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.

104 ' Royal Commentaríes. 'Bo.nK IV. with mwr fecHrity ·; whir;h being C()me to1he kpo_wtedge of AtabaHba, he aoñf,plliim!iLt~ereJ ' oJ to the ·Goverho11r, fqyin)!,, That he was 1!1ore fenfible of that mufortune, thdn hé Wtt.J of hi.t imprifonine't1t; and that no mifery, thor;tgh accompanied with Death., eould touch :him fo near!J as this ; for th11t a common Indian of bafe e.'ICtraétion, jhí!uld efteem 'him at {o moan a rate, as to rnakf him thc fubje[f oJ fo high an ajfront, in defpight of that Law of t1heir Co11ntrey, which ajfigned no lefs a punijhment for it, than that {uch offendour Jhou!d be burnt alive, with his Wtves, Father.fl, Children , Brothen, and ali thc rcft of his Kindred, nay the very Flock¿ and l{erds of fuch an Adu!terer wcre to be deft'!'oyed, hu Lands faid defolate, and fowed with Sa!t, hu Trees eradicated from the very Roots, hu Houfes demofi- fhed, with many other infliilions of the !ikf nature. Thus far are the words of Auguftin de Carate, which ferve to confirm what 1 have wrote ccncerning this mat~r, and indeed 1 was pleafed to have my words avouch~d by the teíl:imony of tlus Spanifh Cavalier: For though other Hifiorians m mion this Law, yet they onely fay, that it was with the Death of the Offendour, omitting that of his Wife, and Fatber, ánd Relations, and all rhe other Solernnities of this punifhment; whereby we may underfiand how grievous that offence was efieemed ; and how deeply rhat poor Inca Atah11alpa refemed it, when in the Agony of his Heart, he faid, That he felt it more than bis Imprifonment ; a:nd all othei· infellcities, though atten- ded with Death it felf. Thofe Women who had the honour ·to be extraéted from thefe Houfes far Concubines to the King, were made uncapable of ever returning thicher again, but remained in the Court as Ladies and Attendants on che Queen, untill fuch time as they were difinilfed, and licence given them to return into their own Countries 1 • •here far ever afterwards they were provided wich l;Ioufes and Re- venue agreeable to their Qya1ity, and to the Dignity and Honour they I:aa acqu~­ red by having been Mifheífes to the Inca_. Tbo[e wbo. could not a~ta,l~ to th1s Honour, were obliged to remain in their Cloifier unull they were anrnmr, and then had liberty either to continue till t'he time of their Death , or to rerurn to their own Countrey, where chey were rreated with fuch ref¡Deét as was \iue to che profeffion they had made. • · ~ l' r! CH A P. V. Of the f2.Eality and Ornament of tbefe Seleti Virgins, and . that they were not to be given unto any perfon whatfoever in Marriage. T Hofe Virgins which were dedicated or defigned for the prefem King, had the Title after his Death of Morhers to the Succeífour, with the Addition alfo of Mamacuna, which was a Name properly'belonging to their Office, which ob- liged them to teach and overfee the young Novices, wlío were admitred for .Con- cubines of the New Inca, and treated by them as cheir Children and Daughters- in-law. Every one of thefe Convents had its Governour or Superiour, who'Was an Inca, and whofe bufinefs it was to provide all Necef{aries for che ufe of rhefe : Wives of the Inca ; foí: though in reality they were but Concubin~s, yet in re- fpeét and courreíie they gave them the Honourable cicle of Wives. In every one of thefe Houfes belonging to thefe Maidens, feparáted for the ufe of the Inca ; all their Utenftls and Services of the Hou[e were made of Gold and Silver, as thofe were which belonged to the Wives of the Sun, and to the famous Temple, and ( as we fhall hereafter declare) to the Royal Palaces ; fot indeed al! che Gold and Silver, and pretious Stones which were found and amaffed in thar great Empire, were, for che moft part, employed to no other ufe, than to che Service and Adorn- menc