378 / 1060
,
Royal Commentaries. -
BooK
IX.
found many Boats made of a fort of light and boyanr Timber , which
in
the
common Language of
Peru
are called
Chuchau.
The
I nca
conGdering that it '\Vas neither honourable, nor decent
for
his
Perfon
nor P eople,
to
pafs over the water in companies of five or
fix
in a Boat,
comman:
ded that
all
thefe Boats fhould be joined cogether and
linked
one
to
one, by \ hich
means the Army might march over them in a more compact and .conjoined Body
as
over
a
Bridge, the which was ordered
ith
fo
much
Art
and
indufiry, that
th~
I nca
and
hi
Army pa{fed the Water
in
one days time; and then with
all
expedi–
tion marched
in
Battalia
tO'-'
ards
Cajfa M arquilla,
which
i_s
the principal Province
of that people
intending to defiroy and confume all before him ;
for
as this
P rince availed himfelf much
m
being efieemed gentle, and gracious towards
his
good and lo) al SubjeCts,
fo
he defired no lefs to render himfelf terrible
to
Rebels
Traitors, and FalGfiers of their Word.
'
Thefe Rebels being fen
fib
le of the jufr Anger of the
I nca,
and the power of
his
Army, and the punifhment of their a ·ime, which they too late repented; and al–
fo
confidering the rude and bruri(h terms and treatment they had ufed towards
the Meffengers, which brought the late Summons from the
Inca,
with
which
de–
fpairing of all favour and pardon, they refolved to demollih their Houfes
and
D wellings , and with their Wives and Children, and fuch as were able to flee
unto the Mountains. Howfoever the old people and infirm remaining behind,
and being of more experience, and more confiderate than the others, recalled
to
mind rhe late generoftty of this
H uayna Capac,
and the alliirances they had, that
he
would never refufe the Infi:ances and Requefi:s made him by a Woman, did there–
fore addrefs themfelves
to
a
certain Matron, named
Chachapuya,
a
Native of
Caj{a
M"arquilla,
''ho had formerly been the Wife
ofTupac I nca Yupanqui
the Great,
be–
feet hing her that fhe would with all the Prayers and Tears fhe
was
able, endea–
vour to divert the prefent danger, and appeafe the Wrath of the
I nca,
perfuadin
him
notwithfl:anding the late provocations,
to
receive the people to pardon and .
mercy,
ithout
hich there could be no hopes, or other expeCtation than a total
ruine and defolarion of that .Province.
Thi Matron confidering her felf involved with the her family in fame Dellruc–
tion, readily inclined to this good Office, and fo with Women of all
Ages, with–
out admitting one man into their company, fue went
forth
to meet
the
Inca,
whom
finding about two Leagues
diftant
from
Caj{a M arquilla,
!he boldly profirated
her
felf at
hi F
et,
and
wirh
great prefence of mind, expofi:ulated in this manner with
him:
ir,
fa id
il1e,
where
u
it
you are going? D o not you confider, that f nll ofR age and l 11-
dignationyou are going to deftr<!J that P rovince whichy o1tr good F11tther gained, and added to
his
Empir ?
Confider
I
befeech you, that you are proceeding againft the Rules of that Clemency
and Pie which are natural to you, and that y ou 11tre going t o execute that :Pefalation
and
D eftruClion
in
your anger, which you will repent with much remorfe,
fa
foon a s you return to
your
{olm~
and
natural temper.
R eflefl:
I
befeechyou on)'our Title of
Huacchacuyac,
which
-h·
a Lever
of the Poor, and a D eliverer
of
the D ijlref{ed;
the which generous
f2.!!ality
.JOH
cannot exercife
at
a more feafonable time, when you may manifeft!J evjdence to
all
the World
the compaffion you have for humane frailty.
Remember, Sir, that your Father conquered
thu
People,
~~hich,
tho11gh unworthy fuch
a
Patron, are yet ·our oivn, and therefore let
not
your
Fury
fa
far
tran.fport ou in the punifhraent
if.
thu People,
~nd
in
the unprofitable
elft!fion
of
t heir Bloud, which may blemijh your ancient P raifes, and cclipfe the
lrdght
charaflcr
JM
have
of
being defcended from the un your F.:tther.
Co"njider that how much the gref!ter the
crime
u
which you pardon,
fa
much
the
more
will
your Clemency and Piety bee exalted
and
admired, and
th~
memory of your AncejfoHrs
6e
rendred
m<rre
prctiou.r andglorioUJ
6y
ihe
proof and exercifa of thi.r
ertue, which they h,,we derived unto
)'OU.
Tf/herefore
m
Petition
u, that
01t
would vouch}
af
e ro receive thiJ People unto pardon
7
and
if
not,
that at le
aft
fi11ce
I
am
a
N~tive
cf
this Province,
JOit
JPottld vent your Anger
and
Revenge firft ttpon
me,
1md
thcrelry doe me that grace and favour, that
I
may
not live to behold the entire l)eftr11c–
tion of my People.
h
Matron
ha\Ting
uttered thefe W ord , '
a
filent,
and then
all
che
other
'omen, that \"i.'ere with her, lifred up
their
V
ices and
Cries,
re–
peating
often the
T .
de
of rhe
Inca
fay ing,
0
thou. Cbild o the
un., thou
Lover~'
the Diftreffed, thou •Gre.u
Huaina
apa
)
have pity on
UJ,
and pardon
oHr
F.,zth n ,
0:!1
H111ba.nds,
om·
Brothers and
iHr
hildr(n.
The
Inca
herewith wa fi:ruck
for
a
while, confi ering the Reafon which
£1m.mma
had given
rhi
,
whi h being fecond d by
tl
e Crie
and Tear..
~~
and
ighs of the
J11d11m
omen,
tl
e
Anger
of the
Inca
began
co
mod r3te
an
affo--ge,
\\in