38 / 1070
Royal
-C0mmentáries.
BooK L
Curaca,
and is ,the fame which
Cacique
íigllifies in the 1'..angua_ge of
Cuha,
and'
Sanao Dominto,
which-is.
ás
much as a. Ruler over Subjeéts: and thefe were chofen·
for their metits; · for when any Ofl€ was more gentle, áfrable, pious, ingenious
and more zea'.lous for the publick goocf than others, he was prefently advanced to •
Govemment, and to bt'tan Iníl:ruétor of the ignotané
Indians,
who dbeyed him
with as much rev~rence, as _Chi}dren ~o their Parems; and till t~efe th~gs coukf
be put into
execuu.on, and t11l toe Earth could produce thefe frmts, which by
la-'
bour and are
of
Cultivation might be expeéted, a general íl:ore of Provilions
were colleéted into a commofi' place, to be diíl:ribuced agreeable to the neceffi~
ties and largenefs qf Fam~ies,.
And that they mighc noc liv.e wichout Religion;'
he préfcribéd the Rites arid Ceremorlies for their Idolatry : h~ appointed out th~
pláce and deftgri where. and how to ereét a Temple to che Sun, that they mighr
facriRce _to him; for in regard tbeY, efteemed him tne great God ofali, by whofe'
Hea~and light theY, lived, die Fields produced their Fruics, and tbeir Cattle mul~
ciplied,
ána
rhat they received a chouPand fa.vours ánd benefics from him ; it was
out naniral reafon for them ro acknó','{ledge thefe benefits, and efpecially they'
·c,ífeemed themfelves obliged
to
render fervice and adoration to che Suñ and Moon,'
for háving fi!nt cheir own Children ro.them, who had reduced them from a
Life
of
Beaíl:s; to the prefenc' condition and frace of humane Reafon. lt was likewife
9rdaine?, that a Houfe íhould be built for Vir_gins dedicaced to thé Sun, and chat
~be (áme íhould be poífeífed by none, but fuch as were of the Royal Bloud and
Family, and'fupplied fro1n thence,
fo
foon as elle number of che Royal Race was
fufficiently inéreafed.
All
which he ordained and appointed to his·People, thac
they
íhotild
1
inviolably obferve,in gratefull acknowledgment of the benefits recei-.
ved ~ ptómifing on the other fide, tha:t in reward thereof they might expeét per–
penial additionsof good to them from the bleffings of che Sun who had revealed .
thefe fecrets ánd fent
his
Meffengers to
the
Indian
1
to inílru& and
guide them
in
· the
ways
of\:Vifedom--:
ali which matters, anc:I much more, the f)QOr
Indiam
be–
lieved, and by tradition have conferved to thefe our days ; it being che mainpoinc
of theit belief, that th~
Inca
wasa Child of the Sun ; of which and of fucn like
fables they greatly boaíl:, and rhat none but fuch as was of Divine progeny was
able
to
have direéted or prefcrib€d th.ings of fuch fublime- and elevaced an under..
~~ as ~
.
CH A P.
XIll.
Of the Titles,
and
Dignities which
the
Inca
for
diflinliiott•
faie, an'd to procure greater Hon0ur and Reverence he-_,
flowed on hi5 own Family.
T
HE
Incd, Manco
Capaé,
having empÍoyed himfelffor many years in che m'at':
. _
ters Hefore related, for the_ good_ an~ benefit of bisSubjeéts, and percei–
vmg that thereby he had produced m therr mmds a tea! fenfe ofgratitude towards
him, ¡md a readinefs to yield to him and his, who were Children of che Sun all
due Honour and Reverence; he j1,1dged it requiGte for the moreeffeétual impref..
fion oftbisAwe and Refpeét, to dignifie himfelf, and rhofe defcended from hirn
wich noble Titles, and Habits different from others. Wherefore
firíl:
heorderecl'
thacafter his Example ~11
his
Poft:~
ri.tyíh9uld gowich their He~ds fhorn, wearing
onely one lock of Ha.µ.:;
out
th1s fbean~g was pe~formed w1th great difficulty,
for they ha_d not yet amved
to
the mvent1on of Sc1ífors, but wirh a íharp flint
~~t
the Hair, as well as tqey were able; whence it was, that a cenainyoung
Inca
ilt1d ro one of mySchoolfeltows, wíth whorn he was raughc
to
write and reade;
that