4000003870

Royal Commentaries.

BooK

i\l.

'' and help of fuch as were

their journey. Moreover they had forne far_cher charge

''and duty laid upon them, for the common good

and

benefit, and which had re–

,, lation to the fervice of the King, and of the

CuracM,

but

regard there were at

'' that time great numbers of

Indi11.n.r,

which were obliged to take their turns

that

" Office the which

was

obferved without partiality or favour to any, the time of

" the

tr~uble

was

fhorc, that no perfon could be fenfihle of the inconvenience.

''It

was alfu farther provided by

this

Law,

that

care

fhould be taken for the amend–

,, mem of the High-ways, and that the Overfeers fhould repair the Bridges,

and

''clear the Aquedu& and Chanels by

which

the Lands were watered, all which

being for

the

common good and advantage, was to be performed without any

'' charge or expence whatfoever.

Thefe were the

~rincipal

Laws which had any relation to the Tribute; there

were other Orders of lefS confideration, which for brevity fake we omit; thus

far

being the words of

Blas Valera.

And now

fhould gladly demand of

a certaiQ

Hill:orian

this

one

g~efl:ion;

Wherein did the feverio/ of thofe

Laws

relating

Tribute confifi:

which he charges on the

IncM;

and mdeed

I would

the more

wil–

lingly be refolved herein, becaufe I find that the Kings of

Spain,

of glorious me–

mory, did afterwards confirm the fame, which they would never

have

done,

had

they been blameable,

and

fevere to that

high

degree

which

he pretends; and

this

opinion

Bltu

l7tt.le-

l'a

oncurs with me. And cnus let

now return to

the

Prince

Piracocha,

hom

we left embroiled

thoufand difficulties

defend

his

own

Reputation,

and

the Honour of

his

Anceftours.

CH AP.

XVII.

The

Inca Viracoch

receives inteYigence

the

approach

the

Eneniy,

and of

the Recruits

and

Succours

conung

him.

noble Acnons of the

Inca Piracocha,

do now

call

upon

to omit other

Relations, and return

the

Hillary of

his Wars

and Bravery. We

left

him

towards the end of

his

Father's Reign at

Muyna,

from whence

(as

faid)

returned

Co:uo,

rallying, and

g~thering

in his way the People into a body,

who

were wandring, and difperfed thtough the Fields and Councrey; and that

when

departed from the City, he intended co march towards

the

Enemy

with

refo–

lution

dye with Honour rather than live with Infamy, and bafely

behold

his

City made captive by tbe violence of Rebels, and the Temple of the

Sun>

and the Convent of the pure Virgins, and all that was efieemed facred by

them,

prophaned and unhallowed by the infolence of polluted Hands. Now we

muft

know , that about

half

a League Northward from the City, there

certain

·plain,

where the Prince

Yiracocha

appointed his general rendezvous; chat the Peo-

ple both from

Couo,

and other parts might there meer, and join in a Body,

which

being in a

iliGrt

time affembled, formed an

Army

of about eight thoufand Men,

who were all

Incas,

and refolved

dye before the face

of dieir

Prince, and In

defence of their Countrey. During this flay news came to the Camp, that

rhe

·Enemy was within nine or ten Leagues of the City, having already paffed the

great River of

Apurimac;

but this

ill

news was the next day followed oy a more

comfortable Meffilge, which was, that from the parts of

Contifi9u

Army of

twenty thoufand Men were marching for relief of the Prince , being compofed

of the Nations of

~echua,

Cotapampa,

Cotanera,

Tmara,

and other

pares,

borde–

ring on

the

revolted

Provinces, and that

they

were

come near,

aod

not

many

Leagu€S di.fiant

The