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BooK
IV.
Royal Commentaries.
Children in cheir minoricy. Ac che Ceremonies of Matrimony che
fo:,1
fiood be–
C\'.
een che rn·o Períons, and caíling bis Eye upon them both, he calle che
1an
by hi5
.1me, and chen che Woman, and caking cheir hands inco his, joine
i
chem
cogecher,
\J
hich being che bond of Macrimony, che Funétion was perfi rmed ;
and being by che
Inca
con/igned to cheir Parents, chey went home co che Houfe of
che Bridegroom's facher, \ here che Wedding \\ as kepc for four or
fix
day wicb
greac rejoycing : This was che manner and form of cheir legal Marria~es, which
for che greac Favour and Honour che
Inca
had performed in chis Funéhon,. were
called in cheir Language, che
lncan
Couµle. The King having in chis manner
macched choíe of hi own Lineage, chen che nexc day following che Officers for
chis Employmenc joine<l che Neighbourhood of che Ciry, wich reíµeél:
to
chac Di–
viÍton, which we have mentioned ac che beginning of chis Hillary, of che Upper
and che Lower
Co:uo.
The Houíes which were appoinced for che Habicacion of che new married
Couples, who were
JncM,,
(~oncerning whom we_ creacacpreíe~r) were prepared
by che
lndi,m
of
chofe Provmces, whofe charge 1t was, accordmg to fuch µrovi–
fion as was made in thac cafe. All che Fumicure and
U
cenfils'of che Houfes were
provlded ac che charge of c)1e Parents; every one of cheir Kindred giyi1ig chem
fomeching towards Houfe-.keeping, which was all che Ceremony or Sacrifice per–
formed ac chac Solemnicy ;- and though many
Spanifh
Hiíl:orians report divers,ocher
barbarous Cul1oms in ufe ac Marriages, it is for wanc of a di(l:inél: knowlei:lge of
che Rices of one Province from another; for in chofe Provinces indeed which
were remoce ~om
Couo,
and where the Seignioricy and Rule Óf che
lnca,s
had noc
as
yec arrived, there may have been many abfurd and impious Ceremopies in ufe,
which íince have been correél:ed, and aboliíl1ed by che more wife and refined Go–
vernment of che
Incas.
Bue as
to
che true Policicks of the
lnc,u,
they obferved no ocher Form ofMarri.
age than chis befare recited, according
to
which che
Curaca1
in their Provinces,
and che Governours in cheir reípeél:ive Divifions conformed cheir difcipline, and
as Fachds and Lords of their Councrey, praél:ifed ic in che fame manner as did
the
Inca,
And though the
Inca,
who was Governour, w:is prefenc at che Mar–
riages which che
Curaca
folemnized; yec ic was not
to
interpofe, or diminifh che
.Authority of che
Curaca
therein, bur onely to approve thac in che name of che
King which che
Curaca
had performed by vircue of che power he exercifed over
his own Vaffals.
VVhett
che Commonalty, or ordinary forc manied, che Com–
municy of che People were obliged
to
build, and provide chem Houfes, and che
Parents to furnifh them.
It was noc lawfull for any to marry out of his O\Yn Pro–
vince, or People; bue, :is che Tribes of
lfrael,
chey were obliged to match within
their own Lineage and Nation; and excepcing onely Sifiers, chey joined promif–
cuouíly togecher, like Sheep of che fame flock;
fo
that che Peoµle of a Province
were not allied .onely by Nation, but by Kindred and Blqucl. By which it ap–
pears, rhac it was noc lawfull for any
to
change' his Councrey or Hal:Mcacion. or
pafs che limits of his Diviíion, or Decurion, bue to keep himfelfclofe
to
his Peo–
ple and Families; for in regard che Affemblieswichin che Community \\'ere obli–
ged to build che Houíes of che new married, it was cheir own duty
to
confen e
them in Repair, and noc lo-..vander withouc che Barrier, and Confines of their
Parencage.
p
2
CH
A
P.
107