Ecuador -- History -- To 1809; Peru -- History -- 1548-1820; Peru -- History -- Conquest, 1522-1548; Pizarro, Gonzalo, -1548
Having received letters from your Lordship, asking me to become a
Christian and saying that it would conduce to the security of the
country, I enquired of Diego Rodriguez and Martin de Pando, who was the
principal monk among those who were in Cuzco, and who were the most
approved and of most weight among the religious orders. They replied
that the most flourishing were those of St Augustine, and their Prior
was the most important religious in Cuzco. Having heard this, I became
more attached to the order of St Augustine than to any other. I wrote
letters to the Prior, requesting him to come in person to baptize me,
because I would rather be baptized by him than by anyone else. He took
the trouble to come to my country and to baptize me, bringing with him
another monk, and Gonzalo Perez de Vivero and Atilano de Anaya who
arrived at Rayangalla on the 12th of August 1568, whither I came from
Vilcapampa to receive baptism. There, in that village of Rayangalla,
were the said Prior named Juan de Vivero and his companions. I was
instructed in the things of the faith for a fortnight, at the end of
which time, on the day of the famous Dr St Augustine, the Prior baptized
me. My godfather was Gonzalo Perez de Vivero and my godmother Doña
Angelina Zica Ocllo. After I was baptized the Prior remained for eight
days to instruct me in the holy catholic church and to initiate me into
its mysteries. He then departed with Gonzalo Perez de Vivero, leaving me
a companion named Friar Marcos Garcia, that he might little by little
instil into my mind what the Prior had taught, that I might not forget,
and also to teach the word of God to the people of my land. Before he
departed I explained to my followers the reason why I had been baptized,
and had brought these people into my land. All replied that they
rejoiced at my baptism, and that the friar should remain. In effect the
friar did remain with me[80].
DIEGO RODRIGUEZ DE FIGUEROA.
_Notice._
[Sidenote: Thin 4^{to} MS.]
The manuscript of the Report of Diego Rodriguez de Figueroa on his
mission to Titu Cusi Yupanqui Inca, came into the possession of Eugene
Jacquet, a French orientalist, who gave it to Alexander von Humboldt,
in 1833. Humboldt left it to the Royal Library at Berlin. The text was
published by Dr Pietschmann of Göttingen in 1910.
Rodriguez came to Peru in about 1552. The Count of Nieva, Viceroy from
1561 to 1564, appointed him _Defensor de todos los Indios_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account