The travels of Pedro de Cieza de Léon; part 2 — John Shaqi
The travels of Pedro de Cieza de Léon; part 2Cieza de León, Pedro de
History
The travels of Pedro de Cieza de Léon; part 2
Cieza de León, Pedro de
Incas; Peru -- History -- To 1548
The Second Part was also nearly completed before Cieza de Leon left
Peru, because he mentions having shown most of it to two learned judges
at Lima, Dr. Bravo de Saravia and the Licentiate Hernando de Santillan.
The latter was himself the author of a valuable work on the government
of the Yncas, which also long remained in manuscript. It was first
printed in Madrid in 1879, having been edited by Don Marcos Jimenez de
la Espada. From incidental notices in the Second Part, we learn how
diligently young Cieza de Leon collected information respecting the
history and government of the Yncas, after he had written his accurate
yet picturesque description of the country in his First Part. He often
asked the Indians what they knew of their condition before the Yncas
became their lords.[21] He carefully examined the temple of Cacha, and
inquired into the traditions concerning it, from the intelligent native
governor of an adjacent village.[22] In 1550 he went to Cuzco with the
object of collecting information, and it was arranged by Juan de
Saavedra, the Corregidor of that city, that one of the surviving
descendants of the great Ynca Huayna Ccapac, an intelligent and learned
native named Cayu Tupac, should confer with him. At the very time when
Cieza de Leon was diligently studying the history of the Yncas under the
guidance of this Peruvian “Pundit”, the young Ynca Garcilasso de la
Vega, then eleven years of age, was at school in the same old city of
Cuzco, learning Latin under the good Canon Cuellar. The two historians
must often have seen each other, the little half-caste boy playing in
the streets with his schoolfellows, and the stately young Spanish
soldier studying carefully with his noble Ynca friend. Cieza de Leon
explains the plan of his Second Part, which was, first to review the
system of government of the Yncas, and then to narrate the events of the
reign of each sovereign. He weighs conflicting evidence, and gives the
version which appears to him to be nearest the truth, sometimes also
adding the grounds of his decision. He spared no pains to obtain the
best and most authentic information; and his sympathy with the conquered
people, and generous appreciation of their many good and noble
qualities, give a special charm to his narrative.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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