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102
Royal
Commentariet.
BooK
IV.
C
H A P.. 111.
Of the refpefl -they fhew~d to t~e Work_s which thefe Seletl
·
Virgins mad~, and what Law there ·was againfl thofe who
attempted on their Chaflity.
A
LL thefe Curiofities were the bandy-work of thefe Virgins, made in great
quantity for their Spoufe che S1:1n ; but becaufe he was not capable to re·
ceive or wear thofe Ornamencs on his own Perfon
¡
they were fent unto che
inca
as his lawfull and undoubted Son and Heir, that
fo
he might ufe them in the
fiead
and place of his Fáther; the which were efieerned by him as Sacred, and,wi'th
greac reverence and· devotion refpeél:ed by the Subjeél:s of his whole Empire.
And if che
Greek¿
and ancient
RortJarts
did in che times of tbeir GemiJi(m adore
,
Juno, Vimu
and
Palla1
for Goddeífes, it ought not to feem íl:range if thefe poor
and ffmple people, who were under the higheíl: circumfiances of invincible
igno–
rance imaginable, fhould with a fuperíl:itious zeal, and devout aff~ion, adore
and worfhip whacfoever their Religion taugbt them
to
be·
D.ivjrlé
a~d S~cred;
foi:
they apprehending that chefe Virgins were
Coy.u,
or
O!!_eens xd real W1ves
of
the Sun, could not bue fhew refpeét and reverence
to
whatfoev r proceeded from
cheir hands and labour ; for which reafon, the
Incas
themfelves Quid hot beíl:ow
their Works on any thac was noc
an
Inca
of che
true
Bloud ; for
cha-e
were a pro.
phanation of fuch holy things, and a direél: facrilege to employ divine produéti–
ons
to
common and .humane fervices. And though, as we have formerly faid,
che King gave
.Y
efünems to
Curacas,
and ocher Governours, as Signa
Is
ofhis grace
and favour ; yec chofe were of anorher fort, as we
fliall
hereafcer make ap–
pear.
Moreover, che employment and office of rhefe Virgi'ns was to make che Bread,
called
Cancu,
which a.t che great Feflivals of che Sun, named
Raymi
and
Cittru,
were offered to him in Sacrifice: they alío made the Liquour which the
Inca
and
:his Kindred drank on che Holy-days of thoíe Feflivals called
Aca.
All che Veífels
• which were ufed in chis Houfe, fuch as Kettles, Pots, Jars, and the like, were all
made of Gold and Silver, it being reafonable chat the Wives of the Sun íhould
live in an equipage agreeable to che quality of foch
a
Husband ; fo chat their
Garden alío was adorned with Trees and Fruit ali made of Gold and Silver, with
Planes, and Flowers, and Herbs, and Birds, and other Animals, ali rarely coun·
terfeited afcer che manner of thofe in the Garden of che Sun.
· Thefe weré che chief employments of chofe Nuns which lived in the Cicy of
-Cot,;o
;
che other part of their Life and Aétions was agreeable
to
rhe profeffion
they made of perpetua! Virginicy, and of Recluíes from the refi of che World.
That Nun who violated her Chafücy, was buried alive, and her Lover hanged:
Bue in regard chat ( as they íaid) a fimple deach onely íeerned too mean
a
puniíh–
menc for
fo
exorbitant ,an ofl:ence, which imponed no lefs than che violation of
a Wife dedicated
to
che Sun cheir God, and Father of their Kings; rhey ordai–
ned , tbat with che Delinquem his Wife and Children, Servams and Kindred,
with his very Neighbours and Herds of Cattel, fhould witbout any remorfe, com·
paffion or lamentations of any be put to death ; chat all bis Fields and Farms
íhould be laid defolare, .:rnd covered with heaps of fiones, that
fo
no Cattd mighc
ever feed more thereon, or ever be more trod with humane feet, which had pro.
Giuced or rnaintained a wretch
fo
vile and impious as chis accurfed tranfgreffour.
This was the Law, but it was never put into execurion, becauíe none ever
did
tranígrefs againíl: it
:
For as che
l ndiam
of
Peru
(
as we have faid before) were .
great obíervers of rheir Law, and eípeeially devoted to char pare which reípeéted
their Religion, and che awe and reverence due
to
cheir Princes, fo chey were
very fevere in execution of thofe punifhments which che Law prefcribed, adhe-
ring