389 / 1070
BooK
IX.
Royal
Commeritariei.
1,
C
I-i
A P. X.
Of the Words which
Huayna Capac
nttered relating to
1
the
Sun.
T
HE
King
Huay,ia C4'1tc
(
as we have
faid )
commanded his Army to
return from the Province called
Pajfau,
the which he made
his
extreme
and frontier Countrey _to che Northward ; which having done, he returned again
to
Co;;,co,
vifiting bis Provinces in the way, doing them all rhe favours he was able;
·and adrninifiring Jufüce to thofe which did demand it of him.
Returning at length to
Co;;,co,
after this long Journey of fome years, he arrived
there about the time that the principal Feaíl: of the Sun was to be celebrated, cal–
led
R~mi:
And the
Indian1
tell usa fiory, that upon one day of the nine, that this
Feíl:ival continued, the
Inca
took a libercy
to
fue
bis eyes upon the Sun, which
was
a
freedom,yet unknown, and elleerned a·prophanation
fo
to doe, orto behold
the circle wherein he moved ; on which objeél:, whilíl:
for
fometime he cominued
his
fight, the High Prieíl:, who was one of his.Uncles, and llood next to him,
faid,
Inca, what
Ü
·tyou doe? kpow you not that thi1
ÍJ
not law{ult?
Hereat rhe King withdrew his
E
yes for awhile, but préYently after lifcing them
up
again, fixed them upon the Sun ; which the High Prieíl: obferving, reproved
hlm for
it,
and told him,
Sir, conjider what
it
ú
you doe, far you not one/y doe an atfion
which
ú
unlawfi,!l in it
fllf,
lmt
JOfl
give ifl example andfcandal to al!;our Court, and the
people
ofyour Dominion1, who are here prefent to perform that venerable ador11tion which they
owe toyou"f\Father,
,u
their [ole and fupreme Lord,
Hereupon
Huayna Capac
turning
to the High Prieft, told him, that he would ask him two Qg_efüons, which he
required him
to
make anfwer unto :
I being
(
faid he)
your King and univerfal Lord;
i1
there any
r!;oufo
bold
,u
to command me for your pleafure to arife from my fet!lt, and ta~
"
rourney to thofe partJ whemmto
JOU
Jha!l direéf me
?
How,
replied the High Prieft;
can
any
perfon be fo impudent dnd daring?
11 there .any Curaca
(
faid che
Inca) the moft
·
rich and powerfu!l of all my Subjell1, who wi!l adven¡ure to difobey my Command1, in cafe
I fho11!d difpeed him poft from hence into the moft remote partJ ofChili? No,
replied.the
High Priefl,
there cannot certainb be dr!Jwho d4re1 to difobeyyou, or réfufe your commandt
even
to
death.
Then
(
faid the King)
if
it be fo, _there muft be fome other whom Our Fa–
ther the Sun take1 and efteemJfor amore fupreme, and more powerfu!lLord than himfe!f
;
by
whofe Command1 he every day meafures the compa{s of the Heavem, without any intermiffion,
or hour
ef
repofe
;
for if he were abfo!ute, and
ttt
hi1 own difpofal, he would certainly alfot
himfe!ffome time of cejfation, though it were one{y t9 p!eafe hi1 own humour and fancy, with–
out
other conftderation than that· of liberty a11;;/, change.
"For th~s Speech and others of
the like nature, which the
Indiam
reported of chis Prince
1
the
Spanjards
conc~ived
fo
great an opinipll of his judgment and underíl:anding, that they believed che
fubtilty of his·wit would very eaíily have comprehended, and given admiffion
ta
the Doéhines of the Catholick Faith. A certain
Spanifh
Caprain, who might
have heard this Story of
Huayna Capac,
for it was cornmonly difcourfed in
Peru,
did make himfelf the Authour of this Saying, and recounted it
to
Acofta
for his
own. This
Acojf
11,
in che fifch Book of bis Hiftory of che New World, menti–
ons this particular Saying, which is amibuted to
Huayna Capnc,
but námes not che
perfon by whom it was uttered : bue reports, " Thac there was a certain
Inca,
'' a perfon of
á
fubtile wir, and refined underftanding, who obferving how his
" Añcellours had always adored the Sun for a God, feemed ·to wonder ac ir, and
" faid, that it was impoffible for the Sun to be God. For God was certainly a
" -greac Lord, who formed and -aél:ed ali his matters with quier and fettlement ;
". bue chat the Sun was a thing always in motion, which was rnmrary to the un–
~·-·alterable Being of God : His reafon was admirably good and found ; and fuch
" as being well explained
to
che
Indiani,
mighc effeél:ually have convinced them
" of their errours and
follies,
Thus far are the Words of
Acofta ;
with which
·
.
he