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VII.
Royal Commentariu.
" Priefi ~nfwered, thac.the thing was ver~ poflible, for thac ~~1e f:anguage was
'' fo
cop1ous and eafie to be learned, that
if
he would apply h1s Mind to it; he·
" mighc in the fpace of four or five months atcain to a perfeét knowledge of ic;
" by which being encouraged and moved with a defire of doing good to the Souls
" of the poor
Jndi-4ns,
he promifed all diligence and application ,of Mind in the
" íl:udy of thac Tongue; in which, after the labour-of
fix
months, he became fo
" greac a proficient, thac he was able to hear the Confeflions of the
Jndiam,
and
" co preach to them to
bis
own greac comforc, and their advamage.
CH A P.
lV.
Of the
gre.atVfefulnefs ofthis
language;
H
Aving chus made appear the facility of this Language, and how eafilyour
Spani
0
_ . "
ards,
who go from hence, attain unto it, with how much more readinefs
" muíl: the native
Indians
of
Peru
arrive ac the knowledge ofit; for though che peo–
" ple be of different Nations, yet their Language hath fome affinicy and íimilicude
" .togecher, differing onely in fome Words, Dialeéts and Accems; fo thac we fee
(<
how che common
Indians,
who frequent the City
de los Reyes,
and of
Co:cco,
the
" 'City
de la Plata,
and che Mines of
Potocchi,
being forced to gain their Bread
•¡
and Clothing wich che Í\veat of cheir Bmws, onely by Converfation and Com–
" merce with the .other
Indians,
wichouc any rules or precepcs given to them,
" have
in
a few months been perfeét Maíl:ers of che Co:ccan-Language; to which
" rhey have added tbis farcher advantáge, chacwhen chey have recurned to their
'' own Countries again, they have feemed, more poliíhed, refined and accom–
,, pliíhed beyond che rank of che ocher
Jndians ;
and for chac reafon were great!y
'' efteemed and adrnired by Neighbours; which when che Jefuits had obferved,
'' who lived amongíl: the People of
Su/ti,
(whofe Inhabitams are ali
Aymaraes,
or
" Philofophers,) chey concluded thac che learning of chisLanguage was of a parci–
" cular advanrage to che
Indians,
andan improvement egua! with chac which the
" learning of Latín is
to
us; che which alfo is confirmed by_che opinion of
" Prieíl:s, Judges and Officers, who have had or encercained any Converfe or
" -Communication wich chis people; for rhey have found them more juíl: and ho·
'' neíl: in their dealings, more docible in fpiritual matters, .more acure and incelli–
" gent in cheir 1:1nderíl:andings.; and in fhorc, more civil and lefs barbarous, and
'' more like Men and Citizens than che others ; wicnefs che
Indians
of
Puquina.,
"
Collas, Vrm, Yunca1,
and orher Nations, who with che change of their Lan–
" guage, have puc offall their turpitude of Manners, and elevated rheir Souls to
" more fublime thoughts, which before were immerfed in fen[e, and reaGhed no
" farcher than che mere fagacity of Brutes:
Bue
che apticude and difpoíition wbich
" the
Imlians
gain thereby, towards che receiving che Doétrine of che Catholick
" Faith, is a confideration above ali others; for it is cerrain chat chisSpeech of
"
Couo
is fo copious, and
ful!
of words
fit
to exprefs che Myíl:eries of divine
" things, that the Preachers are pleafed to exfpatiace in their Difcourfes
~
ich
ex–
" cellenc Flowers of Rhetorick and Elegancies , wbich a·e made imelligib e to
" the
Indians
by the knowledge of chis Tongue, which hac opened a door
for
"- entraóce of the'Gofpel wich great benefic and efficacy.
A
1d chou
h
tbe Mi–
,, racles of Divine Grace have evidenced chernfelve by r¡ther rneatis amongíl: che
" rude
Indians
of
Vriquilta.,
and the fierce and
arb:.i ·ous
Chiri/tmanas;
yec God,
" who is moíl: commonly pleafed
to
work by ordmary means ,
1
arh generally
" made ufe of thisTongue to convey the knowledge and iníl:ru
ions oftbe Go–
~' fpel;
for
as the
lncan-Kiogs,
by che help of chis cbmmon Language , which
tbey
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