126 / 1060
110
Royal
Commentaries.
BooK
IV.
that they {hou1d obferve and keep that Law of Jefus _Chrill: whic?
th:y
had lately
received, and for ever praife and thank God for
f~ndmg
them
fo
me!hrnable. a be–
nefit and honour, and ferve
t~e
Spaniards
for havmg been the means and
mfi~ments of fuch Divine
R~velauons;
and chat they
ilioul~
ferve and obey theU'
Mafter with (mgular Affection,
co
whofe lot and fortu!1e
it
fhould
fall
to be their
Lord and Govemour;
laftly,
he told them,
~hat
fince
it
was
the Cu!l:ome of their
Counrrey co eleet the moft venuous unto their Government, he charged them co
make choice of theit Perfon amongfl: his Sons,
w
horn they
efie~med th~
moll: de–
ferving. and that
in
cafe none of them appeared worthy of rheir paternal Succef–
fion and Honour
that
then, pafling them by, they iliould chufe fuch a Perfon
from amongfr
th~mfelves,
whom they reputed of greateft Honour and
W
orthi–
ne!S.
for that fince nothing \
as
fo dear to
him as
the common Good,
and
Benefit
of his People he defired not
the
promotion of his Children farther than as
it
tended
to
th;t end and defign:
All
which
a
Prieft, who had been his Confef–
four,
reported
as a
remarkable Tellam
t and Palfage
in
thofe barbarous
parts.
CH AP.
XI.
Of their Ceremonies when they weaned, and
fbaved, and
gave Names
to
their Children.
T
HE
l nctU,
when they weaned their Eldefi: Son , they made great Feafis and
rejoycing, which they did not obferve for their Daughters, or fecond or
third Sons, at leafl: not \Vith that folemnity; for the order
of
Primogenimre of
Males
was
in
high EO:eem
with the
JnctU,
and
by their Example
with all
their
Subjects.
They weaned them at two years of age, and upward, and then
clipt
off the
Hair of their Heads, and with that gave them their
ame
:
At
which cere–
mony the Kindred alfembled, and he that was to impofe the Name, fhore off
the
fir
fr
lock of the Infanes Hair. Their ScHfers were made of a Flint, for as yet the
Indians''
ere not arrived
to
a
better Invention; after the God-father had fnipped
his lock, the refi of the Kindred did the like, one afier the other, according
co
their Age and QQ_ality; and when the Infant was quite {horn, then the Name was
given, with the Prefents \vhich they brought; for fome gave
him
Garments, and
clothing,
other befl:m ed Cattle, other Arms of diven; Falliions, others
Cups
of Gold and Silver to drink in: the which was performed onely towards
the
Princes of the Royal Bloud; for that the Commonalty were nae permitted chis
Honour, unlefs
by
particular Privilege or Difpenfation.
After
this
eremony
was
ended, then came
in
their drink ,
for a
dry
Feaff:
\vas accounted dull, and ' ith Singing, and Dancing, they pafled the \· hole
Day_, untill Night parted them;
whic~
Jollity being the next day renewed,
c:ominued for three or four days, accordmg
to
the quality of
the
Parents;
he
like Ceremony _was obferyed,
whe~
the l?Cks
of
the young Prince,
a
d Heir
ap–
parent, \\·ere
cl1pt,
at
h1ch the High Pnefi of the Sun affi{ted and was the
fiifi
to
cut hi
H air;
moreover at this folemnity the
G1ractU
of the' whole Kinodom
eic~er
in
Pe~fon,
or by their Deputies appeared, and \\rere
affifting at
this FelHval:
which
conu~ued
for the fpace of
at leafl:
twenty
ays,
offering their Prefents of
Gold, and Silver, and prenous fiones,, and what elfe was curious and rare
in
their
re[peet:i
ve
Provinces.
'
In
re[emblance hereof (becaufe it is natural for People to imitate their Prince)
the
Cur~ctU,
and generally
~ll
the
~ations
of
PerH
follmved this Example, in {(
me
propornon .agreeable to their Qgality and
Ability;
and this was accounted one of
therr mo!l:
101ly
and merry meetings.
CH A
p.