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ofthe Crofs had for rnany Ages been conferved by them in high efieem and venera–
tion, yet it was not entercained with fuch devotion as it deferved, becaufe chey were
not as yet acquainted wich ics vircues. Wherefore now wich fironger affurance
believing, that as the.SigQ
of
the.Crofs had tamed, and íhuc the mouth of che
wild _Beafis,
fo_
as chat diey coul~ not hure
Pedro de C,andia
;
fo
alfo chey irnagined,
that 1c· hada hke power to dehver them out of the hands of thefe New-come
Gueíl:s : On which cohfideration having adored· che Crofs, they ereéted feveral
of therii in their Temples, and
in
che Royal Palaces-, like Tutelar Gods co defend
their Kingdom
fróITt
che violepce of Enemies.
i
,
.
·
Whence it is ro be noced, that chefe Gentiles who were Idolaters, 'did encirely,
and with an implicit faith, devote themfelves to the Crofs, and therewich to the
belief of che whole Chriílian DoéJ:rine before the Gofpel was preached co chern.
:IE
is moft cercain, that after che Death of
Hua;na C1tpac
(as we li:ive mentioned ac
;tb_e end of his,Reign) ·che
Jndiani
remained
ih
great fear and confiernation, áp–
·prehending that che time approached in which cneir Idolacr.ous Religion was to
be
ar an end, and 'therewich rheir Empire, Greamefs and Dominion was co expire.
1
And chough many years paíl: many Prediél:ions were uccered of chis narnre by
rheif Souchfayers and M:igicians , che which were confirmed by cheir Oracles,
:and dil7ers Prodigies; yec they were delivered in fuch obfcure cerms, thac noching
-was clear, or intelligible, from chence, uncill fuch time
as
HuaynaCapac,
by
I
kno\l'I
not what Spirit, explained ·and incerpreced thofe Prophecies wirh fuch dear.ttels,
,as evid~ndtpoírlted ar che coIT)ing of che
Spdni"rd1,
and che propagacion'of che
Gofpel, ded,aring that the Empire of
Peru
was to end wich bis Life. And chis is
ihe true reafon why che
Jndians
adored and wodhipped the
Spaniards
for Gcds,
wlth fuch humilicy and fubmiffion, as we have declared, being cercainly affured,
thac thefe were che people in whom the Prophecy of th~ir
King
was
·co
be accom–
pliilied.
Of all chefe matters
Hernando de Soto,
and
Pedro del Barco,
gave due intellígence
to cheir Capcain-General, wich farcher informacion ofche incredible Riches found
in thac Cicy, which were beyond all imaginarion, as alfo of che kind treacmenr,
ducy
and refpeét, which chey had received from the
Indians,
by virtue ofchac
&lile
and Command which
AtahHalpa
had caufed to be proclai(Jled ,in al! parts of bis
Dominions in favour of the
Spaniards.
In
like manner the ócher four Spies, ot
Difcoverers, which were fent into orher pares, difparched cheir Informarions of
all chings rhey had feen, and which had happened to rhem. Al! which news de-
,·claring che immenfe Riches, and che adoration which was paid to cheir Com.
panions, che orher
Spaniards
received with great joy and facisfaél:ion: But•as ro
·the ·Prophecies of
Huayna Capac,
chey efieemed them for no orher cban Wirch–
.crafrs and Sorceriei of che
Indi1111s,
of which they rnade no accounc or efieem.
CH
A
P.