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BooK V. Royal CommentarieJ.
CH A P. XXI.
Of the word Viracocha, and why they ca!led the Spaniards
hy that Name.
·BU T to return now to che Prince, to whom they gave the Name ofP'irac~chd;
reafon that theViíion whlch appeared to him in aDream, fo called himfelf.
regard this Phantafin was defcribéd by the Prince to appear with a long
nd G¡irments trailing .on the grpund, which was a much.different habic
to the faíhion of dian.t, who naturally havé!· littleHair in their Faces, and
by cufiome wear not reaching farther than their knees; fo foon as they had
a fight ofche firft rd.t that invaded Peru, and obferved their long Beards and
Garments which clothed all parts of their Bodies; and thac their firft Afüon was
to cake and kill Atahualpa, their Tyrant King', who not long before had murche–
red Huafcar, che lawfull Heir and Succeífour, and defiro:yed all thofe ofche Royal
Bloud, which might endanger his Title to the Government, withouc any regard
to Age or Sex, wich many other Cruelties, which we íhall recounc in cheir due
place. When, I fay, they obferved that the Sp,mi11rds revenged the Bloud of
cheir IncM, and punifhed the enormous Crimes, they called to mind the Appari–
tion P'iracocha, and comparing the punifhmenc which he executed on the ChancM
· for their rebellion, w)cli che Juíl:ice which che Spaniards performed on Atahualpa 1_ ,
in revenge of the Murchers he commitced on che Royal Family, chey prefently .._/.
concluded, thac.the God Viracocha was che Parent ofthe Spanim'ds, for wnich rea-
.fon they received and welcomed them to their Countrey, and woríhipped and
adored them wich tne Name of Piracocha; and hence ic was, that che Conqueíl:
of Peru became fo eafie, that fix Spaniard.t onely, ,of whom Hernando de Soto, and
l'edro de Barco were two, adventured to travell from Caffamarca to Co:uo, which is 1
a J9urney oftwó hundred and thirty Leagues, by hey made a difcovery of
the Riches of that City, and other places; and to their great kindnefs and
civility they carried them over the Countries in C or Sedans; giving them
che Title of Inw, and Children of the Sun, in che fame manner, as tney did their
own Kings. Now had the-Spaniard.t caken the advancage of this credulity ofthe
Indians, perfüading them, ·that'the true God had fent them, for their deliverance
from the:.ty;:aonicál Ufurpations of che Divel, which enílaved therri more tpan
all che Cruelties of Atahualpa; and had preached the Holy Goípel wich éhat fanéti..-
ty and good example, which the innocence of thac Dofulne requires, they had
,ercainly ,made great Progreífes in the advancement of Religion. Bue the Spanifh
Hiíl:ories report things in a different way of proceedings, to which, for the cruth
t:hereof, I refer the Rea.der; leíl: being an Indian my felf, I íhould feem parcial in
the relation: ·But this truth we may confidently aver, that though many were
blameable, yet the greater number difcharged che Office and Duty of goocl Chri-
fiiáns; howfoever amongíl:.a people fo ignorant apd fimple, as theíe poor Gentiles,. ·
one ill man is able to doe more mifcfüef, than che endeavours of a hundred
good Men are able to repair. ·
The Spanifh Hiíl:orians farcher fay, that che Indian.t gave this Name to the Spani~ ·
ards, becaufe chey carne over the Sea, deriving Viracocha from the compofition oftwo
words, namely, Vira, which is vaíl:, immeníe, and Cocha, which fignifies the Sea or
Ocean. Bue the Spaniards are much mifiaken in chis compofition, for though Co–
cha is cruly che Name for the,Sea, yec Vira fignifies facnefs; and is no other rhan
the proper Name which that Apparition gave to it felf; the'which I more confi–
dencly aver, beca.uíe·chat Langaage being natural to me, and that which I fucked
in and learned with my Mocher's Milk, I may more reafonably be allowed to be
a Judge of the true Idioms of chat Tongue, rather than rds, who are Stran•
gers and Aliens to thac Councrey. Bue befides what we already mentioned1 -
there may yet be another reafon for it, which is, that th 4n1 gave them that
Narne