4000003871

992

Roypl

Commentaries.

,BOOK

VIII.

guards, he was there detained, until hisMelfage was iignified to the

Inca,

afcer

which being admitted, a Council was ca!led of al! the Capcains and. Gover–

nours, who were Tutours·to the Prince, for he being iri his Minoricy, had noc

(as

we have faid) as yet bound his f;-lead wich t_he coloured Wreath. The Cap–

tains having received this Mdfage, were jealous of the realicy thereof thouoh

broughc to·them by a Kinfmao: And therefore not being over-hafty' to gi~e

Credence thereunto, anochcr Melfenger was difpacched to

Coz.ca,

in behalfof che

lnca,to

py and d_ifcover what deceit and frand might be un~er this f¡Jecious over–

ture , for they d1d much diftruft the fincerity of the

Sp,miards,keeping

ftill

me–

mory

the death of

Atahua/pa,

and ochertheir faithle[s and creacherous p,aét

ices

And until the return of this Melfenger, and his Aílociates, tho[e fent from

Coz.ca

were detained as Hoftages, and Pledges for better fecurity ofthe honeft and due

performances by the

Spaniards.

The Meffenger was farther inftru::l:cd,that afcer he

.had applied himfelf

the

Jnfan

taDonn

aBe¡itriz..,he

fhould difcourfe farther on the

buGnefs with the Govérnour of

Coz.ca,

and other Perfons, who might fecure them

of their fears,and from the apprehenfions they had offal[e and faithlefs ddigns ;

and ihould deíire both of

he Governour, and

Donna Beatriz.,

to fend unto

'}rJhn

Sfrrra de Leguicamo

her Son by

/vfancio Sierro de Leg¡úcamo,

who was one of the

firfl: Conquerours, todeal faichfully with thea} in this matter, and give to them

his real opinion, whether they might truft without Scruple, or doubt

OÍ

the

propofition and offer which was made to them. The Governour, and the

Infama

were both pleafed at che coming of this Meffenger from the

Inca,

and

with him fent Letters to

'John Sierra,

that as he was a near Kinfman

the

In–

ca,

he fhould deal dcarly wirh him, and aífure him that there was no other defign

che lnvitation, than to fee him abroad,and out of thofe Mountains, to the great

Joy and

Contenc

ment of all his Relations. But whilfr thefe matters were

tr.eaty at

Caz.ca;

the

ice-

ing, being irnpatient

fee an end of this

egotia–

tion,which he chought would be over-long and tedious by other hands,difpatch–

ed away immediately from hirnfelf a

Dqmmica

n Frier

, whom

Plllentino

callsMel–

chior de Los ReyeJ~

and with him a Citizen of

Coz.ca,

named

']ohn Bet,m¡os

the

Husband of

/Jonna Angelina,

the Daughter of

Inca Atahualpa,

of whom we have

formerly made mention: this

']ohn de Betanfos

pretended to be very skilful

the

General Language of th~ ~ourfcry, for which reafon, and for tbe relation he

had by bis-

Wife

to the Princt

Sayri Tupac,

he was fent in company wich the

Frier," to ferve for an lnterpreter, and to explain the Lettérs, and the Subftance

ofthe Embailie upon which they were employed. Thefe two Ambaffadours,

obed·ience to the Vice-Kings Commands, made ali the hafte chey were able, and ,

endevoured to get admittance to che

Inca,

way of the

City

Huamanca,

which was the neareft Frontier

any to the entrance into the Mountains, where

the

Inca

made his place of•Refidence : For which reafon the

Spaniards

gave the

name to that Town, of St.

Johnof

the Frontier, bec¡m[e it bordered near the

aboad of the

lncar;

and was (when theCountry was firft conquered by the

Spa–

niards)

poffeíled by rhem on Sr.

']ohn's

day.

But t~ey could by no meañs

pro–

cure admittance by chis way ; for the

Indian

Captarns and Governours, fearing

Jeft the

Spa/'liards

fhould take them upan furprize, and carry their·Prince away

from them, had fo

cut

offal! t~e Avenues, that no Pe1,fon, without their Licenfe,

co·uld approach the pla<,e of their Habitation. Wherefore che Frier, an'd

']ohn

de Betanfos

took a compafs twenty Leagues farther, by the high Road, to try if

thcy could get encr_ance by the way of

Ant'aimaylla,

bur here alfo they

were dif

ap–

poin ted:

Ali

which being advifed by the

lndúms

to the Govern~ur of

Coz.ca,

wroce

Letter to the Amba!f

adours,

that they fhould not labour farther to no

purpofe, bue fhould come to

Coz.ca,

where they ihould find direétions

what

manner to proceed.

In the following Chapter we ihall fet forth at large, whac

pafled in this particular affair, according to che Narracive of

Palentino,

extraéted

verbatim

from

his

owO"Words: whereby we may obferve,wich what.Prudence and

Caucion the

Indians

proceeded in this affair; and fiow prudentl

they governed

their Artifices, whereby to difcover che Cheats and Frauds which the

Spaniards

concealed under their fpecious offers ; wich man

other th1ngs obfervable on the

pare o~ the

Jndúms.

CHA p.