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Royal Commentaries.
-
Boo,k
v.
-Dances of the young Maidens, and afüvicy of che Youth, and wich ~he
rnilicary
Exercifes of the Souldiery ; befides which they we(ent~d ~hem wich ~ift~
qf
Golq,
arid Silver, and Feachers, for che adornment of their Hab1ts, ac the times 'OÍ cheµ–
prindpal Fefüvals; and alfo rhey gave them Clochs, and ocher fmall curioficies,
whidi chey highly eíl:eemed:
fo
that thofe People, t!1ough never
fo
barbarous
and bruciíh ac hríl:, were yet made fenfiible of chefe kmdneífes
to
fuch a degree
chac chey never afcerwards
fo
much as accempted to arife in Rebellion. And
e~
cake away ali occalions of complaint from che Subjefü of Aggreivances and Op–
preffions whacfoever ; leíl: chofe Complaints íhouid f:om words proc~ed
t?
blows~.
and open violence; wherefore
to
prevent thac, the1r Eíl:ares and L1bert1es were
always conferved co chem; onely chey were required to be obedienc
to
che Laws, ·
Sramtes, and ancient lníl:icutions, which were publiíhed, and openly promulged
amongíl: chern, for unto chefe, and
to
che Worfhip of che
S,,m,
cheir fubmiffion
was required, and no Difpenfation allowed in che cafe; and being obfünare, they
~·ere to be compelled by force; fomecimes, where it was convenienc, they eran(.
planced Colonies from one place to anocher, bue chen chey provided chem wirh
L_and~, and Houfes and Catee!, and Servancs, and whatfoever was neceífary and
requifüe for cheir livelihood; and inco cheir places chey cranfporred perhaps fome
bf che Cicizens of
Cow,
or others of approved Loya!ty, which ferv~d for Guards
ánd Garrifons, to keep che Neighbourhood in awe and fubjeét:ion, and alfo to
teach :md iníl:rulfi chofe Savages, and ignoranc People in cheir Laws and Religion,
together with che Tongue and Language of rheir ½Ountrey.
Ali the other points ofGovernmenc, and lnjunét:ions impofed by the
Inca
Kings,
· were more ealie and genclé chao of any ocher Princes, who ruled the Nacionsof
the New World; che which is not onely made manifeft and apparenc by cheir
own Hifiorical Knots,by which they committed che occurrences ofpaíl: times unco
rnemory~bue are alfo approved and confumed by che faithfull Commencaries of
che Vice-King
Don Francifco de Toledo,
who having informe<l hirnfelf of the Cu.,
fiome and manners of every Province from che
Indians
chemfelves, made a Cot–
l~étion of chem with his own hand·writing, and commanded his Vifitors, Judges
~nd Regiíl:ers to tranfcribe them, Copies whereof are conferved unto this day in
the publick Archives, and ferve to evidence that Benigniry and Genclenefs, which
the Kings of
Pme
in exercife of tbeir Government ufed towards rheirSubjeéts:
foras we have noted before, rhat excepting fome particular maccers, enjoined and
~mpofed for che Defence and Securiry of che Ernpire; all orher Laws, and Sra–
tures had no othe'r afpeét, chan what regarded che fole benefit, and incerefi of rhe
Subje&; for every Man's private Efl:are and Patrimony had che fame Proteétion,
as that of the publick; no Souldiers were permitted
co
pillage, or plunder even
chofe People whom they had fubdued by force of Arms; bur received and treated
them, as if they were faichfull and true Servants: and for rhoíe who volumarily
fubmitted and furrendred themíelves, rhey conferred in fome fhorc time Places
and Offices ofpreferment, relaring to civil or milirary Commands.
The Dury of Tribute which rhefe Kings laid on their Subjeéts was
fo
trivial,
and inconliderable, thac when in rhe fequel of chis Hiíl:ory we fhall come to rreac
of rhe parriculars rhereof, and wherein
it
confiíl:ed, ic
will
feem ridiculous
tó
the Reader; in return nótwithfianding hereof, che
Incas
were not onely concen–
ced to beíl:ow on cheir Subjeéts rheir Food and Raymenc, bµc many ocher
pre–
fetits, which they bountifully conferred on che
CHracM,
and GreacMen, exrending
alfo their largeífes to the poor, and neceflicous; as if they ha<l been Srewards
ot
Mafiers of Families, whofe Office was to make Provilion for ochers, rather than
Kings, who bore che renowned Title of
Capac Titu,
which the
Indians
conferred
upon them;
Capnc
fignifying as much as a Prince powerfull in Riches, and
Titu
is
as much as Liberal, Magnanimous, aDemi-God, or
Auguftm.
Hence proceeded
thac great Love and Affeétion which che
Peruvians
bore towards their Kings, thac
evento this day; though they are become'Chrifüans, they cannot forget che me–
mory of them, bue are ready on all occalions, when their prefenc Oppreffions
grieve them, wich lighs and groans to invoke cheirNames; and in realicy chey
had much reafon ; for \:"7e do noc reade in all the Hifiories of
Afia, Africa,.
or
En–
rope,
chat ever chofe Kmgs were
fo
gratious to cheir Subje&, as thefe; or chat
they_were
fo
frank, or familiar with chem, orfo gencle and carefull managers
of
~heir Incereíl:. And now,
from
what we have already faid, and whac we {hall
hereafrer
declare, che Reader
may
be able to co.Ueét
3
arid imderfiand
whac
were
che-