4000003871

B~oK

VII.

Royal ·.

C~mmentaríes~~

and adored the Sun, which was performed at a c_ertain hour, that'

the Adora–

tion might be general at the fame inílant of time ; a cerrain

Inca

of the Bloud- .

Royal fallied out of the Fortrefs, richly attired like a !0-effenger of the Sun, ha–

ving his Garments girt about his waíle, beªrtng :a· Lance in his hand·, garnifhed

with

plume of Feathers of divers colours, which hanged dangling down from

the point to the end

the Staff; the lengch of. which was of about three quar–

ters of a Yard, íludded with golden Nai1s~-and which

War ferved for :m En–

fign

With this Lance he iífued from che Fort rather than from ·che Temple, be–

ing eíleemed aM_effenger of VVar, and not of P_eace; for the

For't,

as weU as the

Temple, was De9icaced to che Sun, being the·place where matters of War were

treated, as che other was, where peace and friendfhip were emertained. This

Officer came running in this manner downwards fi:orn_ che Hil\ called

Sacfahuamam,

11.ourifninghis Lance untill he carne to the Mar~et-phce of.

d1e

Gty, where four

other

IncM

of the Bloud, each carrying a Darc in his hand, met him"; having_

likewife cheir Garments clofe girt, afrer the manner of che

Indi111u,'.

when chey puti

theinfelves in a poílure ofexercife, or labour: This Meffenger nieeting,che four

JncM

couched the head of their Lances wich his, and then ¡rold chem; chat che

Sun ~ommanded thern as bis Ofliicers, thac they íhould purifie•aml cleanfe che Cicy,

of all infirrnities and difeafes; and chat he gave them foil power;to-perform it. ·

Wich this commiffion the four

Incas

deparced, running through the four greac

Streecs of che Cicy, which led towards the four quarcers of che World, called

by them

Taventinfuyu

;

their way as they ran, Men and Worn~n, yourig _and

old, all carne

the D0ors of their Houfes, wich greac cries ·and acclarnations;

íhaking their cloths, and che garments on their bodies, as if they would beát out

the Duft from them ; and then ílroking their hands over cheir heads and mouchs,

armes and legs, apd óther pares of their bodies,

manner, as if chey_ were waíb–

ing of them ; and as if they would tbrow out all tbe fickn~fs and illnefs of their

Houfes, to be expélled the City by the power and vircue of thofe Meffengers .of

the Sun. Nor was this onely, done.

the Streets, through which thefe four Mef.

· fengers paífed, but likewife in _all the other ~~reets; thefe four

Incas

having nin

a: ·

bout a quarcer of a League w1thout the C1ty, were met by four other

Incas

the privilege, who taking their Lances, ran with them a qaarcer.of. a League far~

ther, and ac the like diílance were mee by others

unti

they carne five or fix

Leagues rernote from the City ; where having fixed their La'nces, and driven

them into the Earch, they made that the place of baniíhmenc to· all their Evils;

that

being bounded by thofe Confines, th{ly íhould not be able to approach

nearer to the Cicy.

· ,

L 1

CH A P.

¡.