4000003870

BooK: V.

Royal

Commentaries•

IX.

That

tbe

People

were fupplied

with Clothing,

and

that

Beggars

were aPowed

an_iong(t the111.

•

r:A

by ,,this

good Order; and Method, the

ouldiery was well provided with

Clothing,

with the like care every two years a certain proportion of

Wool as

illributed co the Commonalty, and co the

CuracM

general, where:

with to make Garments for themfelves, their Wives, and their Fami ies; and it was

the Office

the Decurions to fee, and render an account to the uperiour Offi–

cers how far this Wool was employed to the ufes, unt-0

hich it was defigned.

Th~

Indians

were generally

very

poor in Cartel, and the

CuractU

themfelves for

the mofr

part

~ere

Matlers

few

were not fufficienc for fupply of them–

felves and their Familie ; whereas on the other fid

e un, and the

Inca,

had

fuch vafl: Flocks and Herds , as

ere ·almoll innumerable. The

IndianJ

report,

that

hen the

Spt1tniardJ

came

fufi

among!l: them, their flocks of Cartel were

greater than their Pafiures could feed, and I have heard from

Father, and

others \,;,·ho lived in his

time~-

that the

Spaniards

mape great Defiruction of the

Cattel, as we {hall hereafter nave occafion more largely to relate.

In the hoc

Countries they gave them

Cot~ons

fp~

for the clothing of

t~emfelves

and Fa–

milies;

that every one havmg a fuffic1ency of Food and Raiment, none could

proper1y be termed poor, nor could

ariy

be forced to beg, becaufe hi

eceffities

were fupplied;

true, that none could be cJlled· rich,

Riches be placed in af–

fluence and abundance; for as none wanted,

noon had more than his Needs

required. What we have declared at large,

confirmec;l by

Acofta

in a few words,

wno in the 15th Chapter of his 6th Book, [peaking of

Peru,

h!th this

a~ge:

'' At the feafons they fhore their Canel, and then divided unto every one

fuftici–

" ent for him to fpin, and \.\eave for his own, and the clothing of his Hou[e and

" Family, and how diligent he was in his vrnrk, and how well he complied

with his Ta k, was carefully infpeet:ed by an Officer, appointed for that Affair:

" what Wool or Cotton remained after fuch Div1fion, wa

laid up in the com–

" moo Storehoufes, ' hich

as performed with that good Husbandry, that they

" '-"ere found full '

hen

the

Spaniards

entred their Countrey. And . herein no

" thinking Man can ' itbout due reflexion admire and wonder at the Providence

'' of this People, and their political Government; for th ugh rhey had not been

" refined \Vith the pure Dofuine of the

hrifiian Religion, nor yet had been

' ' taught the Rules of a Monall:ical Life,

yet

they had learned that point (which

'c.

we call perfe&ion) how, and in what manner to pro ide

all

neceifaries both

' ' for the King and his P eople, without

propriating any tliing to a particular

" poffeffion : And thus

Acoffa

end thi5

5th Chapter, which he entitles,

The

R evenue

a'!.d

T ribute of the

Inca.

another Chapter following, difcourfing there

the Oftices held by the

ft'Jdians ,

he touches many points '-" hich \'.\'e have alrea–

dy declared, and' hich' e

fhall

ha' e occafion to [peak of more at large hereafter,

he hath farther thefe

expre~

word .

" The

Indians

Peru

had this Rule and

" Maxime amongfl: them, that it was neceffary t

tea h their Children

foon as

'' they were capable, thofe works which were c nducing to humane Life; for in

'' regard they had n T rades amongfl: them, foch as hoemakers, Weavers,

an?l

" cbe like, ' hofe

rofeffion

was

make

and Clorhing for others,

:Js

" \vell as rhemfelves; but every one applyed him[el f

make and provide that

" of, hich he had need and occafion ;

that all knowing how to weave ·and

" fmv, provided themfelves with

Garmen~

out

f the \Vool which the

P.f,a

di–

" fiributed to them. Every one knew how to plo'v'i, and manure his Land with–

,, out putting himfelf

the charge

Labourer ; every one' as a C arpenter,

'' and Mafon, and was able

build hi own Houfe, e[pecially the

omen

" \ ere the moft ingenious and diligent of

any;

for being bred up, and 'educated

" in