427 / 1070
Royal
Commentaries.
'
..
CH A P.
XXXVI.
'thé C~,u_lf!s :¡;,/<Jich moved
Atahualpa
to
~;ercij;
ali
his
Cru:
eltie-s, !md ihe fatal elfeéis of ih~111.
~· ··1
e,
'·
!
,
, •
D -U
T befor~
w~
proceee fa1:ther; we are
firfi
to enquire -into
the Reafon which
D
moved
/f~a'hualpá
to
commic
ali
thofe cruelties which pe
aéted.on_tho'fe of
,his own Blqud ancl Family. To -underffand which, we mtift
know, th¡it accor–
.ding
to
rhe -anéi~nt Laws and Statutes of chat Kingdom, obfetved from the,time
of
the Firíl:.
Inca Maleo Cap,ir,c,
untill
the
eod
oftl)e ·Jteign
óf
f[uayna Capac·
the
J.keat;
A!"aliuqlpa'nis
Son was-as lincapable of inheriting the Kingdom of
fl!!jt~,
.
which, like_'ail!:the orher Coriquefts, áppertá-ined to the Im~riál Crown,
as
he was
:of
the
Kirigdoitt of
Co:,:,co;
for chat che Inhetitance of both indifpenfably apper–
rcained to
foc;:!1_
an
Heir, as-w~~ de(cended fróm
~
law.full
Wife, wno w~
1/}
be Si.:
,fter to che -K1tig; for than~e T1tle t0 chat Kingdom ,cani~ as well by ,,he Wo–
man,
as
rhe Man's fide: Anti if in cafe chis firiétnefs were i\ot obferved • yec to
gain him fome tolerable-pr'etenfion , he ought at leaft to aave oeen the ~of
.-a-
.
Pall.e,
that vyas de(cenclecl ofRoyal Bloud, fór fqch were ·efteemed capable .of che·
·Succeffion
~
bue thofe wh9'had any mixtur~ ofF
oreignBlou'd, could never;with–
·out prophanarlion of ali cheir,holy Sanfüoris~-be
enti.tlea.to,any
íhiµ-e,
or pare, of
-the•Empire. · ·
1
·
•
• •
•
•
,
•
.
Now
IAt'ahtJdlpa
being confcious to himfelf, ·that he wanted ·all c
he qualifications
which mighfrender him cruly and legitimát~ly an
Inca;
fop-he
:W.Ís'néitli,er
í:he
Son of
a
(Joya,
which fignifies a Queen', nor
yec
óf
a
3
Pqlla;-whi
ch'iá a Lady df
, the Royal ~l01:1tl; bue tpe
Son
onély' of
a
Whore, that vvas ,a ~ativeicif
~itu-
5
the which Kingdom ,neither, . '1:ould not ofright be <liftnembred from o~her pares
of the Empire. Wherefore· confidering all thefe difficulties, arid that though ac
prefent he were viétoi:ious, yet when with time chat things were quieted and ap–
peafed, matters would return again to their ancient courfe, and the people fet up
one of the I_egitimace Line and Race,in defpight of him, or his poflerity : For
the opinion of legal Succeffion being fixed in che lllinds of che
Indians,
by their
ancienc Idolatry, and vain Religion, and taught and preached to them by that
Doétrine which che
Inca Manco Capac
firíl: infütuted, and had ever fince, to all
A–
ges, been maimained; he concluded impoffible to be unriveted from them, but
J;>y an utter extirpation of that whole Race ; which therefore he refolved upon,
and not onely to defüoy and extinguifh tne true 'and legitimate Hfue, bue even
chore of Baíl:ard Families, leíl: rhey íl:anding in che fame capacity of Inheritance
wich him, fhould be induced by his example to become Rivals with him for the
Empire.
·
To prevent which, no other remedy a¡ipeared, than that onely which Tyrants
and.Ufurpers have commonly ufed, whicli is to
cut
off all fuch who can have
a ·
Title, or lawfoll Precenfion, to che Crown ;
fo
chat neither the People can caíl:
cheir eyes upan any ocher Prince, nor yet che Ufurper himfelf have obligations in
confcience ·or jufüce to make refütutions : With many examples and tefürhonies
of which, in che like nature, both ancient and modera Hiíl:ories furnifh
us,
which,
to avoid cedioufneís, we omit; it being fufficienc co ufe that fingle iníl:ance of che
Ottoman
Family, whofe common cuílome it is
to
fecure che Empire to themfelves
and thei,r poíl:ericy, by che Death of their Brothers, and their other near Rela–
tions.
,
·
.
' But greater, and more thiríl:y of.the Bloud of his own Family, than any exer–
cited by che
Ottoman
Kings, was the cruelry of
Atahualp11,
who not being fuffici–
emly fatiated with che Bloud of two hundred of his Brethren, who were che Sons
of che Great
Huayna Capac,
he proceeded
to
wade through deeper íl:reams of all
the Bloud , íhed from che Veins .of bis Uncles, Coufins, Parents and Relations,
who were detcended by che direét, or indireét, Lines, even to the fourth degree;
- F
ff
2.
fo
I