4000003870

BooK

Royal

Commentaries.

·c

P. ,·· XXII&

The

Inca Viracocha

gives

Order

for Building a

Teniple.

Memory of

his Vncle, who appeared to

hi112

Vifion.

T-

Inca Piracocha,

'that he might the better perpetuate the Memory of his

Dream , and keep the Honour of

up in the e

fieem

of the people, com-

, manded

that~

Temple iliould be ereeted in Honour

?fh.is

Uncle, who appeared

him,

and placed

the Countrey called

Cacha,

whi

ch 1s

about

fix~een

Leagues

diftant from the City to the Southward : He ordered, that the Fabnck and Mo–

del of

fhould, as near

could be poffibk, imitate, or

r~femble.

the place

w~ere

the Vifion prefented it felf; which was like the

op.en

Field, without covering ;

joining unto which there was to be a

littl~

Chape

l with

th~

roof of Stone, refem–

bling the hollow of the Rock, under which he repofed himfelf: The whole Fa–

brick was made of Stone rarely poli!hed, as are all the Buildiftgs of the

Indians

had four Doors correfponding

the four Qlarters of the

Heavens~

three of

them were fuut, being rather Portals, than Gares, ferving for Ornament more

than Ufe. The Gate which looked Eafiward, was that alone by which they en–

tred, and by which they went our, being placed ex<tctly

the middle; and be–

cau[e the

India11s

were not arrived to fuch Excellency

Architetl:ure, as to

lay

the weight of their Building on Arched Work ; they fupplied that defelt

fuong and deep foundations -of Stone Walls, which were more lafiing than Tim–

ber, and for ever durable.

Thefe Walls were laid three Foot

thicknefs, and

feven Foot dillant each from the other, making twelve feveral Rows, or files ;

the top was not covered with Boards, but paved Stone, for about ten Foot in

length, and half a Yard in thicknefs:

the Entrance to

this

Temple, turning

the right hand, they walked to the end of the firfr Ifie ; thence turning to the

left?

they went forward to the end of thi Walk, and then faced again to the right,

a{ld fo winding about again through the feveral rows; they came at length to the

end of the twelfth Ifie, where was a Stair-cafe, by which they afcended to

the

top of the Temple. At the Front of every Ifie, on each hand, there was a Win–

dow, like a Port-hole,

let in the light; and below every Window there was

~ich made~

the Wall for a feathwhere the Porter might

fit,

without incum–

bnng, or fioppmg, the paffiige.

T e Stair-cafe had two paffages, one to go

up,

and the other

come down ; that to go up fronted a top with the High Altar :

The FJoor above was paved with

a~kind

of black Marble, rarely poliilied , that

it looked

lik~

Jett,

brought from fome Qg_arry, far difiant.

place of the High

Altar there was a Chapel of about twelve Foot fquare, covered with the fame

fort .of black Stone, in-laid in divers Figures, ·in form of Mofaick Work, which

was the mofi excellent piece of Art

the whole Fabrick : Within this Chapel

was the Image of the Apparition placed witbin the hollow of the Wall , as in a

1abemacle, with which two other Tabernacles were made tQ correfpond on each

fide for ornament and better uniformity. The Walls of this Temple, from the

top t<? the bott?m, were but three Yards

height, without any Window, the

Corrnili of

w~1c~

on all Gdes, both within and without, was made of polifhed

Stone; and wuhin the Tabernacle of the Chapel was placed a Pedefial, on which

an Image of Stone was eretted , reprefenting the Image of the Apparition , in

fuch fhape and figure as.the

Inca Viracocha

had direcred. This Image reprefented

tJ:e

figure of a Man_, with a Beard of about a fpan long, his Cloaths reaching co

his feet, not very wide, but fomething fcanty, like a Ca!fock: About his Neck

Change kind of creature was chained, with Claws like a Lion, the Image hold–

mg one of the links

the Chain in his hand ; all which

\\Xas

framed and engra–

ven out of Stone : And left the Workmen, who had never feen this Figure,.

· _

iliould