268 / 1060
R.oyal
Commentaries.
BooK
Vlt
C H A P.
II.
1hat the Great
Lords
of Provinces font their Eldefl
Sons
to
be
educated
in the Court of the
Inca ,
ancl
the
ii·
Reafons
for
it.
T
HE
Jncdn-Kings
enjoined all the Lords of their V
affals
to
fend their eldeft
Sons
t-0
be
educated
at their Court ,
that
tO
they might· imbibe certain
good Principles ofLearnieg
and
Religion in their tender
years,
and
being
accufto–
tned
to
a
converfation and
familiarity
wich
the
lncM
mig!"it
contract
a
triendfitip
and an affeetion for their Perfons and
Government;
and thefe were called
.lVJitmac,
whkh
is as
much
as Domeilicks, or of the
Family.
Moreover
it
thewed the
Grandeur of
the
Court to
M
frequented
by che
Prefence and Service
o£
all
me
young Heirs
to
thofe Kingdoms, States and Provinces wbith depended
on
thar
Empire;
by
which
means
the Language of
the
Court
became more
general
and
common, being learned with
eafe and
pleaful'e;. for
it
being.
the cufiome for the
Sons of all Great Men
to
take their
mms
of
airing
at
Court, they contd ot
fail
of
attaining fome words
and fmatches
of
tne
Court
Language;
the ,
hiC
when
they
returned to their refpeltive Countries, they made
ufe of
in
all
com~ies,
being
proud to
{hew what Courtiers
they were,
and
how much refined
in
their
Manners
and
Words, having
learned
the Tongue
of the Divine
Family;
rhe
which cr@ated
ao
Emulation
in
others to
attain
chat
Tongne alfo for which
their
Neighbours
and
Acquaiatance
were
fo
much
admired:
And having
alfo
by
the
lielp of this Tongue an
introdudion
to the
Converfation and Familiarity
ol
rhe
Chief
Offu:ers of
Jufiice,
tmd
Managers of the
Revenue
of
the
Sun and
of
rhe
Inca;
every one
did fo
labour to obtain the advantage of
this
Tongue, that with–
out the infuuCl:i6n of Mafiers they with great eafe, and almofi infenfibly attained
unto it; by which means it came
to
be
fo
generally fpread in all parts, that
for
the compa!S of almofi one thoufand three hundred
Leagues
ir
became the
onely
Tongue
in
ufe and efieem.
Befides the Honour and Grandeur that this Court received by the prefence
and
attendance of
fo
many noble Heirs, another benefit did thence accrue,
by
being a
means to fecure tHe Empire from Mutinies and Rebellion; for
fo
long as the young
Heirs were at the Court, they were like
fo
many Pledges .and Hofiages for
the
g ood behaviour of their Parents and Counrrey-men, divers of hofe Provinces
~ing
four, five
and
fix hundred
Leagues
from
the Court,
and
many
of
them
in–
habited by fierce and warlike
ations, were
ready
and inclined upon every
fmall
overture co
call:
off the Yoke of their Servitude; and though diefe Nations of
themfelves fingly were not able to contend
ith the Power of the Jncan-Empire,
yet being united
in
a League and Confederacy, might put it into forne danger and
difficulty;
all
which was prevented by the refidence which tbefe Heirs made at
the Court, who were there treated with plentifull Entertainment, and honoured
according
to
their ·feveral Degrees and qualities; of
all
whi h the ons rendriflg
o their Parents a true Relation, and confirming the fame with fuch prefents as
the
I nca
fem to
them~
being
~arments
of the fame quality which the
Inca
himfelf
wore; they efieemed themfelves fo much obliged thereby, that their Servitude
feetned a Freedom; and Loyalty
to
be their duty ; and
in
cafe any were
fo
fiurdy
and fiupid,
as
not to be won
QY
fuch gentle applications and allurements; yet
chen
the thoughts of having Children within the power of the
Inca ,
'
ere confidera·
tions fufficient co take them off from courfes ruinous to their own Bloud.
With thefe and the like arts of Providence and lndufiry , accompanied
with
re6titude of Jufiice, the Jncan-Empire was fupported, and (ecured in fuch peace,
rhat in all the ages which the
Incas
reigned, diere
a fcarce heard the leafl: noife
or rumour of Rebellion or
Mutiny.
rofaph de
Acofta
fi
eaking in the
I
zch Chap.
of
'
I