240 / 1060
•
Royal
Comm€ntarie1.
BooK.
VJ.
drefs to the
King,
and others to the
Jnca1,
in
return o their late Complement
When they approached the
Inca,
it
was with deep filence, and humble
proftra~
tion; and
the
Inca
received them
with great Courtefie
1
and
gracious
Counte–
nance; and
in
regard he was to pledge diem all,
he
tool< the Cup from
~very
Man's hand, touching
it
with his Lips; though he drank more plentifully out of
the
]Jowl of thofe to whofe Dignity aad Quality he bore fome particular ref
peer -
what remained
Cit
the botrom of the
Cup,
the
Inca
commanded
his
Servants
wh~
were
alfo
Incai
by privilege, to
drin~
of the remainder, which being don'e the
Cups were again returned to the Owners.
•
'
Thefe Cups having touched the Hands and Lips of the
Capa Inca,
were ever
afterwards conferved as facred Reliques, and hekf
·in
great Veneration, never af–
terwards being applied
to
common ufes, but feparated, as were their Idols, for
Worihip and
Adoration;
for
in
reality fuch was the inter· ur
Devotion
which
they conceived towards their Kings, that we cannot exprelS the Love and Vene..
ration
which
thefe
poor
Indians
entertained
of
every
dung
which had relation
to
them.
In this manner the Healths being gone about, and !very one pledged, they
all
returned orderly co their places; and then the Dances and Songs began; all Na..
tions
p~fenting
themfelves refpe&ively
in
their Mafquerades, and Coloars
1
and
antick Poftures, according
to
the fafhion of their Countrey; during all which the
drinking fiill went on, the
Inclls
inviting each other, as alfo che Captains and
C11-–
raca1
entertaining their Friends, and Acquaintance, and
f
uch as were Neighbours
and Relations
in
their
f
everal Countries.
Thus were nine days fpent
in
the fo]emo celebration of this Feall: of
Raymi.,'
where was plenty of Meat and Drink (as we have faid) accompanied with all
kinds of Mirth and
J
ollicy; though the
fu!l:
day onely was appointed for Sacri–
fices, and for infpettion into the Entrails of Beall:s, from whence they made their
Divinations offuture Events. After the nine days-were over, the
C11ractU
taking
their leave of the King, returned to their"refpetlive Countries, having received
entire
fatisfaction
in"
the folernn performance of the principal Feaft, which
they
dedicated to their God the Sun. When the
King
was employed in the War, or
was far remote
in
vifirations of foreign Countries, he always obferved the folemn
Celebration of this Fefrival,
in
tha~
ylflce, where his occafions had drawn
him,
though not with
the
pomp
and magnihcence, as
it
was performed at
Couo;
where
in
the
abfence
of the
King,
the Governour and
Hi~h-Prieft,
who
were
always
Incas
of the Bloud, took: care co celebrate
the
Feilival, at which the
Curacas,
or
their Deputies did appear for them,
V\'ith
a grear concourfe of people from the
adjacent' Provinces.
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CH AP.
•
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