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.

106 Royal Commentarier• . BooK IV. · CH A P. VII. Of other Women, who conferved their Virginity, and ofWidows. B Efides thefe Virgins, who lived Reclufes in Ooiíl:ers, under che Vow of per- petual Chafl:ity, there were many other Women ofRoyal Bloud, wbo lived in retiremenr, .and v~wed to confer~e their Virginity, though with liberty to go abroad, and v1fü therr neareíl: Relations, and aíliíl: the fick, and Wornen in their Travels, and to be prefent at the Ceremony of íhaving, when they gave a Name 'to their firll:-born. Thefe Women were held in great Ell:eem and Veneration for their Chaíl:ity, and purity of their Lives; giving them by way ofRxcellency' or of fome Verme Divine, the T,itle of Occl9, which fignifies fomething of fuper~ eminenr Sanétity; and this their Chaíl:ity was not pretended, or feigned, bue true and real; for if any falfity or hypocrifie were difcovered in it, they burnc rhem alive, or threw them to the Lions to be devoured. 1 remember that I knew one of thefe that was very ancienc, and bad never been married, which chey cal- led Ocelo; fometimes íhe vifited my Mother, and, as I have heard, íhe was her Aunr by the Grandfather; 1 can fay, I ama witnefs of the great refpeét they bore towards her, and efpecially my Mother, who for her Relation, Years and Vertue, behaved her felf rowards her with ali imaginable Reverence and Veneration. Nor muíl: we here omit the Modeíl:y and Vertue ofWidows in general, who for the firíl: Year of their Widowhood kept themfelves retired, and free from ali converfation, there being very few oí .chofe, _who had n~t Children, chac married again, much lefs thofe who were prov1ded w1tb them, d1d ever remrn to a fecond Marriage, but lived with Continence and ~hafücy; for which reafon ch~ Laws were favourable towards tnem, commandmg Labourers to plow and cultivate their Lands before thoi of the Cun~c~, with many orher privileges,, which the favour of the Inca indulged to them. The truth is, it was a difparagemenr for a Man, who was not a Widower himfelf, to marry with a Widow, for as they faid, he !oíl: 1 know not what qualicy and repute by fuch a condefcenfion. And this is what is moll: obfervable in reference to Virgins, and Widows, and modeft Women. 11 1 l • .. J' CH- A P,. VIII. . . ( J • di .C.:l r r, r11 ·g 'i , .. ;i' ,, ) . 1., ,· ¡ j, Of their Marriages in general? and .hüw' igeir Hg.~~ were g. .·. ;1e'r11ed. 11 ¿ t1 ) r r J'" • •t f ... 1 ~ e . h '•. r: 1 ~ • • 1 I T will now be proper in this place for us to treat of the~ Marriage~; a~d hm~ they were joined togerher in che Kingdoms and Provinces fubjeéted to the Inca: In arder hereunro it is to be noted, chat every year, or every two years, the King commanded bis Officers to cake an account of fuch young Men and Maidens of bis Lineage, as were marriageable, wirhin the City of Couo, that fo they might be rnarched togerher; che Maidens were to be ofeighteen to twemy years ofage, and the young Men from twenty to twe~1ty four, and upwards;, under which age rhey were not eíl:eemed to be of years of confent, for thar ir was neceffary they íhould be of a ripe age and judgment to govern their Families, which could not be done by Cl.Uldren