d,
and at the time of the Spanish invasion, they were seldom correctly
spoken. This corruption was naturally increased more and more after the
arrival of the Spaniards, by the introduction of a new language. Only
for a few of the new articles brought by the Spaniards to Peru did the
Indians form new names, taking the roots of the words from their own
language: for most things they adopted the Spanish names. By this means,
but still more by the future intercourse of the people with the
invaders, the purity of the natural language rapidly disappeared in
proportion to the influence which the Spaniards obtained by their
increase in numbers and moral superiority. At present the Quichua is a
compound of all the dialects and the Spanish; it is spoken in the
greatest purity in the southern provinces, though even there it is much
intermixed with Aymara words. In Central Peru the Chinchaysuyo prevails,
and on the coast the Spanish and the Yunga. The present Indians and
people of mixed blood, who of necessity must speak the ever-changing
Quichua, and also the Spanish, speak both in so corrupt a manner, that
it is frequently almost impossible to understand them.

The family of the Incas had a secret language of their own, which was
not learned by subjects. This language is now almost totally lost, not
more than two dozen words of it being preserved. In early times, the
Quichua language was much cultivated. It was used officially in public
speaking, and professors were sent by the Inca family into the provinces
to teach it correctly. For poetry, the Quichua language was not very
well adapted, owing to the difficult conjugation of the verbs, and the
awkward blending of pronouns with substantives. Nevertheless, the poetic
art was zealously cultivated under the Incas. They paid certain poets
(called the _Haravicus_), for writing festival dramas in verse, and also
for composing love-songs and heroic poems. Few of these heroic poems
have been preserved, a circumstance the more to be regretted, as many of
them would doubtless have been important historical documents; but for
that very reason, the Spaniards spared no pains to obliterate every
trace of them. Some of the love-songs have, however, been preserved. In
Quichua poetry, the lines are short, and seldom thoroughly rhythmical.
Rhymes were only exceptional, and were never sought for. The poetry was,
therefore, merely a sort of broken prose.

A specimen of one of the best of the Quich