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The Fourth ENTRY.
A symphony , consisting of four tunes, prepares the change of the Scene; which represents a great Peruvian Army, put to flight by a small Body of Spaniards. This object is produc'd in pursuance of the main Argument; for the Spaniards having first bred an amazement in the Natives, by the noise and fire of their Guns, and having afterwards subverted the elder Inca by assisting the younger, did in a short time attain the Dominion over both by Conquest. The object of this Scene having remain'd a while, the Priest of the Sun enters.The Fourth Speech,
Intimating the amazement of the Peruvians at the sight of the Spaniards in Arms; the consideration of the great distance of the Region from whence they came; of the ill effects of Armour worn by a People whom they never had offended, and of the security of innocence.
What dark and distant Region bred
For War that bearded Race,
Whose ev'ry uncouth face
We more than Death's cold vissage dread?
They could not still be guided by the Sun.
Nor had they ev'ry night
The Moon t'inform their sight;
How durst they seek those dangers which we shun?
Sure they must more than mortal be,
That did so little care
For life, or else they are
Surer of future life than we.
But how they reasons laws in life fulfill
We know not; yet we know,
That scorn of life is low,
Compar'd to the disdain of living ill.
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In life's whole scene is bad,
Since they with Arms are clad
Defensive and Offensive too.
In Nature it is fear that makes us arm;
And fear by guilt is bred:
The guiltless nothing dread,
Defence not seeking, nor designing harm.
[Exit.
The Fourth Song,
Pursuing the Argument of the amazement and fear of the Natives, occasion'd by the consideration of the long Voyage of the Spaniards to invade them.
1.
Those foreign shapes so strange appear,That wonderful they seem;
And strangeness breeds esteem;
And wonder doth engender fear:
And from our fear does adoration rise:
Else why do we encline
To think them Pow'rs divine,
And that we are ordain'd their sacrifice?
Chorus 1.
When we our Arrows draw,
It is with dreadful awe:
2.
Moving towards them whom we are loth to meet,
3.
As if we marcht to face our destiny:
4.
Not trusting to our Arrows but our feet,
As if our bus'ness were to fly, to fly!
All in Chorus.
2.
We thought them more than human kind.That durst adventure life
Through the tempestuous strife
Of Seas and ev'ry raging wind.
Through Seas so wide, and for their depth so fear'd,
That we by leaps as soon
May reach th'ascended Moon,
As guess through what vast dangers they have steer'd.
Chorus.
When we our Arrows draw, &c.
This Song being ended, a Saraband is play'd, whilst two Spaniards enter from the opposite sides of the Scene, exactly cloth'd and arm'd according to the custom of their Nation: and to express their triumph after the victory over the Natives, they solemnly uncloak and unarm themselves to the Tune, and afterwards dance with Castanietos.
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