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VI..
Royal Commentaries.
·their Trees rooted up, that fo no íleps or marks might appear ofany thing which had
been built, or plamed by the hands of Sodomites, and that their rnemory, as well
as their aél:ions, rnight be aboliíhed; with them they defiroyed both their Wives
and Children, which feverity, though ic rnay feem unjufr, was yec an evidence of
that abhorrence which che
lnw
conceived againíl chis unnatural Crirne.
Some time after this Conquefr che
Incan-Kings
honoured;, and enobled this val–
ley of
Chincha,
with a famous Temple dedicated to th~ Sun, with a Houfe alfo
for the Seleél: Virgins; it contained about thirty thoufand fouls; being one of the
moíl pleafant and delightfull Vallies of
Pe-/'U,
The Aél:ions and Exploits of the
Inca Pachacutec
were rnany and various, though
bis
Conqueíls for eñe moíl: part
were performed in the fame manner; wherefore
to
diverc che Reader, with fome
varieties, we fhall now intermix our Difcourfe wich cwo prin~ipal Feíl:ivals which
the
InctU
celebr.ated with the greateíl: folemnities, and then we íhall recuro agaih
to che Life and Atchievements of chis King.
·
,CH A P.
XX.
Of the principal Feflival of the Sun; and in what manner
they prepared themfelves for the Celebra~ion of
it.
T
HE principal Fefüval was called
Raymi,
which founds, or ac leafis fignifies as
much with them
asPafcha,
(which wich us in Englifu
is
Eaf/-er)
amongíl: the
four Fefüvals, celebrated by che
IncM
in the City of
Cow,
which was the Metro–
polis oftheir Religion, (as
Rome
is to us) none was obfervea with that folemnity,
as chis which they called
Yntip Ray'!li,
held ~n the rnpn_th
ofJun~,
in
honour ófche
Sun, foon after che Summer Solfüce; and if they attnbute chis name of
Raymi
to
, an.y other Feaíl:, ic was in refe~ence, or as it d~pended on th_is chiefFefüval. _
This Solemnity was performed to che Sun, under Notion ofche Supreme, Sole
and Univerfal God, by virtue of who[e Heat and Light al! living Creatures were
generated and fuíl:ained. At which alfo they commemorated their firíl: Father
In•
ca Manco Capac,
·
and
Coya Mama Ocelo,
his Wife and Siíl:er, owning and acknow–
ledging them to be defcended from the Sun, :md fent by him into the World for
the common benefit ofMankind. For which important Reafons this Fefüval be–
ing eíl:eemed che moíl: folemn, all the principal Captains and Commanders of -
che Army, and
Curacas
or Lords of Provinces, affembled themfelves at
Co:uo
to
celebrare this Feaíl: ; not thac ic was of Precept or Injunél:ion, but ouc of mere
Devotion to che Sun, and refpeél: to che
Inca.
In
ca[e any
CHraca
or Officer were
hindred by Age, or Infirmicy, or by any difrant Employment in fervice of che
Inca,
he then fent his Son, or bis Brother, or fome other Relation, to
affiíl:
at chis
·Funél:ion in his Name and Place; nor did the
Inca
eíl:eem himfelf excufed from
chis perfonal attendance, unlefs the War, or remoce Vifits of bis Kingdorns obli–
ged him
to
be abfent.
At che firíl: Cerernonies che King, as High-Priefr, did always adrniniller; for
though there was another High-Prieíl:, ofthe fame legitimareBloud, being a
Bro–
ther or Uncle of the
Inca,
to whom it properly belonged
-at
other times to offi–
ciate ; yet this being che chiefof all the Fefüvals, was ever graced and .honoured
by the adrniniíl:ration of the
Inca,
who was 'the firfr and eldefr Child ofche Sun.
The
Curacas
were habited and dreffed at chis time in the fineft Cloths and gay~
eties that they could bring; fome wore Garments pfated with Gold and Silver,
aporning themfelves with Garlands, or Crowns of Gold , platted over their
W
reaths; fome of them appeared in Lions Skins, having their Heads and Bo–
dies covered with them, and thefe were fuch, who boafted thei¡nfelves to be de–
fcended from that generous Creature,
Ff
Sud~