572 / 1060
544
-
I
Royal Commentaries.
BooK
II.
where
to go , or what to
doe , they
returned
co
their
Quarters asking
one
the
other, what the meaning of thefe
matters was, and
how
it
came
:o
pafS
that
th
were
t~us
Vtic, Campa
,
Ll"cll",
~hi~h
is
as much as
to
fily,
foolifb,
coward~
~ufillarumous.
Howfoever all
this
did not
deter
them from their _purpofe.
for
they continued the Siege
for
the
f
pace
of
eight Months after
all
thefe Acliom
as
will
appear
in
the Sequel of
this
Hiftory.
~
CH AP.
xxv.
The Miracle
which was wrought
by
our
Lady
in
favour of
the Chriflians; and of a fignal Combate
between
two
Indians.
T
HE
Indians
being retreated into
their Camp,
the
Inca
called the
Captains
before
him,
and publickly reprehended them
for
the Cowardife
and
Puftl·
lanimicy which they had !hewn
in that
days Battel,
telling
them
what a fhame
it
was
that
fuch a multitude of
Indians
fhonld fly
from
before the Face of a fmall
number of
J7iracochtU,
who were already
tired
out, and
harallfd
and
w
ed
with Famine and Hunger; wherefore they
fhould
now look to
it,
and end
our
to
repair the Honour which they had loft
in
the late Batte! and acquit themfelves
like Men ; for otberwife he would fend them co fpin
with
the Women, and
cbufe
ocher
Captains
in
their places, of better Courage and Bravery. The
Jndiam,
in
excufe of what was pafr, alledged, chat there appeared a new
Viracocha,
carrying
Thunder and Lightning in his Hand who fo terrified and amazed them, that
they
knew not what they did, whether they fought, or were put
to
filghc,
but ptorni–
fed to behave themfelves better in the next Engagement; on which a.!furance the
lncA-
ordered them to pot their Souldiers into a readinefS againft the third
nigh~
when he refolved
to
make another attempt on the
Yiracocha.1,
hoping
that
by
tbe
Darknels
they
fhould not fee or difiinguifh the
Viracocha
who fo lately aflnghced
them. The Chrill:iam; on the other fide with humble Thankfulnefs acknowledged
the Mercy of Divine Providence
in
their Delivery, and became fo encouraged
and hearmed by their Succefs, that having well fixed their Arms, and refrelhed
their Horfes , they believed , and were allured that Heaven had bellowed that
Kingdom on them,
in
cefiimony and
in
earnefi vvhereof he had giV'm them
th~
late unexpeeted
Viet0ry.
The night being come, vvhich the
Inca
had appointed for another Exploit,
rhe
Indians
fallied forth vvith furious Rage, threatning to revenge and make amencfs
for the late Difgrace, and not to fpare, or give quarter
to
one of the
11rttcoch1u:
of all vvhich die
Sp1V1i11rds
having intelligence from the
Indians,
vvho had beea
their Menial Servan
rs,
(and novv
f
erved
them for
Spies,) put themfelves
into
fl
pofiure co receive them at the time appointed, calling vvith greac Devotion upon
the
Name of Chrifi our Lord, the h>leffed Virgin, and the Apollle
St.
{ame1
co
fuccour and defend them in that
time
of Extremity.. The
Indians
being dravvrt
up in Battel, and ready to
affail
the Chrill:ians, behold;
there
appeared
in
the
Air
our Lady, vvith the Child Jefus in her Armes, vvith
fo
mucli luftre and bright·
n~,
that the Infidels beholding the Apparition, vvere firacken vvith amazementy
and looking up fiedfafily upon
ir,
fuch
a Duft, or Sand,
fell
like a Devv
frmn
above into their Eyes, that they knevv not the place in vvhich
they
vttere~
and
fo returned again
to
their quarters, from
vvh~nce
for many
cdays
they
durft
non
ad-~
venture to fally forth.
This vvas novv the fevemeenth
night
that the
btdi11n1
bad
fo
fi:raitned- the
Sfft·
niArlii
vvithin the compafS
Gf
the
Market-
face,
that
neither
bv
Day
o~
Night
4
iliey