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PERUVIANS.

THE Peruvian History is enveloped in an obscurity which the destruction of their historical records has greatly augmented. Boturini thus laments in a letter to Charles v. these barbarous acts of the faith.' "These burnings have been frequent and very fatal in New Spain. The Indians deplore them, and so do the Spaniards; and I lament them because I am convinced that these ancient paintings contained not only particular notices of great literary treasures, but likewise of immense treasures stored up in the times of paganism," &c. "I do not despair of being able to perform some day or other, a notable service to your Majesty." Antiq. Mex. p. 407.

This work does not admit of giving a detailed account of the character and incidents of the 14 successive Incas who reigned in Peru. Those of the mysterious reformer,1 Mango Capac, of Pacha Cutec the ninth in order, of Tupac Yupanqui, and Huania Capac his son, furnish not a few of those illustrative analogies which it is the object of the present re

1 This reformation seems by the account of Balboa, and other writers, to have been preceded by the earlier reformation by Verachocha, and his companions. "From the Ms. of Balboa, some extracts are given relating to the appearance of certain holy men in Peru who preached anew the LAW to the nations, wore long beards and decent apparel, &c. as also of the famous council-general convoked at Cuzco, by the Inca Yupanqui, for the abolition of the undue homage which the people paid to the sun, and the promulgation of the decree that Tici VERACHOCHA PACHAMAC, was the supreme God the Creator of the universe (cosa notable y de admiracion) as Balboa terms it, to which all the religious orders in the states were summoned, the Inca himself presiding at the solemn conclave." Ibid. v. p. 522, notes. A lord named Cortice Verachocha, came forth from a lake which is in the province of Callasugo, and brought along with him a certain number of persons."--Ibid. p. 404.

search to concentrate: brief notices therefore of these, may suffice to augment the sum of evidence.

Manco Capac is generally spoken of by historians as having introduced the worship of the sun; this mistake seems to have arisen from the title of the GREAT LIGHT, by which many branches of the Indian people characterised the Creator, and this is perfectly scriptural, as we are taught to consider the sun as a symbol or representation of that Great moral Light and Life, which is emphatically called the "Sun of Righteousness." The sun is illustrative of the Divine power and Godhead, as well as are all the other works of the Creator; the term Great Light, and its symbol the sun, seem to have been considered by historians a synonyme; and therefore they have erroneously charged the Incas with the worship of the sun, instead of the Great moral Light by whom as men, and as a community, they were greatly enlightened." "Their kings, the Incas," says Garcillasso, (a descendant of the Incas,)" and the amautas (philosophers) had some idea of our Sovereign LORD the Creator, whom they called Pachacamac; Pacha, signifies the world, and camac is derived from the verb camar, to animate; cama is the soul. The Indians regarded Pachacamac as the Sovereign Creator and Preserver of all things here below; they adored Him in their hearts as the invisible God; they, however, neither built temples nor offered sacrifice in His Name; but whenever it was pronounced, or that of the sun, or of the king, it was always with the most reverential awe." Vega, b. 2. ch. 2. in Histor. Researches.

1 When a Curacu was brought before the Spanish Judge at Cuezco, he was presented with a cross that he might swear to the truth. The Indian replied, that he did not imagine that he had been baptized to swear like the Christians. The Judge then desired him to swear by his own gods, &c. "You are mistaken," said he "if you think I will profane that sacred NAME; it is never to be mentioned but in adoration. You ought to be contented with my word; but if you are not, I will swear by the earth, and wish that it may open and engulph me if I do not tell the truth." Vega in Histor. Research: ch. ii. p. 143.

The Inca Tupac Yupanqui XI. said, Many believe that the sun is a living body, and that he creates whatever exists. If this were the truth, he would not confine himself to the same eternal path. We must consider him to be like an arrow which performs the duty intended by the Archer who sped it."-Vega, vol. ii. p. 93.

"The respect paid to the sun must have been as the symbol of Divine beneficence; even as that paid to their kings as the viceroys and representatives of the Creator, whom they likewise acknowledged as their Redeemer and Sovereign. A long series of ages had, it appears, produced the usual effect on a people without the written standard of appeal, and without that communion and interchange of thought which constitutes writing a blessing or a curse-a great benefit or a great evil.

From this retrograde state, the Peruvians were at once recalled by the arrival of a mysterious man and woman who were first seen on the border of the lake Titiaca. "They were still in this state," observes the author of Historical Researches, chap. 2. p. 55. "when, we are told, there appeared on the banks of the Lake Titiaca, a man and woman of majestic form, and clothed in decent garments. They were persons of excellent shape and beauty." The titles. which these personages bore, were Mango Capac, (chief governor, splendid and rich in virtue) and that of his sister Mamanchic, empress and motherly protector of his subjects. See Vega, b. 1. ch. 26, in Hist. Resear. c. 2, p. 56.

"These benefactors first told the people that their Father taking pity of their miserable condition, had sent them to reclaim them from their erring ways, to give them laws, teach them morality, and to worship the Great Light who gave life to all creatures," &c. "In fine, that they were expressly sent to govern them for their benefit and happi

ness, with the same care and goodness with which their Father ruled the world."1

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Mango had in his hand a rod of gold, two fingers thick, and an ell in length. He said that his Father, the Great Light, had given it to him, and told him, that when he travelled northward from the lake, whenever he rested he was to strike the rod into the ground; and where, at the first stroke it should go down to the top, on that spot, he should build a temple to the Great Light, and fix the seat of his government. This happened in the vale of Cozco, where he founded that city as the capital of his kingdom.

"He divided his company into two colonies, and called one High and the other Lower Cuzco; in each of these were at first a thousand families, which he caused to be registered by quipos (party coloured and knotted fringe) which was all that was required in a government where there were neither letters, money, nor disputes. Mango instituted Decurians, one over ten, one over fifty, one over one hundred, one over five hundred, one over one thousand; the last were called Curaca, (Governor.) They were censors, patrons, and judges, in small controversies. Idleness was punished with stripes. Each colony had a supreme judge. Theft, murders, disobedience to the laws, and adultery, were punished chiefly by death, in order not to leave a bad man more incenced or necessitated to commit new crimes. A son's possession were never forfeited for his father's offences. These laws had so good an effect, that sometimes a year passed without one execution." "After a

long and revered reign, at the approach of the last period of life, Mango Capac called together all his children and grand-children; he told them he was going to repose himself

1 See Garcillasso, b. i. ch. 17. Sir William Temple, vol. iii. Robertson, vol. ii. pp. 164-306. Ranking's Hist. Resear. c. 2. p. 57.

with his Father. To his eldest son he left his empire; and advised and charged them all to continue in the paths of reason and virtue, which he had taught them, until they followed him on the same journey, and that this was the only course by which they could prove themselves the children of the GREAT LIGHT, and as such be honoured and respected. He commanded his successor, whose name was Sinchi Roca, to govern his people with justice, mercy, piety, clemency, and care of the poor; and that when he should go to rest, &c. he should give the same instructions and exhortations to his successor."

"The Peruvians attributed all their laws, civil and religious, to Mango Capac, and which they thought had been communicated to him by his Father (the GREAT LIGHT;) but their laws were either new or reformed from ancient times." "The Incas pretend," adds the historian, "that one of their kings was a great legislator; they say that he was a sovereign priest; and further, that he was a renowned captain who conquered a number of provinces and kingdoms." Hist. Resear. ch. 2, p. 65.

The following account is replete with internal evidence of the identity of race. The son of this emperor in his endeavours to abolish idolatry and introduce the worship of that moral Light, whence all that is good is derived, and to whom therefore, whatever is good ought to be rendered as a tribute of allegiance, made several successful attempts; his troops always by his order acting on the defensive. "At length submitting, the Curacas and others, fearful of being punished for their obstinacy, went to the Inca to demand pardon the children marched first, followed by their mothers; then the aged, the soldiers and officers and their Curacas with their hands bound, and ropes round their necks, in acknowledgement that they merited death for presuming