That, however, the Castilian name should be employed later, is curious. At any rate, it occurs for the last time on the title of a work printed by the same printer, Canto, in 1616; and written by Don Alonso de Huerta, the old title being adhered to, probably from some cause unknown to us, but possibly in consequence of old aristocratic opinions and prejudices in favour of the Spanish name. That the name of Lima had obtained considerably even in the time of the Conquerors, Mr. Prescott has sufficiently proved; but as an official and recognised name it evidently existed to a later period than the historian has mentioned.
The work of Torres Rubio, already mentioned, was reprinted in Lima by Francisco Lasso in 1619. From this time forward, the subject of the native language of Peru seems to have occupied the attention of many writers. A quarto grammar was published by Diego de Olmos in 1633 of the Indian language, as the Quichuan now came to be called.
Eleven years later, we find Fernando de Carrera, curate and vicar of San Martin de Reque, publishing an elaborate word bearing the following title:
"Arte de la lengua yunga de los valles del obispado de Truxillo; con un confesonario y todas las oraciones cotidianas y otras cosas: Lima, por Juan de Contreras, 1644, 16mo."
Grammars and methods here follow thick and fast. A few years after Carrera's book, in 1648, comes Don Juan Roxo Mexia y Ocon, natural de Cuzco, as he proudly styles himself with a method of the Indian language: and after a few insignificant works, again another in 1691, by Estevan Sancho de Melgar.
The most common works on the Quichua are the third and fourth editions of Torres Rubio, published at Lima in the years 1700 and 1754. Of these two works done with that care and evident pleasure which Jesuits always, and perhaps only, bestow upon these difficult by-roads of philology, I need say no more, as they are very well known.
Before I close this communication, allow me to suggest to the readers and contributors to the truly valuable "N. & Q.," that no tittle of knowledge concerning these early philological researches ought to be allowed to remain unrecorded; and with the position which the "N. & Q." occupies, and the facilities that journal offers for the preservation of these stray scraps of knowledge, surely it would not be amiss to send them to the Editor, and let him decide as he is very capable of doing, as to their value.
Kenneth R. H. Mackenzie.
February 20. 1854.
Footnote 1:[(return)]