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Royal Commentaries.
B O O
K
IL
CH A · P.
t
Of
the Idolatry of_t!Je·
Second
Age, and the Original
of
if.
T
Í-1
A
T
which we cali the fecond Age, ahd the Idolatry, w,hicfi
was ufed
id
it at tbat time , received its.firíl: beginning from the·
Inca, Manco Caeac,
who _was
the
fuíl:
that raifed rhe Monarchy
ofthe
Inw,
who were ilie Kings of
Peru,
and
whó
in
a direét
Line reigned for the fpace of four hundred Years, though Fa–
.ther
lilas Va!enl
will have it, that their Government continued
between fivé ánd fix hundred. We have already declated the áétions of
.Manco
Capac,
how, ánd in
what manner he reduced the
índians
to live
1
in a political way
ofSociecy, teaching
them.toíow and plant,
to
build houfes, and ptovide·au chings
·conducing to Huma
ne Life:and how
Mama Oello,
hisWife, inílruéted the
Indian
Womeri in the art of fpinrting 'and weaving, ·and 'ali other ways of good Huf–
wifery:
W
e have declared
alfo
that it was this
Manco Capac
who taughc them tó
adore the Sun, by reprefenting to them the many benefits that he had conferred
on them, faying that chis
Pacha Chamac
(which fignifies as much as che fuíl:ainer of
all thirtgs) .bad in vain exalted them ab9ve the Stars; whom' he had made their
Servancs,
if
rhey did not advanee bis Woríhip above all orher Crnamres, qnd had
ill
conferred bis benefits on them, in cafe they íhould íl:oop to che mean Idolacry
of low and bafe things, fuch as Toads and Frogs and Lizards, forfaking the fer–
vice of that true Deity, wh0fe Glory and Brighmefs frruck awe and reverence into
all
Creamres.
.
The
Indians,
convinced by thefe arguments, and more by che fenfible benefits
received, acknowle;dged che San for cheir God, wichout aífuming a Facher, ora.
Brother into fociecy wich him. Their Kings they ever íl:yled to be cbildren of
the Sun, and defcended from I-teaven, and adored them with as much Vene–
ration as che ancienc Gentiles, fuch as che
Greek¿
and
Romam,
did their
rupirer,
Mars,
Pemu
,
&c.
Thus che Idolatrous \Voríhip of the Sun , and of the
Incá-5,
as chey believed, defcended from him, prevailed ; and even tQ this day they ne·
ver name cheir King~ ( che
lncM)
but with wonderfull reverence and _adoration;
fo that if they be ¡¡sked,
why
they woríhip thofe for Gods whoín they know
to
be but Men, chey
will
prefently reply; that it is true, they are now undeceived
ánd can conficler them no otherwife in reality than as Men; yet having received
fo much good and benefit from.chem, they cannot eíleem them lefs rhan of Di–
vine Race; and dicl others appear in thefe days equal or comparable to rhem,
they would readily perfonn che fame Honours and Adorations cowards rhem, .
• ,J ,
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ihis