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R.oy
~l Commentarier.
BooK
l.
amongíl: his own People wich obfcuritY.,
than wich greater Ornament and
Srate by che angry and incenfed Citizens of
Cou:o.
Ir is mofi: certain that
.Atahua!pa
did nor bind his Head wirh che coloured Wrearh, untill he had
taken his Brorher
Jitiafcar
Prifoner; for before chac time thar Enfign of Re–
gality belonged to his Elder Brorher, who was his Sovereign Lord; but .af–
ter he was raken, and imprifoned by him, he chen proclaimed himfelf for
che univerfal Lord, and wich his Dominions he ufurped all the
Marks
of
Power which belonged to them, as we have before related.
Bue now to confider that an
lndian,
who was an ldolater, and who had been
guilty of fuch horrible Cruelties, as
Atahua!pa
had been, íhould receive che
Sacrarnent of .Baptifm at the hour of his Death, can be eíl:eerned no other–
wife, than as an Effeét of che infinite Merey of God towards
fo
greac Sin–
ners as he was, and I am. At his Baptifm
Atahualpa
was narned
Don '/ohn.
BIM
Va/era
fays, That Friar
'f/incent de Va/verde
laboured man
y
days before his
death to teach and infüuét him in the Arrides of the Cacholick Faith; du–
ring which time the
Inca
finding himfelf in Prifon, and Chains, and with–
out other Society or Accendance of
Jndian,,
excepring a Youch, who was his
Kinfrnan , and permitted to ferve him, he was ílruck with fuch a dump of
Melancholy on his Spirits, chat he rernained almoíl: infenfible. Upon which
che
Spaniard,
brought him out of che Ptifon, ' and called che principal
Jndian1
to his Aílifiance, who feeing rheir Lord in thac condition, immediately fent for
their ChiefHerbaliíl:s to eafe and cure him. So foon as chofe Phyficians carne,
they felt his Pulfe, to difcover che namre and force of his Fever; but noc as
our Doétours, who try the Pulfe ar che Wrill, bue laid their Fingers on che
top of che ,Noílrils, and under the Eye-lids; after which they gave him a
Drink, made of che juice of cerrain Herbs, of great Virtue; whac they were,
is
not known, unlefs chat onely which is called
Payco.
Moreover he fairh, thac
tliis Drink pur him inco a violent fweac, and caufed a long and found íleep; af–
ter which his Fever !efe hirn, and being recurned again ro his Senfes, he was car–
ried back
to
Prifon. When warning was given him of liis Deach, he was
cornmanded to receive Baptifm, for wirhouc it chey chreatned to bum him alive,
as chey had done
Huahutimoc
at
Mexico,
w
ho was King of rhac Empire; and co
affright him into Bapcifm , the Pile of
W
ood was kindled, when chey norified
chis Semence
to
him. Ac lengch he faid thac he was concenred to be baptized,
after which Proclamacion being made of che Crimes for which he died, he ,vas
tied to a Poft, and íl:rangled.
In
ali which particularsche
Spanifh
Hiíl:orians agree,
and alfo chac he remained chree momhs
in
Priíon.
l,
CH AP.