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BooKl
Roya{
Commentaries..
fufficieat light
t©
the F1ature and knowledge of nfu~s. our Hiíl:or.y. Many onhet
rrungs·of like forr:, though of no greac momen~, chis
Inca.
ofcen recounced
in
his
\T,iÍltS: aF1d Difcourfes
for
made me, che which
I
íhall declar,e
in
cheir clue placesi, .
being·now troubled.thac I rnade
lilO
farther enquir.ies into ocher matteFs, for
which
laav~r.óom here
to
pla.€e tliem wiuh.good auchority.
·
'
.f
r
r
CH A P.
X.
ilrherein the·
A1ftho~r al!edges
the_
A:z1,thority
he hath
for.Jhe
' .
r
ruth of his
llifior:J~
"
•
•.
~
•
1
,
/
j
H
Avimt, nhus-
la~
ille
firft
fon~datiim
wheii~on
iio bui!d ,mn:
Hi~0ry,. though
as to che Ongmal ofour K1,rogs of
Peru,
.1:t
ma,y feem fomethmg fubuloas
5
it
now foll@ws,. cbat. we puoceecd forward to relate
ilili
what manner
ch~
lndídns
were' reduc€d and rnnqmered, e¡;¡Javging the parricubrs which eme
Inca
gaive me,
w,ith divers other adcrlitiel'.IS wncerniP1g tfue Naturat
Jndiáns,,
and theiu
I<;ings;
Wi~iah•che
füfl¡
lnoa, M anco Capac,
~€<auced undet his Govermnenn, wim ,~hom I
w,as
educaned~aru:l conwnfecd unnil'l' I avriveq
to
che age
0f
cwemy yeausj durimg
which time I became informed
of all che partimlars
con<cernÍlilg
wfuicb
l
write,
for ,in
my
youth they related thefe íl:ories to me, as Nurfes doe
cales,
or fables ro
their Children. Afterwards, in my riper years, I took a more particular notice–
oftheir Laws and Policies, comparing chis new Government of che
Spqniards ,
wic& that of the
l nw,
namely, what were eíl:eemed faults and trefpaífes, and
what feverities and punifhmems were proportioned to che fame:
they informed
me alfo of the Methods which their Kings ufed in War and Peace, howchey crea~
ted their Vaffals, and whac fervices they required from chem. They infhuéted
me alfo in their ldolatries, Cererhonies and Sacrifices, ceaching ine
w
diftingúiíh
between cheir more folemn feíl:ivals, and the ordinary holy-days, and how rhey
were to be obferved and celebrated,j they told me alfo what was efieerned fuper-,
R:itious, and ofabufe in their Religion, whát Omens rhere were of good and bad
luck; in íhort, there was nothing either relating to their Government or Man·
hers, of which they gave me not a diíl:inét Account , fo chat íhould I defcribe
every matter received from chem, che particulars would be too large
to
be con–
tained within che volume of chis Hifiory. Befides what I have heard, I have
been·an Eye-witnds for tñe rnoft part of cheir Idolacrous Worfhi¡:,,
f eafis,
ami,
other fuperíl:itious Cufioms, which uncill che cwelvt~ or thirteenéh
y{lar
of my
age were not wholly aboliíhed amongíl: thern.
For in regard l.was boro eight
years afcer the
Spaniards
became Maílers of rny Countrey, a!'ld chat, as I faid, I
was educated amongíl: the
Jndians
cill I was twemy years old, I had oppormn.ity i~
ali chac time
to
obferve, and be well acquainted with cheir Cu{foms j, befides all
which,
fo
foon as I took a refolucion
to
wrire t'his Hiíl:ory, I acquainted
my
Sc~oolfellows, fuch as_were taught t~1{1 are ofGra:nmar, of t~is
\TIY
in~ention, de–
fumg them to fearch meo the Archives and Reg1fiers of their Countnes , and
td
ffnd me che various fucceífes of them 5 che which purpo[e of mine they
fo
well
approved, that every one rnoíl: readily contributéd to chis work, fending me che'
Biíl:ory of che Exploits and Aól:ions of tbei¡_· re'fpeétive
Jnc,u ,
and is the fa me:
which che
Spanifh
Hiílorians relate on chis Subjeét, though not fo parciq1larly, and
largely as we have done. And in regard che Beginning and Foundation of rhis
Hifrory coníifis of che aétions of rhis
f.iríl:
Inca,
ic will be very pertinent
to
chis
rnatter to particulari[e them difünétly, rhac (o we may not be obliged to repeac
them in the Lives of his Succeífours, who having a great value for his l?eríon
and Vermes; made it their chief
aim ancl int~ntion to imitate che Humour, Aéti–
@ns and Cuíl:oms of chis their
füft
Pr.in~e
Manco Capac
;
fo
that we !hall endeavour
D
t.
td