The royal commentaries of Peru : in two parts / written originally in spanish by the Inca Garcilasso de la Vega; rendred into english by sir Paul Rycaut.

BooK 111. Royal Commentaries. CH A P. XX. The Defcription of the Temple o/ the Sun, ancl of its greát Riches. T H E principal Ido! in ell:eem both with the Inca and his Subjeéls, was the Imperial City of Co:t::.co it felf, which the l ndians adored as a facredRelique, ·both becaufe it was founded by the full: Inca, Manco Capac , and becaufe it was the Repofitory of innumerable Trophies acquired by Viétory, and was the Seat and Throne of the IncM, who were ell:eemed for Góds. This fuperíl:ition ap..'. peared in every lictle inll:ance ; for in cafe two Indians o[ equal _qualicy did but meet on the way, one coming from Co<::,co, and che other travelling thither ; he that carne from thence, gave always che full: falucation, and the upper hand to him who was going thicher; and if he, who had been at chis City, wa~ ever af-. ter eíl:eemed by his Neighbours as a Pilgrim or a Holy Man, how much more was he to be reverenced, who was a Cicizen, or Native of the place : And in purfuance of chis humour and opinion, whatfoever was faid to come from Co<::,co, though it were bue .Lemils or Seeds, and did not furpaís others of like kind in its Excellency, yet it had always the pre-eminence, and was chought an impiecy to think or judge otherwife. To keep up chis fancy and belief in the people, the Incas laboured to adorn and enoble the City with many Sumptuous Edifices and Royal Palaces, many _of which they built for theii:- own ufe, as we !hall hereafter declare, when ,we come to defcribe the publick Buildihgs, arnongíl: which tÍ1ere is none comparable to che Temple of che Sun, which was enriched with incre~ dible Wealdi ; to which every Inca parcicularly added fometl\ing, and improved and perfeéted that which bis Predeceífour had Jefe deficient. The Riches of chat Temple were fo immenfe, chat I íhould not adventure tó defcribe chem, did I not find them mentioned in all che Spanifh Hifl:ories of Peru; but neither whar they have wrote, nor I delivered, are able to reach the vaíl:nefs of that real Wealth. The Building of this Temple is ell:eemed the Work of the King Yupanqui, che Gre~t Gr~ndfucl;~r ?f Huayna Capac ; not chat he was th€ Foqnd@r of it, ha'\ing rece1ved 1ts begrnmng from che firíl: Inca, bue becaufe he compleced che Adorn:. mene of it, and exalced it to chofe immenfe Riches and Majeíl:y in which ch<: Spaniards found it. Now to deícribe chis Temple; it is to be noted, that that place which was che Chamber of the Sun, is now the Church of che ·Divine St. Dominick;. bu~ be- caufe I have noc che exaél rneafures of che lengch and breadth of ir, I omit to mention ir ac _gueís; onely chat how large foever ic be, ic is all mj!de of Freeze- íl:one well pohíhed. . · -The High Altar ( which for our better underíl:anding we call by chat Narne, though che Indians knew noc how to ereét an Airar) is placed at the Eaíl:-ftde; the Roof was fiar, made of lofty Timber; but che Covering was charched wirh Straw, becaufe their Are arrived not to make other. Ali che four Walls of che Temple were Wainfcoaced frorn che top to che bottom, with Panes and Frarnes of Wood all over guilded : In the upper place, where we fe:ic che High Altar, was che Figure of che Sun drawn upon a Place ofGold, much broader and thicker tnan che Boards which covered che Walls; chis Figure repreíemed the Face of che Sun in a round íhape, wich all his Rays and Emiffions ofFire, and Light pro• ceeding from him much in the fame manner as our Painters draw him ! The Fi- gure was fo great and large, thac ir cook up all che Qyaner of che Temple, frorn one WaU to anocher: Befides chis 1 Reprefentation of che Sun, the Jndians ereél:ed no other Idols in cheir Temples, becaufe chey did not acknowledge, nor adore any