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VI.
Royal Commentariesó
.
C H A
P.
II.
How ali the Ornaments and Curiofities, which
Beautified the
Royal Palaces, were made of Gold and Silve~.
A
LL the Royal Palaces had their Gardens, and Orthards, and places ofPléa-
'
fure, wherein the
Inca
mighc delighc, and divettife himfelf; and chef
e
Gardens were planted with Fruit-trees of che greaceíl: beaucy, with Flowers, and
Odoriferous Herbs, of all forts and kinds which thac Climate did produce.
In
refemblance of chefe they made Trees, and Flowers of Gold and Silver, and
fo
imitaced them to the life, that they feemed to be natural : fomy Trees appeared
wich their Fruit in •the blo!fom, others full-grown, orhers ripe according to che
feveral feafons,of the year; chey councerfeiced alfo che Mayz, or Stalk, .of che
Indian
Wheac, with all its Grane and Spikes : Alfo rhe Flax with its Leaves and
Roots as ic grows in·che Fields ; and every Herb and Flower was a Copy to éhem.
to
frame the like in Gold and Silver.
,
-
They faíhioned likewife all
Cores
ofBeaíls and Birds in Gold and -Silver ; name•
ly, Conies, Raes, Lizards, Serpents, Burterflyes, Foxes, Mountain Caes, for they
had no tame Cats in cheir Houfes ; . and rhen chey made Sparrows, and ali forrs
of leífer Birds, fome flying, orhers perching on rhe Trees; in fhort, no Creature,
that was jther Wild, or Dornefück, but was made and reprefenced by them ac-
cording to irs exacl: and ·namtal fhape.
_
,
.
In
many Houfes they had greac Ciíl:erns of Gold in which chey bached them–
felves, with Cocks and Pipes of che fame Metal for conveyance of che Water.
And arnongíl: many otber pieces of Srare and Magnificence, rhey had heaps, or
fracks, of Faggots and Billers made of Gold and Silver, piled up in their Score-
houfes, as if they hao been there la-id for fervice of che
Inca.
'
The greaceíl: pare of chefe Riches, when che
Spaniards
came in, were rhrown
inco Wells, and deep warers, by che
Jndianr,
who obferving their Enemies
ro
be ,
tovecous, and chiríl:y pf Gold , out of Matice
ro
rhem, concealed, or deíl:royed .
them in fuch unrecoverable places, where they could never be agaín retrieved,
~hac
fo
che Memory and Traci.ition of che hidden creafures might be deGgnedly !oíl:
to their poíl:ericy, becaufe chey thought it a Prophanation to have that Wealrh
and Subíl:ances which was Dedicated
to
their Kings, to be converted co the com–
mon benefit and ufe of Strangers. Whacfoever we have related coni:erning che
Riches of the
lncM,
is confirrned by ali che Hiíl:orians who write of
Peru,
wirh a
more enlarged report _of die prodigious Treafures, Thofe Writers who creat _of
thefe matters moíl: fully, are
Pedrode Ciefa de Leon,
and
Auguftir; de Carate,
who
was Accountant-General in chofe pares; which latter, in the 14th Chapcer of his
firíl:
Book, hath thefe words : " Gold was a Metal of great efieern amongíl:
f'
them, becaufe the principal Veffels for fervice of their Kmgs were made there–
" of, and the Jewels of his Dignicy and State were fet in it : Likewife chey
" made Offerings of it 'in their Temples: And rhe King
ñgaya
mad~
(' a Chair of Gold,
in
which he fate weíghing twenty five Qgjlats, and which
'' was worch cwenty five thoufand Ducats, and was the fame which
Don
Prancifc,"
de Pifarro
challenged for his own prize ; becaufe ic was agreed, at the
time.of'' the Conque!t, that befides his own fhare and proportion With che reíl:,
he mighc'' claim chat Jewel which he íhould chufe and ·eíl:eerri of che greateíl:-value,
"
GHaynacava,
at che Birth of his Eldeíl: Son, made a Chain of Gold
fo
big and
" .weighty, chat
2 00
lndians
having feized the Links of ic
to
che Rings in cheir
" Ears, were [caree able
to
raife it from the grourid : And in memory of chis joy
'' at his Birch, and of chis great Chain, they gave him che Name of
Gua[ca;
" which is as muchas Chain, or Cable, wich the Addition of
Inca,
which was
" ~1e Title of aU belong,ing ro the Royal Farni!y; The which particular I pur•
B b
2
poíely