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BooK
VI.
Royal
Commentaries.
·e
HA P.
XXIV.
In what 1!1anner the
Incas
!ook., their Degrees
of
Chivafry,
_
an4
what Exa~1inatioiz the;
paf/ed.
T
His
word
Huaracu
is
of the true
Peruvian
Language, and figniftes as muchas-·
to arm a Cavalier; meaning no other thiog than tho[e Badges of Honour
and Banners which they gave to the young Men of the Royal Bloud
~
whereby
they received their
firfr
admiffion inco cheWar, and were capacitared to take rheir
Degrees and places qfDignity; withaut thefe actefiations g~ven co rhefe young_Men, .
they could precend to no Place, or Degree, in Civil ar Martial Affairs; and farther
to
capacitare them thereunto they were to be Bacchelours, or (ingle Men, accQrding
to che Books and Rules of Chivalry. Now to qualifie chem farcher -to receive
thefe'Honours, they were-(as we íhall more.amply di[courfe hereafi:er) to
pafs
a
moíl: fevere anq rigorous Noviciace, which was an examination of all che Toils,
Labours and Hardfhips incident to War, and which became a Souldier to under–
go
in profl:)erous oí· adverfe Forcune. For che beccer underfianding ofwhich, ic
will
be neceffary·co recite all .che parciculars performed at chis Fefüval; whicli,
confidering che baroarity of chis People , is excraordinary , and admirable, and
which might be owned by fuch as are expert, and far advanced in che Are of Mi- ·
licary Difcipline. At chis Feíl:ival che Common People d~onfiraced great
Joy,
and .the
Inw
both old and yaung received che Honours dµe to cheir.Merit and
Condiciop; che old Men were pleafed to have their valianc and noble a&
reci–
ted, and yaung Men
to
be thought worchy of beirig admicced and enrolled in rhe
LiHs
of Chivalry; and becaufe che H@nour ·,ar Difhonour of chis Teíl:, which
the Novices underwent
in
cheir Examination, was derived to all cheir Parentage,
and Kindred; che clear and handfome approbacion which every one received, be–
carne che concernment of che whole Family·of ~he
IncM,
though chey were tnore
particularly intereíl:ed in che Repucation of _fuch who were of che limpid and
Iawfull Bloud.
.
Every Year, or two, more or lefs, according as it was judged convenient, che
young
Inw,
of fixceen Years and upwards, were admicced to chis military prn–
bation; aod no ochers, though Sons of che greaceíl: Lords, and
<:;uracM:
Tbeir
Cuíl:ome was to educace chem in a certain Hou[e properly coníl:ituted for chefe
milicary Exercifes, built within che precinél:s of
Collcampata,
·
which I remember
once
to
have feen, when they celebrared fome part of chefe Ceremonies in it,
bue fell fo fhorc of che greacnefs of che ancient Exercifes, thac chey may be ra–
ther called fhadows, ar reprefencations , than real performances of chem. The
Maíl:ers or Infiruél:(¡l'S of che Novices in chis Hou[e were ancient
incas,
who were
well experienced in che Ares of War and Peace; and thefe were th<1fe who made
trial ofiliem in Dheíe following particulars; and in ochers which I have now for–
gatten. One of che crials chey made of chem, was, how chey were able-to en•
clure a faíl: of fix days, onely with fome few handfulls of unbaked
Cara,
which is
a fort ofcheir Wheac, and wich no ather Drink than .i·frriall Jarr ofWacer, and
withauc any ching elfe, eicher 'Sale or
Vchu,
which is che red
Spanifh
Pepper~ yiel~
ding.fuch a pleafing forc of taíl:e to'chem, chac it made every ching to relifh, and
for thac reafon it was forbidden to che Novices in c1leir faíl:ings.
This [evere Fafi was nevet enjoined to any above chree days, bue onely to che
Noviciates, who were to be proved to che ucmoíl extremicy, whether chey were '
able to fuffer Hunger, and Thiríl,
in
che Wars, in cafe any accident fhould neceffi–
tace them chereunro; bue chen anocher Faíl, lefs rigorous chan chis, che Fachers,
Brochers, and near Relations to ch~Noviciaces impofed on chemfelves, which chey
folemnly obíerved, fupplicacing cheir Father che Sun, thac he wauld vouchfafe co
beíl:ow on his Children, who were now Probationers, force and íl:rengch
to
un–
dergo cheir task~ and acquit chemfelves with honour
7
for fuch as were noc able co
G g
fuílain