4000003871

Royal

Commentaries.

OOK

VIII.

The

Caciques

who lived in the pares adjacent to the City carne tbither to

bear a part and !hare in the Solemniry, attended with their Kindred, and No–

bility of their Provinces; and attired in ali the finery and gallantry with which

they uied to drefs themfelves at times of their own moíl: Religious Feafi:s; of

which we h

ave giv

en a Narrative in the firft part of thefe Commentaries ; eve–

ry Sept or

Una.ge

carrying the Enfigns or Signals .of their own Race and Fa–

rriilies,

which t

hey take much pride, and Jihew great 011:entation.

Sorne of thcm carne in the habit (as

H errnles

is painted) with the Lions

Skin, the Head of which fervcd-him for

Cap; and this is the moft honou–

r able

drefs, for they value themfclves very much to be defcended from a J..ion:

Othersappeared with great Wings extended at a la¡:ge breadth like to Angels,

which they took from the Fowle called by them

Cuntur,

which is much

rn •

e~eem with them, and from which they alfo glory to derive their defcent.

Others were habited in Cfoathes painted with Rivers, Fountains, Lakes.,

Mounta ins, Caves, and the Jike, having a Tradition amongft them, that their

Forefathers had their original from fuch places. Others had ftrange devifes

with Gold and Silver, and Coronets of G~ld: Sorne appeared like Moníl:ers,

l1avfr1g the·ir HallCls Itk.e Claws, or the Paws of Wild-beafl:s which they took

in hunting. Ochers fe.igned themfelves to bé Fools

ám;I

Idiots, endeavonring

all

guifes

pleafe and div~ert their Kings and Governours.

Sorne would

aél: the pare of Riches and Grandure, others perfonated Mifery and Poveny;

and every Province alfumed fome thing, that they thought might adminifl:er to

divertilement and delight, and which might ferve

make up the folemnity of

the Feíl:ival; well knowing that variety was pleafing, and contributed much to

the fatisfaétion of

che

M-in~. By fuch Scene~ and Reprefentations as thefe,

with

wltich

the

Indians

did ufe to celebrate díe Feafl:s of their own Kings, did

they now, though with mol'e eftemation appear, and bear a part in !hewing

honour .to the Moíl: Ho'ly Sacrameht, which is our true God, Redeemer, and

Lord of all; the which they performed

•ith

fuch Devotion

and

Sincerity, as

plainly demonfl:rated them to be a People freed from the Superftition

and

Vaoity of their'Gentilifm.

T ·he 'Qlergy and Citizeris were not wantinf¡ alfo to

contribute

their

part

to render this

eftival th,e more great and glorious ; lto which end a Scaffold

was ereéted in the

Yar-d

leading to the Church, on that

fide

which fronts

the

Chief l\1arket-:place, where the Moft Holy Sacrament was expofed

a rich

C~·de of Gold and Silver.

The Officers of the Church placed them:elves on

the right-hand, and chofe of the City on the left : with ·them were feveral

thofe

Incas

which remained of the Royal Line; to whom they gave a place of

Prccedence

in token t'hat that Empire was their l'atrimony.

The

Inlians

of the feveral Oifl:riéts paífed in their Chairs, or Sedans,'.with

t heir Kindred, and Attendances ; every Province finging in thcir own Mother,

languag¡e,

:rnd

not in thc general Tongue which is common to the Court, the

bem:r

rnake a differc nce between odeeNation and another,; ·

•

Wirl) them they.carried their Drutns, flutes, Pipes, and Cymbals, and cither

forcs of rural a11d barbaro11s Mulick; and feveral of the Men were followed by

tbeir) Nivcs, who lerved to bear a part in the Chorus.

Íhc

fo bfl:a nce of their Songs were Praifes to God, returning him thanks

for

having brought them out

of•

lgnorance, to the light of true Knowledge.

And rectdring alfo Thanks to

·t.he

Spaniards

of what condition foever, whe–

ther Spiritual or Temporal,

for

having infrruéted thern in the Doétrine of

the Chriftian Faith.

Orher Provinces, according to the Cuftom

the times of their Kings, fent

che Men only, without the company or fociety of their Women.

T o the upper fide of

the

Church-yard, or Cymecerie, whichis a-bont feven or

eighc Steps higher than the Marke,t-placc, they afcended by Stairs to adore

theMofi: Ho·Jy Sacrarnent; every Sept, or Race in diftintt divifions, being fe–

parated

frcim

each othrr ten or twelve paces diftant, to avoid diforder and

t·onfufio11 ; and having made their Adoration, they defcended by another pair

of bac-k Scairs,

which w~s e~eet:_ed on _th~ right-~and of the Scaffold. Every

Nauon proceeded accordmg to

Its

Semonry, wh1ch was taken and meafured

t iie

ti me tbat the

Incas

had

made

the Conquefl: of them : So thofe who were

t bc la!l:- fi.ibd

ued,

were

placed tbe

fir.ít

che

Proceilion; and thofe who were the