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BooK
VII.
Royal
CommentarieI.
" Prieft
anfw~r~,
that the thing was
ver~
poffible, for that r?e f:anguag_e
was
'' fo
copious and eafie
to
be learned, that
if
h . ould apply his Mind
to
It ;
~e
cc
might in rhe fpace of four or five months. attam to a
perf~
knowledge of
1c ;
cc
by which being encouraged an_d moved
.~'Ith
a defire of
~om_g
good to. the_Souls
cc
of the poor
Indians,
he prormfed all diligence and application of Mind m the
, cc
ftudy of that Tongue; in which, after the labour of fix months, he
b~came
fo
cc
gr
eat a proficient, that he was able to hear the
Co~feffions
of the
Indians,
and
'' co
preach.cochem to his own greac comfort, and therr advantage.
CH AP.
IV.
Of the great Vfefidnefs
of
this Language.
H
Aving thus made appear the facility of this Language
1
and how eafily our
Spani~
<'
ards,
who go from hence, attain unto it, with now much more readinefs
c'
mufi the native
Indians
of
Peru
arrive at the knowledge of it; for though the peo–
c'
ple be of differentNations, yet their Language hath fome affinity and fimilitude
" together, differing onely in fome Words, Diale& and Accents ; fo that we fee
,c:
how the common
Indians,
who frequent the City
de
los Rr:Je.r,
and of
Coz:.co,
the
cc
City
de
la
Plata,
and the Mines of
Potocchi,
being forced to gain their Bread
" and Clothing with the
f
weat of their Brows, onely by Converfation and Com–
" rnerce with the other
Indians,
without any rules or precepts given to them,
cc
have
in
a few months been perfeet Mafiers of the Couan-Language; to
which
'' they have added this farther advantage, that when they have returned to their
'' Gwn Countries again, they have feemed more pollihed, refined and accom–
c,
pli!hed beyond the rank of the other
Indilfl.ns;and for that reafon were greatly
'' efteemed and admired by Neighbour
s; which when the Jefuits had obferved,
" who lived amongfi the People of
Sulli,
(
wbofe
Ip
habitants are all
Aymaraes,
or
<'
Philofophers, ) they concluded that the learning of this Language was of a parti–
(' cular advantage to the
Indians,
and an improvement equal with chat which the
'' learning of Latin is to us; the which alfo is confirmed by the opinion of
'' Priefts, Judges and Officers, who have had or entertained any C onverfe or
" Communication with this people; for they have found them more jull: and ho–
,, nell: in their dealings, more docible in fpiritual matters, more acute and intelli–
<c
gent in their underfiandings; and in iliort, more civil and lefs barbarous, and
'' more like Men and Citizens than che others ; witoefs the
I ndians
of
PuquinM_,
"
Co/las,
Vrm, Tunca.s
and other Nations, who with the change of their Lan–
ce
guage, have put off all their turpitude of Manners, and elevated their Souls to
c,
more fublime thoughts, which before were immerfed in fen[e, and reached no
cc
farther than the mere fagacity of Brutes: But the aptitude and difpofition which
(' the
Indians
gain thereby, towards the receiving die Doctrine of che Catholick
:: Faith,.
is
a
con~deration
above all others; . for it
is
certain that this Speech of
Co:1;;,co
1s
fo
copious, and
full
of words fit to exprefs the Myfieries of divine
cc
things, that the Preachers are pleafed to exfpatiate in their Difcourfes with ex–
:: cellent .Flowers of Rhetorick and J?legancies,
wh~ch
are made intelligible to
the
Indians
by the knowledge of chis Tongue, which hath opened a door
fo
c'
entrance of the Go[pel with great benefit and efficacy. And though the Mi–
:: racles of.Divine
G~ac~
have evidenced themfelves by other means aqiongfl: the
,, rude
~nd!ans
of
V ri quillM,
and the fierce and barbarous
Chirihuanas ;
yet God,
" who
IS
moll:
~ommonly
plea[ed to work by ordinary means , hath generally
" made ufe of th1S Tongue_ to convey the knowledge and infiruCl:ions of the
G9-
fpel; for as the
Incan-Kmgs,
by the help of this common Language , which
.
_
they