ice to his Subje&. At the end of this long time, one day about
Noon the Prince entred into the Palace of his Father, withom any Companion
or Attendance, like a Perfon forlorn, and in disfavour of his
Inca;
and fent him
word, that he was there to fpeak with him, having a Meifage of high importance
to deliver : The
Inca
made a quick Anfwer in his fudden paffion, that he fhould
wich~ut
Demur or Reply retire again to the place of his Confinement, on penalty
?f
?emg proceeded againft according to that fevere punifhment which tne Law
mfhcls on thofe who break the Royal Command. The Prince made anfwer
that he.was not come thither
in
contempt of his Commands, but in obedience
r~
the Mefiage apd· Injunction of another
Inca
as great as himfelf, who fem him co
impart unto him matters of high and confiderable importance; which if
he
~ere
pleafed to hear, he defired
to
be admitted and
t:)
have Audience· if not he had
complied with the Commands of him. that fent him and fhould return'again co
render an account of his fuccefs.
'
. The
Inca
he~ing
him mention another, as Great a Lord as himfelf,. ordered
him
to
be adrmtted, for he wondered at the impertinence of the ·Melfage, and the
bold~
of any who fhould dare
to
employ his banifhed and difgraced Son with
Advices .of any
natu~e ~batfoever.
The Prince being introduced, and ftanding
be~ore
h_lS
Father, fa1d
10
this manner:
I am come, Sir, to make kpown untoyou, thal
fitting
thu
day,
about Noon,
under
one
of
thofe J,rettt Rock;, which are
in
the
Fields
of
Chira,
where,
by
your Order,
I
WtU
employed
to feed the Flock;! of our Father the
Sun ; I
/z.now not
whether
I
~tU ajle~p,
or well
awa~,
th.ere appeared before me
a Man in a
ftrange
H abit
7
and
of
a
Fig11re
diffe:ent
frortJ
U4:
Hu Beard was
above a [pan
in
!ertgth>
his
G11.rments
long
and
loo[e, re1ichmg down to
hu
Feet,
and
about
hii
iVeck..
he car ied
a fort of
living
creatwre
7