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.

100 Royal Commumaries. BooK IV. chey were feleéted apart and chofen with refpeét to their lineage ,and beauty; and chat for aífurance, tbat chey were Virgins ac the time of fuch admiffion into the . Monaíl:ery, they were received into that Order at eight years of age,. or under. And becaufe chefe Virgins who belonged to the .M,onaíl¡ery at Co:tco were, c:leclj,. catecl all<iltasrit weve efT¡c:mfed n0. nlne,Sidl'I, 1t was e~eemi=d Iil<:;e~~~haHbey íb 0 11M be of lhis\ 1.ineage aod Bfülild,, tlliac is, Da14gR_tets-of t%e Jnc.u;,,;o~.o~1his Uu- cles 'and fuclí who were deícended by Father and Mocher of the fame-Lineage anci' not Baíl:ardized by mixture of humane bloud wich divine race, but pure and unípocced ; for fince the~ opinion was, tpac they were efpoufed unto che Sun, and thac he was to have Children by them, cwas reafon chac they fhould be withouc fpot or blerniíh, ana their Dtoud pure and undefiled: Thefe Monks, or Nuns, were commonly abour ~ 5 oo in Number, governed by grave Macrons, .ádmicced to the fame p r0fef fion, wf+o haqrli1'(ed and grown old under the 'fame ruleS and obfervance of che.ir Vow : To tbefo wern properly committed the care ancf government of the you nger fort, and from chis Office they took the Name of Mamacuna, or Mocher of che Maids, the word .Mama fig- ñífying a Mother; aná Cuna in compofüion, care or watchfutnefs. Wítn tn1s Title their Offices were very agreeable, for fome were Abbeífes, others Miíl:reífes to iníl:ruét che Novitiates, not onely in their Religious Worfhips, but Jikewife in Spinning, Weaving, Sowing, and ihe like employments; fome alfo were Por- ters belonging to che Gates, others took care of che Hufwifery, and Management, of che domeíl:ick affairs, and to make a provifion of Neceffaries, wich which chey were fufficiently füpplied out of che Eíl:ate of the Sun ; for they being his Wives, could oot be' deni'ed a maincena.nce out of his Reve~1ue. CHA ·P. IL • Of the Rules. an9J Statutes, and Employment of thefe Seleél Virgins. T Hey were Reclufes, and for .ever ílmt up, during the whole term of rheir lives, and obliged to perpetua! Virginity; they had no Locutory, or place allowed them at which rhey might [ee or converfe with Man or Woman ; nor had they other fociecy than one with anorl1er; for chey held, that the Wives of rhe Sun were to have no c0mmunicacion with other, than with bimfelf; and chis thejr Seclufion was fo ílriét and rigorous, rbat rhough the Inca rn'ight perfonally have claimed chis privilege•, yet becaufe no other fhould dare or adventure on this atternpt by his exampJe, he alío denied himfelf rhis liberty ; onely the Coya, or Qg_een, with her Daughters, had the freedom to enter in, :md vifit tnis Mo- naíl:ery ; and by them the I nca prefeme,d bis Salutes, demanding of their healch, ánd what their occaíions and neceflities required. I once faw thisHoufe íl:anding :\lone, wirhout any other Building before it; for onely chat, and che Temple of the Sun, which made up two Streets , and four other great Courts, which had been che Palaces of their Kings, remained entire ; having been [pared b'v the In- 4ians, out of refpeét to their God che Sun, and the Incas their Kings, wh'en in a general lnfurreél:ion againíl: the Spaniards they ret fire, and confümed a!l che reíl: of the City. Amongíl: other raricies of tbis Building, there was a narrow Gailery, in which two onely coald go a-breaíl:, that ran through rhe whole Houfe; • and this was the paffage to feveral Chambers and Apartmems on each hand, where tbe Offices of rhe Houfe were kept, and where the Women worked : At every one ·of thefe Doors was a Portref~ and in the fartheíl: Cbamber, ac rhe end of . ihe Gallery, was che Apartment tor che Wives of che Sun, wher-e none entred befides themfelves. This Houfe had its common Gate, which we call the Greac Gate;