4000003871

BooK

of whac we have related, touching th Beginnings, Cufioms, ~w,s and Gov~~..

mene

of chis peo_ple.

_ .

_And

becau[e

hath wrote on .chis fubjeét .with much .perfpicuicy, arder and ·

elegancy of e~refiion, I have chought

_fit

í'dorn -this

lfi!l;ory,

aód /up__ply

the

defefü of 1t by fome of ~bofe Excellenc1es which I have cop1ed ftom

bis

Works.

¡¡;e

Laws

a~d Statutes

:;,hlch

the

,Ihcás

iháilé

fer thi

good and

henefit o/ thefr Suhjeqs..

' I

Tl-tat

whiéh

ho;,,

itrimedl.ateÍy

fóllows

co_iiceming

che

G~vernment

óf

che

In~

c,11,

we have for .the better confirmat10n and authoncy of whac we havé

- already declaréd, Tran!lated

Perhatím

out of che Eleganc Latin of

Bias Palera:

" The

lndians

Pem,

faith he, began to lay fome Foundations of a Political Go–

vernment in the Reigns of ·che

Inca, Manco Capac,

and of the

Inca Roca,

whd

" was alfo one of their Kings ; for before cha.e tj,me,

-in

all .pre~eding Ages, chey

" lived like Bruces, in all filthiriefs and pefüality; without order, rule, or any go-·

" vemmenc:

Bue

from that time they pegan

educare theirChildren With fome

" mean rudiments of learning

arid td eriter into civil anci mutual ,communica–

" -tion ; they chen alfo b~gan to Clóath themfelves, not onely with a refpeél: to

~' modeíl:y, bue likewife far ornamenc; they then plowéd án~ cultivated rheir

" Fields wich induíl:ry and labour, and therein afforded J1iutual affiíl:ence each to

" other; they .-thea.._coníl:iruted Judges, and ~ept Courts, they built Houf~

~' both for prívate Dwetl-ings and publick Meetings; with many other things

" co1t1mendable, and' worthy of praife. Thofe Laws and Statutes which theii: .

'' Princes from the mer!;:! light of·reafon diél:ated and prefcribed to them , they–

" readily embraced, atfd thereunto direéled and conformed all their Aéi:ions

that

exatl: manner, tha'.t for my part.I cannot b1:1t prefeMhefe

Incas

f Per

not

" onely before trye lrihabitants of

China

and

·¡-apan,

and all thofe-of th~

Ett.ft-

Jndies;

but e

ven befare the Natural Gentiles of

Afta,

and.the Natives

of..Greece:

For

ir.be

well.confidered, che labout' and induíl:ry which

Nama

Poinpilim~ercifed

irí

fra

ming ánd·éóníl:ittiting Laws agreeable to the humour and difpofition of che

.Rqmans; aµd-that.soion

was ad ~cellent LegHlatmir foi.- 'che

Áthéniam,

and

Licur–

for che

Lacedeliuinian1,

not much to be·ádmired, becaufe they were

Meri

" expert, and knowiri'g in

all

the poihts of Humane literature ; which was a great

~' advantage, and availed theqi much in cmnpofing Láws artd O:iíl:o'ms proper and

" neceílary for rhofci prefent days, and che happinefs and wdfare of future Ages~

" But

it is füange and wonderfull, chat thefe pdor

Jndians;

who had noné ofthofe

" helps nor advantáges, ího\}ld be able tó lay fuéh

folid foundation of excellent

" Laws, which ( excepcing i:he ·Errorir of their Idolarr9us Worfhip) were rruly

" ratióµal and comparfüle

iri

every refpeél: _ro rhe Coníl:itutions

che moíl: lear-

,, ried_Statefmen, and whicH the[e cdníl:ant

Ind-ians

conferv~ with facrednefs and

veneration tinto this day : And which

mofi füangé~ thát withouc letrers oi:

" writing, and onely by knots of thread of divers colours they füduld be able

'' diíl:inguifh their Laws, ' and reade them with cheit true fen[e ánd, fignifiqt-

" tion; and fo wel_l

th1s invention

cdmmit them

tó

che" krtowled~e of

p'o~

" fierity, that ftrice they were eíl:abliíhed by their

fírll

Kings.;

íix

hunored .ye~rs

" áre

fully

elápfed, arid yeé are as faichfully and

lively conferveg in che memo~

" ry of that Iiedple ,

~-r

they had beén Láws of latei:- qate: .Such was theii:

" Municipal Law, whi

a:ted of che particular advancage of every Nacían ,

'' and che Privileges and m~1üties refpeétive to every people. They had their -

Agrari..rn

Láw, which determined·and meafured

ouc che

bounds

a_nd limirs

~·

Provin~~~