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.

Royal Commentariu. BooK IU. All wbich they did not eíl:eem for Gods, but regarded them as Servants of the Sun as the Andenrs did, who fanfied the Thunderbolt to 9e the Arms of rupi- ter .' and for that reafon tbey allotted them L(\)dgings in the Temple of the Sun the' which were adorned all over with Gold: howfoever they formed no Statu~ or Reprefentation '?f them, becaufe rhey kne.w ~ot how. to ~ecypher any Si~li· tude orHieroglyphick to exprefs tbem: ThlS tripl e fign1ficatLOn ofillapa the Spa- nifh Hiítorian~ have ~ot undei:fl:ood, fo: ifthey h.ad , t.h~y might have m~de a pro· per ufe ofit, mmaking our word Tnmcy mor e mte l11gible to the capaoty of che Jndians, than by fome other lefs Ítgnificam terms which they.have ufed and framedf but bave not reached the Imagioarion or Genius oí that People. Thus much write, and as 1 have ofcen faid, fo 1 íl:ill aver the fame to be true, becaufe 1 have fucked it in wich my milk, and have heard it from my Ancefro1m; and as to ocher matters conceming the Thunder) we refer the Reader to what we h:ive al- ready declared. · The founh Chamber tbey'dediC;iced to the Rain-bow, becaufe they app.rehen- cled it to be a Ray, or Emiftion from .che ,81,m, and for ch,at reaíon che lncM placed ic in their Arrns, or Scutcheons, as a badge of their '.family and Alliance ; this Chamber was alfo furnifhed with Gold, ánd on tbe W alls a Rainbow was pain- ted very naturally, witb all its colours, which reached from one fide to ct1e ocher 5 the lndians call it Cuxhu, and have it in fuch Veneration, chat w.hen they fee it in the Air, they fhut their Mouths, and clap their Hands befare it; ~­ ca uf e they have Cln opinion, chac if che Rainbow íhould difcover tbeir Teerh, bis Influences would fpoil rhem, and caufe them to roe; the which was one amongfi cheir vulgar Errours, which rhey held witl1Gut any reafon, o,r founda- tion for ir. ' There was moreover a fifrh and la.ft Cha111ber appropriat~d to che Higo-fi>riefr, and ocher inferiour Priefü under hi m, w ha attended on rhe tervice of rhe Tem ple, who were all Incas, de[cended from the Roya'\ Bloud ! ' This Charub_er was n.or ordained for a room to íleep or eac in, bue for a place of'audience, or confülrat ion in wbat manner co regul¡¡ce the Sacrifices .. and zll ocher matters apperr.ai.oing e~ the Services of the Temple; éhe which Chamber, as ali che ochers, was furnifhed and adorned with Gold from che cop to che botcom. . !l CH A P. XXII. O.f the Name of the High Prieft, and of 01her parts of this - Roztfe. T HE 'Spaniards call the High Prieít PiJaoma, by corruption of che true word Yi/lac Vm11, which is C?m~~Yuode9 ?ÍPilla, w'hich fignifies as muchas co fpea~ or !~ttef; and z.:mH, ?'h1~h .1s t? d1vme or for.etell; as if we fhould fay, a Soofüfayer~ or 0ne skilf~ll m Div:m~t10n 5 not that he is to declare his c:iwn fenü- ments, b~t fuch as b~ !115 freque~t rn~ercourfe and communication with che Sun, and by vmue and .pnvilege of bis Pnefrhood, be fhall 'have received from him :namely, all fhoíe F4bl~s which .t~ ~evils !~ave uttered through che Organs of rhei; Ido!~, or by fecret v0~ces, foi.mdmg. ~n the1~ Sanétuaries~ or by the Ionerpretation of Dreams? or fue~ kind of fuperllmous Rices, have all been eíleemed oraculous an9 rny.fienous fay1ngs, conveyed to chem by che Adminifüations of che High Pneft:. · Of