Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-11-28
WISDOM OF THE INcAS.
Sayings of That Civilization Which
the Spaniards Destroyed.

But what of the thoughts that seem
ed wise to the people trained under
this system? The sayings of the
Amautas, who were the wise men, and
of the Incas were accepted with all
reverence by the people, and 1t may
be well to inquire what teachings were
conveyed in these, writes Benjamin
Harrison, in the Florida Times-Union.
The sayings of the Inca pachacutec
were transmitted to this effect:
when the captains, Curacas and
subjects heartily and willingly obey
their prince then doth the nation en-
JOY perfect peace and prosperity.
| Envy is a cancer which eats and
gnaws into the hearts Of the ienvious.
He that Is envious and Is envled hath
a double torment.
Better 1t is that thou shouldst be
envied by others for being good than
that thou shouldst envy others. for
then thou wouldst be bad; he that en-
vies lis ambltious) hurts himself.
HE that envies good men takes un-
to himself evil as a spider takes pol
son even from the sweetest flowers.
drunkenness, anger and folly are
equally mischievous. differing only In
this, that the two first are transient
and mutable, but the third is perma-
nent and continuous.
| He that kills another without au-
thority from the law passes sentence
upon himself.
"A truly noble and courageous spir-
1t is best shown by the patience with
which he endures adversely.
"Impatience Is the characteristic of
poor and ignoble spirit and of one
that Is i'll taught and poorly educated.
Judges who are corrupted by gifts
should be esteemed for thieves and
punished with death.
"Ofcials and governors ought to
have a special eye to two things: the
first is that they themselves observe
and execute the laws they are appoint
ed to enforce on others and the second
that they seriously consider and la
boriously study all measures that can
tend to the good of and the benefit
of those placed under their jurisdic-
ton. The man who can not wisely
govern his own family would be much
less capable of governing kingdom.
HE that pretends he can number
the stars is a fool and is worthy of
ridicule."
Also when the great Inca Topaz
Yupanqui was near his end he deliv-
cred this philosophical discourse to
his family and friends, which was put
upon record and constantly quoted In
the sayings of the people and the
teachings of the Amautas as Of para
mount authority:
Many say that the sun lives and
that he Is the maker Of all things, but
1t Is necessary that the power which
creates another should be assistant and
operate in the production thereof; now
we know that many things receive
their birth during the absence Of the
sun or when removed from his in
fiuence, therefore, he is not the maker
Of all things. That the sun hath not
life Is evident for he only moves in
circle. and yet he is never weary; If
1t had life 1t would require rest, as We
do: were it free it would sometimes
visit those parts Of the heavens to
which it never inclines out Of its own
|sphere-on the contrary it moves al
ways in the same circle just as an ar
row goes where it receives direction
from the hand Of the archer
And It Is recorded that during the
festival time when the Inca Huayna
Capac stood with the high priest
watching the people, that the Inca
raised his eyes to the sun and gazed
steadily upon it. whereupon this dia-
logue took place:
The high priest: Sir consider what
you do, for you not only commit an
unlawful act but you give Ill example
and scandal to all your court and the
people Of your dominions which are
here present to perform that venerable
alteration which they owe to the sun.
your father and their supreme lord.
The Inca: Being your sovereign and
lord, is there any among you so bold
as to command me to rise from my
seat and take journey whereunto you
may direct me?
High priest: How can any one be
so impudent and daring?
Inca: Is there any Curaca, the most
powerful and daring, who will ven-
ture' to disobey my commands should
1 order him hence to the most distant
part of Chile?
High priest: No, there can not GER
tainly be any one who would dare to
disobey you or to refuse submission
to your commands. even unto death.
The Inca: Then there must be one
whom our father. the sun, esteems
more supreme and sovereign lord than
himself, by whose commands he meas
ures every day the compass of the
heavens. without intermission or re-
pose even for an hour: IL he were
absolute and at his own disposal, he
would certainly allot himself some
time of repose though it were only to
please his own humor. without other
consideration than that Of liberty and
change.
In accordance with such reasoning
was the answer delivered to the Span
iards by Atahualpa when they de-
manded his submissions:
"To fulfill the testimony and pro-
phecy Of my father we style you VI
racochas, understanding thereby that
you are the agents Of the great god
Viracocha, whose will and pleasure.
just Indignation, strength and power
we are unable to resist, yet we are
assured that he is all goodness and
all mercy. For which reason, you,
who are his ministers. and the execu-
TONERS of his will, should refrain from
such robberies, slaughters and vio-
lences as you have committed in Tum-